I have been asked what scheme I will go with. I pondered each for their unique history and color markings. I decided to go with Bristol F.2B, D-8063 from 139 Sqn, RAF Italian front, summer 1918. Along with its regular service this machine was used when Major W.G. Barker took HRH the Prince of Wales on a familiarization flight. I liked the four bladed propeller configuration. I will be using the kit propeller.

G'day Stephen - thanks for inviting me to contribute to this thread

My build of the Roden F2b (Arab) has been stalled for a while, patiently awaiting the day I have the courage to continue with it!!

That said, I have tackled the engine compartment. Roden provide you with the basics for quite a nice engine compartment, however there are still a number of notable omissions, namely there is no real detail on the back side of the radiator and no detail to speak of on the firewall. I must admit that most of my additions were creative "gizmology" as I had no real references of the installed engine to go with... most of the additions were gleaned from the spares box or scratch built.









I have also decided to have the fuselage "naked" - ie I am building the kit with the "fabric removed". All I really have done so far is the frame.




The project has stalled as I am still planning exactly how I am going to finish it, plus other projects got in the way etc etc... still, I will try and get the thing finished some time in the next year!!

BC

Brad, your gizmology is very convincing.

Isn't it just amazing. The paint job is what does it for me. I think Brad needs to do a step by step painting tute to tell us all how we can get as realistic results as he does.
And the fuselage framing... well, what can I say? This build promises to be an absolute show stopper. If i didn't understand completely why Brad feels the need to have a break from this with an OOB build or two, I would be very dissapointed that he isn't still hunched over the bench with optivisor firmly clamped to his forhead.

Brad, you are seriously an inspiration.

Cheers,

Hugh

I just wish my stalled projects looked as good!

The pilot's left side of the airframe.



Bristol F.2B, D-8063 from 139 Sqn, RAF Italian front, summer 1918. Along with its regular service this machine was used when Major W.G. Barker took HRH the Prince of Wales on a familiarization flight.

The pilot's right side of the ship.

Here are some close ups of the gun pit.

Stephen, congratulations!
That looks sensational.
A big Well done.

Cheers,

Hugh

Looks awesome as usual Stephen... where do you find the time to build so many kits??!

Thanks Hugh & Brad! Two top notch blokes like yourselves chatting me up, Cooo I am on top of the world! Really gents thanks! Where do I find the time. . . .? Oh yes you don't know about my evil twin, Eyegor. Good fellow but a horse clouted his noggin when he was in shortpants and he has a single minded attitude about building. I pick up when he nods off.

Hey Stephen, can I hire Eyegor when you are not requiring his services? I think he could give me a tip or two!!

On a side note, your fantastic build has spurred me on to dig out the Bristol again and start doing some more work - I picked up both volumes of the Datafile special on the F2b over the weekend and it was full of goodies and structural diagrams - which was great, until I discovered that the plans I HAD been using for the fuselage framing was particularly bad dimension wise.... darn. I was wonderring why the vertical fin didn't line with the stringers... Some rather extensive re-work has fixed that problem... I have been eyeing off the structural drawings for the flying surfaces and having some ideas too.... Am I brave enough??

BC

Oh yes, you are Brad. If anyone can do it, you can.
I am going to take a punt here and guess that if you were not originally using the Datafile drawings then you were using the William Wylam drawings. Woops.
Nevertheless, as I have had simmilar issues with my BE2c, I understand fully.
I await most eagerly and undate on your Brisfit... Most eagerly indeed. My Brad Cancian folder needs filling up.

Cheers,

Hugh

G'day Hugh - I just cheked and they were indeed the William Wylam drawings... d'oh! I'd recognised the errors at the front end of the aircraft in his drawings but not the back end... It's a shame as the drawings were so nicely done. I guess it's a word of warning to others planning on using the drawings!

Yes, I am kicking myself, but I've dug the heels in and basically rebuilt the rear fuselage... sigh... but at least everything at the back end of the aircraft seems to line up now!

BC

G'day back Brad.

I know the feeling.
And you try to put off doing the rebuild because the anticipation of it is just sooo damned unnatractive. And then you decide to buckle down, it takes you half the time that the original did and you are infinitely more pleased with the result.

Photos please!

Re Wylam drawings. Some of them are not too bad, if you can get over the fact that they guy couldn't recognise a Datum if it bit him on the fundament. His dimensions are, to be kind, free with the facts.

Cheers,

Hugh

Stephen (and Brad, too!), just amazing work! I don't know what else to say! The level of expertise is off the chart!

If you'll excuse me now, I'm going to burn my model collection, and the unbuilt kits, too!

Regards-
Mark

Many thanks for the kind words.

For those interested I put the long version up on my website in both Download and CD version.

Speaking of Bristol F.2b types. Here is a Part of Poland set with some Roden parts. Will be doing more to put in a diorama. Rememer the propellers from the thread "One good turn deserves. . ." The laminations go to opposing sides because one is a left hand and one is a right hand.

The good folks at Roden have put up some of this thread's build images. See them at;
http://www.roden.eu/Gallery/425/425.htm

Hi
here my Bristol, more than halfway thrue the build. The build itself is for another modellingsite on the net, so you have to wait some more before I sending up pics,
it´s Eduards Crocodile in 48 scale OOB.







Larsa Q

Larsa, Nicely Done!

Just finished repairing some broken liks to this thread. Most images are also now upto the 800 wide or 600 tall specs.

Stephen. As far as I'm concerned you can quote Shelley's Ozymandias with a straight face.


If there is ever built a telescope so powerful as to see beyond time itself. Past the veil of creation and into the instant before the big bang. It would see nothing to impress me more than this Bristol.

Gadzooks and hot marimba! You should read my poem on the Battle Axe 1:32 Fokker D.VII. But I'll give Ozymandias a try. My version is called "My name is stubby"




Model on!