1/32 BE2c

[lcarroll]

Richie,
    I just realized this morning that we've been following this unique project of yours for just a month short of two years, and what a journey it's been! Compliments on your resolve to "get it right" with no compromise and exemplary patience from the beginning. Great work and spectacular results, you have far surpassed the standards to call yourself a true "Scratch Builder" and I look forward to the final reveal of this beauty!
   Congratulations!
Lance

[RichieW]

Never even thought about transparent filler, but here it works phantastic.
Very impressive model!
Greetings Joe

Many thanks Joe, there are many difficulties still to face but I remain hopeful of finishing it to a reasonable standard.

Richie,
    I just realized this morning that we've been following this unique project of yours for just a month short of two years, and what a journey it's been! Compliments on your resolve to "get it right" with no compromise and exemplary patience from the beginning. Great work and spectacular results, you have far surpassed the standards to call yourself a true "Scratch Builder" and I look forward to the final reveal of this beauty!
   Congratulations!
Lance

Many thanks Lance, yes the two year mark is looming on the not very distant horizon. I hope to be able to show a finished model before it gets there. It's been fun but I will be so happy to finish this marathon project and start working on the next one. I have something rather ambitious in mind.

Richie

[FAf]

'I have something rather ambitious in mind.'

Well, it doesn't seem like you've been put off scratch building inn any way, despite all of the hurdles you've had to jump in this build?! What's most fun, overcoming challenges in the build or actually finishing it? 😀

Great work and fantastic translucency!
/Fredrik

[RichieW]

'I have something rather ambitious in mind.'

Well, it doesn't seem like you've been put off scratch building inn any way, despite all of the hurdles you've had to jump in this build?! What's most fun, overcoming challenges in the build or actually finishing it? 😀

Great work and fantastic translucency!
/Fredrik

That's a great question but I can't really answer it until this gets finished. For health reasons do not hold your breath until it is!

Richie

[KiwiZac]

until this gets finished. For health reasons do not hold your breath until it is!

[RichieW]

Hi everybody, just a quick little update. Time has been limited again but I have a small amount of progress to show you.

After much faffing around I got the first coat of CDL on the top wing. It looked good until the paint reacted with something on the top surface. No other choice but to strip the wing which caused the UV resin to flake off in patches. The surface needed to be treated again with UV resin to repair the damage. The wing was then repainted using a much finer airbrush with each layer allowed to fully dry between coats. No paint reaction this time thank goodness so I added rib tapes from white decal paper.

Scratched BE2c top wing. by Richard Williams, on Flickr

After toning down with another thin layer of CDL;

BE2c top wing by Richard Williams, on Flickr

The photo makes it look a lot better than it is.

Quick check for translucency;

BE2c top wing by Richard Williams, on Flickr

The wing surface is far from perfect or even good but after all the aggravation I really can't face making them again so will just accept the many imperfections and move on.

My next scratchbuild will be a skeletal model or something not translucent!

Thanks for reading
Richie

[Borsos]

Looks really great in my eyes!
Andreas

[RAGIII]

The wing looks great and I admire your determination to get things right! Well done Richie!
RAGIII

[lone modeller]

Having seen this today Richie, I really think that you are being too self critical (and I should know as I am rather good at it....). The blemishes you refer to can only be seen with a magnifying glass and then only when shown where to look.

This is shaping into a first class model - with superb detailing, (which again I was privileged to see first hand today.

Stephen.

[RichieW]

The wing looks great and I admire your determination to get things right! Well done Richie!
RAGIII

Looks really great in my eyes!
Andreas

Thanks so much Rick and Andreas, I was a little disheartened with the top wing at first but your kind comments have been a big help. I continue to make little touch ups and improvements but am enjoying the process and know I can get it looking more acceptable to close inspection.

Having seen this today Richie, I really think that you are being too self critical (and I should know as I am rather good at it....). The blemishes you refer to can only be seen with a magnifying glass and then only when shown where to look.

This is shaping into a first class model - with superb detailing, (which again I was privileged to see first hand today.

Stephen.

Many thanks for your kind encouragement and advice Stephen. It was a pleasure to see you on Saturday, I always feel inspired by your feedback.

While the painstaking business of adding rib tapes and concealing the scratches and assorted blemishes continues I will make a tentative start on another project. It will be the ill fated Levasseur Pl.8 Oiseau Blanc, while not a WW1 type it was crewed by the legendary WW1 aviators Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli for their attempted flight from Paris to New York. I will start a thread soon.

Richie

[KiwiZac]

It looks pretty darned good from here Richie, lovely work!

[Davos522]

Reading through this thread a little bit every day. I'm with Zac (and everybody else)... this is top-shelf modeling.

Dave V.

[RichieW]

Reading through this thread a little bit every day. I'm with Zac (and everybody else)... this is top-shelf modeling.

Dave V.

It looks pretty darned good from here Richie, lovely work!

Thanks so much Zac and Dave, I'm hoping to be able to show an update with the roundels painted soon.

Richie

[Rookie]

As always, great work Richie.

Will you be using masks for the roundels?

Willem

[RichieW]

As always, great work Richie.

Will you be using masks for the roundels?

Willem

Thanks Willem, yes the roundels will be masked. I have a cunning plan to avoid ripping the rib tape decals off but won't be ready to do that for a while.

Richie