RE 8 Replica Project

I have decided to built a RE8 to fabric covering stage in my own workshop, hopefully beginning in April. It will be as externally accurate as possible. The RE8 was operated by No.3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps in the Great War.

General Arrangement - Front:

General Arrangement - Rear:

Fuselage:

Fuselage structure and the engine and propeller mount forward of the 'firewall'. Mostly aluminium construction.

Propeller:

Fabricating the 4 blade will present considerable challenges. 

Prop Installation:

Propeller installed in the engine/propeller mount.

Engine Installation:

The engine is fabricated from laminated ply, 3D printed parts and aluminium baffles / cooling duct. The exhaust ejects over the top centre section.

Top Centre Section:

Bottom Centre Section:

Wings:

External Cabling:

There is considerable external cabling including flying and landing wires, top wing extension support and aileron cables.

Struts:

Wing, cabane and aileron interconnection.

Empennage:

Stern Post:

Rudder:

Fins - Top and Bottom:

Horizontal Stabiliser:

Elevator:

External Bracing:

Top Deck:

The top deck includes the fuel tank, instrument panel, Scarff ring mount and turtle deck. The fairing around the pilot/observer cockpits to be designed.

Fuel Tank:

The fuel tank forms part of the external surface. The bracket to the front supports the header tank filler cap and vent.

Instrument Panel:

A very basic panel includes altitude gauge, RPM gauge, oil pressure, compass and compass card, inclinometer, clock and electrical switches. Under the windscreen is a 'reflector' fuel gauge.

Scarff Ring Mount:

Turtle Deck:

Cooper Bombs:

Under each wing.

Sighting:

Ring and bead sight on the left and Aldis sight (tube) on the right.

Vickers Gun:

Gun cocking is accessible by the pilot.

Undercarriage:

Main Wheels:

Tail Skid:

Bristol F2b Replica

Over the last few months I have been designing a full scale replica of the Bristol F2b Fighter. This aircraft was operated by No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps (AFC) in Palestine during the Great War. I have used Windsock Datafiles (3 issues) as my main references for the design.

This is the third aircraft (after the SE5a and RE8) that is going to be built by the volunteers in the Australian Army Flying Museum (AAFM) workshop.

Or at least it was!

Nomad Prototype:

The museum has the second prototype of the GAF Nomad on outside display. It was damaged during a recent hail storm and it is going to be repaired by the volunteers. There is lots of sheet metal, fibreglass and glazing to be repaired or replaced.

This has pushed back the 'replica' projects considerably (at least two years?)

New Workshop:

I am in the process of building a new workshop for the purpose of building aircraft projects.

I have decided:

Due to possible health concerns down the track, I have decided to build the F2b to fabric covering stage in my workshop.

I will buy all the construction materials and then offer the 'completed' project to the museum at a discounted price.

Design Details:

The project is fabricated with aluminium tube and sheet, steel tube and sheet, and hoop pine and ply. There will be lots of laser cut parts (aluminium, steel and ply) and 'tricky' parts will be 3D printed.

Front 3/4:

Rear 3/4:

Fuselage:

The fuselage construction is 25 x 25 aluminium tube with aluminium and steel gussets, and internal cable bracing.

Radiator:

The radiator is fairly complicated with laser cut parts. The hole at the top is where the bullets from the Vickers gun exit. The round item at the bottom represents the front of the crank case where the propeller shaft rotates. The leading edge (in purple) will be challenging.

Propeller:

The museum already has a wooden propeller of the correct shape and diameter for the project. The propeller will be be rotatable by hand.

Engine:

The only part of the engine that sticks out is the exhaust. Normally the exhaust extends along the fuselage but it appears that No. 1 Squadron shortened theirs in the field.

Magneto:

The magneto can be seen through a large hole in each side of the engine cowl. It is made from a combination of laser cutting (ply), 3D printing (pink cap) and turning (orange cylinder).

Cowls:

The aluminium cowls are in three parts: around the engine, over the fuel tank, and the cockpit coaming in front of the pilot.

Empennage:

The empennage is made almost entirely of steel tube and laser cut sheet steel.

Centre Section:

The centre section is an unusual design. The top panel is fairly standard but the bottom panel is positioned below the fuselage and is attached by four short struts.

Undercarriage:

A fairly standard design except that the vee struts protrude through the bottom centre section panel to the fuselage attach points.

Wings:

Aluminium spars and laser cut ply ribs.

Cockpit:

The compass is installed in the trailing edge of the top centre section panel. Only those cockpit items that can be seen by the viewer will be included.

Armament (Fuselage):

The pilot operated a single Vickers gun mounted through the instrument panel. The observer operated either one or two Lewis guns mounted on a Scarff ring. This project will have one Lewis gun.

Also shown is the Aldis sight which is mounted on the bottom of the top centre section panel, the windscreen, cockpit coaming leather trim, and the compass.

Armament (Wings):

There are four 25lb Cooper bombs under each wing.

Which F2b?

Which serial number F2b should be represented in the museum? It is fortunate to have access to the war diaries of No.1 Squadron, AFC. After researching the diaries, my suggestion is F2b serial number C4623.

Why?

It was crewed by two aviators that would later be two of the co-founders of QANTAS:

• Paul McGinness DFC DCM (pilot)
• Hudson Fysh DFC (observer)

McGinness and Fysh

War Flying:

McGinness and Fysh:

• Flew together on sixty-five flights
• Total hours 139.4 hours
• First flight together on 17.8.18 in C4623
• Last flight together 10.10.18 in C4623 after which Fysh began pilot training on 26.10.18
• 33 flights / 70 hours together in C4623

Paul McGinness History:

Text:


Hudson Fysh History:

Text:


C4623 War History:

Taken on strength with 1 Squadron, AFC on 19.3.18
Total war hours flown - 319.8
Hours flown after 11.11.18 - 24.0
Struck off charge 4.2.19 to 111 Squadron, RAF
Victories in C4623: 
Casualty: 

Presentation Aircraft:

Individuals, families, companies, districts, towns and cities, business people and royalty donated money to built aeroplanes for the war effort. These were known as presentation aircraft.

It appears that C4623 had two different presentation names assigned to it.

Australia No.8

New South Wales No.7

The Mrs P Kirby & Son

Note: This is not C4623 but it does show

the presentation name style and location

and

Australia No.20

New South Wales No.18

The McCaughey Battleplane

(Presented by Sir Samuel McCaughey of North Yanco-Yanco 
and John McCaughey of Yanabee, Torundah Riverina No.1)

Ref: Cross & Cockade: Vol 14, No 2, Pages 53 and 54

C4623 Construction:

Built by:

The British & Colonial Aeroplane Co. Ltd

Filton and Brislington, Bristol

Engine:

190 HP Rolls Royce Falcon III

Armament:

Fixed Vickers gun firing through the propeller

Lewis gun x 2 mounted on a Scarff ring for the observer

(Note: Mission reports indicate C4623 had two Lewis guns)

No 1 Squadron, AFC Statistics: