Curtiss BF2C-1

The top and bottom wings had a lot of sinkholes and took a bit of time to putty and sand. The finish is Tamiya TS-17 Gloss Aluminum and TS-34 Camel Yellow. Metal parts are painted in FS16473 Aircraft Gray. 

Operational BF2C-1s were assigned to the USS Ranger whose tail color was Willow Green. I scored the last bottle of Model Master FS14187 Willow Green at a local hobby shop. The tail surfaces werfe all cut, moved and trim rods added. The serial number on this aircraft is 9593, with Yellow Wing Decals for the flight leader of 3rd Section. The pilot and aircraft were both lost in Sep 1935 when the upper wing on 9593 failed. 

Next is the cockpit interior. I have some old photos from the Smithsonian of an early BF2C-1. The cockpit is similar to the earlier Goshawk with the addition of the landing gear crank on the right wall. 

Here are some photos of the cockpit. On the left side you can see the cockpit hood closure, throttle, trim controls, bomb release and arresting hook lever. Note that the rudder pedals are still connected to the rudder with a cable and turnbuckle. 

The lower center of the cockpit. The fuel gauge is in the center. Gun charging handles are on the left and right sides below the instrument panel. 

One of the main differences from its predecessor is the landing gear crank handle on the left side of the fuselage. I'll borrow a flare gun from a Wingnut Wings kit for the fuselage. 

I scratchbuilt most of the cockpit except the floor, rear bulkhead and stick. Still have a lot to do with the cockpit, but this is the start. 

I received this kit from my wife in July 1979 before leaving for the Army. I started building it in 2019, but the cockpit was scaring me off. The cockpit is roughed in now so I'm hoping this project will move forward. 

The cockpit sides need a lot of cleaning up before they are ready for use. I painted the inside a light gray (FS16472) which will also be used on the exterior for metal parts. From pictures is looks like the BF2C-1 had aluminum painted light gray and not silver. 

The cockpit assembly is in place. The seat and flare pistol are just there to make sure they fit. The entire cockpit area needs to get dirtied up a little before it gets closed up. 

Another photo so you can see the left side. All the additional pieces and parts are from the scrap bin. 

 

The kit engine is not usable since the moldings are off center. This is the Vector resin kit which went together wel 

The cowling is in two halves which have to be glued around the engine then the engine has to be glued to the cowling. I'll have to fill, sand and paint the cowling with the engine already mounted inside. 

I'm going to try rigging this aircraft with Albion Alloys .3mm nickel silver rod, .6mm tube and a RB motion nut. It is only glued into the top so the rod will slide in the bottom hole and not flex or bend. 

No it's not a monoplane. I just figured it would be easier to rig the top wing with the bottom wing off. The engine is a resin version from Vector. 

The aircraft is very colorful. This is the 3rd section (Blue) leader's aircraft which has the fuselage band. The entire tail will be willow green indicating an aircraft off of the USS Ranger. 

The BF2C-1 had a very short service life due to upper wing vibration and failures. This build will have very little weathering when it's completed 

It's finally completed after 42 years in the stash. The kit dates back to 1971, so there are a lot of issues with fit. The main landing gear are also a bit on the weak side. 

Attaching the top wing first and then adding the bottoms wings worked well. That way you can install the struts and then raise the bottom wing to create a tight fit. 

I like the Yellow Wings Decals. They did require a little bit of Solvaset to lay them over some of the larger panels. Don't get carried away with it though or it will turn a decal to mush. 

I tried using Albion Alloys .33mm nickel silver rod for the rigging on this kit. The ends are a nut and .6mm tubing. The rod is free floating with only the top end fixed with glue. That way the rod always stays straight even if the wings flex when handled. 

The rudder and elevator were separated and moved to add some interest. The trim tabs were also separated and rebuilt with a control horn and rod. The antenna is Infini Aero rigging with just enough tension to make it straight.  

The Vector resin engine. I had to thin out the cowling for it to fit. I used some brass tubing to represent the MGs which fire between the cylinders on the engine.