LukGraph 1/32 BE.2c coming late January 2022

[KiwiZac]

Posted on Facebook earlier today:

Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c project in 1:32 scale has started.
Estimated release date of the model by the end of January next year. As always we start the engine. Many thanks to James Fahey for helping with the design of the model. We will make every effort to reproduce the model as best we can.

LukGraph BE2 engine by Zac Yates, on Flickr

Nice to see our own Jamo get a shout-out for assisting with this one.

[Dave W]

I may draw flak for saying this but while the Lukgraph Be2c will be an outstanding model, its production as a resin kit may deter mainstream model companies from producing a cheaper, injected plastic kit.

Kudos to Lukgraph for selecting this much-wanted subject. It's a model I would love to have but I have zero experience in making resin kits and a kit that will cost around $A240 plus postage from Poland is not the most economical subject to learn on.

I am not against the kit- it will be outstanding but it's a top end model for those happy to pay top end prices.

After wrecking a couple of Wingnut kits I'm wary of mucking up any more expensive models.

How do others feel about 1/32 resin kits? Are they difficult to make?

How many will be ordering a Be2? I don't mean how many would like it, I'm talking cash dollars purchase.

And again, this is not against Lukgraph, I applaud their WW1 choices, but sadly their kits are out of my price range and I fear the other companies will now shy away from doing a 1/32 Be2c as well.

I really hope I'm proved wrong.

Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia

[Captain Slower]

I just received their Albatros C.III.  Overall, I am impressed with the kit.  In some ways, it appears to be simplified from WNW but I may be wrong on this.  I do like the fact that the struts have a metal rod inside as do the wings.  The one area of concern I have is the weight of the wings.  The rigging will have to be structural and I will use chameleon fishing line as it is reported not to stretch over time.

Happy to see a BE kit coming.  Ideally, it should have been done by WNW, after all, they have a couple of full-size examples.    Plus, they had the BE2c wings with the FE2 and the BE2e wings with the RE8.

However, I share your concern about the injection kit manufactures avoiding the BE2. 

[miecio52]

Hello, a good modeller can handle any model. Resin models have always been and will be more expensive. So far I do not see a company that would deal so expansively on the market of aircraft models from the period of the Great War in scale 1/32. I wish this small company the best and I support them a lot because she has filled the void after WNW. Of course, this is my private opinion. 

[petrov27]

I have built several resin kits over the years and do not mind them at all. Yes they take more effort than say WNW but the Lukgraph kit I have (not built yet) looks very straightforward. As noted they do put metal in their struts and that should help with holding things together.

As far as the BE.2C yes I will very likely pick this one up. As far as it influencing other plastic manufacturers to not produce a kit of it, well that may be so but it is incredibly hard to say. We have not exactly seen very many 2 seat WW1 subjects in 1/32 plastic from anyone other than WNW (have we seen any actually?) So I guess I would much rather see a company like Lukgraph do it (and if their other kits are indication do it very well indeed) vs. the potential that we never see it done in 1/32 at all.

[macsporran]

I built plenty of resin kits back in my 1/48 days and suggest nobody should be deterred by the medium itself. You just use a razor saw for cutting and CA glue but everything else is much the same.

As with plastic kits the difference is in the manufacturer: some, like JGMT, were a delight to build, some like Jaeger and TC Resins, were very short-run and required an awful lot of work to fill air holes in the resin and straighten warped wings. Yes, you use mono fishing line for rigging to keep big wings square - the  TC Short 184 and Felixstowe had bigger, heavier, wings in 1/48 than most 1/32 kits - and the landing wires have to do the same job as on the real thing.

So, if a new resin BE2 is of JGMT quality I wouldn't let the resin put me off, but if it were TC quality the price and the anticipated work would!
From all reports Lukgraph would likely be in the former category.

However, I think 1/32 is the ideal scale for single seaters and have sold off my WNW monsters as just too big for domestic display, so I wish they'd opted for any of the Scouts mentioned in our poll - Hanriot, Halb D.II, Austro-Hungarians etc.........
Sandy

[PrzemoL]

First let me say that I am extremely happy to see this subject announced. I have been lucky to know about this plan for some time now, but to hear that Łukasz indeed started the design is a delight!
As for the discussion on resin kits I think I have some experience including three 32nd scale Lukgraph kits built (Lublin, Baby, FF33L), Albatros C.III in my stash and Lloyd preordered. I can assure you that the quality of their products is evidently increasing. They are expensive but from what I hear from Łukasz he simply cannot produce them cheaper by the means available to him.
On the other issue - I will never say that these kits are easy for resin novices. I would rather recommend building a simpler resin kit first, a monoplane, to get some experience with resin handling before tackling a biplane. Using a quickly setting CA glue itself requires some practice and it may be discouraging and daunting if you start with a biplane model.
And finally, I do not think any potential producer of injection kits plans BE2c in 32nd scale in the nearest future. We all hoped WNW would make one since the famous Alb B.II boxart. I also know that Łukasz was analysing the situation to avoid a possible clash with a plastic model. But seeing the current reality of kits production I am extremely happy that we will get this kit from Lukgraph. And I can heartily encourage anyone who can afford such expensive kit to get this model. Łukasz is currently very much decided to produce more 32nd scale WW1 subjects but he surely needs our support!

[Europapete]

Yes, I will buy one. The Lloyd also.  Resin kits are just the same as injection to make. Just use superglue instead of styrene cement. Especially now that 3D printing is becoming more common, the parts fit is getting so much better with each new release. Regards, Pete in RI

[gbrivio]

Looking at interwar and WWII market, a resin (high quality) model kit should no longer be of concern to injection plastic companies: Silver Wings has been producing several 1/32 resin kits (including FIAT CR42 and D.H.82) released in plastic by ICM not much later. So maybe both Luckgraph and any hypotetic producer of a plastic RAF Be2 should not be conflicting. Hopefully...
Ciaio
Giuseppe

[fruibal]

The owner of Lukegraph responded to me on FB that their kits are not cheap, and their material and production costs are highly elevated. Lukegraph might be leading with novelty releases in short periods of time. Albeit, its target market is directed towards elite customers and mass production at affordable prices is not in their line of company strategic plan. On the contrary, I hope other producers can learn from this golden opportunity to attract the other market that is more budgeted constrain, with cheaper alternatives. and not shy away from producing the same subject

[KiwiZac]

How many will be ordering a Be2? I don't mean how many would like it, I'm talking cash dollars purchase.

Even if I could afford it I think I would find purchasing this kit in particular very difficult to justify to myself. Do I want one? Yes. But given the price it's just not on my radar other than as a fan of BEs. I have experience with resin so that doesn't put me off and the detail on previous LukGraph kits is exquisite but it's just too much money for me for an aeroplane that size and airframe simplicity (I've seen most of TVAL's repros and the original enough times in person to have a feel for what a kit would include). Lukas has recently produced the De Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly in 1/48 but that too is far out of my price range and more of a "would love to have" rather than "need to have".

To be honest I was more disappointed than excited by this announcement purely because I have a feeling I won't be able to buy one.

[Pup7309]

Hi
I won’t get a Be2 but some of the other 2 seaters are tempting- except for the price. That said you’ll pay the same or more for a WNW kit these days. But great news if you want a Be and get it.    Important Kite needed to be made!

[petrov27]

Unfortunately the price of everything is up these days - shoot weren't the WNW two seaters up to $120 ish before they ceased operations and thats been a year and a half ago right?

[Europapete]

I think that if Lukgraph send the Forum a review sample kit, it should go to KiwiZac.

[RAGIII]

I have hesitated to comment but I finally decided to do so 
First and foremost I am Happy to see that someone finally decided to do this aircraft in 1/32nd. Going by previoous releases it will surely build into a beautiful Model of an Important WW1 aircraft!

As for addressing Daves' comments:
1. I can Only Hope that a Limited Run kit in resin will not discourage Injection molding  companies from seeing the "Value" of producing a BE series!
2. I certainly understand that the Price is set at making a profit from a very limited run.
3. I stated on Mikes post about one of the Lukgraph releases that although interested in some of their kits they were out of My price range due to My retirement. I could say as Much for Many Aircraft Models I would love to purchase.    That is not the fault of the Manufacturer!
4. I think Przemolaw has been perhaps the "Most" Honest in his statements about resin kits, their challenges,  and price. I am Awful at using super glue and when I can I replace Metal struts and parts with plastic to avoid MY disability 
5. All things being Equal If this were a BE12 I would Probably give up Beer for a Month and get one 
JMHO,
RAGIII