Common parts in British WW1 planes

[wombat]

Is there a source showing the common parts shared between types, which would help with kitbashing? By which I mean I gather BE2 wings are the same as FE2 wings (with an extra centre section), some common parts between BE2 and RE8, and so on?

[melvyn hiscock]

I doubt there is a common source as there was some interplay, especially at Farnborough, but you get the problem of, for example, which BE2 wing, as there (from memory) 6 different wings. 

 

There is a catalogue of standard small fittings, which in useless for what you are talking about but invaluable when you are modelling in 12 in to the foot scale. 

 

I’d suggest buying up as many Datafiles as you can as the information ‘might’ be in the text but they do have good scale drawings that you can compare 

[Paul Thompson]

As a rule of thumb, there was a practice of some Royal Aircraft Factory types re-using components from earlier types, most often the wings, but as Melvyn said it can get complicated. I'm not aware of any printed or Internet source that lays it all out, so lacking that I'd indeed go the Windsock Datafile route, most of which can still be ordered from the Albatros Pubs website. When it comes to smaller things like wheels, engines, bomb carriers, and weapons, then you do have standard types. Once again though, you need to have a working knowlege of what was useually fitted to what before you can swap kit components with impunity. And that takes you back again to Datafiles. There is a lot you can glean for free from Internet copies of photos, but the Datafiles usually have rarer and more detailed shots, plus the plans. Some of the latter suffer slightly in the printing, having been redimensioned slightly so they're too large or small (the Early Fokker types are particularly bad, the D.I-III being far too small IIRC), but in most cases it isn't too dramatic and they serve well enough for comparing the major components of related types.

 

Paul.

[wmcgill]

As mentioned there were many shared fittings, wheels, seats etc that aircraft manufacturers could order from catalogues that simplified design and production. There was also much standardised military equipment such as bomb carriers, gun mounts and flares etc that varied over time.

 

Some Royal Aircraft Factory aircraft did share large component designs with one another but they were usually all subtly different (brackets, fittings and details etc). F.E.2.B/D wings were B.E.2.C/D top wing planes. The R.E.8 basically used the B.E.2.E/F/G tailplane and top & (modified) bottom wing planes. The fuselage of the B.E.2.C was basically used for the B.E.2.D, E, F and G but had an extra petrol tank between the pilot & observer and many other smaller detail differences. The various B.E.12 types used B.E.2.C/D and B.E.2.E/F/G wings and tailplane. Royal Aircraft Factory component drawings frequently mention their suitability for other aircraft types. 

 

Similarly there are also some common wing, tailplane and rear fuselage parts shared between the D.H.4 and D.H.9. The D.H.9A had bigger wings but shared the same tailplane and rear fuselage. All with various small, and not so small, detail differences.

 

But, there is no one list of shared components that I am aware of. And any list, should it exist, would only be a rough guide because small, aircraft type specific, detail differences abound.

Edited February 17, 2020 by wmcgill

[alancmlaird]

If your aim is scratch-building using other kits bit's n pieces, there is one bit of info that has been useful to me for 50 years: There seems to be a ubiquitous 5' 6'' chord common to almost all British 2-seaters....DH4, BE2c, RE8, Bristol Fighter, AW FK3 and many more! Get yourself copies of Harleyford's WW1 books, turn to the appedices giving dimensions and let your imagination run riot!

[dov]

Hallo

 

Yes, there are common parts. A lot of them. Not easily to trace present day.

The history was: Production numbers, and especially the workshops in France. To overhaul a/c in great numbers and different types.

Analogy: WW2 Dowty Equipment was standardizing the often used parts.

Best source is:

 

RAF Journals

 

And Cross & Cocade

 

Happy modelling