Bede BD-5/5J Snowbirds (CT-175/175A)

[JayBee]

So who is going to do a Raspberry Ripple BD5? 

Why have you done that to me? Now I will have to choose whether to do a prop or jet or another Skean Dhu.

[kitnut617]

Wait!
If it is the SNOWBIRDS, shouldn't it be more than four planes?

My AH is that military funding will be drastically cut and the Snowbirds (with their obsolete Tutors) were the first to get the chop.  But some well-healed aviation fellows donated a couple of Bedes and two more were purchased through donations.  Notice I said 'will be' as these are set in the future, about 2015 as Bill Burns has added some 45th anniversary markings to the decals I asked him to do for me (which anyone can buy if you go onto his website  http://www.canmilair.com/products.asp?cat=19&pg=11  )   These aircraft will be designated CT-175.

[kitnut617]

Today I've sorted out how these little guys are going to be displayed, I've not done a 'wheels-up' in yonks and I've made up a stand for them.  I'm working on some decals to place on the stand base which will look a little like this in the photo only they will be lined up much better. I did this just to get the right size for the fonts and to size them to the base.

[kitnut617]

On Wednesday, me and the missus went to the Airdrie Airshow just north of Calgary (I know, very odd day to have a show) and the Snowbirds were there doing a very nice display, the best I've seen them do IMHO.  I paid special attention on how they flew in formation as I'm going to try and set these up very similar.

I've still got quite a bit of work to do on these, the red has come out a bit to bright too, at least in these photos it is which isn't how it appears in the flesh.  Once I get them done I'll take some much better photos as this is just a test.

[GTX]

Looks great

Regards,

Greg

[Chap]

Wonderful work so far Kitnut! I love the display stand.

~Steve

[kitnut617]

Thanks guys,

I'm going to try something I've never done before. As I want to display the models in flight, I don't want to have stationary props showing.  I've seen some people get around this by adding a disc of clear styrene to represent a spinning prop, but sometimes it just doesn't look right.  So I'm going to make a decal on clear decal sheet with some prop tip stripes which will look blurred and then apply it to the clear styrene.  Here you can see how I'm doing the decals for the stand and props, the prop decals have a solid circle which will be a guide for me to cut the styrene once the decal has dried properly, the line will be cut out completely so all that's left should be the 'blurs'   ---- hopefully  

The photo below is just a trial run done on plain paper, I'll cut a piece of decal sheet that is just big enough to print the decals on and tape it onto another sheet of paper, that way I don't waste a whole decal sheet.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Brilliant idea Robert, simply brilliant 

Ian

[Eddie M.]

The best inflight of multiple aircraft I've seen! The subjects are very cool. Looks like a "shoulda been" to me

[anthonyp]

I just discovered this kit myself earlier this year.  All kinds of potential with such a small airplane.  I never thought of Snowbirds, though.  That's pretty cool!

[kitnut617]

Thanks again everyone,  maybe you can help me here,  I've been playing around with the way the prop decal will look but I can't decide which one to go with, so which of these two looks the most convincing ?

[Mossie]

'A' for me, but maybe with another set of lines between the hub & the lower set?