Hmmm.  Pictures of the Turbine Car,  I must take some.  It's in the "holding" display case because I want to take it to the next Model Car Club meeting (June theme is "any colour but red*).  It is therefore close to hand.  i'll endeavour remember to take some snaps tomorrow.

In other news I have been distracted by a build from the Shelves of Lost Interest.  It's a 1/12 kitbash combining a Revell Bone Daddy chopper motorsickle  and a Revell Kawasaki CHiPs bike.  The chopper came with an american vee twin engine of copyright avoiding non-specificity.  These potato-potato engines hold no interest for me so it was sent off to a new home many years ago to be replaced with the DOHC four cylinder engine from the Kwak.
I had partially modified the frame and begun PSR when I lost interest and put it away.
Having recently experienced renewed interest in motorcycle models I got it down and had a rummage.
During its time on the shelf it appears the carpet monster climbed up, entered the box and stole part of the engine.  One end of the cylinder head to be precise.
This was irritating but after pondering an engine change I decided not to let the thieving swine win and today started scratchbulding a replacement.
Its an air-cooled engine so the head is finned meaning best construction method is to build it up with layers of appropriate thickness styrene card.





*because the September meeting is always Italian Cars and Red Cars.

Progress today on the WOT8, Do-17, and CHoPs.

WOT8 rolling chassis is nearly complete.  Carpet monster stole the prop shaft from the transfer case to the front axle but I have scratched up a replacement.  I painted the engine today.  It's a nicely detailed Ford flathead V8 which will not be seen once the cab is built.  Which got me thinking about the Re-Engined GB...

Do-17 is now a winged fuselage.  Fit of the lower wing halves to the one piece upper is not as good as I expected from an Airfix of this newness but it is still better than a lot others.
I really should get the floats built and modified because their fit is not going to be good given their moulds date from 1964.

CHoPs is what I have been calling my combination of a Revell CHiPs Kawasaki motor in a Revell chopper frame.  I've now finished the first round of PSR (begun about 15 years ago using Tamiya stinky yellow) on the frame, and having scratchbuilt the part I lost from the cylinder head (can you see a theme developing here) I have begun making engine mounts.  This isn't as easy as it could be given the frame was made for a fore and aft vee-twin and the engine is an across the frame four.

I also pulled out the kit for the 1WGB and added some extra parts to the box.

So, two GB deadlines have passed and Expo is over.

Back to my regular (chaotic) building routine.

Currently under way I have Black Widow 2 trike, Do 17z floatplane, Su 76c tank, CHoPs motorcycle, Pigsticker motorcycle (not told you about this one which is a repair job that grew), an Ita Sha Toyota I wrecked the transfers on dealing with an ants nest inside it, WOT8 truck, and the Venus Lander dio-base.

In addition I have a 1/24 Monogram High Roller Chevelle ready to be started for next years Ballarat show special theme.  i'm hoping to get an early start for once.  The theme is animal kingdom and I was very happy with how the giraffe skin paintjob turned out on the Venus Lander so I want to try it out on a car body.

And of course the Bf 110 wings on a 109 fuselage idea.  I was going to use a Hasegawa Emil for the fuselage and central engine until I realised the Italeri 110 I bought cheap as a wing donor was a G and so has DB 605's whereas the 109 has a DB 601.  That in itself wouldn't have worried me except for the early spinner which would have stuck out like a sore appendage.  A peer in the stash revealed the only 605 powered 109 in there is an AZ G-0 with the vee tail parts missing (used on a long winged H-0) and I thought "hmmmm, too good to use for this" and so consulted evil-bay.
Obviously that logic deserted me shortly after as I appear have bought an AZ G-6 Slovak Aces boxing to use instead.  My reasoning is I think was that the G-6 cost less than the amount I paid for the G-0.  I can't even argue i'll use the transfers as I feel the same way about quisling nations as Lee does.
I did mock up 110 upper wing halves against the Hasegawa 109 fuselage anti is going to look great.  Nice long wings to keep Kit happy.  I think i'll insert it into the "My Sky the free Winds" anime universe.
The kit is coming from WA.  Should get here from Wednesday next to the Monday after that.

Unfortunately (for my wallet) BNA today sent me an email which included in the list of the stock they have just received, the new SWB Landrover tow truck kit.

Quote from: zenrat on June 21, 2023, 05:51:39 AMUnfortunately (for my wallet) BNA today sent me an email which included in the list of the stock they have just received, the new SWB Landrover tow truck kit.

Tell me about it! My wallet is not only screaming, it's fighting back!

Not only did I get a "Back in Stock" notice for the AK 1/35 IDF & LAF FJ43 SUV w/Soft Top, they've also received the AK 1/35 Land Rover 88 Series IIA & 1/35 UNIMOG S 404 into stock!!          

I had to make a choice between Unimog, Land Rover, and Landcruiser.  Land Rover tow truck won.

More painting of the fiddley bits of the Su.76c today.
Then onto the Do.17.  Tail parts are in place (minus the rudders so far) and it'll be ready for paint soon.
But before that I have to figure out a float mounting and build the floats.
I removed the major float parts from their (Ju-52) sprues today and fit is terrible while sprue attachment points are huge and blobby.  Airfix, if they ever repop this again, will need to give the moulds some serious TLC.
As this is going to be an amphibian I have cut holes for the wheels in the bottom of the floats.
I have also begun adding styrene inside the floats so there is actually something solid to glue to when I assemble the halves.

Mockup on a stand.
When I build the struts the fuselage will be closer to the water.  Since the pic I have fixed the main wheels into the floats.  I still have to figure out the tail wheel mechanism.

Do.17 WIP 23-06-23 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

How about nosewheels instead? Like the DC-3 floatplanes?

looking very cool    there is always something about a floatplane     

Quote from: PR19_Kit on June 23, 2023, 03:18:22 AMHow about nosewheels instead? Like the DC-3 floatplanes?

I thought about those Kit (in fact it was my original plan) but I think that they would look too modern.

 

Still sick and so not got to the shed.

But i've been thinking about this and looking at pictures on the interweb doing research.
I want to add water rudders to the floats which on DC3s appear to hinge upwards.  This wouldn't be needed if I put the other set of wheels at the back of the floats but I will have to scratchbuild two identical undercarriage units engineered to lift (note - not actually functioning, but looking like they would IRL).
On the other hand wheels at the front of the floats will require more cutouts in the bottom parts and a box built inside of each (not necessary for the main wheels as the wheels hide the view of the inside).
The upper parts of the floats are now fully reinforced with angle section styrene to give something for the lowers to be glued too.  But they are going to require a s**t load of PSR.

I thought about a system with connected "tail" wheels & rudders, where when one goes down the other goes up (Get your mind out of the gutter!) & vice-versa, but in the few seconds I thought about it I didn't come up with a viable solution (as the rudders would need to be steerable while the wheels wouldn't).

Quote from: Old Wombat on June 25, 2023, 06:51:31 AMI thought about a system with connected "tail" wheels & rudders, where when one goes down the other goes up (Get your mind out of the gutter!) & vice-versa, but in the few seconds I thought about it I didn't come up with a viable solution (as the rudders would need to be steerable while the wheels wouldn't).

Hmmm, I have an idea one of the umpteen Grumman float/seaplanes does just that, but I've NO idea which one I'm thinking of.

Looking at sea planes and amphibian aircraft you can see that all aircraft fitted with floats have the landing gear nose wheels mounted at the front ..thats got to be a balance thing ..seaplanes with a tail wheel like the Grumman Goose has the entire fuselage as a float ..so they can land like a normal tail sitter..float planes can't...it's something to do with how the wheels track when the hit the ground ..im pretty sure it's been tried before but it didn't work so as uou see today..they all have nose wheels..from the very cool DC3 float plane down to a little Cessna 150.
The steering of the rubbers is controlled by the movement of the tail ..what I can't remember is how which is annoying me to know end.

I thought about having fatter than usual rudders with wheels in.  Steering Spats?  Sprudders?
But wasn't sure how they would perform hydrodynamically.

Anyhoo, I had a rummage in my bag of undercarriages today and found a pair of legs from a PM/Airfix Ta.154 (horrible kit - which coincidentally became a flying boat) and some wheels of unknown origin.
Once the legs are modified to give them some caster they will be mounted in slots in the noses of the floats, pivoting forwards when raised.  I know i've seen this arrangement on something but I can't remember where.  But anyway I feel that this will look suitably period and in keeping with the rest of the aircraft.