A little Fe2b help???

[Maxfinn]

Hey all, I'm wondering if WnW left a part out of the Fee kit.  I've got the nacelle about done, and am hoping to get the wings on and rigged this weekend.  But I'm also getting the last of the nacelle details ready to go.  In looking at the forward facing, articulating gun mount, I don't see any mounting point.  There is a picture of the TVAL build that shows a mounting plate in the forward cockpit for the mount, but there is nothing in the cockpit, and there's no direction calling for a hole to be drilled in the cockpit floor.  I know a few folks are building the kit right now, so I'm hoping someone smarter than I am has a solution.

Thanks

Mike

[Ian from Doncaster]

Hi Mike, are you building the early or late kit?  Do you have any build photos - the more builds I see the better chance I have of making a dcecent effort with mine...

I have the late version, and am building option D, A852 of 100 Sqn.  The instructions section 1 "Nascelle Interior" call for a 1mm hole to be drilled centrally into the observers floor, into which the swivelling gun mount (part A32) fits in section 6 "Nascelle Gun Mounts".

You can just see the hole in the floor panel here:

[Maxfinn]

Hi Ian,

I did indeed miss the note to drill that hole in the observer's floor.  Shouldn't be a problem to drill it after the fact though.  I have to admit, it makes more sense to have a mounting plate as is shown in the TVAL plane.  I have to believe that with the observer holding on to that gun as the pilot is throwing the airplane around the sky, that gun mount would get a lot of stress.  I'm thinking of scratching a mount, but lacking any period evidence of one, I probably won't.

As for pictures of my build, I ordinarily would be happy to share in-progress shots.  But as this one is being built for a feature article in Model Airplane International, I don't think it's fair to them to post a bunch of shots here.  Sorry.

But your build looks like it's coming along splendidly!

Mike

[Ian from Doncaster]

Ah I see, that makes sense.  I work in publishing so I can see precisely where you are coming from.  In that case I look forward to your pics after publication.

It could make sense to scratch a plate to mirror that on the TVAL aircraft?

[Dekenba]

Hi Ian,

I did indeed miss the note to drill that hole in the observer's floor.  Shouldn't be a problem to drill it after the fact though.  I have to admit, it makes more sense to have a mounting plate as is shown in the TVAL plane.  I have to believe that with the observer holding on to that gun as the pilot is throwing the airplane around the sky, that gun mount would get a lot of stress.  I'm thinking of scratching a mount, but lacking any period evidence of one, I probably won't.

As for pictures of my build, I ordinarily would be happy to share in-progress shots.  But as this one is being built for a feature article in Model Airplane International, I don't think it's fair to them to post a bunch of shots here.  Sorry.

But your build looks like it's coming along splendidly!

Mike

Windsock Datafile no 18, page 20, clearly shows an FE.2b with the forward gun mounting being secured with a plate - slightly rectangular in shape, showing wear along the edges indicating it was bolted onto the floor.

[Maxfinn]

Ahhhh...thanks very much Dekenba!  I see I need to check my references better.  It's amazing how many times I can look through a few books and still miss the detail I'm looking for!

Mike