A BE2c for AeroModeller

Well Garry, you wanted a build thread, so here it! AeroModeller editor, Andrew Boddington, has kindly allowed me to post a build thread on the model, but you'll have to buy the mag for the full story as this will be a brief taster.

Andrew approached me about two months ago and asked if I would design a Free Flight BE2c for AeroModeller's Christmas edition. The magazine has gone from strength to strength over the past year or so and the publication date has changed from bi-monthly to monthly with the November edition, so the request was too much of a challenge to miss! The question is, will I rise to the challenge....or fail. It has to be the former, of course......but you never know. Follow the story here and you'll learn the result first hand.

Size was the first issue as the plans needed to fit on AeroModellers pages - 1/20th scale was eventually agreed on giving a span of 22". Rubber power was considered, but given the width of the fuselage, the amount of rubber required may not fit, so electric was chosen. This would also make the model convertible to RC, thus improving the possible appeal, but initially it'll be Free Flight.

I'm writing this while I wait for glue to dry after doing some patching up after sanding - here's the state of the model this morning.....I'll re-post this evening with an update

Very nice build Andy.

Shame about the undercarriage though.

"WOW" is all i can say.

That is beautiful Andy. You kept this one quiet. May have to have a quiet word with Tony , hmmmmm

Garry

Had a productive day today - fixed wing tubes, sanded all the flying surfaces, drew up the UC on CAD and bent up a set for the model, finished trial fit of paper coaming, added a few gussets and separated the control surfaces. It doesn't look that much different to this morning....but the edges are a bit tidier:

that is a thing of beauty and should be on display in a glass case in the Tate modern.

Excellent, and my favourite WWI aircraft too.

The model has progressed over the last few days - the paper pattern for the coaming has been converted to balsa and glued to the model (see photo), the rear end of the fus has been modded to accept the tailplane (the last upright was set too far back), a few more gussets and support pieces have been added and sanded and the flying surfaces have been given a coat of dope, pre covering.

There's not much new to see, but here's a pic of the 0.8mm balsa coaming in place (the wheels are a set of gash Williams WW1 style - too small and too heavy for this machine, but they serve to give it something to roll on until I can make a set of scale wheels):

Work has recommenced after a very busy weekend. Strut blanks have been laminated from ply and balsa, the flying surfaces single covered and strut tubes fixed (and later sewn) in place:





and the motor test fitted - picture shows the motor from a Parkzone mustang mated up to a KP profiler:

Thats absolutely lovely. I have been an Aeromodeller subscriber since it restarted. I agree, it is a much better mag now..

Nice one Andy

Martyn

Had a very productive day today:

- covered 'tother side of flying surfaces, watershrunk and doped them
- Finished upper rear fuselage stringers
- cut and fitted cowl block under fus nose
- covered fuselage turtle deck pre-strut fixing
- shaped centre - section and wing struts
- Cut and added gussets to rear fus

Pics will follow later as the next job this eve will be to fix the centre section struts to the fus which I'd like to get done this evening to maintain a chance of testing the model in a very much jury-rigged state at the fly-in on Saturday.

That's it for tonight:

Wheel blanks have been cut out from 1/64" lite-ply and 1/8" balsa and glued up:



doped flying surfaces have been pinned to a board overnight:



and centre section has been fitted to struts using fuselage plan photocopied onto card as a jig (centre-sectio has yet to be fitted in the photo:

Hair grips as clamps... Another brilliant tip - just need to get a couple of dozen and no funny looks...

martynk wrote: Hair grips as clamps... Another brilliant tip - just need to get a couple of dozen and no funny looks...

I got a large box off my sister.....she's a hairdresser.

yeah riight, we believe you.