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Gee Bee R-1 & R2. Why make it simple, when ...?


Hubert Boillot

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Well, after your comment, I re-read Benjamin's and Wolf's book telling their story of the replica. Both clearly state they were adamant to keep the original modified M6 airfoil, to vindicate the true flying characteristics of the original R-2. The only mods concern the brakes, more modern, adding some side hip-restraints to the seat, and an injection system for the engine to allow inverted flying.

 

They were fastidious to the point of replicating the color of the tubes inside, a brownish red ... Miller, the original designer, states the seat had a red leather trim btw.

 

Hubert

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Well, after your comment, I re-read Benjamin's and Wolf's book telling their story of the replica. Both clearly state they were adamant to keep the original modified M6 airfoil, to vindicate the true flying characteristics of the original R-2. The only mods concern the brakes, more modern, adding some side hip-restraints to the seat, and an injection system for the engine to allow inverted flying.

 

They were fastidious to the point of replicating the color of the tubes inside, a brownish red ... Miller, the original designer, states the seat had a red leather trim btw.

 

Hubert

 

 

 

 

Interesting, Hubert.... I'll have to try and re-find my source, but if the book by the builder states that, then that must be the case. Thank you for the clarification!!  :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:

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Well, some progress pics. They have been uploaded on Imgur after the big let-down from PB last friday.

 

Started with detailing the internal fuselage. Part of the Gee Bees were fabric covered, and the fabric laid on spruce stringers. After cleaning up the ejection-pin marks, I added to stringers, cut on my faithful "The Chopper" in regyular 5 cms strips of Evergreen 20 thou (0.5 mm) square strips.

 

To get the stringers properly positioned, I penciled the ribs positons on Tamiya masking tape on the outside, then reported these lines on the inside with the tape. The stringers were then glued with Tamiya Thin glue.

 

1dvYv6L.jpg

 

xO8U3qS.jpg

 

KIzkzRB.jpg

 

I have decided that one of the two racers will have its side door open. My idea is to get both side by side on a base (I will post my inspiration pic for this later), with one "weathered" with the exhaust stains, and the other one clean and shiny. the assumption will therefore be that the scene will be in-between the Bendix and the Thompson trophies, with the R-2 showing signs of its long haul, and the R-1 a lot cleaner. To simplify painting the exhasut streaks, the R-2 will have its acces dor closed, and therefore the one with the open dood will be the R-1.

 

After gluing the stringers, time for splashing the firts paint. The fabric was linen, subsequently doped. The silver color of the dope came though the fabric and was visible on the inside. I therefore sprayed a first coat fo Tamiya Deck Tan, and while still wet followed by a light coat of Tamiya Matt Silver.

 

xO8U3qS.jpg

 

I then sparyed a light coat of Gunze Hobby Color Off-white. On the next pic, one side has been spreyed with the off-white, and the other is still silverish. the difference is subtle with the lighting, but the sheen of the silver has been taken away.

 

BNnp4qp.jpg

 

I have then picked the stringers with a yellowish color to represent spruce, hand-brushed.

 

HNovgSS.jpg

 

Just a reminder that not much will be visible in the finished kit, with the one with the closed door even less.

 

SfzHud8.jpg

 

Next post is about the tubular frame.

 

Hubert

Edited by MostlyRacers
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The Willimas kits have a faithful representation of the internal tube framing. My only issue is with the cleanup process of the mold lines, and the slight off-round shape of the moulded parts. Plus the frames around the seat are a bit oversimpliefied

 

Being a masochist at heart ;) (remember I just said not much would be visible) I have decided to redo the frames with regular rod (Evergreen 0.047 " rod).

 

I have mentioned it already in another thread, but this is far less daunting than it appears. You need a way to cut equal lengths of rod (The Chopper to the rescue !), a steel rule, some thin masking tape, a cutter, a protractor to report angles, a square, calipers, and you're set !

 

HMz95Hs.jpg

 

As we have the kit's frame as a reference, rod lengths can be lifted directly from the kit's part with the calipers, which are used to reeport the length to The Chopper :

 

7ekRY4Y.jpg

 

Once the first rod has been fixed to the cutting mat with tape, you can add the rods one by one, reporting the angles where needed, and gluing them together with Tamiya Thin. On this pic, the right-side frames have been done already (longer than the original parts from the kit) and the left ones are in the way of being assembled. When the frame is finished, give it some time for the glue solvents to fully evaporate, and the frame to get more rigid.

 

qdzdOuS.jpg

 

Next one will be about assembling the frames with cross-members.

 

Thanks for following along.

 

Hubert

Edited by MostlyRacers
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You should just build the damn thing out of the box!

 

:rolleyes:

I could almost (but not quite ;) ) do that with a 1/72 Matchbox Boeing P12-E I was building for fun, Shaka ...

 

http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=60131&hl=

 

But in my favorite scale, I am afraid my fun comes from this kind of mods :frantic:

 

Thanks for following along my friend.

 

Hubert

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