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Early Aviation
Discuss World War I and the early years of aviation thru 1934.
Hosted by Jim Starkweather
Time to start asking my FE.2b questions
wing_nut
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: June 02, 2006
KitMaker: 1,212 posts
AeroScale: 468 posts
Posted: Monday, January 09, 2012 - 10:27 AM UTC
As there will likely be a ton of them.

Has anyone seen the new Windsock file with the build of the WNW FEE in it? Is it worth it? Are the other data files better or should I just get 'em all?

What is the front of the crew area made of? In the picks of the reproduction it is bands of laminated wood. The period pics show dents and buckles that look like thin metal skin. I would have thought there would be cracking if it were wood. Also the way the edge of the gunner area is misshapen, would that happen if it were wood?

The trike landing gear… does the aircraft still sit on the tail skid with the little front wheel off the grounds.

That’s it… for now
JackFlash
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Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Monday, January 09, 2012 - 04:51 PM UTC

Quoted Text

As there will likely be a ton of them.

Has anyone seen the new Windsock file with the build of the WNW FEE in it? Is it worth it? Are the other data files better or should I just get 'em all?


You will find with the newer Specials and newer Datafiles the drawings are much more detailed and crisp.


Quoted Text

What is the front of the crew area made of? In the picks of the reproduction it is bands of laminated wood. The period pics show dents and buckles that look like thin metal skin. I would have thought there would be cracking if it were wood. Also the way the edge of the gunner area is misshapen, would that happen if it were wood?


Laminated layers of lath wood strips (with this aircraft often tulip wood). See the wood grain method thread for some real wood applications. Pfalz used it extensively on the D. fighter fuselages.


Quoted Text

The trike landing gear… does the aircraft still sit on the tail skid with the little front wheel off the grounds.
That’s it… for now


Yes it still drags its tail. The tricycle gear was used to keep it from tipping on its nose during landing on rough ground or if the crew was wounded and the landing was going to be unstable.
Jcoatney
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United States
Joined: March 05, 2010
KitMaker: 28 posts
AeroScale: 28 posts
Posted: Friday, January 13, 2012 - 04:03 AM UTC
There is a really nice set of photos of the Vintage Aviator Fee on Hyperscale (it was posted on 12/20 if that will help you find it).

I've come across one challenging part with the rear cockpit wall insert. See my build log for details.
Jamo_kiwi
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Wellington, New Zealand
Joined: November 04, 2008
KitMaker: 123 posts
AeroScale: 122 posts
Posted: Friday, January 13, 2012 - 08:44 PM UTC

Quoted Text

There is a really nice set of photos of the Vintage Aviator Fee on Hyperscale (it was posted on 12/20 if that will help you find it).


Yes that was me. I have a lot of photos of the TVAL FE2b and its 160 hp Beardmore in my Photobucket album:

http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/af234/Jamo_kiwi/Beardmore%20160hp/

http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/af234/Jamo_kiwi/FE2b/

Some of my photos appear in the instruction booklet but the digital ones are much bigger (esp the hi-res ones, 1-3 mb each).

Remember that the TVAL Fee is not exactly the same as the original Zanzibar/Scotch Express - it has a 160 hp Beardmore engine (not a 120hp) and it has a windscreen for the pilot which the original did not have (at least at the time of it being photographed by the Germans).

Cheers
James
wing_nut
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: June 02, 2006
KitMaker: 1,212 posts
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Posted: Sunday, January 15, 2012 - 02:16 PM UTC
Bookmarked both of those. This may have solved a problem for me. I want to build both the Zanzibar bit also want to have the 160HP for the 4 blade prop. I can just say I built that one After all... it exsists.
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