1/48 Scratch-built F.B.A. Type B Schreck

Gallery Article by Hugo Cabral on Oct 27 2010

 

In 1917 Portugal acquired from France two Franco-British-Aviation (FBA) Type B to equip his newly formed Serviço de Aviação da Armada (Navy Air Service). The order included a spare engine and this engine was used in a third FBA built in Portugal. These aircraft operated from Lisbon in maritime patrol duties until the end of 1918. One FBA (the nº2) is still preserved in the Navy Museum in Lisbon, being the only one in the world.

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First of all, this is not a 100% scratch-build model… The Gnome Monosoupape engine is from Vector Resin (wonderful detail, but more expensive than his weight in gold!) and the wings belonged to a Lindberg`s Curtiss Jenny (same size and shape... Am I not a lucky bastard?!). The rest of the model is essentially Evergreen sheets and rods. The rigging was made with polyamide line. Needless to say that hundreds of photos of the FBA in the Museum were essential to achieve a realistic model.

The beach diorama was made with beach sand, Vallejo “Still Water”, tobacco and smashed shells. The figures are Preiser, CMK and Gooffy Models.
More WIP pics can be seen in here. 
http://forum.modelismo-na.net/viewtopic.php?f=98&t=14837

This was my first scratch model, and it was much easier than I could think. Simultaneously I had lots of fun and self-satisfaction. I strongly recommend all the modellers to try a scratch built at least once the lifetime!...

Hugo Cabral

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Photos and text © by Hugo Cabral