Suggestions for 1/72 wheel spats please

[zenrat]

G'day.
I need help.
But enough of my mental health issues.  I also need some suggestions for how to make wheel spats for a 1/72 aircraft.
Obviously I could kitbash them from something like a Stuka but then i'd be left with a Stuka to find floats for and then i'd be left with a Swordfish needing skis and it's an endless cycle.
And anyway, I need 3 as i'm converting to tricycle undercarriage.
So any suggestions?
Something teardrop shaped of the right size could be cut in half to proved 2 spats but I need to find that something.
I suppose I could build them up from sheet styrene and then file the edges down to remove the boxy look?  1mm sheet should give enough thickness to allow a fair bit of rounding.
And no, I don't resin cast.

Thanks in advance

[Ed S]

I made some a couple years ago. I made them using three layers of styrene.  The center section was the full shape of the spat with a cutout on the bottom where I could insert part of a wheel. The outer sheets of plastic filled out the thickness of the spats and covered the wheels.  I then used a file and sandpaper to shape the spats.

The model was a 1/100 He111 that I converted to a 1/72 1930's What If fighter.






Ed

[Father Ennis]

Well,you could just for some from somebody. I have a bunch I could part with.  I got floats too if anybody needs them. Just HMU ...

[zenrat]

Those look good Ed.  That's probably what i'll end up doing but I thought someone might have one of those brilliantly simple and obvious  ideas that you never think of yourself.

And yes Father, I could just ask but where's the fun in that? 
Anyway, what usually happens is people kindly send me parts and the build then stalls and I feel guilty because it looks like i've accepted their donation and then done nothing with it.
I don't want to look like one of those people you find on forums who is always begging parts but never gives anything back.

[Captain Canada]

Wander around the dollar store ( or whatever equivalent ) especially in the toy dept.

And how about the cheap pen caps ? Like Bic that still have the rounded ones...maybe cut a pair into for corners ?

[Go4fun]

Depending on the size, old Vick's (Or store brand) vapor inhalors will give you a rounded front. The newer Bic style pens might give you the taper for the rear. Very small toy or model cars (Of 1940 vintage?) fenders might give you a good starting point.
Just my (Twisted?) mind working away.

[Mossie]

Brian Da Basha had a thread on just this subject that might prove useful:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,17684.msg249077/highlight,drop+tank+spats.html#msg249077

[Father Ennis]

WoW !!!  Great article !!!  Never knew about it before.  I fully understand your not wanting to ask for parts. Makes a lot of sense to me.

[zenrat]

Canadia, Fun & Mossie - Thanks a quadrillion.  More ideas than I know what to do with.
I'm off down the shed now to see what I have in the way of drop tanks.

[zenrat]

Alas, no drop tanks (apart from some long Skyraider ones).
I do have some bombs and contemplated making finned spats but then decided i'd rather keep them for dropping on miscreants.

So I have combined a selection of suggestions and have commenced construction by cutting out some spat shapes from 1mm flat sheet and gluing them together in pairs separated by pieces of rod.
I will next fill the gap with filler (leaving a wheel sized hole in the bottom) and then file & sand them into pleasing curved shapes.

I would have taken some pics but don't you hate it when people post some fuzzy out of focus mess saying "sorry for the phone picture"?  If you were sorry you wouldn't have posted it.
No, I will wait until I take the camera (remember them kids?) down to the shed.

Hooroo