sandbagger

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

Hi Hubert, Thanks - I'll take a look. I use 'VMS' Flexy 5K adhesives (slow and thin types). They have a specific adhesive for resin , but I've not seen any great advantage in using it, Mike

Thanks. The only down side to this model is its essentially all resin. As such only CA adhesive can be used for assembly of parts. Sanding joints flushh to the surrounding area can be problematic. The resin is softer than the set adhesive so if you're not careful, you can sand away the resin, leaving the adhesive proud from the surface. Either that or the sanded surface can end up not being flat as the resin can cause the sander to 'rock' over the joint, Mike

Hi all, The cockpit assembly is finished. Note that I changed the scratch built pilot seat support frame as the kit armoured seat 'cradle' is correct for this version of the BE2c. Built OOB apart from: The kit supplied 3D printed seats replaced with BarracudaCast’ British wicker AGS seats (BR32234). Instrument decals replaced with ‘Airscale’ Generic WW1 instruments (AS32 WW1). Added a observers half firewall as protection from the engine. Ckpit bracing is 0.08 mm diameter mono-filament and blackened 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tubes. Kit photo-etch seat belts/straps replaced with ‘HGW’ seat belts for the RE8 (HGW132027). The forward engine support frames and fuel tank are still to be fitted, Mike PS: I forgot to add a fuel contents indicator tube onto the pilots instrument panel. Added now using 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tube, partially dipped in 'Tamiya' Clear Yellow (X24).

Hi all, I've been given further reference information on the pilots seat fit. It seems the later BE2c operational aircraft, fitted with the RAF 1a engine etc, had an armoured seat cradle. Earlier BE2c aircraft, fitted with the Renault engine etc, had the earlier Wicker seats fitted. As the 'LukGraph' model has the later RAF 1a engine etc, the armoured seat would be correct. Given this information, I can now either modify my 'modification' or remove it and fit the cradle, Mike

Hi all, After checking how the pilots seat was fitted in the BE2c, I believe the kit supplied photo-etch seat cradle is based on the 'Vintage Aviator' reproduction aircraft. However the actual Wicker seat seems to have been mounted on a plinth which was attached to the cockpit side frame and cross member and braced by wires at its front corners. There I've represented this using 0.5 mm thick plastic card and 0.8 mm diameter plastic rod. The following photographs shown the modification as well as the dry fitting of the assembly with the 'Barracuda' resin pilot and observer seats. Note that in general, the observers seat had a higher back rest than that of the pilot. Mike

Hi all, Fokker D.VI of Kest 1a (Home Defence) Staffeln, operating from Mannheim in South-West Germany during the Summer of 1918. The full build log can be found here: As usual I've uploaded to my web site a fully detailed build log (in Adobe PDF format) that can be viewed or download. Just click the PDF icon in Gallery 4. Thanks for everyone's support and comments - much appreciated, Mike

Hi all, The completed model shots are now up in the LSM Aircraft Finished Work page, Mike

Hi all, Preparation of the fuselage and basic cockpit. The fuselage halves were sand to remove resin artifacts from the mating edges. Plastic 0.8 mm thick strips were secured to one fuselage half to aid with fuselage alignment during assembly (no locating pegs or holes). The 3D printed cockpit side frames and bulkheads were assembled, including sanding the top curved edges so fir the contour of the fuselage when joined. The actual aircraft had 'windows' in the fuselage to allow daylight to illuminate the instrument panels. The two instrument panels were secured to the cockpit frames to align with the windows. These are moulded as solid, to be painted silver and covered with acetate sheet. Instead, I've cut out the three windows to match the supplied photo-etch window frames, which will have just the acetate sheet inserts, Mike

Hi all, The engine is completed as far as possible. I've added the ignition leads and support rails, even though in reality the leads passed through the internal engine firewall. As expected, painting a complete 3D printed engine wasn't that easy. Sanding any print layer striations is not really possible on such detail. I've not fitted the exhaust manifolds yet as I want to align them correctly to the exhaust stack pipes and fuselage later in the build, Mike

Hi all, First up will be the engine. As you can see the complete engine is 3D printed, with probably only ignition leads to add. So in theory just separating the five parts from their supports, removing any residual support tags and sanding away any obvious layer striations. We'll see Mike

Ooops - posted in wrong thread 🤪 Mike

That's good to hear. Any good news is welcome, Mike

Hi all, One last shot. The pilot figure, which is the 'Elan13' German pilot WW1 (EL25). Painted with 'AK Interactive' and 'Tamiya' acrylics. Flesh painted with 'Citadel' paints. Mike

Hi all, My build of the Fokker D.VI is nearing completion. Therefore I thought I'd have a crack at one of the 'Lukgraph' model in my stash. I'm going to have a crack at the resin and 3D printed 1:32nd scale RAF BE2c model. The subject aircraft has been changed - see the current aircraft further down in this thread. Mike

Hi all, The aircraft model is complete. I've rigged the ailerons, rudder and elevator. Also added the external Anemometer and a windscreen. Just the figure to paint now. I'll post up completed model shots once it's in the display case. Than for your comments - appreciated, Mike

Hi all, A few updates on the build. The upper wing is fitted and, as expected when using the kit supplied struts, there were problems. On test fitting the upper wing onto the interplane and cabane struts, I found the cabane struts did not reach outboard enough to contact their attachment lugs on the underside of the wing. This necessitated drilling out the interplane locating holes in the upper wing enough to allow the struts to insert deeper into the wing. This reduced the distance between the wings enough for the cabane struts to fit correctly. I've also fitted and braced the landing gear. Also fitted are the twin aileron control wires from the cockpit to the underside of the upper wing. NOTE: The struts look squared in the photographs, but they are in fact aero shaped. Now it's onto the completing the tail unit, Mike

Hi all, Landing gear fairing assembly complete. The fairing underside decal is 'Aviattic' white-backed German Blue (ATT32077). Wheel cover decals are from the ‘Aviattic’ Fokker streaked set (ATT32062). I've represented the metal foot boards on the lower wing roots, by cutting the from the ‘RB Productions’ radiator mesh (RB-T027) photo-etch. 'Flory Models' Dark Earth pigment powder was applied over the foot boards, Mike

Hi all, Propeller completed. Usually I would fit a replacement propeller from Alexy at 'Proper Plane'. However, given the present circumstances, I've used one of the kit supplied propellers. Although many Fokker aircraft were fitted with 'Axial' propellers, the photograph of this particular aircraft shows a different propeller design. From it's shape I'm guessing it could have been a propeller from 'Heine', so that's what I've modeled. Grey primed then airbrushed with 'Tamiya' Dark Yellow (XF60). Brushed over with 'DecoArt' Burnt Umber crafter's acrylic paint. Airbrushed with 'Alclad' Aqua Gloss 600 then decals applied (LF Models). Hub brushed with 'Mr. Colour' Dark Iron (214) then buffed. Finally airbrushed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC311) mixed with 'Tamiya' Clear Orange (X26). Mike

Hi all, The decals and weathering are completed. I've re-profiled the leading edges of the tail plane, straight not curved. Also added carburetor air intake from 1.6 mm diameter tube. Under fuselage photo-etch panels added from the 'Aviattic' DR.1 set. I've brown tinted the lozenge decals using 'Ammo' Ochre filter, applied by brush. Overall dirt weathering was done using 'Flory Models' dark dirt clay wash. Mike

Hi all, The basic kit decals have been applied. Typical 'Roden' decals - easily cracked and chipped and reluctant to conform over curves!! Next up is weathering, Mike

Hi all, Rib and border tapes done. I'll possibly mist a slight faded brown over these decals, as they faded that way. Then it's onto the kit markings, Mike

Hi all, Just a quick update. I'm working through applying the lozenge decals to the model. Upper surfaces are the 'Aviattic' 4 colour faded (ATT32008) and undersides (ATT32010). The border and rib tapes are cut from ATT32069 for upper surfaces and ATT32071 for the undersides. The main lozenge decals were cut out and applied over a white gloss base coat to allow the linen effect to show through. The border and rib tape decals are white backed and applied onto the main decals. Fokker ignored the specifications of the ‘Idflieg’. Instead using their standard method of covering the wings, with the lozenge pattern applied horizontally across the top and underside of the wings and the fuselage, with wing border and wing rib tapes of the same pattern. For the ailerons, the elevator, tail plane and the fuselage sides, the lozenge pattern was applied vertically (front to rear and top to bottom). Each wing rib was taped but border tape was only applied to the trailing edges of the lower wing and upper wing, across the centre section between the inboard aileron edges. I still have the border tapes and underside rib tapes to apply, Mike