RAF Be2c British Reconnaissance Aircraft from 1915

R.A.F. Be2c 

British Reconnaissance 

Aircraft from 1915 

Assembly and finishing Manual 

for ARF stand-off scale model 

in 1:5 scale. 

Historical data and presentation. 

Model design and construction drawing by 

Göran Kalderén © 

Rev. 2001-10-22

Royal Aircraft Factory B.E. 2c 

Early B.E. 2s saw service with the Royal 

Flying Corps from 1912 onwards. The B.E.2c 

operated in France, mainly for reconnaissance 

and military observation, although some were 

single-seat bombers. Single-seat B.E.2c night 

fighters downed six dirigibles over Britain. Withdrawn 

from action in 1917, many continued as 

trainers until the war’s end. In all, 3 260 B.E. 2s 

were built. 

A B.E.2 became the first British aircraft 

to fly across the Channel and land in France after 

the outbreak of World War I. All models of 

the B.E. 2 had such great stability that they could 

nearly fly themselves during reconnaissance and 

Royal Aircraft Factory Be2c ARF 2 

artillery observation missions. While an easy 

target in the air over France, the B.E.2c’s stability 

contributed to its success as a single-seat 

home-defence fighter against German airships 

in night raids over England. 

A Be2c is on display in the Imperial War 

Museum in Lambeth, London, England. The museum 

example was manufactured in 1915 by 

the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company Ltd., 

later known as the Bristol Aeroplane Company, 

Great Britain. This is knowingly one of the only 

two specimen of this styp still existing today. The 

other aircraft is in the Musée de l'Air, in Paris 

and is now being restored. 

Our model has the color scheme of an 

aircraft that served in Arabia in 1915.

A Be2d is on display in National Aviation 

Museum, Canada. This aircraft differs externally 

very little from the c-model. The museum example 

was manufactured in 1915 by the British 

and Colonial Aeroplane Company Ltd., later 

known as the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Great 

Britain. This aircraft is pictured on the opposite 

page. Above and below the Be2c on display in 

Imperial War Museum, in Lambeth, London. 

There are two excellent reference books available: 

RAF BE2C by J M Bruce, Windsock Datafile # 42, 

Albatros Productions Ltd., 10 Long View, 

Berkamstead, Herts. HP4 1BY, United Kingdom. 

ISBN # 0 948414-52-9. 

BE2 in action, Aircraft Number 123 by Peter 

Cooksley, Squadron/Signal Publications Inc. 1115 

Crowley Drive, Carrollton. Texas 75011-5010. 

ISBN # 0 89747-275-6 

Royal Aircraft Factory Be2c ARF 3


Details of the Be2c in 

the Imperial War 

Museum, Lambeth, 

London. The covering 

shows wear by the 

exposure and the rigging 

alignement should be 

reworked. 

The cockpit is sparsely 

equipped. Some of the 

instruments are visible 

in the picture above. 

The fin is of an enlarged 

type used on later 

aircraft

Details of the Be2c in the 

Imperial War Museum, 

Lambeth, London. 

This aircraft has no windshield 

which was unusual. 

The center section of the upper 

wing has a cut-out that was 

applied to some aircraft. 

The observer had small cut-out 

windows on both sides in the 

front of the cockpit covering to 

enable an improved downward 

view. 

The V-8 engine with dual 

exhaust stacks, typical for this 

aircraft. 

The rib stitching is clearly 

visible on this view of the 

undersid of the wingtip. 

Unfortunately also, that over the 

years, the trailing edge has 

become warped. 


Royal Aircraft Factory Be2c 

Wing Span: 36 ft 10 in (11.2 m) 

Length: 27 ft 3 in (8.3 m) 

Height: 11 ft 4 in (3.5 m) 

Weight, Empty: 1,370 lb (621 kg) 

Weight, Gross: 2,142 lb (972 kg) 


Max Speed: 90 mph (145 km/h) 

Rate of Climb: 6,500 ft (1,980 m)/20 min 

Service Ceiling: 10,000 ft (3,050 m) 

Range: 4 hours (Endurance) 

Power Plant: RAF 1a, 90 hp, Vee engine

The Model 

We have chosen the scale of 1:5 rendering 

a model size that i easy to fly but also relatively 

easy to transport. Both the upper and the lower 

wing panels can be removed as an assembly, for 

transportation which gives relatively limited 

requirement for transportation size. 

The finished model is painted in 1915 livery 

and further detailing can be made as per 

documentation. 

Specification: 

Wingspan 88.4" (225 cm) 

Length 65.4" (161 cm) 

Wing area 2281 sq/inch (142,6 dm²) 

Weight 13.7 lbs (6200 g) 

Wing Load (15oc/sq' (43 g/dm²) 

Engine .90 cu/inch 4-cycle(15 cc) 

Covering and finish 

The model is covered and painted from the 

factory. If you have made changes in the engine 

bearers and adapted the dummy engine to fit on 

both sides of the engine, you will have to cover 

the open areas with fuel proof paint. 

Installation of engine. 

We recommend that you don't overpower 

this model. It will fly happily with a .90 standard 4stroke 

engine. Our prototype was tried with a 

Thunder Tiger .90 4-stroke engine, which gave 

more than ample thrust. The engine bearers have 

been adjusted for this size of engine. 

The engine is mounted upright justifying the 

need for adequate cooling. The engine thereby 

is located in the "V" of the dummy engine and 

covered by the "air scoop" top plate. 

1. Remove the air scoop and drill the holes 

in the engine plywood bearers. Fasten the engine 

with blind nuts on the underside of the plywood. 

Place the engine as close to the front as possible. 

The propeller should be approx 1/8" / 3mm) it front 

of the nose cowl. 

2. Drill the holes from the tank to the 

carburator, pressure tap and the filling cap. 

3. Install the engine and connect the throttle 

servo. 

4. Make cut outs in the dummy engine block 

so that this will fit in line with your engine. This 

"surgery" is executed by removing a little at the 

time and checking. When you are satisfied with 

the fit and openings, screw the dummy engine 

onto the engine mount board, using screws and 

washers from under the plywood engine mount. 

5. Reinstall the engine cowl scoop (cowl) 

using 4 #2 sheet metal screws. 

Installation of servos, tank, battery and 

receiver. 

The 2 aileron servos are installed in the 

lower part of the servo vertical bulkhead in the 

fuselage side by side using the center holes 

commonly for the servos. The servo arms should 

protrude below the fuselage. It may be necessary 

to remove som plastoc from the servo housing to 

get the servos in place.. 

The elevator servo and the rudder servo 

are installed in the servo tray. The tank is 

positioned below the plywood engine mount and 

in line with and behind the engine. 

The throttle servo is installed bihind the 

fire wall together with the battery pack. 

The receiver are positioned in the upper 

part of the fuselage between the two cockpits. 

The switch can be mounted on the servo 

tray with extension rod or on the instrument panel. 

1. Attach a ball link head to joystick and 

rudder bar in the appropriate holes. You may have 

to enlarge the holes to take the screw from the 

ball link (Dubro #189 set of 2). 

2. Install the servos for rudder and elevator 

and temporarily connect the servo arms to the 

ball links. Deflection for elevator is 20° up and 

down and for rudder 30° right and left.. 

3. Install and connect the throttle servo in 

the fashion you prefer. 

4. Install the tank in the available space 

under the plywood engine bearer 

5. Install the aileron servos in the bulkhead. 

The aileron connecting wires attaches to the 

servo arms. The upper part of the servo arms 

are connected thus giving double thrust to the 

ailerons. Deflection of the ailerons should be 20° 

up and down. 

6. Install the radio switch on the dash board 

or the rear support in the front cockpit 

7. Place the receiver and the battery pack 

in the upper part of the trays, wrapped in foam 

rubber and secure with rubber bands. 

Assembly of the Be2c 

All parts have been assembled at the factory 

and only disassembled for transportation. On 

recent production (serial # 9912-26 and higher) 

the landing gear has been made removable. The 

landing gear is pushed into the holes in the 

fuselage and held in position by the 2 cross 

bracing wires. 

Rudder and elevator wires are factory 

adjusted but may need some tensioning 

adjustment after a while. Aileron can be adjusted 

with the clevices connecting to the aileron horns. 

Assembly of wing panels 

1. Push the lower wing halves into the holes 

in the fuselage. 

2. Push the upper wing halves into the holes 

in the wing cabane. Connect the flying wires and 

the landing wires. Attach the flying wires in place. 


These are the rigging wires: 

1. Rudder control wires 

2. Elevator control wires 

3. Front flying wires 

4. Rear flying wires. 

5. Front landing wires 

Attach the landing wires in place. 

3. Install the interplane struts. Note that the 

approx. 1/8" shorter struts fit in the front positions. 

Connect the strut cross bracing by clipping the 

kwick links in place. 

4. Now connect the aileron wires to the 

aileron horns. Note that these wires go from the 

Servo arm 

Attach center 

section with 

2pcs 2 mm 

screws, one 

from each 

side 

1 

11 

9 

Cut from 

nylon horn 


7 

11 

Move piece up 

for less throw. 

Reverse piece 

for more throw. 

throw. 

4 

8 

6 

3 

5 

2 

11 

Kwik-link to 

aileron wire. 

Drill 3 holes 

1,5 mm diam 

4 

3 

8 

10 

6. Rear landing wires. 

7. Interplane strut bracing wires. 

8. Cabane bracing wires. 

9. Fin - stabilizer support wires. 

10. Landing gear bracing wires. 

11 Aileron control wires. 

servo arms in the bottom of the fuselage, 

under the lover wings, via pulleys to the aileron 

horns. 

From the top of the lover ailerons to the 

bottom of the upper ailerons. From the upper 

aileron horns via pulleys on top of the upper wings 

to the centre brass guides and connected there 

to each other with an adjustable linking device. 

Should you need to replace a wire, use the 

attachment method indicated in the picture. When 

crimping the cerulet (sleeve) use a flat plier or a 

crimping tool, press firmly and don't cut through 

the wire. 

Landing gear 

1. Install the wheels on the shaft and secure 

with the stoppers. 

2.Lace rubber bands in the fashion shown

in the sketch. This is a very efficient shock 

absorber. 

Balancing 

The center of gravity / balancing point 

should be approx. approx. 13 cm (5.2") 

measured from the leading edge on the upper 

wing. Make adjustments if necessary. 

Flying 

The prototype was flown with a Thinder 

Tiger .90 4-stroke engine. Let the engine swing 

a 16x6 propeller if possible. This gives better 

thrust and reduces sound to a more realistic level. 

Remember this is a slow flying aircraft. 

Flying characteristics are very forgiving 

and will fly happily on 2/3 throttle. Set the elevator 

at zero angle for the first flight but be prepared 

to give down elevator if the model climbs out too 

steep. During the initial take off run you have to 

compensate for the torque with right rudder but 

as the speed builds up the rudder is returned to 

neutrual. This model should fly of the ground and 

not be pulled. Once airborn the aircraft is as its 

full size prototype. Remember: climb or decent is 

controlled with the throttle, speed with the elevator. 

Start the turns with the rudder, then use up 

elevator. It will be necessary at this time to give 

opposite aileron to dampen the turn rate. 

The landing approach can be rather steep 

as per prototype but the flare out needs almost 

full up elevator. Get the tail down to maintain 

directional stability. 

Happy landings! 

Turnbuckle for rigging 

Lacing of the bungee rubber 

on the landing gear 

Stabilizer incidence 

adjustment 

The aileron wires run on top of the upper wings and under the lover wings. Pulleys guide the wires. 

The rudder and elevator control wires run exteriorally to the respective control surfaces. 


Rudder and elevator control is by wire from the 

rudder bar protruding from the fuselage and by 

the exterior elevator conttrol horns. The pilots 

seat is on top of the elevator connecting rod 

(above). The rudder and elevators are connected 

by pull-pull wires (below). The stabilizer is 

attached to the fuselage by 3,5 mm wires through 

the fuselage. The front attachment is adjustable 


vertically te permit alteration of the 

stabilizer incidence by turning the 

adjustment screws in the bottom if the 

fuselage. The whole tail unit is 

secured with adjustable bracing wires. 

The ailerons are controled in a closed 

loop wire system. The wires are 

located externally on top of the upper 

wing and under the bottom of the lower 

wing (above) The upper and lower 

ailerons are connected by adjustable 

wire. In the bottom of the fuselage 2 

servos with the arms protruding 

through the fuselage bottom are 

driving the wires to the lower wing

ailerons. The wing cabane is supported by cross 

wire bracing. The observers cockpit is in the front 

and the pilots cockpit in the rear. The dummy 

engine (above) is enclosing the installed .90 4cycle 

model engine (Thunder Tiger .90). For 

display models without flying engine, the dummy 

SAITO .90, 4-stroke 

engine installed inside 

the R.A.F V-8 

dummy engine 

engine has a complete motor block. The exhaust 

stacks have a support on the upper wing center 

section that also serves as wing joint. Lead 

channels for the upper aileron wire are located 

on the inter connecting pieces. 


What is in the box: 

The ARF kit contains the parts shown in the picture. 

All the parts are covered and painted. All the rigging 

6 

4 

5 

1. Fuselage with wing cabane 

2. Landing gear 

3. Scale wheels 

4. Engine cowl 

5. Dummy engine with mount 

6. Scale propeller 

7. Tail skid assy. 

8. Fin with rudder 

K&W 

14 

Model 

Airplanes Inc. 


3 

2 

1 

wires are supplied in the correct lengths and need 

only to be clipped to their positions. 

10 

12 

12 

11 

12 

7 

9. Stabilizer / elevator 

10. Upper wing panels 

11. Lower wing panels 

12. Interplane struts 

13. Wires, turnbuckles and hardware for assembly 

(not shown) 

14. Assembly manual with scale 

documentation 

P.O.Box 1229, Cebu City Centrl. Postoffice 

Cebu City 6000, Philippines 

Visiting address: 

3343 Gun-Ob, Kinalumsan, 

Lapu-Lapu City 6015, PHILIPPINES 

Phone +63 32-340 0772, Cellular +63 917-3200 985 

Telefax +63 32-340 7131, E-mail: kwmairpl@gsilink.com 

Website: www.kwmairpl.com.ph 

9 

8

RAF Be2c British Reconnaissance Aircraft from 1915

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?