Ha! I love the enthusiasm Terry! I appreciate the compliments.
The model is stored on top of a display cabinet in the corner of the room. Very little chance of it getting damaged where it’s at Only real risk is when the inevitable cleaning has to occur.
This was an expensive project mostly because of the problems I had with the acrylic display cover and having to buy a custom one instead. So it may be awhile before I do another with this type of mounting, at least one this big.
I am currently working on a box scale Monogram Lockheed Constellation that will be taxiing away from a chain link fence boarding area. I have a build thread started in the Cold War aircraft section for this.
I typically have several projects going at the same time and jump from one to another to help avoid loss of modeling mojo. I have a dual 1/48 Gloster Gladiator in flight project that is mostly done but stalled at the upper wing mounting and rigging stage. I need to get that finished.
And I have an idea for an inflight flight demonstration scene involving both the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, but that one is still in my head at this point.
Reminds me of a scence from “Strategic Air Command” or “The High and Mighty” anyway I can see it in my head . . . being a Nam nut myself I’d like to see a Connie in SEA service . .
This has been the most remarkable and brilliant presentation of a model I’ve seen. I’ve been fascinated as you developed your solution and the result is superb! One question wrt the propellers. Did you make them yourself or did you buy them? I’m wanting to do some models with the propellers ‘spinning’ but haven’t found anything suitable.
Scaleber (Sorry I couldn’t find your name ), Thank you for the kind comments. I appreciate that.
The display idea came about from a desire to find new ways of displaying models in flight and some research on the Internet. I found several approaches, one of which involved what are called front face mirrors (although at the time I didn’t know they were mirrors). I tried to figure out how the displays worked and came up with the approach I used in this model. It turns out, that was not the approach used in the display I found, but I pressed on ahead with this idea to see how it would work out.
As for the propellers, I made them. They are not a product you can buy. The technique is fairly simple. I measured the diameter of the propellers and uses a circle cutter to cut them out of thin clear plastic. Then I laid out the angles of the center lines of the propeller blades (three in this case). After that I drew a small inner circle at the center where the hubs would go. I estimated the width of the amount of arc each blade should have. This was mostly a matter of what looked good to me. I measured half of that width on each side of the centerline at the tips. A line was scribed from that mark to the outside edge of the inner circle. This was done two per blade to get the final shape.
Then it was a matter of cutting them out and cleaning them up.
The coloring of the blades was done using my airbrush with black paint thinned way down, about 90 % thinner and a very low air pressure. I gradually built up the color. This required some practice on scrap plastic before I felt I could so it correctly. Then I did the same thing with yellow for the tips.
Finally, the hubs. Since there was no spinner on this plane, I removed the prop blades from the kit parts and cut off the hub mounts for the blades. The remaining hub was sanded to a nice cylindrical shape. Then it was cut in half lengthwise and the clear blades were glued between the two pieces of the hub. A small amount of filler was used to hide the seam.
I actually painted the blades after assembling them to the hub.
I should also mention that I got this idea from another modeler on the Internet named Roland.
Many thanks for the detail! I’m going to give it a try but am definitely not in your class. That said, I’ve learnt a heck of a lot from you posts. Thanks again / Ian
This is one of the most impressive builds I have ever seen. It literally reminds me of the things the great Sheperd Paine did in his day…
It does not hurt that the AMT 1/48 A-20 is an underrated kit with accurate shapes (except some of the gear strut angles, irrelevant here), so all that effort will not be out done by later new tooling. I particularly like the dingy and how enhanced the clear parts look, as I know these items well.
I often represent spinning spinners (but sitting on the ground) with mere hubs with paint effects done by spinning on a drill (an effect which does not work at all the same way with every hub type, and is particularly dubious on the Me-109G), but here the effect achieved is among the most convincing I have seen. Since the A-20 did use torpedoes(?), I would have tried to suggest the line in the water was a dropped torpedo, but your idea did convince me to try something along those lines in the future.
The effect is really magical, and is enhanced by the height off the water. I will from now on consider attempting such a display, perhaps over land with a low long agricultural wall, or road edge, to try to conceal the contact area of the clear partition.
A great and original effort, executed to an impeccable standard. I wish such a thing was not so rare, but it is.
Thank you! Your very thoughtful response is very much appreciated.
I believe why this presentation seems to work is a combination of the various elements working together to somewhat fool the eye. When I started this, I resolved to try a variety of new techniques and ideas, foremost being an alternative to the traditional aircraft on a stick.
But I also went into this with the understanding that it is an attempt at a representation of an event. An artistic version if you will, although I do not consider myself that good of an artist. I’m really more of an engineering type who has always been willing to try new things. I knew that some parts of the model support were going to be visible and accepted this, trying only to minimize it where I could.
BUt most importantly, I am a person that watches and tries to learn from the what other people do. Nearly everything with this build is something I first learned about on the Web or in books. Sometimes I try my own approach to something, and I am glad that I can contribute in some way to the community of modelers. But I am extremely thankful that others are also willing to share their own ideas, because this is what community is really all about, people helping people…
Anyway, I am rambling, trying to find an appropriate response to your post. Thank you again. I look forward to someday seeing your version of this sort of display.
I appreciate the compliments.
