Early BE2c from Aifix kit?

[Killingholme]

Hi all,

 

How hard would it be to build an early production BE2c using the new Airfix kit? At quick glance they look more or less the same to the later types. I think the main differences are the exhaust pipes and the 'ski' style undercarriage legs. Is there anything else I'm missing?

 

 

 

Will

[Beardie]

Not well up on the details of the BE's but a quick dip into Wikipedia seems to say that the early BE.2c had a smaller triangular fin, less streamlined engine cowling, lacked the cutaway in the upper wing centre section, had the ski type undercarriage and, finally, it seems that the very first few were powered with the Renault engine rather than the RAF1a that was developed from it. It doesn't specifically say that the Renault engine was used at the start but that, after the first few, the RAF1a engine was used leading me to believe that the Renault was used initially.

[malpaso]

The RAF1a was based on the Renault so probably not much different at 1/72.  More obviously the sump (?) of the engine was usually visible on early 2c types, rather than the later curved fairing of the Airfix model.

 

I plan to do the same conversion.

 

Cheers

Will

[Dave Fleming]

Beardie has the main points - the undercarraige, the sump fairing and the lack of cut out at th erear of the upper wings are the main ones, most of the other options are catered for it the kit or just a case of cutting away the odd bits and pieces. Engine cover was usually flat or absent, and of course the exhausts

 

The rear cockpit area is one to watch, it may have been a different shape

[Killingholme]

How did I manage to miss the upper wing! d'oh!

 

All sounds very do-able. Pity Airfix didn't tool their kit to include these options in the plastic. 

 

FYI I'm trying an 'Aircraft built in Lincoln' theme- you've got Ruston Proctor (who's first BE2C was an 'early' type), Robey, and Clayton Shuttleworth building thousands of airframes during WWI.

 

Will

[Dave Fleming]

Checking pics in the Be2c datafile, it looks like most early ones had the engine cover as well. The Renault engine was narrower, but in 1/72 I think you could get away with that! :-)

[pheonix]

On 8/14/2017 at 1:57 PM, Killingholme said:

FYI I'm trying an 'Aircraft built in Lincoln' theme- you've got Ruston Proctor (who's first BE2C was an 'early' type), Robey, and Clayton Shuttleworth building thousands of airframes during WWI.

 

Will

Does that include the Sopwith Gunbus? They were built by Robey. If so I have an article on how to convert the Airfix Avro 504 from an Airfix Annual. I have built one myself too - it is in conversion corner on Airfix Tribute Forum website and in ww1aircraftmodels.com. If you would like a copy of the article pm me.

 

P 

[Sabrejet]

It's not correct that the RAF and Renault engines shared a common lineage: though both are air-cooled V8's, they are quite different in construction and appearance: the Renault has very prominent x-shaped clamping devices atop each cylinder, which would show up in 1/72, whereas the RAF V8 has simple cooling fins and just four long studs and nuts holding each cylinder in place. Also a major difference is that one of the two (I forget which) had opposing con-rods sharing the same crank journal while the other has more commonplace individual, spaced journals for each con-rod: thus one engine has very obvious staggered cylinders while the other has cylinders arranged side-by-side. 

 

EDIT: it's the RAF 1a which has staggered cylinders:

 

 

Edited August 17, 2017 by Sabrejet
typo