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Bristol 138/A; altitude record breaker
Topic Started: Sep 18 2016, 09:25 PM (152 Views)
peebeep
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Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious
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Quote:
 
From Wikipedia: Squadron Leader F.R.D. Swain was selected to pilot the high-altitude flights. On 28 September 1936, Swain took off from Farnborough and climbed to an indicated 51,000 ft (15,440 m), engaging the auxiliary supercharger at 35,000 ft (10,668 m). Swain ran low on oxygen on the two-hour flight and had to break the window of his pressure helmet once he had descended to a safe height. The data from this flight was homologated by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale as a world record of 49,967 ft (15,230 m).

After this flight, further development of the aircraft resulted in a number of small modifications. In this mildly revised form, the 138A made six further flights to around 50,000 ft (15,240 m). During this period, Italy increased the record to 51,364 ft (15,656 m). In response, on 30 June 1937, Flight Lieutenant M.J. Adam undertook a 2¼-hour flight in which he achieved a record altitude, later homologated at 53,937 ft (16,440 m). Despite the cockpit canopy cracking, Adam was saved from injury by his pressure suit. After this, research flights continued but no further records were attempted.


This was a projected that took my fancy after seeing a completed model at a show, the kit originally passing me by in my yoof as I'd only ever had little more than a passing interest in the Frog Trailblazer kits. I thought the kit might be quite expensive to acquire due to perceived rarity, but ebay yielded this tatty old boxing for 11.50 posted. Whilst the plastic is in pretty good nick the decals are poor and would probably splinter when soaked, so I was on the lookout for a Rising Decals replacement set. These also tend to be a bit pricy but ebay came up with a set for a tad under 9.00. The resin engine is by Neomega, I think it was about 4.00.

Here's the box:
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Remember how the Frog boxes opened up into a tray?
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Plastic components are in very good nick and may even be original:
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Old skool Frog instructions and dubious looking decals:
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The Rising Decals set - fortuitously I got two sheets in the package - and the Neomega engine:
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The decal instruction sheet is excellent:
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I've managed to accrue a fair number of reference photos and even a sketch of the cockpit, although I doubt I will spend much time scratch building. There are some marvellous images of this aircraft that were taken at the time, full of atmosphere and one of my favourites is this one (probably posed), that seems to have been the inspiration for the box art art:
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That's all for now folks!
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peebeep
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chrism
Advanced Member
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Ah good. Glad to see another build on the cards. I was fearing it might be mine and Harriets and a load of table cloth on show.
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