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Early Aviation
Discuss World War I and the early years of aviation thru 1934.
WnW FE.2b
PanzerLehr
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 11, 2009
KitMaker: 200 posts
AeroScale: 44 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 14, 2018 - 09:04 PM UTC
Hello,

As I am nearing the finish on my WnW Bristol F.2b I decided to start on the engine for my WnW FE.2b





I know some people will say that spark plug wires shouldn’t be twisted like I have as they are high voltage.....but I like the texture it give me after they are painted.

The next pictures are of the completed engine. 2 weeks after the start of assembly.




phantom_phanatic309
#372
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United Kingdom
Joined: March 10, 2010
KitMaker: 2,568 posts
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Posted: Monday, April 16, 2018 - 12:03 PM UTC
That is incredible work!
Would love to know you did the wiring, it's one thing I still can't work out how to do. My attempt was a messy disaster.
CaptainA
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Indiana, United States
Joined: May 14, 2007
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Posted: Monday, April 16, 2018 - 11:02 PM UTC
Wow. The engine looks great. I wouldn't worry about twisted wires and people complaining. Everything just looks right.
PanzerLehr
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 11, 2009
KitMaker: 200 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, April 18, 2018 - 02:27 AM UTC
Thank you to both! The plug wires are just copper wire from an old mobile phone charging cord. Twisted to a tight uniform appearance then bent to give a natural look then cut to length. I then added ends I made from Albion Alloys brass micro tubing cut to !mm in length. I then flattened one end the drilled a hole so it will fit over top of the spark plug.
RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: June 27, 2010
KitMaker: 3,959 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, April 18, 2018 - 05:09 PM UTC
Chris I've always wanted to follow along on a WnW's build so I'm following along with interest!

All caught up on your progress so far! That engine looks amazing!
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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United Kingdom
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Posted: Thursday, April 19, 2018 - 03:44 AM UTC
Thanks. I also like your idea of using brass tubing for the ignition tubes. That will certainly make it easier getting wire bundles to the magnetos. I think that was where I was going wrong on my Rumplers engine. The kit supplied tubes are impossible to drill out or glue them to!
Will give that a go.
PanzerLehr
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 11, 2009
KitMaker: 200 posts
AeroScale: 44 posts
Posted: Friday, April 20, 2018 - 03:13 AM UTC
Thank you. The kit gives you the tubes in plastic...but as said before they are a pain to drill out. The tubing works great but it is still pretty tight getting 6 wires into each of the tubes then running them to the magnetos.
Scrodes
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: July 22, 2012
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Posted: Friday, April 20, 2018 - 04:56 AM UTC
Wow Chris, that sure is pretty! Bravo.
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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United Kingdom
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Posted: Tuesday, April 24, 2018 - 01:37 AM UTC
Chris,
I picked up a packet of 1mm brass tubing over the weekend and I was pleased to find that they are more or less the same size as the original kit items. Needed to open up the internal diameter slightly, but an easy job to do.
I've recently been mucking about with a couple of old computers and a stereo amplifier (keeps me out of trouble), so I've all kinds of bits of wire of various diameters to play around with. I found that the wire from speaker cable when twisted together fitted the tubing no problem. So an easy solution and thanks again for sharing.




WIggus
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: July 07, 2017
KitMaker: 78 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, April 24, 2018 - 06:54 PM UTC
Stunning! This is inspiring.
I'll be following this thread. :-)
PanzerLehr
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 11, 2009
KitMaker: 200 posts
AeroScale: 44 posts
Posted: Friday, May 18, 2018 - 09:03 PM UTC
Afternoon gentlemen,

Sorry for the absence. Life has been pretty busy lately. But I have been motoring on with the build. I have managed to finish the “woodwork” paint on the cockpit and tail boom. I’ll post pics of the boom later maybe after I finish the rigging and final assembly before mating it to the cockpit/engine section.



CaptnTommy
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Connecticut, United States
Joined: October 26, 2009
KitMaker: 424 posts
AeroScale: 389 posts
Posted: Monday, May 21, 2018 - 09:51 PM UTC
Sir

Truly outstanding. the cockpit Wood looks like wood. the engine looks like steel and iron and copper. Of course though I have to throw in an suggestion/observation take a tooth brush and just drag it across where the gunner might put his feet. This would make the cockpit lived in.

Go into the WnW site I think they have a picture of the Vintage Aviator replica's cockpit.

Beautiful model. Ignore what I suggested.
Cosimodo
#335
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Auckland, New Zealand
Joined: September 03, 2013
KitMaker: 1,808 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - 12:18 PM UTC
The wood looks just amazing. Looking forward to seeing how the rest of this build develops.

cheers
Michael
PanzerLehr
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 11, 2009
KitMaker: 200 posts
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Posted: Sunday, June 17, 2018 - 03:53 AM UTC
Hello everyone,

Sorry for the delay. Work has been going slowly......I still need to add the internal rigging and small details before closing up the cockpit section.





Scrodes
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: July 22, 2012
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Posted: Sunday, June 17, 2018 - 02:17 PM UTC
Keeps getting better and better!
JackFlash
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Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
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Posted: Thursday, June 21, 2018 - 01:23 AM UTC
Beautiful.
PanzerLehr
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 11, 2009
KitMaker: 200 posts
AeroScale: 44 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 04, 2018 - 09:20 AM UTC
Hello all,

Sorry for the absence. Life has been busy......but saying that I have managed to get some work done on the FE.2b. Cockpit, wings and tail are all painted decaled and weathered. Prop is painted and weathered. Also got a start on the control cables for the alerions.












RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: June 27, 2010
KitMaker: 3,959 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, September 04, 2018 - 09:58 AM UTC
Excellent work here Chris!

The detail work on the cables for the ailerons is really impressive.

Hard to believe these things could actually fly, given they're essentially a frame with wings attached
PanzerLehr
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 11, 2009
KitMaker: 200 posts
AeroScale: 44 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 04, 2018 - 12:44 PM UTC
I agree with you totally on that thought! Building these aircraft has given me a new admiration for the pilots and crew that lived and fought in these incredible machines!
OEFFAG_153
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Västra Götaland, Sweden
Joined: February 19, 2010
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Posted: Tuesday, September 04, 2018 - 09:24 PM UTC
Brilliant work!

/Mikael
RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: June 27, 2010
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Posted: Tuesday, September 04, 2018 - 10:12 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I agree with you totally on that thought! Building these aircraft has given me a new admiration for the pilots and crew that lived and fought in these incredible machines!



Chris I find it amazing they never fell out!
PanzerLehr
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 11, 2009
KitMaker: 200 posts
AeroScale: 44 posts
Posted: Sunday, September 09, 2018 - 11:28 AM UTC
Hello everyone,

I spent the weekend working on the tail section. I got the rigging finished. All that needs to be completed is the control wires for the rudder and tail surface.




Kevlar06
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Washington, United States
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
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Posted: Sunday, September 09, 2018 - 12:52 PM UTC
Masterfully built-- it looks great, and the wood surfaces are exceptional. Can't wait to see the finished product.
VR, Russ
RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: June 27, 2010
KitMaker: 3,959 posts
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Posted: Monday, September 10, 2018 - 11:00 PM UTC
Looks amazing Chris!
PanzerLehr
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 11, 2009
KitMaker: 200 posts
AeroScale: 44 posts
Posted: Friday, September 14, 2018 - 02:18 PM UTC
Thank you again for the comments!

I didn’t. Like the photoetch turnbuckles for the rudder controls and tension springs.....so I made my own.....

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