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Royal Aircraft Factory Fe2b in 1/144


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As a way of putting off the uncertain undercarriage, I spent some time buttoning up the nacelle and preparing to take care of the gaps.

My self-imposed rule #1 of 1/144 scale modelling is, Never apply putty Directly from the tube.  It makes a huge spreading mess, dries unevenly and adheres poorly.  Much better results can be had by thinning the putty down to a slurry and applying with a brush.  Here's a shot of the milk-moustache of Tamiya white putty thinned down with lacquer thinners.  Once the surface is fixed up and drilled I can start adding all the stitching and whatnot.

 

ZR84KIK.jpg

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Just found this - wonderful build! You must have excellent eyes! :)

 

Intrigued by your work with the rib tapes on the wings - can you share what primer you used for that effect please?

 

PR

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3 hours ago, Peter Roberts said:

Just found this - wonderful build! You must have excellent eyes! :)

 

Intrigued by your work with the rib tapes on the wings - can you share what primer you used for that effect please?

 

PR

 

Unfortunately I'm short sighted, colour blind and enjoying all the further loss of vision one experiences when turning 50...  :(

 

 

 

This is the primer I would recommend for the ribs.  It is fine grained and holds an edge really well. 

 

snK6Jn7.jpg

 

 

Here's a shot of everything used for doing the ribs.  The retarder is nice but not entirely necessary if you thin the paint right down though.

 

U10jzBs.jpg

 

The one thing I would say was absolutely essential is a good set of digital calipers.  They are a joy to use and will improve your work and quality of life no end.  These days a set of high quality Mitutoyo calipers can be purchased for as little as $10 if you shop around.  Back in the day, my first pair cost almost $400.

 

1qODeDj.jpg

 

To use them, you set the width and can lock them in place via the thumb screw at the top.  If you are measuring a certain width - say 14.97mm, there are four places on the calipers where this measurement is given to you.

Here's the first three:

 

D67MNhT.jpg

 

The main one between the jaws is good for measuring external widths.  The small ones at the top are ideal for internals, and the one on the end is a very effective depth gauge.

 

And the fourth is on the back.  This one is the most useful:

 

ol3aEbh.jpg

 

That one is a beauty and I use it all the time.

I can rest a component on the ledge and mark its surface with a scalpel line or use it to cut tape and other things that have been placed in a straight edge.

For example, when cutting the setout strips for the rib tapes they need to be precisely the same every time.  You can lay the tape on a flat surface with at least one straight edge (old giftcards are great for this) and position the card on the caliper's ledge.

I'd hold the thing in my left hand while doing this, but for the photo I've placed it on the desk.

 

Run the new scalpel blade along to remove and discard the first strip.  Then Zero the calipers and set the required width - .25mm in this case.

 

EwK0yQv.jpg
 

Make a new cut, change the caliper setting to another .25mm smaller, make another cut and repeat etc etc.  You can make strips that are accurate to 0.01mm and have them come out exactly the same every time. 

 

 

CVvuc9C.jpg

 

 

 

Edited by Putty Animal
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On ‎18‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 06:37, TallBlondJohn said:

Anybody know if all digital calipers have that back 'ledge' as part of their design or is it just the Mitutoyo?

 

Thanks

 

Some do and some don't.  The depth gauge is absent on many other types as well, while some are made from plastic.  :o

 

The ledge on the back is also perfect for cutting tube and rod to size.  You just put the piece on there and score the end with a scalpel to snap it off and get the perfect length every time.  The Mitutoyo's are very efficient with battery life too and I've had a set run for years without switching it off.  Whereas some of the cheap sets I've used tend to go flat if accidentally left on for a couple of weeks.

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Okay, I think I've got the main undercarriage sorted now.  :)

 

This is entirely thanks to fellow britmodeller, Admiral Puff who very kindly measured the key struts in the Wingnut Wings kit and passed the dimensions on so I could scale them down accurately.  Thank you again! 

 

The x-shaped set of struts were made from a length of sterling silver wire that was reduced down to .45mm and put through steel rollers until it flattened out at 0.55 x 0.26mm.  These were made in two parts with the area where they intersect notched and filed into a rounded .25mm portion to represent the exposed core of the struts.  The pieces were then scored and bent to the correct angles, with an age of fiddling and test fitting to adjust their lengths.  Once this was done I had to solder them together.  This took several goes at it as the angle to which they join is quite  tricky to set up.  Eventually I was able to do it, though perhaps more by good luck than good planning.

 

The sporty looking forward struts were made too, from a core of .2mm wire with a .3mm tube around the outside that was then flattened to provide the streamlined shape.

 

Here's some shots of the components.  I think I may scrape and sand more of an aerofoil section into the x-shaped struts before final assembly, but I'll need to devise some sort of jig to do so as its a bugger to handle. 

 

k2Gf0qk.jpg

 

 

A couple of strategically placed specks of blu tack helped take these shots, although I notice a couple of pieces drifted slightly out of position.  At least it gives an idea of how the undercarriage will go together. 

 

oZohnV5.jpg

 

 

Next up is smoothing off the outside of the nacelle prior to detailing.  You can see below how rough it looks at the moment.  Some 4000 grit should hopefully sort it out though.

 

 

xCVjXko.jpg

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1 hour ago, Procopius said:

I'm agog at what you're accomplishing here. Agog, sir. AGOG.

Looking at the amazing work on show here I am sure we are all gogs!

 

AW

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The early undercarriage on the FE is a b.......r to get right even in 1/72 scale, (I know because I have made one with the nosewheel), but to make one in the micro-scale is a truly major achievement. This is a miniature work of art in the making. 

 

Yours truly agog or even magagog!

 

P

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I've just found this on a quiet Sunday browse through BM threads.

Like others here I'm completely amazed at both the quality of your work, plus the ingenuity and thoughtfulness of your construction methods.

So much here to learn...

 

You are, of course, completely bonkers

 

SD

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Kind words indeed!  Hopefully I don't stuff it up.  :lol:

 

I had a moment of clarity and figured out how to hang onto the star strut while I tweaked the aerofoil section of each piece.  I put a tiny smear of superglue on the end of a piece of styrene and fixed the strut to it.  This gave me a solid handle to use as I filed the piece to shape.  Mind you, I had to repeat the process for all eight faces of the struts...  :unsure:

 

dn6SYXu.jpg

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