SOPWITH 5F.1 'DOLPHIN' of No. 79 Squadron RAF 1918

by George Grasse

BLUE MAX BX0112 BOX ART

SOPWITH 5F.1 'DOLPHIN' THREE-VIEW DRAWING

This 3-view drawing is credited to E J. Riding and appeared in Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War compiled by W. M. Lamberton and published by Harleyford Publications Limited (page 36).  This three view shows the 'Dolphin' that equipped just four squadrons by war's end: RAF Nos. 19, 23, 79, and 87.

 

THE MODEL TO BE BUILT SOPWITH 5F.1 'DOLPHIN' D3584

Sopwith 5F.1 'Dolphin' D3584 flown by Captain Frederick Warrington Gillet, an American in British service, was the highest scoring 'Dolphin' ace flying for RAF No. 79 from late-Summer 1918.  Captain Gillet's total confirmed score was 20 destroyed including three balloons.  Note that the all victories were claimed as destroyed and did not include any 'forced down out of control', sometimes used in claims of dubious value.  This specific 'Dolphin' is associated with his last four aerial victories there being five other 'Dolphins' involved in the other victories.

COLOR PROFILE

Sopwith 5F.1 'Dolphin' D3584 color profile by Harry Dempsey from Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No. 48, Dolphin and Snipe Aces of World War I, page 39 (side profile) and 45 (wing profile).  The white 'V' on the fuselage was probably repeated on the right top wing.  The white square next to the fuselage roundel was the coded symbol for No. 79 Squadron, RAF.

 

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 1

BEGINNINGS:  The top row of wing panels shows progressive drilling for the wing struts (far left), a start on the rigging holes (next left), and final drilling (last two panels). The fuselage interior began with rigging the two metal frames.  They were painted with Vallejo VC0824 Orange Ochre.  While drying, the interior walls were painted in Vallejo VC0864 Natural Steel (engine compartment), Vallejo VC0905 Pale Blue Gray (cockpit side wall representing  'Battleship Gray'), and Vallejo VC0847 Dark Sand (aft fabric covering).  Note that the framework has be glued to the fuselage halves and these components painted and glued: rudder bar, column column, floorboard, and fuel tank. The in-line engine is assembled less the exhausts and the underside of the cockpit covering is painted.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 2

COCKPIT AND ENGINE:  I tried adding cockpit components to one fuselage side but the location of the floorboard was not correct according to Windsock Data File drawings and especially the Wingnut Wings illustrated instruction manual for their 1:32 scale 'Dolphin'.  I decided to glue the fuselage halves together and work from that point.  The fuel tank was discarded and it doesn't fit. The floorboard was trimmed to fit and glued from the top.  Next, the painted seat was installed.  I fitted the former which is right behind the pilot's seat and noted that the fuel tank was completely hidden from view so I left it out (Note the two light colored plastic runners behind the seat where the fuel tank would normally go).  I built up the instrument panel by adding a few dials and gauges using the Wingnut Wings illustrated manual as a guide.  The next step was the most difficult and that had to do with fitting the cockpit upper half into place.  I had to take into account the instrument panel and Vickers machine guns and this whole process was extremely time consuming.  The Blue Max assembly illustration is worthless.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 3

COCKPIT COMPLETED AND SIDE RADIATORS ADDED:  After spending an inordinate amount of time, the  fuselage is completed including Vickers machine guns, tachometer bar over the guns, instrument panel, seat, control column, rudder bar, and the cabane struts. The side radiators were glued in place after checking the Windsock Data File drawings. The lower wings were placed against the lower edge of the fuselage and corresponding marks on the wings and fuselage were made for drilling.  I used brass pins to fit into these holes for a sturdy fit.  As of now, the wings and simply inserted into the fuselage and not yet glued in place.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No.4

FRONT VIEW OF WORK SO FAR: This view shows the closed up cockpit with protruding cabane struts and twin Vickers machine guns.  Note the side radiators.  The wings are predrilled for wing struts and rigging.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 5

LANDING GEAR AND ENGINE FINISHING: The landing gear was straight forward.  Locator marks on the lower edge of the fuselage were drilled out for the landing gear pins.  The airfoil spreader bar had its plastic wheel stubs cut off and replaced with sturdier brass rods.  op row of wing panels shows progressive drilling for the wing struts (far left), a start on the rigging holes (next left), and final drilling (last two panels). Engine detail was added and consisted of the cylinder covers and the simple exhaust.  The front of the engine was covered by the cowling which fit perfectly.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 6

TAIL UNIT, PART 1: The first step is gluing the horizontal and vertical tail components in place and allow ample time to dry thoroughly.  The rudder was already pre-painted with British rudder stripes and then glued (see color table below).  The second and last step in this sitting was the addition of the kit's metal tail skid.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 7

TAIL UNIT, PART 2 - RIGGING and FUSELAGE PAINTING: To finish the tail unit, I pre-drilled the rigging holes according to the Windsock 'Dolphin' drawings and photos.  I used Eduard control horns for the elevators and rudder.   Monofilament .005 thread was used for rigging the control lines and the vertical stabilizer rigging lines. In preparation for fuselage decal application, I used my Vallejo mix of PC-12 (see color table below).  Two coats were applied to the fuselage, wheel covers, vertical stabilizer, and top surfaces of horizontal tail unit.  The underside of the fuselage and tail was painted in Vallejo VC0847 Dark Sand.  Normally, the majority of 'Dolphins' had their front end metal panels painted in 'Battleship Gray'.  On this machine, only the nose piece appears to have been painted that way.  The photo I used could be interpreted to be bare metal but I chose gray.  The whole model was over-sprayed in Vallejo's Satin finish in preparation for decal application in the next step.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 8

FUSELAGE DECAL APPLICATION: The Blue Max kit that I used is quite old and the decals are too fragile to use (I had the same problem with the 'Snipe' I built).  So, I anticipated this and ordered Pheon Decal's 48036 s 1:48 scale 'Dolphin' and 'Snipe' decal sheet.  I was pleasantly surprised at the value of the package which included nicely rendered decals for a dozen or so aircraft (mostly 'Dolphins').  The packet included a booklet on instructions plus a summary of each aircraft.  Also, for the 'Dolphin' two pages of layout material to properly install and align the wings - nice bonus. The roundels, white square, and 'V' are from Pheon's decal sheet.  I cut a piece of white decal to make the background for the serial number.  I printed the 'D3584' serial on clear decal paper.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 9

TOP WING ATTACHED: This view shows the top wing glued to the kit's metal cabin struts and connected with the addition of brass rods as shown.  I used the Windsock Data File 1:48 scale drawings to mark the the ends of each wing for drilling the holes to fit the metal cabin strut pins.   Both top wing halves were carefully fitted to make sure of alignment.  Next, I pre-drilled holes to fit a brass rod in front of and behind the cabin strut pins.  The wing halves were carefully fitted in place and glued.  The end result was a perfectly aligned top wing in its rearward staggered alignment.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 10

TOP WING SIDE VIEW: This view shows the rearward stagger of the top wing.  I carefully measured the length of one of the wing struts directly from the Windsock Data File 1:48 scale front view drawing.  I made a test strut from brass rod and placed into position in the pre-drilled strut holes on the upper surface of the lower wing and underside of the top wing.  This was a test to see if the rod was the correct length.  I actually had to cut another piece a bit longer which correctly accounts for the difference between the two-dimensional measurement of the drawing and the actual rearward stagger of the wings.  Voila!  The fit was perfect and I made seven more strut rods and eight strut "covers" from brass tube.  Each tube will be slightly hammered to the correct airfoil shape.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 11

WING STRUTS AND RIGGING: This view shows the attachment of the pre-painted brass rod and tube wing struts and the attachment of the rigging wires to the underside of the top wing.  The top side of the bottom wing was painted in PC-12 before the struts were glued in place.  Touch up will follow once the rigging wires are passed through the lower wing and glued in place in the next step.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 12

RIGGED AND PAINTED: All of the rigging wires are now connected having been passed through pre-dilled holes in the lower wing and glued underneath.  The underside was then cleaned up and sanded.  Two coats of Vallejo Dark Sand were applied here and as touch-up to the underside of the top wing.  The top wing's upper surface was given two coats of PC-12 mix.  When dry, the model was over-sprayed with Vallejo's Acrylic Satan Varnish, a permanent fast-drying finish that replaces other varnish products mainly because it has little odor.

FINISHED PHOTO No. 13

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 14

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 15

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 16

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 17

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 18

 

COLOR TABLE

Vallejo VC0824 Orange Ochre	Interior wood framework and formers
Vallejo PC-12 Mix 1	Fuselage and top surfaces
Vallejo VC0847 Dark Sand	Cockpit fabric interior and undersides
Vallejo VC0856 Ochre Brown	Visible cockpit wood paneling and struts
Vallejo VC0905 Pale Blue Grey 2	Exterior metal panels and landing gear
Vallejo VC0963 Medium Blue	Roundel/Rudder Stripes Blue
Vallejo VC0909 Vermillion	Roundel/Rudder Stripes Red
Vallejo VC0864 Natural Steel	Bare metal parts
1 Vallejo VC0872 Chocolate Brown 2/5, VC0887 Brown Violet 2/5, VC0990 Light Grey 1/5
2 Actually a slightly bluish grey for exterior 'Battleship Grey' metal panels

   

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Bibliography:

Bruce, J. M.  Sopwith Dolphin Windsock Datafile 54.  Berkhamsted, UK: Albatros Productions, 1995. 

British RFC/RAF No. 79 Squadron: https://www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org/research/squadrons/79/

Franks, Norman.  Dolphin and Snipe Aces of World War 1, Osprey Aircraft of the Aces Series No. 48.  Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2002.

Rogers, Les.  British Aviation Squadron Markings of World War I.  Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 2001.  Contains a number of photos of the four 'Dolphin' RAF squadrons.

Shores, Christopher; Norman Franks and Russell Guest.  Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920.  London, UK:  Grub Street. 1996 (reprint).  Biography and victory list of Captain Frederick Warrington Gillet, No. 79 Squadron. RAF, pages 167-168.

Thetford, O. G. and E. J. Riding, Compilers, and D. A. Russell, Editor.  Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War.   Letchworth, Herts, UK: Harleyford Publications Ltd, 1954.

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Copyright by George Grasse