forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Completed models => Topic started by: lone modeller on March 22, 2020, 10:06:38 PM
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Evening All,
Many people will know of the FE 2b: that aeroplane that looked as though it had been designed in the Jurassic and had somehow survived mass extinction events to pop up in 1915 in time for WW1. Not so many will know that its performance was such that by late 1915 its performance with the original 120hp Beardmore engine was becoming a problem because it had a slow rate of climb and overall slow speed - it could not persue and catch the new tractor types coming into service in the German air arm. A more powerful 160hp beardmore engine was under development, but was presenting huge problems and was being unavoidably delayed, so a stop-gap measure was looked for. It was suggested that the new Rolls Royce 12 cylinder V engine, rated at 250 hp should be fitted to existing FE 2 airframes, so a prototype was built in April 1916 which immediately demonstrated a big increase in performance.. The nacelle had to be modified to take the new engine, and the radiator which was moved and mounted above the upper longerons to improve airflow.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49682255563_cafdc99820_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iGfxFa)
300 machines were ordered but in the end only around 250 were delivered as the 160hp Beardmore engine finally became available in late 1916 and plugged the gap that the 2d had been designed to fill. The other problem was that the pusher concept was also becoming obsolete by late 1916 as newer faster and more heavily armed tractor biplanes were being rapidly introduced.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49682788536_fe31a74c26_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iGih7m)
The type was used on the Western Front in 1916 and reamained in service there until the autumn of 1917 when it was finally withdrawn. 40 were sent to training schools but they were not kept for long as the engines were too useful to be used in this role, and there was little need for pilots of pusher machines.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49682269503_d215fcab75_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iGfBPv)
23 machines were posted to Home Defence squadrons but by 1917 their rate of climb and speed were such that they were of almost no value in intercepting Zeppelins, and these too were not kept in service for very long.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49682269503_d215fcab75_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iGfBPv)
This was scratch built from plastic card, florists wire (booms), strip and rod and is rigged with rolled 40 SWG copper wire. The propellor was carved from wood. There is a build log in the scratch build section of this site.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49683080102_4618e5b180_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iGjLMm)
I will not go into the details of the problems that I had with this build - when it comes to pushers I have form having built a kit, converted at least 6 and scratch built another 7 in 1/72 or 1/32 scale, but this one somehow caused more problems than any of the rest!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49682255513_e2bd996a66_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iGfxEi)
There is no serial on the rudder as I did not have suitable transfers, so it is a generic representation of the type as it would have appeared in the summer of 1916. It is brush painted (as usual for me) with acrylics and all markings are hand painted.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49682788601_a625a0caa8_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iGih8t)
If you have got this far, thanks for looking. Now on to something which will hopefully cause fewer problems!
Stephen.
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Another fantastic scratchbuild by your talented hands Stephen ! :)
Terri
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Congrats on a beautiful model, Stephen. Your scratch-building skills are amazing. Well done indeed.
Cheers,
Gary
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Great! Congratulations on that wonderful build!
Andreas
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Stephen,
I am running out of superlatives for your works, just amazing! This is a challenging subject, much more so as a Scratch Build, and you've done a magnificent job. Congratulations on a beautiful and unique model!
Cheers,
Lance
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Marvelous result, Stephen. Your hand painted finishes are amazing.
Scratchbuilding allows us to explore many more planes and variations than kits alone afford.
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As always following your processes was a pleasure to watch! The results of your work are Most Impressive to say the least! Beautiful results in all aspects!
RAGIII
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Stunning result Stephen, that is a very special model. You should be very pleased with it, especially after having your patience tested so severely. So glad to have seen these pictures.
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total agreement with all the above compliments !!!
Ed
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Another fantastic scratchbuild by your talented hands Stephen ! :)
Terri
My thoughts exactly!
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Thanks to all of you for the generous comments - and for the support when I was struggling with it. I very nearly gave up on this one but I am pleased that I did not do so in the end.
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What an amazing model! I'm in awe of your scratchbuilding techniques. Doubly inspired as this is a 1/72 scale scratchbuild so the detail you have achieved is superb.
Many thanks for sharing this with us Stephen.
cheers
Dave W
Gold Coast
Australia
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Beautiful work as always, i'm so glad you persevered!
Ian
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Thank you Dave and Ian - your comments are much appreciated.
Stephen.
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Stephen, sorry I'm very late to comment here!
What a great project from your bench, so tiny and such a complicated bird! If I see for example the six struts with all the cross rigging on each side between the wings :o
You can really proud of it! Thanks for the build report and the pictures here.
Cheers,
Frank
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Thank you Frank for the kind comment.
Stephen.
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NICE job job, Stephen! The Fe is one of my favorites as you can see by my avatar. Mine's scratched as well so I know the difficulties you surpassed. A very well-deserved "well done"!
Dan
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Excellent job, Sir! Always a treat to see your work, especially when it is another pusher type. There is something about them that fascinates....
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Belated thanks Dan, and thank you OM. Yes pushers are fascinating and in my case addictive: I have converted or scratch built over a dozen in 1/72 scale and one in 1/32, with another in 1/32 in progress!
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Outstanding work!
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Thanks RvW.