1/32 BE2c

[FAf]

Brilliant work! Open a window, wear a mask... We want you to be able to continue with the build. Being dizzy from the fumes can't help when scratch building?!

/Fredrik

[Skyhook]

This is a totally awesome project! I love the super detailed lacing etc....  fantastic!

Cheers, Skyhook

[lone modeller]

Moulding your own parts can be a bit hit and miss - I do not use a vacuform machine as it is too complicated for me...! It looks as though you have an excellent under cover for the engine though.

Stephen.

[Rookie]

Well, this is certainly a Hit, this looks extremely well Richie.
 
I need some parts (the wheels/tyres) that I want to vacform. I want to make one myself, there are plenty of of good DIY descriptions on the net.

Looking forward to the next installment. Engine? Wings?

Cheers,

Willem

[RichieW]

Brilliant work! Open a window, wear a mask... We want you to be able to continue with the build. Being dizzy from the fumes can't help when scratch building?!

/Fredrik

Thanks Fredrik, I've been paying a bit more attention to the fume situation today. What a big difference!

This is a totally awesome project! I love the super detailed lacing etc....  fantastic!

Cheers, Skyhook

Thanks Skyhook, I do wonder if I try to include too much sometimes! Lukgraph released a super detailed 1/32 BE2c since I started this project so I feel I have to go the extra mile or mine will look so primitive in comparison. 

Moulding your own parts can be a bit hit and miss - I do not use a vacuform machine as it is too complicated for me...! It looks as though you have an excellent under cover for the engine though.

Stephen.

Thanks Stephen, I really enjoyed doing something different tha didn't involve filling the air with solvents!

Well, this is certainly a Hit, this looks extremely well Richie.
 
I need some parts (the wheels/tyres) that I want to vacform. I want to make one myself, there are plenty of of good DIY descriptions on the net.

Looking forward to the next installment. Engine? Wings?

Cheers,

Willem


Thanks Willem, definitely get your vac form box made up. It's a lot of fun. I have a few more fuselage details to add but the engine will be in to bat next.

Well I had a little play with miniature solder balls to make rivets for the panels that sit either side of the engine cover. It's a fiddly business and the floor is liberally sprinkled them but I got them done.


20230402_105539 by Richard Williams, on Flickr

The lip round the edges was added with tinned copper wire which was later trimmed to length, the panels are aluminium sheet.

Here are the completed parts. The overlapping sheets that make up the engine nacelle were simulated by masking and spraying more paint to give a raised surface. The rivets here are punched.

20230402_180358 by Richard Williams, on Flickr

Finally here is the moulded part sitting in place. I'm feeling rather pleased with that, modelling is fun again and I'm enjoying this project a lot more. Opening windows was a much better plan!

20230402_180604 by Richard Williams, on Flickr


Richie

[lone modeller]

You really have some extraordinary detail there Richie - your model is going to be every bit as detailed as the Lukgraph kit, and a good deal more detailed than my efforts!

Stephen.

[Borsos]

That’s a fantastic model in the making. Your scratchbuilding skills are second to none!
Andreas

[PJ Fisher]

that panel work is brilliant.  great ideas to use layered paint and wire for the panels

[DaveB]

Outstanding work so far, Richie -

Love the work on the engine cowling.

Regards

Dave

[RichieW]

That’s a fantastic model in the making. Your scratchbuilding skills are second to none!
Andreas

that panel work is brilliant.  great ideas to use layered paint and wire for the panels

Outstanding work so far, Richie -

Love the work on the engine cowling.

Regards

Dave

You really have some extraordinary detail there Richie - your model is going to be every bit as detailed as the Lukgraph kit, and a good deal more detailed than my efforts!

Stephen.

Thanks so much for your very generous comments folks. Sadly, in typical BE2c fashion things have just crashed down to earth. Yes, I dropped the model again, the damage is not extensive. The tail skid broke into several pieces and the fuel tank cover got irreparably dented. It's time for a break I think!

On the bright side, I was thinking about remaking the cowling as it wasn't a good fit and was quite innacurate in other ways. Also I managed to find all the pieces of the tail skid and can easily fix it.

To my utter amazement the undercarriage survived, it could have been so much worse!

Back in a week or two.

Richie

[Borsos]

Oh what a pity! 

[RichieW]

Oh what a pity! 

It was indeed Andreas and the annoyance even gave me a migraine! All a bit silly really because the tail skid was such an easy repair to make and I really needed to remake the fuel tank cowling because the old one was horrible!

This time I made the cowling from aluminium sheet that wasn't annealed in the hope it would be stronger. This was bent over the same former I used for the cockpit coaming. This was given a coat of black Mr Surfacer and lots of little punched rivets were added and a hole drilled for the filler cap. The 4 little prongs at the bottom were made from a strip of wine bottle foil.

Replacement cowling by Richard Williams, on Flickr

After a few coats of MRP black;

Replacement BE2c gravity tank cowling by Richard Williams, on Flickr

It doesn't look quite square but I I think can live with it.

 

After much fettling (nice and easy with a DSPIAE sanding pen)I got a reasonable fit so here it is with the tail skid repaired and all the front panels glued in place.

 20230411_120753 by Richard Williams, on Flickr

The nose has taken what feels like an eternity to make but if you include all the rivets there are well over 300 parts. There are many, many little errors of alignment but I have found that they never look so bad after a week or two so I will ignore them and crack on with the rest of the build. It's unlikely to win any beauty contests but if in the end I have what looks like a BE2c I will have achieved far more than I thought myself capable of and will be very happy!

Many thanks for reading
Richie

[FAf]

I didn't really go back to compare your new cowl to the old one, but the new one looks really awesome!! Brilliant work! That applies to the rest too and very good to you able to recover the build.
/Fredrik

[DaveB]

Richie -

Glad to see your dropping the model has not resulted in a total right-off!

All your recovery work looks great and good you are now back on track.

Regards

Dave

[gedmundson]

I'm just catching up with this build right now and have to say it's absolutely incredible. The amount of work involved is staggering, and your overall results look the part so well. I'm very impressed, Richard. And I need to visit the "scratchbuilds" threads more often!
Cheers,
Gary