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Pegasus BE2e


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Despite the thousands built the BE2 aircraft have been much neglected by the mainstream manufacturers. I'm still wary of resin so I thought I'd try the Pegasus as it's the only injection BE2 known to me. I've built the Hanriot HD1 and the Gloster Gauntlet so have mixed feelings about Pegasus to date. First impressions were quite favourable re the detail on the parts but there was some heavy flash, thick gates and seam lines but to be honest it was easily removed. The wings look ok as do the white metal engine and undercarriage but the fuselage halves aren't straight. Hot water and heavy thumb pressure has got them to the stage where superglue should be able to get a good hold. To date, have started on the cockpit assembly, attached locating tabs to the port fuselage half and found a pilot. While I have the utmost admiration for those who super detail the cockpit area I'm afraid it's not for me. I hope to remodel an 0/400 gunner to occupy my front seat.

PICT0039-4.jpg

Regards, Steve

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I'll follow this as well.

I also have a Formaplane vac of the BE2c, with the fuselage oddly molded counting with the width of the plastic sheet. I don't think the other Formaplanes I have were made this way.

Carlos

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I'll follow this as well.

I also have a Formaplane vac of the BE2c, with the fuselage oddly molded counting with the width of the plastic sheet. I don't think the other Formaplanes I have were made this way.

Carlos

I have the Formaplane BE2c too and you set me thinking so I dug it out of the stash. I've made two Formaplane vacs and in both cases I outlined the part with a narrow felt tip pen, cut out the part at a 45 degree angle and removed the remaining sheet plastic to the line by rubbing along a wide file. The Pegasus BE fuselage, set alongside the vac form, seems to be the same size after allowing for the removal of the sheet plastic. The other vacs built by me were Airframe and Rareplanes and the same, or similar, methods were employed. The exception appears to be Sierrascale who make a point of telling the builder not to employ traditional methods and remove the sheet plastic as this has been allowed for during their moulding operation.

Regards, Steve

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Hi Steve,

I measured it again, measured also the drawings in the datafile and my conclusion is that the truth is somewhere in between. The half fuselages put together (cut but not sanded) have a width of 9.75mm. If you take off 0.8mm from each half that leaves you with 8.15mm - I measure 8.8mm in the drawings. Does 0.65mm fall in your tolerance? Each modeler may answer differently.

Another problem with the kit is that the fuselage tapers too much towards the tail in plan view - compare the kit and the drawing in the photo above.

To be fair, I measured the width of the fuselage from the top front and plan views - in the "detail under top wing" the fuselage is considerably thinner, approaching the kit's width.

Cheers,

Carlos

BE2cFormaplane.jpg

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Hi Carlos,

Had another look at the 2c. The width wouldn't bother me but a slither of fine card would suffice if it proved necessary. You're right about the rear taper but it will still look like a 2c so I'll learn to live with it when it gets built. As for the Pegasus it measures up quite well to the Windsock drawings, admittedly I only have the 2c book but I believe the fuselages are pretty much the same.

Regards, Steve

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A bit further on. As mentioned the fuselage halves were not in best alignment. The front section was superglued then taped to ensure a good hold before moving on to the rear. Got there in the end and the underside join needed filler although the top join was far better. Upper wing is in three parts and it required holes drilling to insert wire to strengthen the joints. Will use same method for lower wings where I have drilled out the locating holes and will CA wire. The forward holes were wrong and had to be re-drilled 0.125ins or 3.5mm rearwards.

PICT0041-3.jpg

PICT0042-3.jpg

PICT0043-1.jpg

It's just possible to see a bar that is moulded into the port side in the last picture. I'm assuming it's for Lewis drums but the poor gunner will have a canny long reach to get at the farthest one. There's another moulding on the starboard side level with the front of the forward cockpit which looks big enough for a single drum. Has anyone any alternative suggestions?

Regards Steve

Edited by stevehed
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  • 3 weeks later...

Just a quick progress report. Been waiting for replies to a couple of posts regarding the boxes on the sides. Nothing concrete has come to light so I've gone ahead with the painting and assumed the boxes are for ammo drums. Also decided to treat myself to a couple of Windsocks, one of which is the 2e. The guide wires for the lower wings are in situ and are 15 amp fuse wire. Using Humbrol matt 160 brown for PC10 and matt 148 for cdl.

PICT0080-1.jpg

Regards, Steve

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Hello Steve , they are not common but those side boxes were for lewis magazines - normally x4 on the port side and x2 starboard , the gun itself was mounted on a simple pillar or inverted 'L' behind the observer . :popcorn: Looking good mate , keep it up !

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Hello Steve , they are not common but those side boxes were for lewis magazines - normally x4 on the port side and x2 starboard , the gun itself was mounted on a simple pillar or inverted 'L' behind the observer . :popcorn: Looking good mate , keep it up !

Thanks Blimp,

Spot on. Just got my Windsock today and they are for Lewis drums. In the Pegasus case it's 4 x port side and 1 x starboard.

Regards, Steve

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PICT0001-1.jpg

Been involved with some of the fiddly bits. Guide wires located at the tail end for the elevators. Lewis drums were cut from the number tags common on Airfix kits. Pretty sure these came from the Gladiator. The complete pieces are handy as full drums and can make most guns look like a Lewis. In the background is a small grey bit of plastic that I hope will suffice as a camera.

Regards,

Steve

Edited by stevehed
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PICT0015-2.jpg

The camera has been fixed in place. Just a bit of filed sprue, rod for a lens and a bit of scrap for the slide. Pistons in place, bonnet added and lewis drums painted. Added roundels to the upper wing but they're all cracked and split up when applied. These two are the best ones and I've managed to lose part of the left one. Ordered some decal film to try and save the others.

Regards, Steve

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  • 2 weeks later...

Temporarily cameraless but the lower wings are now on. Decal Film worked and the wing roundels placed but managed to screw up one of the fuselage roundels with my big thumb. None of them are perfect but they'll do as weather beaten examples. Rigging holes to drill and struts to cut from Contrail next.

Regards, Steve

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Progress to date. Just a little further advanced as this project seems to be forever waiting. I'm ready to dry run the top wing for position. Just going to upend it and use graph type paper to line things up. I find it helps if the rudder is in place to act as a support. As the transfers, even with MS decal film, are very delicate I'm adding them before the rudder is positioned. So delicate in fact that I daren't place them in one session. One side one day, then varnished, then the other next day etc so that I don't detach them with my sticky fingers. Two windscreens and one rudder later and we should be able to check out the upper wing pretty soon. BTW in between all the waiting I dismantled a Revell Tripehound with intention of seeing if there is a Baby floatplane in it.

Regards. Steve

PICT0027-4.jpg

PICT0029-4.jpg

Edited by stevehed
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PICT0033-2.jpg

Fixed the top wing onto lined paper with pins, spearing thumb in the process. Rudder added to fuselage to keep it levelish while I tried to hit the cabane strut locating holes. Several frustrating dry runs later it was decided that the holes weren't quite right so I resorted to widening them out on one side to create a bit of leeway. Seems to have worked so glue added and left to dry and hopefully it will still look straight in the morning.

Regards, Steve

PS Forgot the windscreens.

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Looks good.

I remember an article somewhere about converting a Airfix Pup in to a Sopwith Baby, so I dare say a Sopwith Tripe would also do the job.

That said, this conversion, based on a Avro 504 looks remarkably convincing Proposition- the cockpit deck area looks a lot closer to the Sopwith Schneider than the Sopwith Pups'.

http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/...t__t_25500.html

Will

Edited by Killingholme
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Despite the thousands built the BE2 aircraft have been much neglected by the mainstream manufacturers. I'm still wary of resin so I thought I'd try the Pegasus as it's the only injection BE2 known to me. I've built the Hanriot HD1 and the Gloster Gauntlet so have mixed feelings about Pegasus to date. First impressions were quite favourable re the detail on the parts but there was some heavy flash, thick gates and seam lines but to be honest it was easily removed. The wings look ok as do the white metal engine and undercarriage but the fuselage halves aren't straight. Hot water and heavy thumb pressure has got them to the stage where superglue should be able to get a good hold. To date, have started on the cockpit assembly, attached locating tabs to the port fuselage half and found a pilot. While I have the utmost admiration for those who super detail the cockpit area I'm afraid it's not for me. I hope to remodel an 0/400 gunner to occupy my front seat.

PICT0039-4.jpg

Regards, Steve

Dear Steve,

With reference to the Sopwith Baby I am planning to build one too and have the article from Airfix mag referred to by killingholme. I was thinking of using a Pup as I think that you will find that the chord of the Tripehound wings are too narrow. Just for reference the chord of the 504 is also too narrow but only by a couple of mm whereas the Pup are dead on: it is the tips that would need some work. It will be a bit of a so-and-so to build as it is very small, but therein lies a challenge! Best of luck and keep up the good work on the BE2e - I think that you are doing a great job in spite of the problems.

By the by have you thought of hand painting the roundels? It sounds difficult but I am having to do the same on an 0/400 because the transfers were unusable (badly printed - offset) and the version I am modelling is different from the kit anyway. Just a suggestion. I think that I described the method in the Vimy article but I can explain it again if necessary.

Stevef

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Thanks Will and Steve,

Plodding on with both projects side by side now. I'll open a new thread for the Baby. Hadn't seen the ATF post before but it gives a clearer look at the processes involved using the 504K as the donor kit. This method was my original intention but the wings on the Tripe had warped so I decided to modify the fuselage and marry it to a pair of spare Airfix Camel wings etc.

Regards, Steve

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I guess there's many ways to skin a cat...

Look forward to seeing the BE2 finished. I have a real hankering for hanging a BE2 from a scratchbuilt balloon for my 'Western front' themed classroom ceiling. Someone will stop me. It could be worse, I've got 1/72 drawings for Zeppelin P class somewhere...

Will

Edited by Killingholme
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I guess there's many ways to skin a cat...

Look forward to seeing the BE2 finished. I have a real hankering for hanging a BE2 from a scratchbuilt balloon for my 'Western front' themed classroom ceiling. Someone will stop me. It could be worse, I've got 1/72 drawings for Zeppelin P class somewhere...

Will

I know how you feel. Ever since the sixties and the Red Baron's Revell D111 flying past a Zeppelin I've wanted a 1/72 Zepp. If only I had the space.

Regards, Steve.

PS Did you get anywhere with the " styrofoam" ?? airship ?

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I know how you feel. Ever since the sixties and the Red Baron's Revell D111 flying past a Zeppelin I've wanted a 1/72 Zepp. If only I had the space.

Regards, Steve.

PS Did you get anywhere with the " styrofoam" ?? airship ?

Hi Steve, I've marked it out on paper. Not that simple a shape actually. I have purchased enough Jablite foam to build 5 models. I really need a hot-knife cutter to move forward on it (and a cheap 1/72 BE2C). Ironically, from a cost point of view it would appear to be easier to use a 1/48 Roden BE2c... Still very much on the cards. Now it's the summer hols I might make some progress.

Damn... found those 1/72 photocopied plans of the Zeppelin in the cupboard. That could throw a cat amongst the pigeons...

Will

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Hi Steve, I've marked it out on paper. Not that simple a shape actually. I have purchased enough Jablite foam to build 5 models. I really need a hot-knife cutter to move forward on it (and a cheap 1/72 BE2C). Ironically, from a cost point of view it would appear to be easier to use a 1/48 Roden BE2c... Still very much on the cards. Now it's the summer hols I might make some progress.

Damn... found those 1/72 photocopied plans of the Zeppelin in the cupboard. That could throw a cat amongst the pigeons...

Will

See you're going to busy this summer. If you decide a change is as good as a rest the Formaplane BE2c is still available from Modellbau etc from Germany. Last time I looked it was E8.95 + pp. Was going to look at the Revell DH2 to make the pusher version myself. Good luck with the Zepp.

BE 2e now has the top wing on.

Regards, Steve

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