Burgess-Dunne Floatplane

[Ray S]

Hello everyone!

 

I have just finished having great fun over in the Group Build section of our lovely BM, where there are many gallant folks building a selection of aircraft that float and fly, seaplanes, flying boats, float planes Eraknoplans etc, and this is one what I did (sic)! The build log is here

 

 

The kit was a basic Scaleplanes 1/72 Vacform that I picked up for £3 at my local model show a few years ago, Moulding were pretty crisp and fitted well, especially the top and lower halves of the main float - in fact I have had injection moulded parts that failed to click together better than these two bits! I added some detail in the cockpit, but as usual it is almost impossible to see. I had better luck with the engine - that was an interesting looking blob on the sheet, so I wondered whether to but a Small Stuff resin engine or scratch one, I did the latter in the end. In fact the engine ended up with something like 30 bits of plastic and copper wire, but was well worth doing, and added to my scratch build armoury. I also built the fuel tank, this time the kit parts were good, but I just felt like doing my own. I wrapped Aizu tape round for the strengthening straps and coated them in thin CA to seal them. Rigging was a mix of EZ-Line and a couple of types of speaker cable core pulled taut between two pairs of tweezers to get the wire straight. I tried to accent the rib tapes on the wings despite only using a paint brush for the colour scheme, and I think there is still practice required.

 

Anyway, here it is, but please accept my apologies for the tattieness of the rigging exit points on the wings - this model was really fragile, and I was rather scared of holding it too hard when trying to clean them up as the struts were just butt-joined to the wings!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking, all the best,

 

Ray

Edited December 22, 2017 by Ray S
Tidy up the post

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

That is fabulous!  I shall promptly go to the WIP to learn a bit more about it.  Swept-wing seaplane biplanes are not exactly two-a-penny!

[Meatbox8]

That's a real beauty and a great representation from this somewhat neglected era in aviation history. 

 

Originally supported by the War Office at Farnborough the designer, Lieutenant John Dunne, eventually went in to partnership with the the Marquis of Tullibardine to form the Blair Atholl Aeroplane Syndicate to develop and market the type.  Apparently this was a very stable design and the earlier Dunne D.8 had its stability ably demonstrated at Villacoublay by its pilot, one Commandant Felix of the French Army, when he left the pilots position and climbed out on to the wing, allowing the aircraft to fly itself.

 

America manufacturer W. Starling Burgess obtained a licence to build the type and it was he who developed the seaplane version, known in the US Navy as the AH.7.  The type is particularly important in Canadian history as it was the first military aeroplane to enter service in Canada, being delivered in 1914.  I's not quite clear why the type was not picked up by the War Office and the company and its designer faded in to obscurity, although Dunne continued to work as a consultant for the War Office for some years.

 

Anyway, a fantastic model.  I wish I had a fraction of the skills on display here.

[Reini78]

that is great, love it

[Martin Ford]

Wow, that's fantastic. I love seeing wonderful builds of planes I don't know. 

What a unique look. I love your woodwork/paintwork, very, very good.

All the best, Martin

[RidgeRunner]

Very, very..... very nice!

 

Martin

 

[keefr22]

Simply incredible!! Absolutely brilliant modelling!

 

Keith

[Kuro Nezumi]

Very sweet floatplane! Well done!

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Extremely different but very good looking build 👍

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

Vacform,bi-plane and miles of rigging..you're mad!

However I'm glad of that as I had never heard of this machine and your model is lovely.

Thanks for posting

[gingerbob]

Oh my gosh, you actually did it!  Congratulations, and it looks very nice.

 

bob

[Spitfire31]

Pure poetry in modelling!

 

And it really looks as if a good sneeze would reduce it to its individual parts. Awesome work.

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

[Smithy]

Just stunning. There's no other word for it. And you absolutely nailed the rigging, not a line out of kilter which is never easy on multi-bay ones.

 

My hat is well and truly off 

Edited December 23, 2017 by Smithy

[invidia]

WOW  stunning, and in 1/72.  You have done a great job and the rigging is spot on.

[Ray S]

Hello all! Thanks for the responses to this! I thoroughly enjoyed building it, but my next project may be simpler. You know, something like the Aeroclub Felixstowe flying boat or something!

 

Have a great Christmas, 

 

Ray.

 

PS: I must stop using exclamation marks!!!

[ModellerUK]

Fantastic work, looks like a lot of hard work but sometimes it’s nice to go ‘back to basics’ when modelling especially aircraft vehicles, back to era that started it all 

[Buzby061]

Gob smackingly gorgeous.

 

And in 1/72 scale as well.

 

Pete

[stevej60]

That's a stunning piece of engineering Ray,superb!

[martslay]

Superb

[JWM]

If one think that first swep-wing machine was Me 262... Congrats for result and thanks for recalling the prompt answer about the swept wing...

Cheers

J-W

 

[andy wood]

Hey, that's great to see. Hope to see it (and you) in the flesh soon.

Merry Christmas Mate! 

[Brandy]

Lovely job Ray.

A relatively unknown aircraft, vacform, lots of rigging....what's not to love?

 

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

 

Ian

(with plenty of exclamation marks!)

 

 

[Dave Lennox]

On 22/12/2017 at 06:33, Meatbox8 said:

That's a real beauty and a great representation from this somewhat neglected era in aviation history. 

 

Originally supported by the War Office at Farnborough the designer, Lieutenant John Dunne, eventually went in to partnership with the the Marquis of Tullibardine to form the Blair Atholl Aeroplane Syndicate to develop and market the type.  Apparently this was a very stable design and the earlier Dunne D.8 had its stability ably demonstrated at Villacoublay by its pilot, one Commandant Felix of the French Army, when he left the pilots position and climbed out on to the wing, allowing the aircraft to fly itself.

 

America manufacturer W. Starling Burgess obtained a licence to build the type and it was he who developed the seaplane version, known in the US Navy as the AH.7.  The type is particularly important in Canadian history as it was the first military aeroplane to enter service in Canada, being delivered in 1914.  I's not quite clear why the type was not picked up by the War Office and the company and its designer faded in to obscurity, although Dunne continued to work as a consultant for the War Office for some years.

 

Anyway, a fantastic model.  I wish I had a fraction of the skills on display here.

As I understand, Sir Sam Hughes the mercurial coordinator of the Canadian expeditionary force in 1914 sent  Lieutenant Janney south of the border with a fistful of money with instructions to come back with an aircraft suitable for military operations. Due to mechanical difficulties, Janney just managed to meet the ship carrying the expeditionary force in the St. Lawrence river and the aircraft was hoisted aboard. Apparently  that was the last time it flew as it spent the sea voyage as deck cargo which surely was not conducive to further serviceability. It was unceremonially dumped on Salisberry (spelling?) plain and left to rot. Canadian military aircraft aquisition procedures have not improved much since then! 

Edited July 30, 2020 by Dave Lennox

[Meatbox8]

On 7/30/2020 at 5:33 PM, Dave Lennox said:

As I understand, Sir Sam Hughes the mercurial coordinator of the Canadian expeditionary force in 1914 sent  Lieutenant Janney south of the border with a fistful of money with instructions to come back with an aircraft suitable for military operations. Due to mechanical difficulties, Janney just managed to meet the ship carrying the expeditionary force in the St. Lawrence river and the aircraft was hoisted aboard. Apparently  that was the last time it flew as it spent the sea voyage as deck cargo which surely was not conducive to further serviceability. It was unceremonially dumped on Salisberry (spelling?) plain and left to rot. Canadian military aircraft aquisition procedures have not improved much since then! 

Thanks for the info. Very intersting.  A shame the type never really got the chance to prove itself.  It's Salisbury, btw. 👍

[Wulfman]

An extraordinary build, truly heroic , marvellous modelling !

 

Wulfman