Fiddlers Green

I couldn't model my way out of a paper bag compared to most of you, but I certainly have fun trying!

I'll start with a few I've thrown together that ended up on the son's shelf:



I think he tried re-enacting that San Diego mid-air judging by the look of things.

He'll play with them until they're all crumpled up. Then I'll make him another one or two.

I even assembled the Panzer to go with his plastic army guys:

Here's a few shots of the Cobra:







My Second heli, the first being the S-55 (no pics of that).

Perhaps the only model I will ever make where I nailed the fuselage cross-section perfectly (it's a box!).

Used superglue for the first time on this one- it's a mess. I'll have to try using the gel for better results. You can see where I applied too much glue on the rotor housing and in attaching the starboard rocket pod.

After I glued the main rotor on, I realized I had it on backwards! Doh!

I noticed when shooting the top pic that the horizontal stabilizer was broke.

Used a plastic red-colored coffee-stir for the tail powershaft. I also used jumbo paperclips for the landing struts and skids, and tail skid. I also used telephone-guage copper wire in the main rotor to stiffen them, although I think they're probably stiff enough being so relatively short.

Exhaust cone pointed up way too much and I didn't cut out the engine inlets.

I wasn't expecting much from this one, but was extremely impressed at how precisely the fuselage fit together- and all one piece too!. The nose needed some trimming, but I was very much surprised and impressed at how much it came together.

I also learned that superglue works best on porous materials (like it says on the tube), and does not bond effectively when gluing two straws together.

Great looking models! My son (just over 1 1/2) has turned a few of mine into rubble as well.

The Supersabre:









First cardmodel that I decided to do something with the landing gear down. Mostly scratch-built using toothpicks for the struts. I got the main wheels a tad too-wide. I liked having a little detail on the gear doors too.

The printer was low on ink when I printed this one, but since it was my first build of it, I didn't care. Turns out I like the b&w detail of the underside anyway- lots of panels and lines to keep the eye busy for a bit.

Used superglue gel on this one and got much better results, although the cross-section of this one gave me fits. I couldn't quite get the oval-shaped air intake correct. I also had a terrible gap above where the wings meet the fuselage. I ran out of gel and had to resort to using the regular superglue when putting the wing fences on- and promptly applied way too much AGAIN!

I also couldn't get the dorsal spine to line up exactly with either the vertical stab or the canopy. I also glued some angled tabs straight along the inside edge of where the canopy would go. This gave me an excellent surface on which to glue the canopy so it went exactly where it was supposed to. I also cut a slot into the fuselage under the canopy and glued a penny to give it some nose-weight. This one is tail-heavy without it.

My favorite part was the nosegear.

The Fury:

(Reading the thread on Jerry's models got me interested in this one- only 11 pieces!)











Finished this one over the weekend yesterday (5 April). It's the "large" version. Used Aleene's clear tacky glue on this one and used too much on the wings- you can see the warp clearly on the trailing edges in the 3rd pic above. How to cure that?

The tail came out perfect on this one.

After gaining some confidence with the gear on the Hun, I decided to keep the tires and toss everything else gear-wise for this one. I accidently tossed the instructions too and scratch-built the landing gear from memory. That's why the nose gear looks funny- I don't think it lags quite to that extreme. Built the gear covers from scratch too.

This one required not one, but 3 pennies in the nose to sit properly on the tri-gear. With the engine so far back in this thing, I wondered how it could ever fly being tail-heavy, but maybe it wasn't. The nose was mostly hollow air duct so the engine could breathe, but it sure looks tail-heavy to me.

Great job on all the models. The Fury came out super.

All your models look great . I think the Fury is my favourite - super job. I too was surprised with how well the Cobra turned out for such a relatively simple model. Keep it up!

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Last completed: Star Wars Imperial Star Destroyer
Current Build(s): Nothing at the moment
http://chrissmodels.webs.com

nice goin .....looks like u been busy

_________________
Laterz
Possm_23
Never say anything you wouldnt think out loud!
Take your time leavin.....but hurry back!!!!
Every tub has to sit on its own bottom!!!!

Very nice! I like that Fury as well. Super job.

Wow that is one nice Fury.

Thanks all!

I have been busy- just NOT with model building unfortunately.

I recently renewed my permanent folder and hadn't visited the discussion groups in awhile. I noticed the topics that garnered the most traffic were here in the "What I've Built" category and finally got around to shooting some pics and posting them.

Some models I've attempted but given up mid-way through:

B-52- there's a big problem with the landing gear layout, so I'm doing my own repaint.
F-102- I'm still trying to figure out the curved air intakes and aerodynamic bulges.
T-33/P-80- same issue on the side air intakes. Me no likely curves too much.

A model I wish I had a picture of:
Stearman PT-17 - I made one for my wife's grandfather who retired as a bird Colonel at Dyess AFB in Abilene, TX. Their hallway was a virtual time machine filled with all manner of photos highlighting his career in the USAF. In one b&w photo, he's standing next to a Stearman in the exact same color-scheme as the model, in his flight leather and scarf flopping in the wind. The family had a big reunion for Thanksgiving 2 years ago, so I decided to make one and give it to him then. He was speechless. He got teary-eyed. He said I "got it right". The other aviators in the family couldn't believe it was made from cardstock.

His oldest son joined the AF and they both were in SE Asia at the same time for awhile. When we went to visit (Lubbock's only a 2-hour drive), I would spend hours listening to him tell stories of flight training, flying B-17s out of Dalhart AAF, being assigned to secret missions to develop airborne radar, and flying refueling missions for SAR helicopters going deep in-country to rescue downed airmen in Vietnam. He was a living book in every sense Bradbury described in Farenheit 451.

Dyess AFB has an incredible mile-long stretch of aircraft on static display just inside the main gate. We were frequent visitors and he would answer every question my 5 year old son and I could pose about the machines we explored.

Sadly, both he and his wife are undergoing the final stages of Alzheimer's and Parkinsons- and the stories are gone now...

Beautiful work!
Aside from that, the idea is to have fun with this. That's why I go nuts (every now and then) and make something outrageous.
Lep

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"TANSTAAFL !" "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch!" Lazarus Long AKA Robert A. Heinlein

Currently working on: FG Wippet 1/72
Recently Completed: FG FT-17 Dio 1/38

uh oh. What'd you do now, Lep?

that is scary aint it AZ and oh...by the way MOCR...dont tell off on yourself so much....most of us would never know the difference...i still think they look like great builds to me...at least yours are finished....lol

_________________
Laterz
Possm_23
Never say anything you wouldnt think out loud!
Take your time leavin.....but hurry back!!!!
Every tub has to sit on its own bottom!!!!

_________________
On Silent Wings I Fly.

Just finished:FG's Large Hawker Typhoon

http://satellitedoctor.mysite.com/
http://flybirdman.4t.com/
Spoke wheel Tutorial
http://flybirdman.4t.com/box_widget.html

We havin fun yet?[b][/b]