Wings of Intent: Sopwith Pup J-TETV - adapted Airfix 1/72nd kit -in progress

(Photo from the Air Britain archive, summer 2002 issue)

(the completed model is here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2025/03/sopwith-pup-civil-conversion-of-airfix.html

The base for this model is the very old Airfix release that, according to Scalemates, dates from 1973, more than 50 years ago. HRModel released several versions of the Pup, but unfortunately none was available for purchase at the moment of looking for a kit to build the model.

The Airfix kit needs a little bit of TLC, as some things need correcting and others can be improved. I have already done some of that before on a model of G-EAVX, a Pup used for racing:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2016/11/sopwith-pup-1921-aerial-derby-arctic.html

Encouragement for representing this particular plane came from George Eleftheriou of Arawasi site fame, the link to his site is on the sidebar. George kindly contributed to the build with reference material and comments. If anything on the model happens to be not accurate, it's entirely my fault. Mika Jernfors of Arctic Decals provided the necessary transfers. To both, my gratitude.

It's a simple kit, and fair to a degree, but, as with many of its contemporaries, some effects are overdone, mainly the ribbing and "fabric" effect on all flying surfaces. The landing gear is a bit simplified, and some surface details on the fuselage are not very accurate or belong just to one of the many types of Pups that could be modeled. The interior offers a figure, a seat that's a bit on the heavy side, and a basic instrument panel. Notably, the fuselage interior structure and rigging is described up to the very tail, something of course quite unnecessary, as most of it is naturally hidden from view. It may be noticed in the photo of the box contents that a clear support for the model is provided, an atavism akin to the appendix in the human digestive system, still there after all these years of evolution, but not used. That detail gives up the age of this kit. Modelers may like to add at least a partial floor and a joystick. Under the fuselage nose there was a "V" cut out that modelers can reproduce if desired. Another cutout must be practiced at the very end of the fuselage, and a kingpost added. Some of these details were explained by Ray Rimmel in Scale Models June 1975. In this build I decided to sand down the overdone ribbing and fabric, something I had ignored in the previous build. It's not a complete cure, though. As the flying surfaces are quite thin, if you insist sanding, the recesses where the struts go will just open through. I ended up filling those recesses. That system of "united struts via an insert bridge" was created to help modelers with the biplane issues. Further help comes in the form of two wing setting supports. The plastic is surprisingly hard and somewhat brittle, so when sanding those too prominent ribs care must be taken as not to break the wings.

For this civil version of course the armament was deleted. This particular plane had exchanged the Pitot for a Venturi, mounted offset from the former's original place. The prop, prop boss and seat were replaced with aftermarket items and a few details added to the cockpit. The cowl was thinned from inside, so the openings at the bottom would look a bit more realistic. All control horns were deleted from the molds and replaced with photo-etched items. The kit provides a nicely (for the time) detailed engine, that even has the spark plugs! It's smaller than it should be, to be able to clear the thickness of the cowl plastic. The fin has a tab that inserts into the stab, but this was deleted as the fin did not actually touch the stab, but was anchored at a narrow distance from it with two metal tubes, thus the recess in the stab was filled. The fin has a very small pip, easily overlooked and sanded off, that is in fact where some rigging anchors, so don't remove it! The recesses under the top wing where the strut "bridge" originally inserted were filled too as explained, taking care at the same time of three ejector pin marks.

Surprisingly, and like the Fairey Rotodyne I recently built, Airfix re-released the Pup quite recently. And exactly like with the Rotodyne, I am not sure that the kit, which is visibly outdated, merited that. I bought some of the really new Airfix's releases, fine molds at contemporary standards, so I don't understand why Airfix insists on releasing over an over kits that are way sub-standard for today's market. Some of them, like the Rotodyne, irrecoverably so.

The old blister (99 cents!):

Contents, complete with Airfix's marketing gimmicks:

The succinct amount of parts, plus atavistic base and discarded decals:

Detail that will never be seen on the aft fuselage interior:

The contrite pilot:

Not the surface detail for this particular version:

The too-pronounced fabric effect and ribbing, a common manufacturing sin of those times:

The tongue at the base needs removal, the fabric effect is -as in general on this type of kit- exaggerated. The control horns needs replacing:

Watch out while sanding, or those locations for the "strut bridge" will open on the top (a "trick" supposed to help the modeler with alignment that in turn creates other problems):

Sanding the wings to improve things to some degree:

And the stab:

Not so bad engine, considering the manufacturing date:

All parts cleaned up

Aftermarket replacements:

Cut out on the chin for accuracy, and wings' guides:

Aft fuselage cut out:

Detail that needs modifying:

More aftermarket parts to the help:

Filling the inaccurate fin location, removing the fin's tongue, modifying the aft fuselage:

Removing a triangular section for accuracy:

Thinning down the cowl and making some mods:

Filling those "strut bridge" locations and ejector pin marks:

Adding a little detail to the LG:

And somewhat more ready now:

Replacing the LG bar:

Pilot's position:

Some airbrushing:

Aftermarket control horns installed:

Rigging holes drilled:

More painting:

The kit's engine, necessarily much smaller than scale to clear the cowl walls, but not unfairly detailed (all things considered). Committed modelers may replace it with a "Small Stuff" resin engine of superb quality: