RichieW Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Hi everybody, After recently completing my first ever scratch build I am jumping back into the deep end. The BE2c has long been a favourite of mine but has never been available as a 1/32 kit so the only option is to get stuck in and have a go at scratch building one. The version I want to model has a Royal Aircraft Factory 1a engine which is not available as an after market kit so that is where I shall start. The engine looks quite complicated so let's just see how far this goes, if nothing else the modelling Gods might take pity and give us a kit. Here is a picture from the front; Royal Aircraft Factory 1a V8 engine by Richard Williams, on Flickr Scary stuff! The crank case at least is just a box and the massive fly wheel is just a circle at the back. A few bits and bobs stuck together gives me this; RAF 1A V8 engine by Richard Williams, on Flickr The mounting beams are left long for ease of handling and will be cut down once the frame is together. RAF 1A V8 engine by Richard Williams, on Flickr Not he most impressive work for sure but it's a start! I don't know the name for the tear drop shaped housing that the prop shaft goes into, whatever it is called I made with laminated 2mm styrene sheet cut and filed into shape. Handily this gave me a centre line for adding the bolt fixing channels. The bolts (correct number of!) were added by using a similar method to my riveting method. 2mm lengths of 0.5mm brass tube were cut and using a paintbrush were applied with Future floor wax. Nice and easy because it can be rolled into position. 20210811_224652 by Richard Williams, on Flickr Once dried super thin super glue is applied to each one and zapped with Zip Kicker. Hopefully this gives the look of them being part of the casting rather than separate parts stuck on. A quick lick of paint to see how it looks reveals a few blobs of CA glue that need to go but I quite like the overall look. 20210811_231525 by Richard Williams, on Flickr Cooling fins were added to by cutting tiny pieces of styrene. Gel super glue was added to the engine part and using tweezers the fins were added. Great care needed to be taken to hole the fins so the tweezers didn't touch the glue, not 100% successful but at least nothing pinged across the room. 20210812_193956 by Richard Williams, on Flickr Again, super thin super glue was run down each fin in the hope of making them look like part of a 1 piece casting. The main parts are just tacked together with a tiny blob of glue for ease of handling but it is beginning to look like an engine! I won't have any time for a few days so here it will stay for now. Thanks for watching, all comments, criticisms and advice gratefully received. Have a great weekend. Richie 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Great project idea! I’m learning some new things already! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 12, 2021 Author Share Posted August 12, 2021 15 minutes ago, billn53 said: Great project idea! I’m learning some new things already! Thanks Billn53 , it's been great fun so far but there are many horrifying stages to get through before I even have an engine. I'll just keep plugging away and enjoying a sip of rum to keep the morale up. Richie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 2 minutes ago, RichieW said: Thanks Billn53 , it's been great fun so far but there are many horrifying stages to get through before I even have an engine. I'll just keep plugging away and enjoying a sip of rum to keep the morale up. Richie It’s been decades since I last tried scratchbuilding anything substantial, so you’re way ahead of me. - Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Excellent Richie; now you’ve started one Copper State Models will knock one out!? 😂 Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maginot Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Not only a scratch build RAF1a engine, but one built with rum! Good start. Following this build with interest. Thanks for posting. Cheers! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 12, 2021 Author Share Posted August 12, 2021 43 minutes ago, mick b said: Excellent Richie; now you’ve started one Copper State Models will knock one out!? 😂 Mike Sshhhh! Don't jinx my cunning plan! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 12, 2021 Author Share Posted August 12, 2021 3 minutes ago, Maginot said: Not only a scratch build RAF1a engine, but one built with rum! Good start. Following this build with interest. Thanks for posting. Cheers! Thanks for dropping by, I hope I don't disappoint! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 Hi Richie Sorry I'm late, I am definitely in love the BE2c . Great start this is inspiring stuff so far liking the approach to the engine. Great work fella Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theskits62 Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 Looks good so far. Always amazed me the WnW didn't do one of these or a 504 - instead we got a Gotha G.1 !!! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 13, 2021 Author Share Posted August 13, 2021 2 hours ago, bigbadbadge said: Hi Richie Sorry I'm late, I am definitely in love the BE2c . Great start this is inspiring stuff so far liking the approach to the engine. Great work fella Chris Cheers Chris, long way to go yet but the most difficult bit is the engine. If I can get that done it should be plain sailing from there. 1 hour ago, theskits62 said: Looks good so far. Always amazed me the WnW didn't do one of these or a 504 - instead we got a Gotha G.1 !!! Haha, yes why on earth the butt ugly Gotha or Felixstowe? Those were just crazy! Richie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 Oh wow, I loved watching you build the Bristol Scout. This build is already inspiring. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 A Great Start! 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 16, 2021 Author Share Posted August 16, 2021 Hi folks, time has been in short supply recently so little has been done. The engine breather pipes emerge from the rank case at an angle from tubes that are part of the casting so a styrene ramp was added at the front and brass tubing added and then blended in with Mr. Dissolved Putty. 1mm brass tube was then annealed and bent to shape after first threading wire down the centre to avoid kinking and splitting. A coat of Mr. Metal Primer and copper paint later they were just pushed into place after a coat of Tamiya lacquer flat aluminium was applied to the crank case. A few nuts and bolts were added and painted and that's all I had time for. 20210816_215217 by Richard Williams, on Flickr The cylinders are incredibly complicated and have given me a bit of a beating but a rescue mission is underway... Thanks for reading Richie 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 It looks like an engine. Smells like an engine. Nice work on the engine so far. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5054nz Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 I saw the build pics on Flickr and was wondering what it was intended for, how exciting! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 17, 2021 Author Share Posted August 17, 2021 4 hours ago, k5054nz said: I saw the build pics on Flickr and was wondering what it was intended for, how exciting! Thanks but I have a feeling this will happen far too slowly to be very exciting! 😂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 Great job the front area of the engine looks lovely Richie, looking forward to seeing this develope. I am sure you will have the Cylinders linked in no time fella. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Putty Animal Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 Hi Richie, good luck to you with this one. After seeing your excellent Bristol Scout it is going to be a real pleasure to follow this one too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 17, 2021 Author Share Posted August 17, 2021 33 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said: Great job the front area of the engine looks lovely Richie, looking forward to seeing this develope. I am sure you will have the Cylinders linked in no time fella. Chris Cheers Chris, the cylinders are going to have to be a bit of a cheat, hopefully they will be there in a few days. 30 minutes ago, Putty Animal said: Hi Richie, good luck to you with this one. After seeing your excellent Bristol Scout it is going to be a real pleasure to follow this one too. Thanks PA, we're working at opposite ends of the scale spectrum but you still manage to include all the details! This already has the feeling of a very long, slow build about it. So many complicated parts, so little time! Richie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 20, 2021 Author Share Posted August 20, 2021 It's been a busy couple of days, whilst waiting for the arrival of the 7th cavalry to save me from the horrors of making 8 identical cylinders I thought I would make a start on the fuselage frame. The bottom of the fuselage is skinned with plywood on the real aircraft so I could use 0.5mm styrene to give a bit more rigidity, the top deck is made the same way. I cut the shapes out, tacked them together and filed the outline so they were identical. After separating the frame was added. I found it helpful to use an old tablet as a lightbox, with the brightness on full the drawing shows through the styrene. BE2c fuselage frame start by Richard Williams, on Flickr These were then joined together, I used a pair of engineers squares to help keep things in line. 2021-08-20_01-15-50 by Richard Williams, on Flickr Stringers were added from 0.5mm styrene strip, these are pretty flimsy so I will need to be very careful when it comes to adding the turtle deck, this is a long way down the line so I will worry about that when the time comes. I am pleased with how this is going, the Bristol Scout frame took so many attempts before I had something useable. 20210820_153408 by Richard Williams, on Flickr Just as I was gluing the last stringer a knock on the door signalled the arrival of the rescue party 20210820_154139 by Richard Williams, on Flickr This is a Wingnut Wings RAF 4a engine sprue a modelling friend very kindly donated to me, the modelling community is a great place to be! This engine used the same cylinders as the 1a engine and the kit comes complete with all the fiddly little rockers, valves and other such minute details. So the next step is to finish the engine and the front of the framework so I can see how I can mount it securely. Have a great weekend everybody, thanks for reading Richie 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Great update Richie, I like the idea of the tablet as a light box, the rear fuselage looks absolutely Ace fella and the engine bits a right bonus. This is progressing very well indeed. Cracking work. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 15 hours ago, bigbadbadge said: Great update Richie, I like the idea of the tablet as a light box, the rear fuselage looks absolutely Ace fella and the engine bits a right bonus. This is progressing very well indeed. Cracking work. Chris Cheers Chris, strictly speaking using kit engine parts is cheating to a certain extent but the frustration of trying to make the cylinders was killing me! Richie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_t Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 Just stumbled across this, and for a change I'm not that late! For what it's worth, I think you're still within the spirit of scratch building - the bits you were given aren't a significant proportion of the end product, and in any case who cares this is good work! Following with interest! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 13 minutes ago, clive_t said: Just stumbled across this, and for a change I'm not that late! For what it's worth, I think you're still within the spirit of scratch building - the bits you were given aren't a significant proportion of the end product, and in any case who cares this is good work! Following with interest! Thanks Clive, I've been scratching my chin and wondering if I had strayed from the scratchbuild path. I was hoping to do a Fozzy style total scratch build but it's beyond me at the moment. As you say, "who cares?" 😃 Richie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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