My FE2b reproduction..

[Turnbuckle]

Rob, you'll need a tripod for starters. Most of these shots have shutter speeds between 5 and 20 seconds with an iso of 250/320 for the ground shots and iso 1250 with +3 overexposure on flash for the ones taken from my monopod.

With a compact camera I'd set the aperture to it's smallest, usually f8 and see what sort of shutter speed is suggested. If this is within the range of your camera then you're laughing (most compacts go to 15 seconds). If it's showing an underexposure you can raise the iso or widen the aperture until the sums add up.

Alternatively, ask if they'll turn the lights on for you, it's within their control because they turned off what little lighting there was just after I'd started taking photos - that's RAFM service for you! It's a challenge but it's do-able.

[John McKenzie]

Hi all , ..Thanks guys for all the compliments...Much appreciated. Rob ,( turnbuckle ) , Great pictures , have downloaded them ( I think ? ..not too competent on computers as yet ! )...Would like to be able to use them ...Will be in touch with you about permission . .. Did you MEAN that the RAFM turned the lighting DOWN , just when you were about to START photographing ?..( And that this accounted for the long exposure time ? )... At the "opening" , it was very dark and , as you can see , I didn't get much more than a "night " scene with my photos...... It would be great to have a nice 12 X16 or bigger,of the Fe hanging on the wall in the hallway...Also the Be2b **. ( which as you probably know, was also one of mine as well , though there's no mention of my name on the plaque ,I believe; ..Museum policy at the time ).... Be2b and Fe2b together ! Great. . (pity about the "blue " roof supports , but thats life I suppose ).... ( **see "My Be2b Reproduction" thread posted earlier. )
.. Regards.. John.

[LeicesterTiger]

Hi John, have you anything lined up next or does the museum mean you have to keep it hush-hush until it's nearly finished?

[Butch]

Great question, what a treat that would be.
pete

[John McKenzie]

Hi , Leicester , The RAF museum , in the words of their Mr Richard Simpson , have made it Quite clear to me that there will be NO more work coming my way.....Their reasoning is that I am only a ONE man operation , and so would not be able to complete any project ( as I am now 63 years old ) if I was to die ; whereas , other firms in UK , that will be invited to tender for work , would always be able to complete the job , even should the "boss" die , the firm would carry on ! ! !
With respect to the BE2b , I completed my part & the assembly was done at Cardington under my consultation . ....This was to be repeated with the Fe2b. however ,the relocation of RAFM workshop to distant Cosford precluded this plan and it was eventually "mutually" agreed that the once very basic nacelle and all the parts that I had made , which constituted 94% of the structure needed to complete the machine , would be transfered to Cosford under certain of my "terms" that RAFM agreed to .
For my part , I agreed to act as consultant as required , for the completion of the job.
The Fe was stored ,some at Cosford , and wings and tailplane at other places for about a year ; until ,( at about the time of TVAL's imminent FE ), it then seemed to become a priority , and the job of completing the last 6% was put out to tender .
I heard no more of the project until it was virtually completed .
At what (I was later informed by Mr Simpson ) the "Trustees" of the museum found to be an astronomical price , the contract for the completion of the last 6% , with fabric covering , wireing etc. , was awarded to a contractor , supposedly the cheapest ,which brought the overall cost of the job to somewhere in the order of what I believe to have more than doubled the amount that I recieved for my 94% !
A little later a new deputy director was appointed , who seems to have a better understanding of such projects .
Supposedly , all future jobs are to be of the standard that I produced .
Regards..John

[rexee]

John

Museums, in general, seem to be run by these "sorts"
Please rest assured that we [in the aviation history field] hold your projects in very high esteem and I thank you Sir for the work that you have done not only for us but for future generations to enjoy and study.Please continue to educate

Very Kind regards
Rexee

[John McKenzie]

Leicester T and Butch (PETE ) ...Thanks for that , I guess my last post covers the position at RAFM ...
Rexee , thanks for those encouraging words .Appreciated...
Sincerely John

[Dogtail2]

John

Given the quality of your work shown here, you wont have any trouble getting work if you want it. If not for a whole project, then certainly for smaller difficult to make parts for existing projects.

You might put something up on the 'resources available thread'. You might not want to go that route. Just a thought.

Pete

[crankcase]

Originally Posted by John McKenzie

Leicester T and Butch (PETE ) ...Thanks for that , I guess my last post covers the position at RAFM ...
Rexee , thanks for those encouraging words .Appreciated...
Sincerely John

Dear John,
I can't wait to get back to London and see your masterpiece at Hendon!

I bet there's a guy down in New Zealand who would pay a fortune for your skills!

Congrats and all the best,
marc

[John McKenzie]

Hi there , Pete (Dogtail2) and Marc (Crankcase ) ,Thanks so much for your continued support . It does mean a lot to me after so many years of slogging away for peanuts ! ...I have a few ideas kicking around with regard to projects ; I'm limited for space as you know , which to an extent governs the choice of machine . However , above all , at the moment , I'm looking for enthusiastic volunteers (hopefully , with some skills -age no barrier) to work with me on a WWI project , after so many years of working alone it can get a bit solitary ! .Just have to see what transpires .
Sincerely, John .