Vickers FB.5 'Gun Bus' 1915

THE MODEL TO BE BUILT VICKERS FB.5 'GUN BUS' 1649

Vickers FB.5 'Gun Bus' 1649 was flown by Captain Lionel Wilmot Brabazon Rees (pilot) and F/Sgt J. M. Hargreaves (gunner) of No. 11 Squadron, RFC Captain Rees scored six of his eight aerial victories in the Vickers FB.5 'Gun Bus', two of which in this machine, No. 1649. F/Sgt Hargreaves was his usual gunner. Rees went on to achieve the rank of Lt. Colonel and was awarded both the Victoria Cross and Military Cross as a most aggressive pilot.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 1

NACELLE INTERIOR: The two seats are glued to scrap plastic to get them to the correct height within the nacelle. The interior is fabricated on a wood frame covered in fabric or thin sheet aluminum. Additional details will be added in future steps.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 2

NACELLE, LOWER WING, AND ENGINE: The nacelle halves were glued together and held with rubber bands overnight. The seams were heavily filled with putty. When thoroughly dry, the seams were sanded down but, during the process, some detail was obliterated. I used thin lead foil to recreate the straps around the fuel tank and, not shown, the underside straps and a small access panel.

The lower wing halves each have two pins for attachment to the nacelle. I cut away the forward pins and replaced them with brass rod for strength. Ailerons were glued in place. The wings are not yet glued to the nacelle.

The engine was built up with each cylinder having to be glued in place - a task I don't especially like to do. After thoroughly drying, I cut short pieces of brass rod and bent the tips. These became the copper-colored intake pipes.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 3

SOLDERED TAIL BOOM: The drawings from Windsock Datafile 56 were invaluable for building up the soldered brass tube tail boom sub-assembly. The upper image shows the pre-drilled holes for the brass rod over which is inserted the slightly flattened brass tube strut. The lower image shows the soldered tail boom assembly superimposed over the drawing.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 4

PRE-RIGGING DRILLING: Note the brass rods inserted into the top wing slots that will support the soldered tail boom. The bottom wing shows how the tail boom slots into the lower wing had to be deepened and widened.

Using the drawings in Windsock Datafile 56, I began drilling out holes for the rigging which in this photo are not all yet completed.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 5

STRUTS AND BOOMS: All of the wing and cabane struts are made from brass rod covered with brass tube, the latter slightly "pounded' to form a somewhat aerodynamic shape. The tail boom pieces have been inserted into brass rod projections from the rear of each wing.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 6

TAIL UNIT: The rudder is held in place by two brass pins, top and bottom as shown, to be trimmed later. Note a third brass pin midway on the forward edge. This pin will support a simple structure for the tailskid that will connect to the pin at the bottom of the rudder.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 7

MAIN LANDING GEAR CONSTRUCTION: I decided to make a sturdier main landing gear assembly using plastic bar stock, brass rod, and copper sheathing. I tried to get an Albion Alloy product named 2mm square brass tubing (thin wall). I intended to solder the entire assembly and needed the square brass rod for the skids. The supplier could not find the material in stock so I went with plastic.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 8

MAIN LANDING GEAR INSTALLATION: Each of the four landing gear struts was covered with aerodynamic brass tubing (I gently pounded the tubing into shape). The front struts were located first and glued. Then, the rear struts were glued in place.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 9

TAIL SKID: The copper 'spring' serves as a shock absorber for the tail skid and was made by wrapping fine copper electrical wire around a brass rod. The tail skid's attachment to the bottom of the rudder was altered. In fact, the kit's tailskid was not used. Instead, a length of brass tube was fashioned and bent at each end. Where the vertical support is located, a hole was drilled into the tube. The brass rod extending downward from the rudder was cut to length, covered with a piece of brass tubing, and whole soldered together. The spring was attached as shown.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 10

TAILSKID - ANOTHER VIEW

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 11

DECALS: The kit's decals were unusable. I found four British cockades in the decal collection and used them. The '1649' rudder serial number was made on my laser printer. The simpler of the rigging was completed at this time.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 12

FINISHED: Left side view. This and the following photos show the completed model. Note that all metal fittings and the tail boom are painted Vallejo semi-gloss black mix.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 13

FINISHED: Right side view.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 14

FINISHED: Left front view.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 15

FINISHED: Right front view.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 16

FINISHED: Left rear view.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 17

FINISHED: Right rear view.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTO No. 18

FINISHED: Left front overhead view.

COLOR TABLE

Vallejo VC0824 Orange Ochre	Interior wood framework and formers
Vallejo VC0847 Dark Sand	Fabric interior and exterior
Vallejo VC0864 Natural Steel	Aluminum sheet metal
Vallejo Semi-Gloss Black Mix	Metal fittings and tail boom

------------------------------- FINIS -----------------------------

Bruce, J. M. Vickers FB5 Windsock Datafile 56. Berkhamsted, UK: Albatros Productions, 1996.

Guttman, John. Pusher Aces of World War 1, Osprey Aircraft of the Aces Series No. 88. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2009.

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 Rees, page 316.

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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