BE 2c - in progress

[+Stephen1918 1,474]

The RAF BE 2c, with v-strut landing gear, staggered wings, cut out in the upper wing, bump on the vertical stabilizer, and sump under the engine.

 

The model is pretty much done. I'm still tweaking the rigging for the animations and linking. I still have the unwrapping for the skinning, the cockpit, the LODs, and entering all the model data into the FM. So I'm probably about half done.

 

The gunner won't move past the struts, but I continued the gun rail and will include instructions for making him rotate in a wider arc. I tried a lot of different things and this is the best solution I could find. The rails on the side sort of look like a swivel mount. 

 

I'm planning to make another version with no gunner that can be used as a one man bomber.

[gambit168 27]

Looks Great Stephen 
I don't seem to have any spare time right now for skinning, but i will want to skin these a lot 

[33LIMA 972]

Wow, looking good already! A nice 1916-17 version with the round-topped fin, just the sort of thing that's needed. The observer has been going easy on the bacon and eggs I see, so he's not going to be blocking too much of the pilot's view. When textured, the gun mount will I think give the appearance of a 'goalpost' type mount between the rear centre-section struts and a 'candlestick' mount either side of the front cockpit. Neat!

 

Let us offer thanks together, using the words of the Pilot's Psalm.

 

The BE2c is my bus, therefore shall I want.

He maketh me to come down in green pastures.

He leadeth me where I do not wish to go.

He maketh me to be sick; he leadeth me astray on all cross-country flights.

Yea, tho I fly o'er No-man's Land, I do fear much evil, for Thou art with me.

Thy joystick and Thy prop discomfort me.

Thou prepareth a crash for me in the presence of mine enemies.

Thine RAF annointeth my hair with oil, thy tank leaketh badly.

Surely to goodness Thou shalt not follow me all the days of my life.

Else I shall dwell in the House of Colney Hatch forever.

 

A-men.

 

[as quoted in 'No Parachute' by Arthur Gould Lee, ex-46 Squadron, June 1917]

Edited June 24, 2013 by 33LIMA

[+sinbad 27]

Another great bit of work.

 

You get so much excellent detail done so quickly!

[Hansa 12]

Another masterpiece in the works :-)

[spiteful21 7]

Seriously good, I can't wait for this one. You are officially a legend.

[+Stephen1918 1,474]

The BE2c is coming along! The model is mostly finished. I'm still tweaking the skins, and the cockpit needs more work. I still have to figure out the loadout, transfer all the coordinates into the data file, make the low poly lods, finish the decals, and probably a few more things I haven't discovered yet...

 

 

[+whiteknight06604 934]

that is looking mighty beautiful!

[+ojcar 157]

And I'm going to be the frst man to fly it (when the FM it's done) MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[+quack74 329]

I want to be the first to shoot it down! MUAHHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

I would want a deflector plate welded to the top of my headgear if I was the pilot of that model. And some earplugs.

[+Stephen1918 1,474]

I want to be the first to shoot it down! MUAHHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

You mean... you're shooting down my planes!!

( )

[+quack74 329]

Not to be too critical here, and I can very well be wrong, but is the nose a bit short for a "C" type? Looking at some photos of real BE 2C's the nose seems longer. Perhapes extended for larger engine?

[+Stephen1918 1,474]

The early versions had a different cowling arrangement making them thinner so the nose might look longer. And the BE12 was similar, but with a longer engine. It seems good to me, but I've been wrong before. If changes are needed, now is the time to make them. What do you guys think?

Edited November 13, 2013 by Stephen1918

[+quack74 329]

I don't really think anything has to be changed. I was just wondering because there were different versions as you stated. The longer nose looks better. but its possible the shorter nose is more accurate. Sorry to stir up trouble Stephen. But like you said, I guess now would be the time to be picky

[33LIMA 972]

Hi Stephen!

 

Have to agree with Quack that the nose - specifically, the front of the sump, under the engine - looks off - too deep, like a caricature of someone drawn with an exaggeratedly-long or wide chin. Not by comparison with the drawing above, but certainly by comparison with the drawings in Windsock data file 42, and such photos as show the nose. Same with the drawings and pics in Squadron Signal  # 123. There's not much in it, but enough to make it look very apparent, to my eyes, and all the clearer now it's skinned.

 

I think it's a matter of depth, not length - in the sideview screenie, the nose appears shorter because the perspective (or viewpoint) angles the wing leading edges forward, making the nose look shorter than it really is.

 

I think the issue may be that in real life, the upward sweep of the lower edge of the nose started with the fuselage, at about the point of the lower wing's front spar, somewhere behind its leading edge. In the model, it looks like the upsweep starts at the point where the (grey) metal cowling starts, resulting in the nose being too deep, noticeable mostly at the very front.

 

Have to say also that the wingtips are a little too rounded; the aileron trailing edge at the tip should have a pronounced straight section, from near the trailing edge to the aileron's leading edge.

 

Sorry to be critical!

[+Stephen1918 1,474]

Thanks for the feedback, gentlemen. The changes you identified should be pretty easy to fix, mostly just moving vertices around. It may distort the skin, but that can be fixed too. I'll post a revised version when I get it made. Any other comments?

[33LIMA 972]

Only other suggestions would be to (i) round out the curve of the fin slightly, in profile view, with one or two more vertices, in particular to reduce the effect/visibility of the 'point' ahead of the rudder post and the visible kink about half-way along the leading edge; and (ii) to reduce just slightly the width (again, in profile view) of the undercarriage V struts. Together with a finer nose and the 'clipping' of the aileron tips to produce a better wingtip profile, I think these changes would help the model capture even better the sort of 'angular elegance' that characterised the BE.

 

Looking good!

 

PS this pic is a good illustration of both the wingtip profile and the point at which the upsweep of the lower nose starts; as i suspected it's level with the front spar. The slenderness of the box section of the rear fuselege is also prominent. http://sceptre63.deviantart.com/art/royal-aircraft-factory-be2c-111354701

[gambit168 27]

looks GGGGGGGGRReat Stephen look forward to skinning this crate 4 sure   

[Hansa 12]

Glad to know you're back at work, the bird is looking awesome!

[+Stephen1918 1,474]

I've made some adjustments to the nose, wing tips, and tail. I had to reskin some of the parts, but I think it was worth the extra work. Cockpit is nearly done. I'm hoping that soon I'll be able to send it to ojcar so he can work his magic.

 

I also think I finally got the gamma setting on my monitor figured out.

[33LIMA 972]

Subtle changes Stephen but the net result is a significant improvement!

 

With the possible exception of a common 1916-17 French 2-seater, this has to be the plane that FE needed most, the RFC's mainstay as it looked between 1915 and 1917! Very well worth waiting for, whether you'll fly it, shoot it down...or both!

 

I'm going to cry if I'm shot down on my first mission in this!