Steve's Models

[Buddahaid]

That's a nice model. It really is looking the part.

[Sailor Steve]

Thanks, Scott. My own personal feeling is that the British had some really funky-looking planes in this period.

I've had more than the usual troubles with struts that seemed secure suddenly popping off again. Looking back over this thread I get reminded that I've had this frustration all along, but the last two, both still unfinished, seem to be worse than usual. A friend said maybe I just have a bad batch of superglue. It does happen. I'm hoping to get started again today with a new bottle I just purchased. also I'm trying a different brand.

We'll see how it goes.

[Sailor Steve]

After buying a new bottle of superglue I put off doing anything for another week. I planned to finish the RE.8 and then do some repairs, getting back to the FE.8 sometime in the future. After sitting for a week I was suddenly possessed with the desire to pick up the pusher again. Yesterday I glued the tail back together and then replaced the two missing struts. Today I started rigging again and with any luck it will be done tomorrow.

[Sailor Steve]

For what it's worth, the FE.8 is done. I could be happier, but it will look okay on the game stand, and I'm glad to have it behind me.





You can't really see the logos, but the propeller is by Trepaco

[Sailor Steve]

I've had an interesting few days. I joined the forums at the website for Finescale Modeler magazine, hoping to find some help with my Siemens-Halske counter-rotating engine. I've gotten no real help so far, though several people are interested. What I have found is that I wish I had joined that forum years ago. I've been aware of the magazine since its inception in 1982, and though I've never subscribed I have bought quite a few issues over the years at hobby shops I've frequented.

I'm glad I joined the website when I did, because they conduct what they call "Group Builds". Everybody builds their own models, but to a single theme. One of the current Group Builds is called 'Mustangs'. You can build the plane, the car or the horse, as long as it's some sort of Mustang. Not right now, thanks.

Another, though, is called 'Boeing Build', in honor of the 100th anniversary of William Boeing's first airplane manufactured under the Boeing name. Anything related to Boeing is allowed, including non-airplane subjects with which the company has been involved, and planes they built on license for other manufacturers. One builder is making a super-detailed B-17 in 1/72 scale, and another is building a large 1/32 model of the P-26 "Peashooter". The Boeing Build has been going on since June 15th of last year, and I discovered it just in time, since the anniversary is June 15th of this year, which leaves me about four months to come up with something.

My first thought was that I have an old kit of the Boeing Model 40, which was a cool biplane from 1925 that had four passengers inside a cabin but the pilot was still up behind them in an open cockpit. Then I found that there is a magnificent resin kit that lets you build a complete interior. Then I found a vacuform kit of the Model 80, a biplane trimotor airliner from just a couple of years later. Then I found a resin kit of the Model 200, a "modernized" version of the 40 with passengers inside and the pilot on top, but this time in an all-metal low-wing monoplane, appropriately called the 'Monomail'.

Thinking about all these possibilities kept me going around in circles for a couple of days, until just a few hours ago when it hit me - why not the Boeing Model 1, since the whole thing is in honor of that airplane? So I looked around, and found that no one has ever made a kit. That's okay. It shouldn't be too hard to scratch-build, since it's a typical WW1-era wood and fabric biplane with a mostly square cross-section.

I found a couple of good three-view drawings, and a bunch of photos of the only two that were built. I also found that there's a full-sized flying replica which now resides in Boeing's museum.



I plan to email the museum to see if there are more pictures available, and to ask relevant questions, such as the construction of the seats, whether the interior is wood-lined or just framing and fabric, instrument panel layout, pictures of the engine etc. Tomorrow I plan to dump the plans into PageStream, my favorite desktop publisher, and resize them to the correct scale. After that, we'll see where it goes. I also plan to keep working on my game models.

Oh, one other really awesome thing: The Boeing 40. There is a very long story about a man who managed to find one that was wrecked decades ago and completely restore it to flying condition. These videos made my day. They also made me wish I had gotten involved in something like that when I was young.

[Fish40]

Good luck with the build Steve!

[Sailor Steve]

Back to the RE.8 Port side rigging done.

[MGR1]

Just to give you a bell, Steve, but the new Airfix BE2c is now out in the UK: LINK.

The first colour option is for the aircraft flown by William Leefe Robinson when he shot down the SL11 and the second is an aircraft from RNAS East Fortune in 1916.

The Eindecker is also out: LINK. There's but a single option for this one, an aircraft of FFA 53 from late 1915.

The two are also being released as a dogfight double: LINK.

Different colour options in the twin boxing, the BE2c is from No.13 Squadron in 1916 whilst the E.II is an aircraft from FFA 9b, also from 1916.

I'm not sure how long they'll take to appear in the States, but if you want to try a UK retailer, I'd recommend H.G. Hannants of Lowestoft: LINK. I believe that their overseas shipping's not too bad, but they do give great service, I've used them for a good few years now.

Mike.

[Sailor Steve]

Thanks for the heads-up. I had heard that they had been released there, but not here yet. I tend to avoid Hannants because of their minimum order price before they'll ship overseas, and the two kits together don't quite make that minimum.

Still, I'll keep my eyes open. Thanks again.

[MGR1]

Nae probs, Steve!

Mike.

[Sailor Steve]

Following another nine days' delay, and a month after the project started, the starboard rigging is at least started.

[Sailor Steve]

RE.8 is done.









Propeller by Maple & Co.

[Buddahaid]

The RE8 is great. Nice looking model there.

[Sailor Steve]

Thanks, Scott. The resin kits can be a pain, but ultimately they're worth it.

[Sailor Steve]

I've been gathering supplies and notes for the Boeing. I've ordered photo-etched cockpit details and seat belts. Since this will be a display model it requires extra attention. So far all I've really accomplished is to resize plans to 1/72 and run ideas through my head, and read up on different techniques others have used.



Behind the plans is the architectural ruler I've been using since 1975. One of its six scales is 1/720, or 60 feet to the inch. This translates perfectly to 1/72 as long as you don't mind each scale foot having 10 parts instead of 12 inches. I've ordered a real 1/72 scale ruler with scale inches on one side and metric on the other.

The model itself should be fairly straightforward, being rectangular in cross section, but I see three major hurdles:

1. The cowling had three rows of thirteen louvres on each side. I've been researching methods for making scale louvres. I even bought a set of HO scale locomotive louvres, but even before they arrived I realized they wouldn't work. The louvres on the real plane were slanted! I've been experimenting with cutting my own, with varied results, none of them good enough so far. On my way to game tonight I'll stop at the local hobby shop. I've read that Evergreen Plastics makes quarter-round rods that can be made to work fairly well.



2. The cockpit. There is one photograph of the cockpit, but the angle only allows the steering wheel and instruments to be seen. I emailed the Boeing museum asking if they had information on seat construction and control layout, but haven't heard back yet. On a model like this I really don't want to fake it.

3. The floats. I could spend a fortune buying models of seaplanes in the hope of getting a pair of floats the right size and shape. I think I'm going to end up carving my own. We'll see.