Wicker Seats

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Anyone know where I can get 1/48 scale wicker seats for WWI era fighters?

scoured google, nothing but 1 czhech company… [and no pics!]

thanks

-sean

2

Sean:

While they aren’t real wicker, they’re the next best thing: Eduard makes a 1:48 scale fret of all types of WW I seats (No. 48 357), including wicker, aluminum and padded seats (the latter require a little epoxy putty to make them look accurate). These seats work great (remember to anneal them for a few seconds, then air cool them – do NOT dunk in water – so when you bend the back part around the seat portion, it won’t spring back on you).

And while you are at it, Eduard also make a fret or two of all types and sizes of wire wheels (48 505), frets of fuselage stitching, and every nation and scale of color WW I seatbelts (they are just adding 1/72 WW I belts to the line), and even a fret containing turnbuckles, control horns, and other rigging hardware. You can get it at a discount in the WW I Big Ed set which contains all of these frets in 1/48.

TOM

3

I use Curad fabric bandages for that…

4

If you want to check out the Eduard PE wicker seats, go to www.eduard.com. Go to the search bug and type in the fret numbers I gave you. It will give you a photo of the fret of seats and you can get a better look by downloading the PDF file of the instructions, a service Eduard offers for all its products, including kits. Good to know if you lose one page for a PE fret, or the whole instruction booklet for a kit.

Also, if you are hell-bent on making them out of something like wicker, there’s probably somebody on the WW I site www.aerodrome.com who can tell you how. Frankly, I think it’s a little impracticle below 1/32 scale, but somebody on Aerodrome will have done it, you can almost bet on it. The Curad bandage idea is intriguing. I’d like to know how you do it so I can perhaps give it a shot.

TOM

5

I just cut pieces to fit the kits’ seat and stick 'em on. They’re already the right color, as far as I can tell, and the texture gives it some depth. I tried doing a weave with thin strips of bandage, but it ended up looking like a lawn chair, so I went for suggestion rather than duplication. In that small of a scale, it’s all I felt I needed… I’m always on the lookout for stuff that “looks miniature”, rather than buying aftermarket stuff. A piece of nylon stocking works as well, stretched over the seat tightly and then covered in liquid cement to set it.

6

Aeroclub make white metal ones:

http://www.aeroclub-models.com/p.html?n=21&c=V127

Obvioulsy, a certain amount of creative painting will be required.

Cheers,

Chris.

7

Greetings all scratchbuilding wicker seats involved weaving copper or brass wire throught a series of vertical rods imbedded at one end in a seat base. I know several modelers that do this.

8

Scratchbuilding,… hmmm, I had considered it [there is a 1/32 scale DR.I in the pile somewhere… ] but check this article out [seat looks great, but 3 weeks…!]
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2006/12/stuff_qvarfordt_dh2.htm

Here is the link to the site I found with the seats… http://www.sweb.cz/hippomodels/

You are probably right, looking for something that “looks” like wicker in that scale would be more practical…

But I’ll see if I can get hippomodels to send me some pics of the seats…

-sean

9

Wickers were found in some British aircraft like the Sopwith F.1 & 2F.1 Camel. The Fokker Dr.I used a seat that had a wooden base with a pressed aluminum backing. The inside of the backing was covered in linen.

10

Kindered spirit! I also prefer improvisation over ‘after-market’ items. I find it especially satisfying to solve detailization problems that way.

Excellent idea for the seats!

11

I just had an idea… hopefully brilliant!Building on your idea, Hans…

  • build a miniature loom with “T-pins” and a small chunk of wood, any needle will work as the shuttle… I’m thinking the “rope” that ship builders use would work nicely [though the fishing line looked good]
  • make a paper template from existing seat
  • seal your “fabric” with white glue, wait, template and cut…
  • stick onto your plastic seat… :slight_smile:
  • if you are worried about the back of seat being seen, make 2 fabrics!!

thoughts? - seems to me that would be much faster/easer than the 3 week method!

-sean