Author Topic: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d  (Read 2576 times)

Offline lone modeller

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Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« on: March 22, 2020, 10:06:38 PM »
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.



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.



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type was used on the Western Front in 1916 and reamained in service there until the autumn of 1917 when it was finally withdrawn. 40 were sent to training schools but they were not kept for long as the engines were too useful to be used in this role, and there was little need for pilots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.



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.



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.



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!



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.



If you have got this far, thanks for looking. Now on to something which will hopefully cause fewer problems!

Stephen.

Offline Alexis

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2020, 10:36:14 PM »
Another fantastic scratchbuild by your talented hands Stephen ! :)



Terri
Hurra ! , Ich Leben Noch
Body and life is a vessel we use to travel the planet . Femininity is the gift , The miracle comes from what we do with it .

Offline gedmundson

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2020, 12:28:27 AM »
Congrats on a beautiful model, Stephen. Your scratch-building skills are amazing. Well done indeed.
Cheers,
Gary

Offline Borsos

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2020, 05:56:27 AM »
Great! Congratulations on that wonderful build!
Andreas
"Deux armées aux prises, c'est une grande armée qui se suicide."
Barbusse.
"Ein Berg in Deutschland kann doch einen Berg in Frankreich nicht beleidigen. Oder ein Fluß oder ein Wald oder ein Weizenfeld."
Remarque.

Offline lcarroll

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2020, 12:18:53 PM »
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

Offline kensar

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2020, 09:41:15 PM »
Marvelous result, Stephen.  Your hand painted finishes are amazing.
Scratchbuilding allows us to explore many more planes and variations than kits alone afford.

Offline RAGIII

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2020, 10:22:07 PM »
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
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler

Offline RichieW

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2020, 07:49:11 AM »
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.

Offline dr 1 ace

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2020, 05:37:10 AM »
total agreement with all the above compliments !!!

Ed
Life is short, enjoy it, nobody gets out alive.

Offline PrzemoL

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2020, 06:56:37 PM »
Another fantastic scratchbuild by your talented hands Stephen ! :)
Terri

My thoughts exactly!
Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul,
Ash nazg thrakatuluk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.

Offline lone modeller

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2020, 05:36:33 AM »
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.

Offline Dave W

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2020, 09:14:46 AM »
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
Owner and Administrator of ww1aircraftmodels.com and forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com

Offline IanB

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2020, 01:39:50 AM »
Beautiful work as always, i'm so glad you persevered!

Ian

Offline lone modeller

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #13 on: March 27, 2020, 05:42:22 AM »
Thank you Dave and Ian - your comments are much appreciated.

Stephen.

Bughunter

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Re: Something Different: 1/72 scratch built FE 2d
« Reply #14 on: March 28, 2020, 05:33:05 AM »
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