forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Scratch builds => Topic started by: William Adair on August 07, 2021, 10:19:27 PM
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(https://i.imgur.com/0mY5fgH.jpg)
I love the FE2b
There... I said it. I love it. It is a contraption. A contrivance. An accidental love letter to the Age of Sail. An aberration.
I think it may well be my favourite aircraft of all time!
This build started one summer evening back in 2017. I was at my bench, leaning back in my chair and nursing a glass of single malt whiskey. Quizzing myself on what my top 5 most wished-for models would be. I am very much a fan of 1/144, so the choices of kits are considerably more limited than other scales. If you want something, it is all too often a matter of having to make it yourself. I was mulling this over and cradling a now-empty glass when I realised my No.1 bucket list aircraft was (by a considerable margin) the ungainly and unlovely Royal Aircraft Factory Fe2b...
I imagined the empty space in my tiny display cabinet, filled with a trophy-sized replica of the Royal Aircraft Factory's finest...
Pity it can't be done, I thought to myself. There's just no way. I grabbed my trusty Windsock Datafile and measured off the size of the nacelle and transferred it to a bit of styrene strip. "See!" I said to myself triumphantly. "It's not even 30mm long. It's impossible!"
I looked at the little piece of styrene sitting there, forlorn on my cutting mat. Not a chance! I reached over and grabbed my scalpel: "Just gonna round the front off a bit..."
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So that's how it all started. It's come a long way since then. Although its definitely not over yet. Recently I got back into the build after getting burned out by it and not a little intimidated either by some of the trickier details like the undercarriage and intricate tail booms. Thankfully it is now moving forward however, so I'll try to give you the highlights to bring it up to speed:
First up is the fateful little strip of styrene.
(https://i.imgur.com/DnzB2XX.jpg?1)
Some sidewalls of .3mm styrene were added to the sides then some solid laminations of 3mm sheet were shaped and added to the front, back and top.
(https://i.imgur.com/izKEfEF.jpg?1)
Some whittling then occurred...
(https://i.imgur.com/UebXTXW.jpg?1)
Over the next couple of days the pieces were shaped then detached so they could be hollowed out with dental burrs.
(https://i.imgur.com/vDvFuF8.jpg?1)
Bits like the wheels were made from styrene. Other parts that were very thin such as the seat were made from sterling silver sheet of about .07mm thickness and shaped with micro drills and a scalpel.
(https://i.imgur.com/9ouf0Bn.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/5wzD5ph.jpg?1)
Unlike many 1/144 scale models, there's quite a lot to see in the Fe2 cockpits. Luckily the Wingnut Wings kits are everywhere on the internet and references are no longer hard to find.
(https://i.imgur.com/eNjEMTC.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/LLfCdMV.jpg?1)
These guys were invaluable:
(https://i.imgur.com/nO7bk49.jpg?3)
Next up was the Beardmore engine. The cylinders were turned up from styrene rod that was stuck into the end of my motor tool and shaped like on a sort of poor-man's lathe.
(https://i.imgur.com/MfN9awZ.jpg?2)
Sprue and bits made up the rest. More gets added later of course.
(https://i.imgur.com/PeD0l6N.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/6eW6Fys.jpg?1)
Which pretty much brings us to here:
I'll add some more soon so the first post doesn't get too spammy. Hope you like it!
(https://i.imgur.com/wnynOpf.jpg?1)
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Unbelievable!
I am again sitting front row watching your marvellous micro-modeling Brad.
You are a true craftsman.
Willem
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I can't believe I did so much wining about trying to build a 1/72nd kit and here you are making an incredible scratch build in 1/144th! Your work to date is Amazing. Truly gorgeous work!
RAGIII
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Aaarg, this is amazing. I need my optivisor just to look at your pictures, let alone the real thing. If you put a piece down how do you find it again? Do not tell me you are going to rig this please.
Sandy
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That has made me roar with laughter!!!! It's just outrageous. I'm sitting here trying to draw up a plan for a 1/32 engine and thinking it's too hard then this tiny Beardmore appears in 1/144 and it looks perfect! 😂😂😂😂😂
Richie
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William,
I have been following along on your 1/144 scratch builds wherever I find them, here, on Britmodeller, and Kampfgruppe144. Are there others?
Scratch build threads I find the most interesting. Lots of ideas, techniques, and much other food for thought. I think your Fe2b is at the top of the list.
In fact, I have found these builds to be as much inspirational as fascinating. So much so that I have taken a turn at an unexpected fork in the road and have allowed my journey to wander outside of my usual comfort zone. 1/48 is my favoured scale for early and WW1 aeroplanes but the thought of having a go at 1/144 is intriguing and as such my first steps in that direction will be to tackle something in 1/72 and then... Who knows; I noticed a number of nice 1/144 Valom kits at the local hobby store; perhaps that next step may be closer than I think.
And, not to steal any of his thunder, this is William's thread from Britmodeller started almost three years ago
https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235045706-scratchbuilding-an-fe2b/
cheers, Graham
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I too have followed your thread on Britmodeller - and wondered what had happened to the build. On of my first 1/72 conversions was of the FE 2b as there are no injection kits in the True Scale, and I found that tricky enough. To make one of these in 1/144 is not just inspirational, it is magnificent. I know that you intend to rig it - which will be fun.....
Wonderful to read that you have picked this up again - let us hope you will finish it this time.
Stephen.
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Thanks so much everybody. Sorry Richie! ;D
Aaarg, this is amazing. I need my optivisor just to look at your pictures, let alone the real thing. If you put a piece down how do you find it again? Do not tell me you are going to rig this please.
Sandy
Hi Sandy, yep definitely going to rig it. I'll use 0.05mm nickel wire that is rolled flat. It's much easier than thread as you can cut it to set lengths and put it in place like leaning a broom against a wall :) There is a lot of repetition in the wire lengths, so I'm hoping once I establish the dimensions that it wont be too bad.
William,
I have been following along on your 1/144 scratch builds wherever I find them, here, on Britmodeller, and Kampfgruppe144. Are there others?
Hi Graham, nice to see you! Britmodeller and KG144 are pretty much it so far. I'll update the BM thread too once I get the saga up to date.
That would be great if you dip a toe into 1/144. Some of the early Valom kits are real potatoes however, and you may need to avoid those. The latter ones such as the Bristol Fighter, LVG and Camel are very buildable however. I hear there is a Bristol Scout on the way too, which is very exciting.
I too have followed your thread on Britmodeller - and wondered what had happened to the build. One of my first 1/72 conversions was of the FE 2b as there are no injection kits in the True Scale, and I found that tricky enough. To make one of these in 1/144 is not just inspirational, it is magnificent. I know that you intend to rig it - which will be fun.....
Wonderful to read that you have picked this up again - let us hope you will finish it this time.
Stephen.
Hi Stephen, props to you for doing one in the larger scales. 1/144 is easier in some ways, in that the amount of elbow work required is much less. Making a wing for example requires few specialist tools and creates little mess. While 72nd requires a lot more work and In 1/48 and above it becomes a major engineering project. :'(
I'll add the rest of the pics soon to bring it up to speed. Looking forward having it done this time too!
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Continuing on:
The wings are made from acrylic sheet so they are less inclined to warp. The undercamber was scraped into the wing stock first with the assistance of a straight edge and a metal ruler that had the end shaped to the underside wing contour. The pieces were afterwards flipped over and shaped on the other side with some heavy duty files.
The rib tapes were masked and sprayed with a thickish coat of primer to build them up. It's tedious, but it works quite well. Having something to watch or listen to while you do it helps a lot.
(https://i.imgur.com/AZs5TcS.jpg?1)
I usually polish the rib detail slightly to bed them in. You can see this on the lower wing below, plus the beginnings of the interplane struts.
(https://i.imgur.com/AROVvIY.jpg?1)
I bought some uber cheap 4.5x and 6x reading glasses on ebay which give me bionic vision 8)
They take time to get used to, but are well worth persisting with for certain tasks. When you make something and get it looking alright with them: you then take the glasses off and think, my god did i do that??
(https://i.imgur.com/B4JkNx6.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/00AAJeD.jpg?1)
Eventually things got to the stage where I could close up the nacelle. Thinning down the putty with lacquer thinners and applying with a brush gives a lot more control and a lot less mess. I usually scrape the excess away with a blade before sanding to ensure that I don't overdo it and inadvertently alter the contours.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZR84KIK.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ytCqWSj.jpg)
Once it was cleaned up, the nacelle was scribed and the raised details added in a similar way to the wings. The stitched panels were masked and sprayed, then detailed with the edge of a needle to give them some texture.
(https://i.imgur.com/KhXv9mQ.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/upaASIh.jpg)
And the undercarriage (nearly forgot) which was done earlier so I wouldn't have to handle the completed nacelle too much. These bits were made from soldered brass and I had some great help from a member of the Britmodeller community, who kindly measured the thickness of the Wingnut components for me so I could get them looking to scale.
(https://i.imgur.com/HeeirTD.jpg)
I really like the Trafford-Jones style undercarriage. It makes the whole thing look so racy :D
(https://i.imgur.com/xCVjXko.jpg)
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:-X
Willem
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And some painting:
The undersides of the wings got sprayed a light CDL colour and the ribs were masked off. Then a waft of a darker shade was spayed over the top.
(https://i.imgur.com/zOyhXSr.jpg?1)
Something similar happened to the top wings too. Excuse the terrible photo. The glare of the desklamp doesn't do me any favours. >:(
(https://i.imgur.com/Gz6VfQ6.jpg?1)
Better...
(https://i.imgur.com/hnUoeRg.jpg?1)
The prop was made at about this time and painted with oils. Some metal panels over the hardpoints on the wings were represented with painted decal stock too. This was the first time I tried such a thing and it worked really well.
(https://i.imgur.com/nceLSrM.jpg?1)
You could absolutely die for want of decals in 1/144 sometimes. There was nothing available for the wing roundels, so these had to be masked and sprayed by hand.
(https://i.imgur.com/KzfFENO.jpg?1)
They kind of looked alright but there is quite an element of risk, as you only get one shot at it. If the paint bleeds through or peels it would be very hard to fix. For the top wing I decided to make my own multi-layer decals.
First I made a series of these:
(https://i.imgur.com/DCa3hrW.jpg)
Which works like this:
(https://i.imgur.com/8Pf0xQP.jpg?1)
To make this:
(https://i.imgur.com/OnnvTEZ.jpg?1)
And then these:
(https://i.imgur.com/8VB0VBA.jpg?1)
The blue section is a doughnut of blue-painted decal film that is placed over the white disk. The red dot is much the same, but is cut out using the sharpened end of a piece of brass tube as a punch. I was really pleased with these, as it meant I was no longer dependant on decal manufacturers and the spares box. The possibilities for future projects was very exciting.
(https://i.imgur.com/5Plvte1.jpg)
Not entirely independent though... ::) The roundels on the nacelle had to come from a Valom kit and the B'1 codes were grafted together from an MYK set intended for a Mitsubishi Pete.
More work for the engine here. Making the Beardmore a bit more busy.
(https://i.imgur.com/qphuCet.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/GpEZ4ZD.jpg)
Motoring along now. The jig was made so as to get the top wing on and the booms aligned. Some light shading and highlights were added to, to try an pick out some detail.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZCbsqNW.jpg?1)
And the wing was glued in place.
The struts were drilled in and were a "soft" fit rather than a firm one. This was done so that when I touched some thin CA to each joint it would flow in and around the recessed stub of the struts, rather than pooling and forming a collar on the surface of the wings.
(https://i.imgur.com/8WRLMrh.jpg?1)
Then it was the boom's turn. These are made from .4mm tube and predrilled to accept .2mm locating pins at the end of each vertical strut.
(https://i.imgur.com/Hmm70oO.jpg?1)
The ends have a Vee of wire to keep the tubes at the correct angle.
(https://i.imgur.com/6dN0DYr.jpg)
Then the delicate process of making the struts began:
(https://i.imgur.com/Obd13BH.jpg)
And that Dear Reader, is where I lost my mojo for two years... :-[
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What a build! And so cleanly done :o I have seen many models in bigger scale, not scratched and was not that correct.
Can't believe what I see!
Cheers,
Frank
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I totally agree with Frank. I'm flabbergasted...
What did you use to make the decals?
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:o :o :o :o :o
(https://media2.giphy.com/media/jmSImqrm28Vdm/200.gif)
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I totally agree with Frank. I'm flabbergasted...
What did you use to make the decals?
Hey thanks. For the roundels I used blank decal film, which I bought from the local hobby store like this: https://www.bnamodelworld.com/hobby-tools-supplies-misc-supplies-bare-metal-bmf-012
I painted pieces of it in the roundel colours then cut the individual disks out and placed them on top of one another. Even in 1/144 you can't see a step between layers once a decal setting solution is used.
(https://i.imgur.com/P1CDIHV.jpg?1)
For the smallest disks you sharpen the inside face of some brass tube to create a hole cutter and just press them out. You can go as small as 0.5mm and still get nice looking disks.
(https://i.imgur.com/zSDxDYt.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/LUXF38b.jpg)
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More masterful modelling in the braille scale. I really admire those of you who scratch build in this scale because everything is just so tiny and there is so little material around which can be adapted or canabilised if needed. The detail on this model is truly inspirational.
Stephen.
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Thanks for explaining the decals making process William.
I made notes :)
Willem
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Staggeringly brilliant William, my roar of laughter has been reduced to insane gibbering. 😀
Richie
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That is just too damn small!
Kudos, Sir!
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Just wow! :o With my clumsyness I would inhale it on sight.
Chapeau!
Manni
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Wow, we!
Stunning work on such tiny scale ............
Regards
Dave
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If you put a piece down how do you find it again?
Sometimes when I'm doing something especially fiddly and keep dropping it, I just say the hell with it and get down on the floor and do it there! ;D
Here's where I picked things up again a couple of weeks ago. Almost two years to the day from where I left off. Some of the tasks ahead of me seemed almost insurmountable back then. But I've managed to finish a few other projects in the meantime and each one helped me come up with solutions to various problems.
The first thing was the cabane struts. These are more decorative than structural as the wing struts are already nice and solid. I ended up doing them in styrene rather than brass or silver. One handy thing I discovered when test fitting struts on my earlier Pfalz and S.5 builds: dip the ends of the struts in water when you are doing the test fits - the capillary action helps hold the strut in place and lets you move it about without having it fall to the floor all the time! 8)
(https://i.imgur.com/8YzYBsF.jpg)
I also could not think of a decent way to do the vertical struts on the booms properly. Previously I had inserted some .2mm rod down some .5 or .6mm tube and flattened it to make the aerofoil section. The extreme ends of the tube bit into the rod however and caused one of them to snap after it was soldered to the booms. Grrr!
I had a eureka moment the other day and realised there was an easier solution. My strut stock is sterling silver wire that has been flattened to the right proportions. So I cut them to length and did a saw-cut line down each end with a jeweller's saw fitted with a No.7 blade. This created a notch that the .2mm wire could fit into.
(https://i.imgur.com/0Z1TzCW.jpg)
I soldered the .2mm wire into each end then shaped the struts to give them a bit more a taper. The scary bit was threading them into the location holes that I had drilled in the booms back in 2019 and finally soldering them in place. To my surprise though, the slot which held the .2mm wire acted like the nib of a fountain pen. As soon as I touched the soldering iron to it, some of the solder in the slot remelted and ran up the wire to locate it to the boom. Phew! ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/axulapA.jpg)
Some more shaping needs to be done, but the main assembly is actually pretty strong considering how fine it is. I don't want to tempt fate too much though, as the two horizontal struts that complete the box assembly are only butt joined. Best not to overhandle it...
(https://i.imgur.com/U6Ys9OP.jpg)
The B'1 codes under the wings had me stumped too. There was nothing remotely like them in my spares box and was uncertain as to how I was going to do them. In the end I thought I would have to leave them as black dots and hope something came along later when the rest of the model was finished. I've become less reliant on ready made decals of late however, and I suddenly realised the other day that I could just print the blummin' things myself. I found an image of the Wingnut Wings decal sheet online and scaled this down in photoshop, using it as a guide to draw my own. This was printed out on an A4 piece of paper. Then a bit of clear decal was taped over the spot and the paper fed back into the printer again. Which gave me this:
(https://i.imgur.com/EyHShBf.jpg)
The printed decal is black with the B'1 portion in clear. To get around this I cut a slightly smaller disk of white decal and put it down first. Then placed the black decals over the top. Not bad for an afternoon's work.
(https://i.imgur.com/CgEC3gc.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/UuvaBlz.jpg)
After that I was able to get the undercarriage assembled. A mere 15 parts :o
I had spent a week or more fussing over these bits back in the day, so it was nice to have them drop into place with only a small adjustment needed to one of the supporting struts.
(https://i.imgur.com/LEyK7Wq.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ZCSPLj1.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/lEHdLg7.jpg)
That's where its at for now. I think the gravity tank and some of the rigging will be next. I'm hoping to get most of the front end done before the booms get attached. I'll add more as it happens.
Cheers!
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I just drop to the floor every time I look at the progress and your pictures of it...
Willem
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Another gobsmacking update William, 15 separate parts to that delicate little undercarriage!!!! I just know more amazement is going to follow because I get the distinct impression that every single wire is going to be added. ;D
Wonderful stuff, I am really enjoying this!
Richie
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A nice tip about soldering the boom struts - I'll have to remember that.
Continuing to be amazed :o
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Amazing work! The "Fee" is a difficult model in any scale, but 1:144?!?! I've been following your progress closely and every update is more impressive then the last ...... I am absolutely blown away by the detail you produce in a scale that makes my mind want to explode! (von Buckle's earlier mushroom cloud says it best!) Great modelling, and compliments on great results!
Cheers,
Lance
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Got to agree with all the previous comments, especially Lance's about the difficulties with the FE. I put a Trafford-Jones undercarriage on my 2d which was hard enough - I do not think that I would even try in this scale!
Stephen.
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Thank you again everyone for the kind encouragement. I think this will probably be the most difficult model I will ever build. However when each individual step is looked at in isolation they aren't that bad. I try to remind myself that there are 1/700 ship modellers out there who deal with parts this size every day of the week! :)
I've been putting off the gravity tank under the port wing, but finally got it built and in position today. The tank itself is just a piece of 2x2mm styrene strip filed to shape. The feet are simplified slightly but seem to look okay once the thing is stuck in position with a couple of dabs of PVA.
(https://i.imgur.com/UL1L1MU.jpg)
I almost copped out of doing the feeder pipe that runs down from the tank and along the cabane strut to the engine. I imagined it being a real contortionists trick, but in reality it wasn't that bad at all. I fitted from behind the wing, which was much easier than from the front. Which was what I originally planned. Before glueing it in I gave it a light coat of dark brass/copper coloured paint to take the sparkle off it.
(https://i.imgur.com/o04uXqe.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/AakPZ8K.jpg)
I also did a bit more shaping to the struts in the boom to give them more of a taper. The whole shebang was etch primed and given a top coat of MRP sail colour and a mix of raw umber and ochre artist oils to hopefully suggest a wooden look (hope it isn't too orange).
(https://i.imgur.com/uqIAw2R.jpg)
That's it for now. I'm doing the tail skid assembly as we speak and hope to share some more pics soon. If there are any resident FE.2 experts out there; I have a couple of questions about those booms....
The modern reproduction aircraft seem to have red warning tape around the four booms in line with the propeller arc. Was this also done during the war, or is this a modern precaution?
The other question was the chord bindings which wrap around the tail booms. All 76 of them... Can anyone suggest what colour these should be? I thought a mid grey colour with a hint of brown might do it, but figured I'd better check before committing another colour-blind blunder. :-\
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I am seriously considering starting collecting stamps.... :o
Willem
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Me too! Stamps are much bigger and easier to handle. :-X
I never thought I would ever get to say it, but here's Day #1 of the rigging... I'll do most of the wings before attaching the tail. That way I'm partially insured if anything goes horribly wrong.
(https://i.imgur.com/FOOzclE.jpg)
I'm using this stuff for the wires. I roll short lengths of it out flat then cut them to length. Each ones get a wash of grey paint to take the shine off before they are glued in with some watery PVA.
(https://i.imgur.com/UNMhWJx.jpg)
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After 50 years of satisfactory modelling, why do I suddenly feel rather inadequate?
Sandy
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(https://media0.giphy.com/media/PacixgYY1yddC/200.gif)
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William you are crazy but in the best, most creative possible way! When I zoom in on the pictures I can see all kind of wonderful little details on this microscopic masterpiece. It is truly mind boggling!
Richie
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I saw your mention of this Ni80 NiChrome wire on another forum ( Kampfgruppe144 I think ) and had a look around to see if I could find a source. Lots of sources for NiChrome wire but nothing this small. 0.05mm is about 42 or 43 AWG. I have a spool of 38AWG ( 0.1mm ) copper wire which I use for some things.
Seems the vape shops don't have anything this small over here.
But I did find a suitable alternative.
Molybdenum cutting wire. Commonly used for separating the screens of smart phones during repairs. Also called LCD separator wire, screen cutting wire, or various other combinations of LCD, screen, smart phone, separator, separating and cutting. eBay, Amazon, and your other friendly online Asian sources list many.
Available in many sizes from about 0.03mm ( 0.0012 inches - smallest I can find ) to 0.1mm or so. 0.04mm, 0.05mm, 0.06mm sizes seem to be pretty common.
Molybdenum is pretty tough but I can cut the 0.04mm stuff I found with a sharp scalpel blade although I do tend to use a pair of cutting tweezers similar to these: https://www.ideal-tek.com/scheda.php?m=search&f=8&c=Cutting%20Tweezers&l=3&idp=58 simple and intuitive to use, they get a lot of use and I don't know I managed without.
I can't wait to see how you get on with the rigging. This small wire is just about at the limit of my vision and my BFF ( Big Fat Fingers ).
cheers, Graham
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First class scratch building. The rigging is just beyond belief!
Stephen.
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Cheers Stephen! Thanks too GrahamC for the tipoff on the molybdenum wire. I will be looking out for that. 0.03mm would be ideal if I can get it.
Here's a bit more progress. I added the control horns for the elevators to the sides of the nacelle. These were a bit of a milestone, as they were the last thing to be added before doing the rest of the rigging. They are made from a thin piece of sterling silver wire that was hammered slightly flat then shaped with files. I mixed some PC10 colour and metal primer together as a base coat, then stuck them in place with diluted PVA. A thin top coat of PC10 finished them off.
I should be clear to tackle the main rigging now. I used bits of my favourite Albion Alloys .20mm wire as templates to establish each length. Then labelled each and used them as a guide when cutting the repetitive 0.05mm pieces for each bay of the wings. I did this when rigging the two Pfalz scouts earlier in the year. It speeds things up considerably, as there is no need to tailor the fit of each wire every single time.
Here she is, as of today. I decided to go for broke and add the doubled up RAF wires too. As I said earlier: I really like the FE2b ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/9G5ydah.jpg)
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(https://media.giphy.com/media/MuTenSRsJ7TQQ/giphy.gif)
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;D ;D ;D
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Double flying wired in 1/144, yes!!!!! I hoped you would go for it and you smashed it out the park. Just brilliant! 👏👏👏
Richie
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Thanks Richie. I'm glad that I gave it a go. We're in stage 4 lockdown over here trying to shake off the latest surge in covid cases, so there's rather more spare time to be had than usual.
Most of the wires between the wings are in place now. Just the control wires left to go. I think the next thing will be to detail the booms and attach them to the wings. I find that exciting and terrifying in equal measure..!
(https://i.imgur.com/AiTa1en.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/wNeFmK6.jpg)
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I’m stunned. I did not believe this could be achieved in 1/144 scale. Hat’s off!
And thanks for describing your work for us mortals. I too like the type and am hoping to scratch together one someday, so this will be helpful. You must have a clean workstation - I can’t see a single lint or dust particle despite the tiny size.
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I am sorry for the delay in commenting on your build! I am absolutely STUNNED at the amount of detail and the superb results! I Truly am at a loss for words. Amazing!!
RAGIII
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I'm building in 1/48 to be able to add some details ... And then I see this! This is more precise in much much smaller scale.
Great for you, frustrating for the visitors/builders of the bigger scales!
I hope you have your hands and eyes well insured!
Cheers,
Frank
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Thank you again everyone! It is very encouraging.
You must have a clean workstation - I can’t see a single lint or dust particle despite the tiny size.
My workspace is fairly cramped and messy. It cant be helped. I tend to wash my hands regularly though and try not to touch my face or things like that to avoid getting oily marks on the surfaces. I used to leave the latest model out on the bench between sessions, but found it would become a dust trap after a while. Lately I've taken to covering whatever I'm building with a square of lightweight freezer bag material when I'm not working on it. It helps a lot to keep the surfaces clean. I've been putting the Fee into a small box to keep the dust off it, as I imagine getting any stray specks off it will be difficult between the cats cradle of rigging later on. Before taking photos I usually hunt down any dust and remove it with a tiny bit of blu tack on a toothpick, or with a "soft" chisel (a paintbrush that I dipped in PVA and forgot to wash properly).
I am sorry for the delay in commenting on your build
Hehe, no worries. I've got a lot left to do yet :)
I'm building in 1/48 to be able to add some details ... And then I see this! This is more precise in much much smaller scale.
Great for you, frustrating for the visitors/builders of the bigger scales!
I don't know. Hats off to all who work in the larger scales. I got a 1/32 CSM Nieuport from my wife as a Christmas gift and I'm paralysed just looking at the size of the thing! I'm not sure the sort of skills required for 1/144 will translate. :-[
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I got a 1/32 CSM Nieuport from my wife as a Christmas gift and I'm paralysed just looking at the size of the thing!
Oh, what a useful gift!
At first you can build a Nieuport,
and later use can use this biplane as shelf to display all your other models ;D
Cheers,
Frank
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I'm following your progress as you rig this little gem and recalling the many tense sessions I experienced rigging my 1:32 Scale "Fee", this just blows my mind!! It may have been the double lines that tipped me over the edge, I am impressed beyond words. Wonderful modelling!
Cheers,
Lance
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I got a 1/32 CSM Nieuport from my wife as a Christmas gift and I'm paralysed just looking at the size of the thing!
Oh, what a useful gift!
At first you can build a Nieuport,
and later use can use this biplane as shelf to display all your other models ;D
Cheers,
Frank
😂😂😂Brilliant!
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Beautiful job on the rigging !
Alexis
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Double rigging wires in 1/144 scale - now that really is setting the rest of us an example! Like Rick words fail to express my admiration for this model.
Stephen.
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OMG, pinch me. After four years it is finally standing up on its own.
Added some more rigging to the wings during the week and turned my attention to the booms today. These had chord bindings around them at regular intervals between the struts. A mere 76 of them according to the WNW instruction manual. I did them the same way Sir Peter intended sprayed some decal sheet and applied them as little strips. It took about three hours and when they were finished they were all but invisible (!). A tiny wash of artist oils was needed to pick them out.
Once that was done I was able to nervously coax the booms into the slots in the wings and sit back in my creaky chair to take a look.. :0
(https://i.imgur.com/hcQiQNs.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/P82X0uL.jpg)
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You very clean builds are so impressive, this could be a WNW kit and you use a gigantic coin and match.
Cheers,
Frank
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I completely agree with Frank - this is really a WNW kit and you have spent years making that match!
Stephen.
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Fantastic job on the rigging !
Alexis
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Probably one of the more incredible builds I’ve seen over the years - I can’t think of any further superlatives. I would love to see this (although I’ll need my magnifying glass) in a show one day in Oz. Lol I’m too nervous to tackle my wnm one! Cheers Matt
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It hardly seems possible that such microscopic perfection could be created yet here it is! I am utterly floored by the skills, patience and sheer brilliance of this build. I think I have a new all time favourite model!
Richie
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I totally agree with Richie - amazing work on such a tiny model ...........
Regards
Dave
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The best a modeller can get!
::) ::) ::)
Bob
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Thanks again gents. It's a hard slog to be sure but its coming together.
I completely agree with Frank - this is really a WNW kit and you have spent years making that match!
Ha! I get a lot of giant match comments, but that is the best one I've heard! ;D ;D ;D
Heres some more progress. The tail codes were a bit of a problem, as there is nothing out there in 1/144 that can be used for them. However I found a screenshot of wingnut wings' decal sheet and was able to reduce it in photoshop and use it as a guide to draw high resolution codes of my own. I printed two of these out. One on white and another on clear decal film. I used a regular domestic laser printer and set it to grayscale and Best quality. It printed out nice and clear even at this size. Maybe this might be useful for larger scale projects too?
(https://i.imgur.com/Sx1dbPe.jpg)
Both sheets were brushed with a light coat of satin acrylic clear to seal them. The plain black "85" was put on first and settled in nicely with my favourite Mr Mark Softer. As you can see, I allowed myself plenty of spares!
The next bit was the tricky part. Using a fresh scalpel blade I roughly cut out a nice looking A and 7, leaving a generous margin of space around them. These were soaked off of the backing paper and placed on a dark surface. I then popped my 12x Borg eyepiece in and carefully chopped the excess white away from each of them. This took a number of tries but eventually produced a couple of pairs that I was happy with. Rather amusingly, my head was practically touching the bench as I was doing this. My wife happened to walk past and thought I had nodded off... :D
Anyway, here's a shot of the finished tail codes. I also managed to get some more rigging in place along the booms and made a start on the control pulleys on the wings.
(https://i.imgur.com/Cff0wYM.jpg)
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I thought I was doing well chopping away white decal surround on the tail codes of my RFC Nie27 - but that was in 1/32 scale. Doing the same thing in 1/144!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your model is superb - I just hope the eyesight of people seeing it is sufficiently good to appreciate the artistry.
Sandy
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I agree with Sandy - cutting out white surrounds in this scale borders on maniacal behaviour!
Stephen.
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I agree with Sandy - cutting out white surrounds in this scale borders on maniacal behaviour!
Stephen.
Who am I to argue with such wisdom ;D Incredible!!
RAGIII
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I have the same problem with the tail numbers for a future project, but I cannot assume that I'm able to cut decals that clean.
So I draw the numbers to cut mask with the plotter, but it failed. This was too small, the knife pulled the small pieces off the backing paper >:(
I need another solution, but for now I try to avoid to cut the decals by hand.
Cheers,
Frank
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I need another solution, but for now I try to avoid to cut the decals by hand.
I think it’s worth giving it a try. A brand new scalpel blade and a firm but slightly yielding cutting surface seems to do the trick. I put mine on an old plastic gift card and used it as a cutting board.
Working on channeling my inner Sir Peter Jackson at the moment:
(https://i.imgur.com/b5wcSEk.jpg)
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Well, I am also in love with Fee. But I would not dare build it in 144th scale even from a kit if it existed.
And I have no idea how I missed this thread. To call it spectacular is far too little. I am in awe for your achievements. Every step of this build is amazingly planned and executed. Needless to say, I will now be following it to the glorious end.
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Oh William you are both mad and utterly brilliant at the same time! Perfect white surrounds cut to tiny little numbers. Utterly worth it, all those incredible little details all combine to make this the special little gem it is turning out to be. You're still a bit mad though.... 😀
Richie
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Oh I don't know about mad. In truth I think you've got to be leaning more towards ruthless deliberation a lot of the time. Or idiot persistence... Definitely one of the two!
Here's the week's progress for this, errr... week.
I made some bomb racks from styrene strip and glued these in place with PVA. A bit more rigging was added to the undercarriage and out from the lower wing to the pulleys near the ailerons. The wheels got a tiny wash of grotty coloured oils to pick them out as well. I also made the nacelle grab handle and wingtip skids from 0.15mm wire and glued them in place. I still need to make the control horns and add a couple of last wires before the undersides are done. I'm really looking forward to signing off on that bit so I don't have to keep flipping the thing over onto its back. I'm quickly running out of places to pick it up from!
(https://i.imgur.com/hKOUAHB.jpg)
I turned it over again for a Captain Cook (look). I'm happy with the sense of weight in the tyres. It makes the whole thing look a bit more meaty and bigger than it truly is.
(https://i.imgur.com/M6zKTXl.jpg)
I also added another dozen bracing wires to the booms. That's the last of them there, save for the control wires that will go in later. I think I'll forever associate those wires with Doctor Who season 11-12, which I've been binge streaming in the background while all this has been going on :P
(https://i.imgur.com/LSRPk0j.jpg)
I also received my 1917 shilling in the mail today, so I couldn't resist a couple of vanity shots ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/pvK0FNP.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/B6CRQKm.jpg)
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Lost for words. Will stunning do?
Stephen.
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Lost for words too, I'm in shock!
Richie
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Yeah, to quote someone, this sort of thing makes me consider taking up knitting instead. :o
Top notch!
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SUPERB!!!!
RAGIII
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Unbelievable - still can't picture this being only 1/144 scale - mindblowing ...........
What material did you use for rigging?
Regards
Dave
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Remarkable craftsmanship :)
Alexis
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Thank you again! Almost there now. I can hardly believe it. :D
Dave, I use 0.05mm nichrome wire for the rigging. There's a picture of the stuff at the bottom of page 2. I roll it out flat and trim it to size and it holds its shape well. It pays to be careful using it though, to ensure that no tiny offcuts are left lying around. You wouldn't want specks of it getting swept off the desk and landing in your lap... Having a splinter of that near invisible wire lodged near where the sun don't shine would not be fun! ;D
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The spool looks like crazy wire company wires, which I have tried to order from. Unfortunately they seem only to deliver woth courier outside the UK (40 GBP).
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Hi Torbiorn,
This is sold in the Netherlands, so within the EU.
https://eveks.nl/nikkel-legering/514-nichrome-005-5-mm-weerstandsdraad-24869-nicr-80-20-cronix-verwarmingsdraad-1-500-meter.html
Hope this helps.
Willem
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Oh, very interesting materials in this shop! Something like that wire (there are different sizes) could also be a option for spokes?
Cheers,
Frank
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posted earlier as a suitable alternative for the NiChrome wire and worth repeating:
Molybdenum cutting wire. Commonly used for separating the screens of smart phones during repairs. Also called LCD separator wire, screen cutting wire, or various other combinations of LCD, screen, smart phone, separator, separating and cutting. eBay, Amazon, and your other friendly online Asian sources list many.
Available in many sizes from about 0.03mm ( 0.0012 inches - smallest I can find ) to 0.1mm or so. 0.04mm, 0.05mm, 0.06mm sizes seem to be pretty common.
Molybdenum is pretty tough but I can cut the 0.04mm stuff I found with a sharp scalpel blade although I do tend to use a pair of cutting tweezers similar to these: https://www.ideal-tek.com/scheda.php?m=search&f=8&c=Cutting%20Tweezers&l=3&idp=58 simple and intuitive to use, they get a lot of use and I don't know I managed without.
cheers Graham
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Wow....just wow! This project really does my head in :). It is totally amazing how crisp and detailed things you can do. I am sure I will take a hint or two from your technique, if only I will try to do them double the size :)
cheers, Skyhook
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Thats unbelievable. I‘ve seen many things in tiny scales, but that here is second to nothing. Pure modelling magic!
Andreas
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Only a few things left to go, but they are real mojo killers. There's the landing lamps on the wings, plus the external bombsight and the wind driven generator under the nacelle. Ho hum...
During the week I was able to add the control cables and rigging to the top wing and along to the tail. I think there's maybe six more wires left to go now. I also made the windscreen from some super thin cellophane and added the two Lewis guns (been wanting to do that for ages).
Here's a dawn shot for a bit of a moody backdrop, as I contemplate pulling my finger out and getting on with it:
(https://i.imgur.com/kebEzki.jpg)
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Very nice shot, there.
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As you may know from my latest album updates I love outdoor shots. This one is even more fantastic!
Such a great model, it looks real here.
Cheers,
Frank
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Thanks Bughunter! My old iphone 6 does not handle low light very well, so the image is a bit fuzzy. However I figured I'd quit while I was ahead. There was a bit of a breeze blowing and I could just imagine the thing being blown sideways and onto the ground.
Bad things happen outdoors. That's what I always say. I went out today and braved the stage #4 lockdown to fetch a rare treat of takeaway dumplings for my wife and me. As I stood on the kerb outside waiting for my order, a bird did a poop which landed on my mobile phone... Somebody told me it was lucky, but I don't understand how. :-[
I had much more luck inside and later on and managed to do a reasonable job of the external course-setter bombsight on the side of the observer's cockpit. Its tiny and ludicrously complicated, but it was there on A857 so I had to do it. 3x1.3mm and a mere 14 parts in total. :o
Here's a shot of the bombsight glued in position. I must admit I'm a bit shocked that I managed to pull that off. Maybe it was magic poop after all!
(https://i.imgur.com/2qgCeDm.jpg)
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A little bit more:
I made the little dynamo thingy last night and attached it this evening. It was made from black sprue and some Evergreen rod that was painted with Mr Color Brass. The little prop blade is a very thin material which was painted silver and glued in place with PVA. I used a strip cut from the clear cellophane panel on a packet of old Microscale decals. This stuff is amazingly thin but quite workable considering how fine it is.
(https://i.imgur.com/A6j53m7.jpg)
I very nervously turned the Fee over to glue it in place. Only a few more details to go now. I need to do the raised landing lights near the wingtips next, but I have no idea how to make the tiny tear drop shape yet. If anybody owns the WNW kit and can measure these parts for me it would be a huge help...
One detail I've decided to leave off for clarity is the reinforced canvas bags that hang down from the Lewis guns to catch the spent ammunition casings. I feel like the model would look much better without them. As at this scale it would be very hard to tell what they were, and they would look a bit "Drew Peacock" (if you know what I mean).
(https://i.imgur.com/73qdwNE.jpg)
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Superb work!
B :o
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Simply stunning.....
Shame about the bird dropping but the aim could have been worse...
Stephen.
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🙈🙉🙊 Speechless!!!!!
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Lovely! I can't even Imagine doing details this small!!
RAGIII
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OMG I've finished. :0
The last few bits went in today. I can't believe I finally have an Fe2 that is all my own. If ever a genie had given me a wish for one model, this would have been it.
Some quickie pics below and I'll make a post with more in the RFI section... Happy days ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/aKFG1p3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/IPw8hZn.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ws8OobV.jpg)
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Happy days all round then! Seeing this stunning little replica finished will make everybody smile. It certainly has me! :)
Richie
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Cheers Richie. Looking at it on my desk now, I can hardly believe it. Although I remember every single piece. ;D
I realised I forgot to link the RFI thread. Here it is:
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=12519.0
;)
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amazed at the detail for this scale!
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Cheers Richie. Looking at it on my desk now, I can hardly believe it. Although I remember every single piece. ;D
I realised I forgot to link the RFI thread. Here it is:
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=12519.0
;)
I can hardly believe it either - it’s either a gigantic hand or the most outstanding modelling I’ve seen. You certainly earned the right to clap yourself on the shoulder.
So.... what’s next? ;D
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Wonderful, gem. this is an artifact, scientists in the future will wonder how the humans were able to create such a thing.
Bye,Manni