Shapeways 1/144 BE.2C models are finished!

The last of my early war add on's were the BE.2C models. Done up in early war Western Front colors, the BE.2's will serve as targets and objectives as they attempt to perform recon and spot targets for the artillery. At first not equipped with a weapon, armament advanced to carrying a Lee-Enfield rifle for the observer and eventually evolved to a single machinegun covering the aircraft's rear. Mind you, the observer seated in the front seat was firing this gun backwards, past the pilot.

The BE.2 had a long service career and like so many other planes served well past it's expiration date. The crews suffered heavy losses against the more efficient Albatross and Halberstadt fighters.

Prop discs are from the Aerodrome store. I like how the discs really make the model pop as opposed to the static prop.

The planes were printed in White Strong and Flexible. I did the typical base coats of PVC glue followed by layers of clear gloss. In this case, the prints were very rough and required heavy amounts of sanding. The unpainted surface had what looked like a wood grain texture due to the printing process. It's not the end of the world and it can be restored, but it takes a LOT of work. I almost complained to Shapeways, but in the end, the models are still serviceable gaming pieces. 

The bases are from Litko. Rare earth magnets connect the model to the flight stand post.

Decales are from Dom's Decals and Woodland Scenics (for the numbers.)

Hobby craft paint was used for the yellow. This particular color is Lemonade.

I went a little overboard on the exhaust stains on the upper wing surface. Guess this crate has a chronic oil leak!

The oil stain is very evident in this image.