Pheon Models 

RFC & NRAS Sopwith Pups In France Decal sheet

Review Article by Steve Collins on June 18 2009

 

Pheon Models, labor of love of Rowan Broadbent, have released sheets in 1/72 and 1/48 of Sopwith Pups in France from Spring to early Fall 1917.  All these markings are for active fighters rather than trainers.  The Pup, though with less power and only one gun, was still a formidable opponent because of its light weight and relatively large wing area.  They were eventually replaced in frontline service by Sopwith Triplanes in the RNAS and by Sopwith Camels in RFC service.  Though there are no kits currently in production for the Pup, there have been excellent kits made in the past, from the last WWI kit Airfix made in 1/72 to the Eduard injected kit and the Aeroclub vacform.

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The sheet includes full markings for 10 Pups divided evenly between the RNAS and RFC.  The package includes an eleven-page booklet which gives some reasons why some decals are two-part, notes on decal application, and notes on availability and possible refinements of available Pup kits.  The booklet also gives concise information on the different markings used on all Pups, general information on colors in use at the time, and a list of principle references used to produce the sheet.  The rest of the booklet is made up of potted histories of each aircraft selected for the sheet.  The decals themselves are printed by Fantasy Printshop to their usual very high standard.  They have minimal extra carrier film with perfect register and appear very thin.  The colors look to be accurate (though I am not an expert in the field) and are based on existing samples from the period.  The sheets are expensive, but cater to a relatively smaller audience than sheets for F-18s and P-51s.  The economics of limited run sizes for the sheets drives the price up a bit, but I think that they are excellent value for the money, giving a large number of very attractive schemes.  I did the math for this sheet and it worked out to just over $2.00 per scheme for me with shipping from the UK to the US (which was very prompt, by the way).  

Also included in the package are four full-color card stock inserts with profiles and overheads of all ten aircraft to use as placement guides.  These cards are much better than line drawings with color callouts and were sufficient in themselves to get me to dig out a Pup kit and get to work on it. 

Rowan Broadbent is a dedicated WWI modeler who wants to provide fellow modelers accurate, high quality markings for an era that is not well covered at this time.  The line is expanding with a sheet for Fokker Dr.Is from JG II and SPAD VIIs of the Lafayette Escadrille, SPA124, and the 103rd Aero Squadron currently in release.  Rowan doesn’t have his website up yet, but you can preview his works at http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?s=94c0219d70dbeaf6826dc8b155607f1d&showforum=227 or reach him at pheon.models@hotmail.co.uk.

Steve Collins

Photos and text © by Steve Collins