sandbagger

Hi all, Just a few updates. The bomb racks, wheels, interplane struts and propeller. I'm now finishing off the eight 'Hale' heavy case Mk.II/C bombs, Mike

Hi all, Well, the most difficult part of this model build, the top engine cowl, is done. Without going into detail (as it's covered in my build log), I had to effectively scratch the cowl. The kit supplied photo-etch or resin cowls were discarded. I used the centre section of the photo-etch panel, annealed and bent into shape. The retaining straps from the cowl onto the cylinder head bolts, the cylinder baffles and the fire wall were made from 0.2 mm thick plastic card. The centre support strut under the cowl and into the engine block is painted 0.4 mm diameter tube. Now it's onto pre-rigging, Mike

Mike

Hi all, On most BE2c aircraft, linen was wrapped around the four fuselage cabane struts and the landing gear struts. This was done to protect the struts and to help prevent the wood from splitting. To represent the linen wrapping I used cut thin strips of plumbers Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape. This tape is by nature very thin and will self-grip to tools and your fingers, so patience and repeated cutting will be necessary. The tape was secured in position using thin CA adhesive. Then airbrushed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC311), treated with 'Flory Models' Grime wash and finally clear coated again. Mike

Hi all, The weapons are now finished, although the observers Lewis will be finally positioned on its swivel mounting once the rigging etc is completed. The Lewis machine gun for the observer was mounted on a tubular swivel arm located centrally between the observer and pilots cockpits. The Lewis machine gun for the pilot was mounted to the side of the cockpit and angled to fire obliquely outboard. Both weapons and the spare ammunition drums are the ‘GasPatch’ Lewis Mk.1 stripped half heat sinks (32-32052). The observers weapon has a 0.3 mm diameter rod fitted to allow it to swivel on the gun mounting. Similarly the pilots weapon has a rod fitted to locate it into a hole drilled into the side of the fuselage. I chose not to use the kit supplied photo-etch mounting for the pilots weapon as is was way to flimsy. Both weapons were primed with 'Tamiya' Gloss Black (X1) then airbrushed with 'Alclad' Gun Metal (ALC120). Then ‘Mr. Colour’ Super Metallic - Super Iron (203) was dry brushed over the weapons. Finally 'Tamiya' Hull Red (XF9) was applied to the handles and 'AK Interactive' Brown Leather (AK3031) to the drum straps. A light wash os 'AK Interactive' Kerosene (AK2039) was applied over the ammunition drums. Mike

Hi all, A few more observations of areas of the model not included. Later versions of the BE2c had an access panel on the right side of the fuselage and rear of the pilot’s cockpit. This panel is not included on the kit fuselage and will need to be created. Later versions of the BE2c had either one or two circular access panels on the left side of the nose, on the triangular panel. This panel is not included on the kit. Also most BE2c aircraft had a twin pitot tube fitted to an outboard interplane strut. Also not included in the kit. Mike

Hi all, The engine is now fitted, including the upper auxiliary fuel tank and it's tube connecting it to the main fuel tank under the observers seat. The kit supplied top cowl is supplied as either resin or photo-etch, but neither seem curved enough at the top when fitted. Also the RAF 1a engine had baffle plates fitted between the engine cylinders and these are not provided for in the kit. Therefore it looks like I'll need to make the cowl and baffles instead, Mike

Hi all, The kit supplies a photo-etch carrier for three spare ammunition drums for the Lewis machine guns. Various profiles and photographs show these carriers to have storage for different amounts of ammunition drums. The photograph below show a captured No.13 Squadron BE2c with a four drum carrier, as does the colour profile I'm using for this model. Therefore I chose to make this type of carrier from 0.2 mm thick plastic card. This was primed white then airbrushed with 'Tamiya' Dark Yellow (XF60). I then brushed Windsor and Newton Raw Sienna (Griffin Alykld). The four ammunition drums are those from the replacement 'GasPatch' Lewis Mk.1 stripped half heatsinks (32-32052) set. They were airbrushed with 'Tamiya' Gloss Black (X1), then with 'Alclad' Steel (ALC-112). The rounds were brushed painted with 'Mr. Colour' Brass (219) with 'AK Interactive' Brown Leather (AK3031) for the hand straps. Mike

Hi Hubert, Thanks, although the roundels are in fact weathered. It's just that being primarily white, the model/roundels reflect the light and tend to mask out the effect when photographed, Mike

Hi all, PLAN B. Damaged CDL decal, fuselage decals removed. Black squadron stripes airbrushed, fuselage and 'Lift Here' decals replaced. 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt and Grime clay washes applied. Sealed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC-311) clear lacquer. Hopefully a more dirty, 'war weary' finish. Mike

Hi all, Well it happens 🥴 I accidentally spilled a bottle of White Spirits over my modelling workspace and, unfortunately the model. I tried to dab it off but it had already dissolved areas of the applied decals on all of the models parts. As I had no CDL decal replacements and no wanting to purchase and wait for replacements, I decide to go to Plan B. This required the removal of as much of the decal as possible, leaving some in place as weathering effect. The fuselage took the main hit, but fortunately not inside the fuselage. So I've stripped all of the decals (CDL, roundels and black stripes). The black stripes were airbrushed and replacement roundels and 'lift here' decals were applied. My plan is to apply 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt and Grime fine clay wash (which I normally apply anyway). Hopefully the wash will compliment the residual CDL decal to give the model a well worn, war weary look. We'll see, Mike

Hi all, Wood effect Applied using 'Windsor and Newton' Griffin Alkyd Raw Sienna. Some shadowing applied to wings and fuselage using 'Tamiya' Smoke (X19). Cockpit padding brush painted with 'AL Interactive' Brown Leather. Nose number 1 airbrushed with mask cut on a 'Cricut' Air 2 cutter. Now onto further weathering, Mike

Hi all, The Clear Doped Linen (CDL) decals have been applied on the fuselage, wings, ailerons, fin, tail plane's and elevators. The 'LukGraph' supplied CDL decals supplied with the Premium kit are very much like those from 'Aviattic'. They are quite strong and adhere well to the model surfaces. The kit supplied marking decals were applied onto the CDL decals. The Serial No.2635 had to be made from spare decals, as the kit does not have the markings for this particular aircraft. The black stripe marking for No.13 Squadron was from the 'XtraDecal' black strip set (XPS1). Now onto applying the wood effects to the fuselage, Mike

Hi all, A few updates. I've primed then masked off the wings, fuselage and other flight surfaces, then pre-shaded the internal structures. This was over sprayed with white primer to 'knock back' the pre-shading. The linen effect decals will be applied before the kit markings. The fuselage nose was painted with 'Tamiya' Neutral Grey (XF53) and the cockpit decking panel and under fuselage with Dark Yellow (XF60), in preparation for applying wood effects. Mike

Hi all, Another fix required. The rigging diagrams in the kit instructions fail to show a single bracing wire fitted outboard from the bottom of the inboard front interplane struts. This wire was routed diagonally up to the underside of the front spar of the upper wing, midway between the inboard and outboard interplane struts. Mike

Hi all, A few more areas of the model that anyone building it might want to be aware off. 1. The instructions have no call out for the parts, apart from the supplied photo-etch parts. This could cause some confusion with the cockpit, as parts are supplied to make a trainer version. 2. The instruction give the impression that the lower wings butt up to the sides of the fuselage. In face there should be a gap between the wings and fuselage, exposing the front and rear spars and attachments. This is important as if the lower wings are not positioned correctly, the interplane struts to the upper wing will tilt inwards at the bottom, when they should be vertical. I've added a brass rod through the fuselage for extra support and added tube spacers for the necessary gap between wings and fuselage. 3. The rigging diagram in the instructions fails to show the interconnecting aileron control wires between the upper and lower ailerons. Also only one drag wire is shown from the engine bearers to the upper wing, whereas there were two, one to the top of the forward cabane struts and a second to the top of the forward, inboard interplane struts. 4. The rigging diagram in the instructions shows only two bracing wires for the fuselage cabane struts, whereas there were actually four. A wire was attached to the tops of the two rear cabane struts and also the forward cabane struts. These wires were routed through openings at each side of the pilots decking panel and into the cockpit, where there were attached to the cockpit side frames. 5. The gravity fuel tank (behind the engine) and the main fuel tank (under the observers seat) were interconnected with a fuel transfer pipe. A fuel supply pipe was also connected between the gravity tank and the engine. That pipe won't be seen on the model, but the gravity to main tank pipe can be seen from the observers cockpit. I added this pipe using flexible black tube. 6. The 3D printed tail skid is intended to be butt glued to the rear, underside of the fuselage. I felt, given the size and weight of the final model by prove to be too weak. Therefore I reinforcred the centre strut of the tail skid using 0.5 mm diameter rod. Apart from that, it's all going quite well Mike

Hi all, Here's the re-profiled fuselage rear decking panel. This was done by sanding away the decking panel, the cutting a new panel shape from 0.2 mm thick plastic card. That was glued in position then sanded with the flats of the fuselage stringers re-instated by scrapping. Mike

Hi all, Back online and with the same URL links, Mike

Hi all, I'm moving my hosting server for the forum build logs photographs to another server. In the meantime, all of the build log photographs in the forum will not show. I'll post once I get them back online with the new server. My web site (link in signature) is OK, Mike

Hi all, Tailplane's: I cut the inboard ends of both tailplane's to match the fuselage sides. This only needed a small amount of trimming so doesn't alter the span of the tailplane's much. The fuselage was drilled through with 0.8 mm diameter holes at the tailplane location points. Two lengths of 0.8 mm diameter Brass rod were secured through the fuselage using thin CA adhesive. Both tailplanes were drilled with 0.8 mm diameter holes to match the added rods. The tailplane's were test fitted to ensure they were horizontal to the fuselage and at 90 degrees to the fuselage centre line. Now the fuselage (possibly), Mike

Hi all, More corrections required. The kit instructions indicate that the left and right tailplane's should be attached to the rear sides of the fuselage, using two rods. The illustration shows the inboard ends of the tailplane's being 90 degrees to their leading edges and noticeably clear of the fuselage sides along their entire length. However, it seems that in reality, the inboard ends of the tailplane's were angled to follow the sides of the fuselage and the only noticeable gap was at the rear, where the fuselage tapered to its end. Also, the plywood rear decking is tapered to align with the linen covering over the fuselage stringers. I think 'Lukgraph' assumed that as wood, it wasn't profiled, but fitted horizontal. Unfortunately it can't, like the nose profile, be sanded, as the fuselage skin is too thin and would be open up. A more obvious, but not as easily rectified, error on the kit. Mike

Hi all, With careful sanding (to avoid breaking through the corners) the kit nose can be re-profiled, Mike

Hi all, One area of the fuselage may need to be addressed. The underside of the nose is too square in shape and should be more rounded. This can be seen on the following photographs, the last of which is the reproduction BE2c at the 'Vintage Aviator Ltd'. The kit nose looks more like that of the R.E.8. Whether this can be rectified remains to be seen, Mike

Hi all, The fuselage is now closed up. The join between the two halves (CA adhesive) needed some filling and sanding. I airbrushed grey primer over the fuselage which shows up any joint or seam gaps etc. Then re-filled and re-primed and sanded until a smooth joint was achieved. After test fitting, I'll be leaving the engine out until towards the end of the build as it makes it easier for painting and applying decals etc. Mike

Hi all, Change of plan. I've decided to model a different BE2c squadron aircraft. No.13 Squadron: No.13 Squadron RFC was formed on the 10th of January 1915, equipped with twelve newly built RAF BE2c aircraft and was dispatched as a Corps reconnaissance unit to France in October 1915. The squadron served at Savy in France during 1916. Later the Squadron was also equipped with RAF BE2d and BE2e versions. The role of reconnaissance was maintained until the armistice. In April 1917 the squadron was re-equipped with the R.E.8. BE2c Serial No.2635: RAF BE2c, Serial No:2635 was built by Ruston-Proctor and was delivered to the newly formed squadron as factory fresh. The aircraft were finished overall in Clear Doped Linen (CDL) with white wheel covers and battle ship grey painted nose panels and cowls. The wheel covers were painted as roundels, which was at the pilots preference. On the 23rd of April 1916, a squadron making was allocated , which consisted of a narrow black horizontal stripe, which was applied to the sides of the fuselage and spanned between the front of the pilots cockpit and the leading edge of the tail plane. This marking was retained when the aircraft were replaced with the R.E.8. This particular aircraft has a Type C camera mounting rack on the fuselage starboard side. The aircraft was also fitted with racks for carrying 112lb ‘Cooper’ bombs. A Lewis machine gun was fitted for the observers and a second for the pilot. Ammunition drums were carried in racks mounted on the sides of the fuselage. It’s unclear whether BE2c Serial No.2635 was lost in action or retired and struck off charge. Mike