BE2e Build Log

[David Davis]

On 29^th April 1917 a British and Colonial-built BE2e aircraft, number A2738, was shot down by Baron Manfred von Richtofen, the famous “Red Baron,” who was the most successful fighter pilot of the Great War. I was intrigued to find out that it was piloted by a man called David Davies; which is the same name as mine though the spelling of the surname is different. His observer was George Henry Rathbone, a Canadian. The aircraft fell close to the trenches near Rouex and it was fired upon by the artillery of both sides. Neither of the bodies was ever retrieved and both Davies and Rathbone are commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the Missing of the RFC and RAF.

Call me narcissistic if you like, but I have long wanted to build a replica of Davies’s aircraft. I have owned Roy Scott’s 1/6 scale plan of the BE2e for years and as a result of a small bequest I now find myself in a position to be able to afford the component pack, so herewith my first proper scale build. Both the plan and the component pack are available from Flying Scale Models for £19.50 and £130 respectively.

The BE2e was the final development of the BE2 range of aircraft produced by the Royal Aircraft Factory during and prior to the Great War. It was designed to be very stable and was used for artillery observation and reconnaissance in all theatres of war. Although a sound aircraft in 1914, the BE2 was severely out-classed by German fighter aircraft three years later. It was too slow to be able to run away from an attack, too stable to out-fly an opponent and because the observer sat in the front seat and had a very limited field of fire, it was unable to defend itself adequately. Consequently they were shot down in droves. Baron Manfred von Richtofen for example, shot down seventeen BE2s and three single seat BE12s, which was the same airframe, out of a total score of 80 aircraft destroyed. By April 1917 the BE2s were being replaced by the more effective RE8; he only shot down seven of these!

The first picture shows the component pack box cut by Belair models, who have done a superb job of the laser cutting. The second picture shows the fuselage sides pinned to the building board, carefully “mirror imaged” to prevent producing two right-hand sides, (we’ve all done it!) This will not be a highly detailed build but will I hope be rather more than semi-scale.

[Concorde Speedbird]

Think I'll follow along. Looks interesting, what is powering her?

CS

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Looks a very interesting one David. Any idea how difficult a model BE2 is to fly?

Bookmarked anyway

[Tony Bennett]

aparently they don't glide at all, as there is lots of drag from the rigging.

have to be flown and landed under power at all times.

[David Davis]

CS, it will be powered by either a Laser 70 or 90.

CB, a chap called Clive Moore has built one and posted the details on this site, try putting BE2e into the search box to find it. He has recommended that I move the C of G forward from the position shown on the plan. Roy Scott's original model weighed 9.5 pounds and indeed it's structure is very robust. With all of the rigging, I'm not anticipating it being much of a glider! David Hurrell has built the slightly earlier BE2c to the same scale but his model only weighs 6 lbs. This would probably be a better flier but for sentimental reasons I've opted for my namesake's BE2e. The plan is available from Traplet Publications.

As for not gliding, I found that landing my Puppeteer was difficult because at a critical speed it would stall and above that speed it would climb! I'll have to revive it and practise my landings with it before maidening the BE2e.

Finally on this subject, there was a two seater aircraft widely used by the RFC in 1916 called the FE2b. Apparently, the landing technique was to fly up to the airfield at low altitude and switch the engine off. The drag of the airframe was such that it would soon hit the ground! By 1917 it was obsolete and some of the crews converted onto the Bristol Fighter. This aeroplane used to float on in the landing approach causing considerable consternation and a few accidents until the pilots got used to them!

Edited By David Davis on 12/10/2012 22:00:19

[Garbo]

I have looked at ads for the packs from Flying Scale Models and they always seemed good value. Will be watching with interest .

Do you build on a draughtmans board?

[David Davis]

Hi Garbo

I build on a piece of pinboard glued to a piece of chipboard.

[Edwin van der Maat]

Good evening David,

Very nice subject and it is a biplane too . I will follow your build.

The Puppeteer is not only good to practise take-offs and landings, but as well coordinated turns with rudder. The BE2e will needs this.

Enjoy your new project.

Best regards,

Edwin

[David Davis]

BE2e A2738: A Narcissist’s Build Log. Part 2: Building the Fuselage.

 

I built the fuselage sides over the plan and when the glue was dry I removed them from the building board. The upper longeron is shown in spruce but I also opted to use spruce for the lower longeron as well. The plan isn’t clear which it should be. I also added diagonals which aren’t shown on the plan but they are my way of strengthening the rear fuselage. According to the plan I should have glued four 3/16” strips along the longerons to reinforce the joints between the uprights and cross members but I reinforced the joints with the diagonals and with small triangles of 1/64” ply. I used both modern and traditional methods of ensuring that the fuselage was square. Initially I pinned the longerons down over the plan-view but later I used my SLEC fuselage jig. The fact that the diagonals go in opposite directions is my mistake but ho hum, I’m not going to enter this model in the National Championships and they won’t show once the structure has been covered in dark green Solartex.

 

When it came to fitting the formers to the fuselage sides I came across the first problem. The two main formers, F3 and F5 were cut exactly as per plan at 4” (about 100mm) wide. If you simply butt-joined the formers to the ply doublers on the forward fuselage you would end up with a fuselage which was 5/8” (18mm) too wide! (¼” longeron and 1/16” ply gives 5/16”, double that up and you have 5/8”.) I chose to cut a slot into the plywood and to allow the formers to pass through thereby restoring the 4” width of the model’s fuselage. I also had to alter the slots in the formers. Unfortunately I had already glued the ¼” balsa fuselage sides in place and for some reason, I had chosen to use some sixty year-old poor quality balsa wood which my uncle had given me as the fuselage side sheeting. It didn’t look too good to start with and with all of the drilling, cutting and filing it now looks even worse. However, having once worked as a decorator I can make anything look good given sufficient filler besides I’ve now got four mortice and tenon joints tying the fuselage together! This baby is really strong! Again, fortunately for me the fuselage at these points will be covered with opaque Solartex or lithoplate which will be a first for me.

 

I made a slight mistake in fitting the large former just behind the rear cockpit too low. Consequently I’ve had to enlarge the size of the stringers but again you won’t notice that once the fuselage has been covered. I have now finished the basic structure of the fuselage but I have yet to locate the parts which make up the tailskid platform, if indeed they are part of the kit.

 

As for my namesake, of all of von Richtofen’s victims, he was the most highly educated being the holder of a Masters of Science degree from what was then University College Cardiff. When the Great War broke out he was working as a maths teacher in Grenada in the Caribbean. He resigned his post, returned to the UK and joined the Royal Fusiliers in Cardiff in January 1915, not the Royal Welsh Fusiliers as stated by Franks et al in “Under the Guns of the Red Baron.”

 

Three pictures of the fuselage construction attached.

Edited By David Davis on 26/10/2012 06:59:49

[Edwin van der Maat]

Good evening David,

Looks good.

Edwin