Morane-Saulnier BB Biplane, scratchbuild in 1/72, W.I.P.

PetarB · 21 July 2009, 06:42 PM

Fantastic start to what I'm sure will be a fantastic scratchbuild. Props to you!

sodium · 26 July 2009, 12:46 PM

Hello old man
Morane BB, another excellent choice !!

philippe

bristol scout · 28 July 2009, 09:37 AM

Hi Old Man,

How's your Morane progressing my friend? Don't mean to pester you understand, but i like your choice of modelling the more 'obscure' types.

all the best,
Dave.

Old Man · 6 August 2009, 05:25 AM

Progress in this case, Gentlemen, has consisted in scrapping most of my previously illustrated work. A better understanding of the fuselage contours of this machine has required constructing entirely new fuselage pieces. I will explain....

My major source going into this spoke of R.F.C. Type BBs being modified with "a fairing" on the starboard side to accommodate a camera and wireless. This wording suggested to me a discrete, separate bulge, and I could detect no sign of such on the photograph of 5137. My conclusion was that this was a modification added to later machines of the type, and this was part of my reason for taking 5137 as my subject, since something of that nature in one side of an open cockpit would be damnably tricky. I have since had a look at comments by the late Mr. J. M. Bruce on the type, which state that "the fairing" on the starboard side was enlarged to this purpose, and that the result was an asymmetrical fuselage. Mr. Bruce establishes further that this modification was communicated to Morane-Saulnier by December, 1915, and so must have been incorporated into a machine delivered by the end of January, 1916. The structural elements of the Type BB's fuselage were rectangular in shape, and the arrangement of stringers around this which gave it its circular appearance was generally referred to as fairing the fuselage to that better stream-lined shape. Once I had this understanding, it was easy to see evidence of it in several photographs of 5137. Here is a picture of the new fuselage in its present state, alongside the old one at the point where I dropped work on that.

Methods of construction on the new fuselage were a bit different than previous. I commenced at the rear rather than the front, making first a 'box' of thin sheet to the dimensions of the internal structure of the longerons in the rear portion of the fuselage, adding sheet over this to build up the proper thicknesses for rounding (2mm sheet on port, 2mm and 1mm sheet on starboard, 1.5mm on the bottom). I put a 'spine' of 2mm sheet, shaped to proper profile, down the center of the upper face of this rectangle, filling it in on the port side with solid sheet. When everything else was shaped, I cut a piece of 1mm sheet. I was not able to make the 'V' shape work on the starboard side of the cockpit, and wound up employing a laminate of two 2mm layers and one 1.5mm layer, with the interior routed out with a Dremel using an emery cylinder. I went ahead and did the port side from a thinner laminate. The bottom portions are also solid. I have decided to extend the floor all the way to the front: I have no certain knowledge either way, and it will make my life a good deal easier, and the forward portion probably will be invisible in any case, owing to the depth of the fuel tank in front of the pilot's position. I have put a camera in the 'bulge' alongside the pilot: though on its final flight 5137 was not equipped with a camera, I want to illustrate the purpose of the odd fuselage shape.

Trackpad · 6 August 2009, 06:13 AM

Good Morning, Old Man,

You are "raising the bar" exponentially with this build, a combination of detailed and exacting research, determination, and exceptional workmanship. "Well Done" so far, and the best of British luck to you as you progress!

Old Man · 6 August 2009, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trackpad

Good Morning, Old Man,

You are "raising the bar" exponentially with this build, a combination of detailed and exacting research, determination, and exceptional workmanship. "Well Done" so far, and the best of British luck to you as you progress!

Thank you, Sir!

I expect I will need a good deal of luck, British and otherwise, when it comes times to attach the lower wings to this, as they will have to be butt joints on a curve, compound and slanting on the starboard side....

Doug Baumann · 6 August 2009, 06:33 AM

that is a BULGE !!!! WELL DONE WILL DONE!!!

glad to see your handy work.. Doug

Old Man · 6 August 2009, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Baumann

that is a BULGE !!!! WELL DONE WILL DONE!!!

glad to see your handy work.. Doug

Thank you, Sir!

It will doubtless be toned down a bit; outer contours in the cockpit area are provisional until I have the firewall and upper decking on, which will be my first order of business next weekend. But the expansion of the starboard side was substantial, at its extreme point at least twice the space outwards from the longerons as on the port side.

Kirk R. Lowry · 6 August 2009, 08:23 AM

Bonjour mon ami!

Good work ... that J.M. Bruce, he always could be and still can be counted upon for accuracy ... no matter that the build becomes more difficult! The skill you show is greatly admired as is the persistence. En avant!

Your Friend
Kirk

Old Man · 6 August 2009, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirk R. Lowry

Bonjour mon ami!

Good work ... that J.M. Bruce, he always could be and still can be counted upon for accuracy ... no matter that the build becomes more difficult! The skill you show is greatly admired as is the persistence. En avant!

Your Friend
Kirk

Thank you very much, Mr. Lowry! Not only for your kind words here, but for the reference materials, including the extract from Mr. Bruce.