Micro Aces Bristol F.2b

[Ron Gray]

In 2016, at the Cosford show, I visited the tent where Micro Aces were displaying their range of WW1 indoor models. In my club we have a fair selection of the usual WW1 indoor suspects, DR1, Albatross, SE5a, Spad, Neiuport etc so their prototype of the Brisfit caught my eye as it was different. Back home I placed my pre-order for the kit, thinking that I would get it by September (this was June). Roll the clock on and eventually I got my kit in February this year so it was put away as most of our indoor season had been and gone.

Today I decided to get it out and make a start on it, bearing in mind that the 2017-2018 indoor season is just round the corner!

The starting point

You may have noticed that the instructions are a BETA version (wasn't told that)!

The bits

[Ron Gray]

 

The fuse crutch

 

Applying stickers to the cockpit formers before fitting. The bits are so small it would be very difficult to fit them after fixing the formers, in fact every part is so small tweezers come in very handy!

 

Formers fitted to the crutch, Uhu Por used throughout.

Fuse sheeting fitted to sides, top and bottom. The Uhu Por was used as a contact adhesive to make this easier. Made a mistake here, I didn't bevel the edges of the sides (it does say so in the destructions, I just forgot!)

To get the depron to curve you have to score the reverse of the sheet using the back of the knife.

Nice curve

 

Edited By Ron Gray on 21/10/2017 21:11:47

[Ron Gray]

Curved pieces fitted to fuse

Starting on the tail feathers, the elevator has to have a thin (1.0mm x 0.4mm) carbon rod stuck to it

Control horns blast they are small

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

Watching with interest Ron....I like the BrisFit...

Clearly a range of tweezers is essential for this one....

[Geoff S]

There's no way my hands are steady enough to build a model this small but it looks an interesting build. The village hall we rent for winter indoor flying is a bit small, too. I notice the video of the SE5a models flying on the Micro Aces web site is a hall that accommodates 4 badminton courts and is also very high.

I remember watching my grandfather repair watches at his bench when he must have been in his 80s ( I would have been under 5). He always clipped his apron to the bench to catch anything he dropped from his tweezers. I keep thinking I should do the same.

Geoff

[Don Fry]

Geoff, if yer gut is big enough, it does the job.

But keep going, I am fascinated by these things. Going to spend some money.

[Tim Hooper]

I've just completed the SE5a from the same range. A bit fiddly, it's true, but it does look gorgeous. Just waiting the wind to drop a bit.....

Tim

[Geoff S]

I have an Eachine SE5a about the same size but wood. It's the second one, as I made such a hash of the first thus demonstrating my clumsiness Still, they're only about £15 IIRC from Banggood and (hopefully) my experience with the first will help with the second.

The big advantage with the Micro Aces models is that they're ready finished. The Eachine ones are bare wood.

Tim, the wind would have to drop to zero to fly one of these tiny models outside or you risk having a blow-away as I did at Ashbourne The Bristol looks like it'll be a stunning little model though and I'm watching with interest.

Geoff

[Andrew767]

This is fantastic,but what rx does it use please?

Andrew

[Geoff S]

I'm using a Flysky compatible receiver which has a brushed esc and 2 servos incorporated on the board which measures about 28mm x 22mm and weighs about 5gms. I got from Banggood and it cost around £10 or perhaps a bit less. It takes a single cell LiPo.

It binds OK with a Flysky module plugged into the back of my Taranis. The module is the same one I use to fly my V911 helicopter.

The main problem is fixing it firmly as it needs to be because of the servos. I haven't solved that yet.

Geoff

[Ron Gray]

Elevator hinged and operational

Rudder next

Now onto the U/C

The 2 carbon rods in the photo above are for the lower wing support.

All made from plastic sheet, in some cases folded over and stuck together. Main legs have short lengths of carbon rod stuck inside the 2 pieces.

UHU Por applied ready to fit to underside of fuse.

All stuck on. The is a coloured sticker to apply to the underside of the U/C to cover the white Depron (go back to the start of the U/C photos and you will see what I mean). The destructions say to use soapy water or 'tongue water' to allow it to be positioned as there is very little room for manoeuvring, must admit that I've never used 'tongue water' before but it does work and meant that I didn't have to get out of my seat to do it!

Edited By Ron Gray on 23/10/2017 13:55:11

[Ron Gray]

Next up, the rear gunners equipment (so to speak!). Now I thought this build had been fiddly, but this next bit of work really tested the eyesight, dexterity and patience!

Scarff ring gun support arm

Both mounted to the scarf ring which has been formed out of a Depron ring with stickers on top, round the outside and later will have same applied to the inside!

Twin Vickers formed out of folded plastic, plastic tube and stickers. 8 pieces in all make up the guns.

Vickers mounted to the scarf ring arms. Note the ammo drums, each made from 2 pieces of Depron, a sticker on top and one round the outside. Boy were my eyes straining at this point.

And finally, mounted to the fuse and that was me done for the night (last night).

[Ron Gray]

Reality check. Size check against a tube of UHU Por.

So, yes, tweezers are an essential part of the build! Here are the ones that I use.

Edited By Ron Gray on 23/10/2017 14:12:25

Edited By Ron Gray on 23/10/2017 14:13:24

[Geoff S]

That looks really tiny as well as beautiful.

I find I have a head magnifier permanently attached when I'm building despite having my workshop safety glasses which are set to focus closer than my usual reading lens. Might be worth trying if you're having to strain to see small parts.

Geoff

[Ron Gray]

I can see them Geoff but usually have a problem finding out where they go!

[Daithi O Buitigh]

Them Vickerses are Lewises

[Ron Gray]

You are, of course, correct! The forward facing one was a Vickers.

[John Keywood]

Good work. Watching with interest.

[Ron Gray]

Work has restarted on the Brisfit, photos to follow later today!

[Ron Gray]

Now, where was I?

Lower wing assembly

I’d forgotten just how fiddly this build was / is. Nice little touches with the kit, they supply cover stickers to go over the cf wing spars.

Now onto to the engine cowl

All wrapped up in its own sticker (sorry for the orientation of the pics, no matter which way round they are on my computer, the upload rotated them as it saw fit)

Magnets hold it in place

Scored Depron and sticker ‘hood’ stuck to rad.

Exhaust stack and header. 2 bits of Depron plus stickers

Quite effective

[Ron Gray]

Now, where was I?

Lower wing assembly

I’d forgotten just how fiddly this build was / is. Nice little touches with the kit, they supply cover stickers to go over the cf wing spars.

Now onto to the engine cowl

All wrapped up in its own sticker (sorry for the orientation of the pics, no matter which way round they are on my computer, the upload rotated them as it saw fit)

Magnets hold it in place

Scored Depron and sticker ‘hood’ stuck to rad.

Exhaust stack and header. 2 bits of Depron plus stickers

Quite effective

[Ron Gray]

Interplane struts made from printed plastic with cf strengthening

And yet more fiddly cover pieces

Tweezers required!

Temporarily positioned on lower wing. Destructions quite clear about not sticking them in place yet!

Before going further I decided to drill out all of the rigging holes, thank goodness for my pin chuck and mini drill set.

Now we come to the upper wing assembly. The centre section has to have its edges chamfered so I ‘borrowed’ one of the wife’s unused nail files for this task and what an excellent job it did of it too. Methinks I’ll be keeping this in my tool box.

Facing the ribs with coloured sticker.

And over to cover the Depron.

Stuck onto the wing in the designated place using Uhu Por

Wing glued together and placed in provided dihedral former, neat.

Left to dry.

[Ron Gray]

Let the rigging commence! Only a few photos of this but it took a long while to do it. Now if I thought Bits up to now were fiddly............

I used a needle threader to pull the cotton through the rigging holes and even then it was a struggle. I’m sure my fingers used to be slimmer than they are now.

And the tail feathers

All rigging in place, waiting for final tensioning (will have to wait ‘til I get back home as I need some foam safe CA for that job as each span needs separate tension and anchoring in place). Amazing how much the wings geometry can be changed with slight changes in tension.

[onetenor]

Very nice work. What thread did you use .?   Re the nail files I get mine from my chiropodist whan he has finished with them on my toes. Two grades on the one stick. Very handy and free too.

Edited By onetenor on 03/12/2017 11:33:42

[Ron Gray]

Not too sure about the thread as it came with the kit but it looks like silky button type thread (sounds like I know what I'm talking about on the old haberdashery front, but I don't, it's just that the thread is slightly shiny and is quite a coarse weave).

Apologies for the multiple posting earlier, I'm building and posting this whilst on a mother-in-law visit and her broadband isn't that broad so I think that the multiple uploads are a result of the computer caching data when it is trying to upload.

Pah! who needs Permagrit when you have second foot toe nail files!