B.E.2e - I should finish it one day

No plans to fly it in the T.T. unfortunately as it's my first attempt at a scale Free Flight model since I was a kid when I built a KK Luscombe Silvaire. Not even sure if I should enter it in an Australian comp as it has so many errors. It shall fly at my test site for learning about this category.

I just got bored with F1J's, 1/2A power, open power and vintage stuff so when I came across an original plan I thought to have a go at a Free Flight scale model. Did the homework and organised some documentation (Belated thanks to Gary Odgers for the lovely B.E.2 doco package). I reckoned that it might be an ok model to learn the tricks with. I have learned heaps btw.

Just spent half a day looking for suitable 45mm i.d. 'O' rings for the tyres with no luck so decided to machine a mould and see what happens when I pour various silicon type sealers into it. If anybody knows of a suitable material it would be appreciated btw.

That's how I made the dummy engine cylinders, turned up an aluminium one on the little lathe and used it as a plug to make a pile of moulds from Plasticine, froze them hard in the freezer and filled them with car bog, painted them silver and then matt black, a few scratches and they came out sorta ok.

Next problem is how to get the fuselage covering wrinkled like the original photos. The lacing I have worked out (from the A/M articles). If it's like my usual covering jobs it might get the wrinkles naturally

Thanks for all the kind comments btw, that was just the poke that I required to finish the model

* Danny *

I like your idea for making the cylinders , car body filler I hadn't thought of that.

Just spent half a day looking for suitable 45mm i.d. 'O' rings for the tyres with no luck so decided to machine a mould and see what happens when I pour various silicon type sealers into it. If anybody knows of a suitable material it would be appreciated btw.

I used closed cell neoprene sponge cord, available in various sizes, cyno'd together to form a tyre

Neoprene-Sponge-Cord-Black-Foam-Rubber-Closed-Cell-2mm-3mm-4mm-5mm-6mm-8mm-10mm

Well, looking at Squirrelnet's lovely build has given me clue as to how to get the wrinkly fuselage covering. I have attempted to attach a linky. Also note how streaky the paint of the roundels is and the prominence of the lacing.
Lots of other great details in this photo.



* Danny *

Yes indeed. WWI planes in front line service were not really finished "pretty".
I expect the "aces" could get their machines maintained to a higher standard.

Andy Sephton wrote: That looks like a very nicely built model Danny, well done mate!

Now, you asked for comments, so here goes:

The fin looks very weak and the lifting tail is not aerodynamically sound. I know that the latter was de-rigeur in the 1950s, but for stability, we want our tailplanes to lift downwards, not up. Having more camber on the upper surface makes the tailplane inefficient. Going on to the fin, when the model lands, it'll tip over on it's back putting a rather large force on the fin. The latter needs to be stronger to withstand that force




.

Recommendation: I would rebuild the fin and tailplane according to the articles in AeroModeller that, in a different thread, you say you already have. Eric Coates Scale Articles were published in AeroModeller March 1971 to May 1972 inclusive. They were updated by Bill Dennis in AeroModeller January 1984 to May 1984 inclusive. You'll find all you need to know to make the model relatively crashproof within these pages.

If anyone else is interested in the articles, Eric Coates original series was made into a book edited by Vic Smeed. It's available on Amazon here:

www.amazon.co.uk/Scale-Aircraft-Free-Fli...3&keywords=Vic+Smeed

Mine arrived today It's very good