The SPAD XIII meets Dr. J. on a weekend night: The project begins

[Daryl J.]

Preamble for the What-if Modelers site:  The following below is a rough draft of what should get posted to Hypescale in due time; we're already in tune with what's happening over here.  Feel free to skip this thread for a while.      I'll edit this first box with photos/updates until I don't need to use this reverse image iSight webcam in the Mac.



With the discussion boards rife with enthusiasm (and deservedly so) for the WW-1 line from the all new Wingnut Wings,  I decided to see first if I can do WW-1 aircraft before dropping very large green sheets of high quality paper on boxes with high quality plastic from New Zealand.   Ye Olde Stash was raided and Hobbycraft's rather nice SPAD got procured for a trip along into the desert where I work.

But SPADs, Sopwith Camels, and Tripes are so cliche.  They're neat, they're cool, they're cliche.   However, there is this little aside place in the InterWorld known as www.whatifmodelers.com.   Ideas abound freely everywhere, many of which are near genius, and what I contribute is tolerated well enough.  So the idea is to uncliche the cliche and let loose from life for a while, be it briefly, be it longer.

You see, we as people depend on time. Time itself is everywhere; we use it.   As kitbuilders, we search for an exactness; a detail that fits our liking and we get good at it.  But what if that exactness became a most alternative exactness?  What if the build stepped outside convention and existed in a time where time itself were disrupted as we know it?  The future, the present, the past, the far past all become one, a togetherness not possible with fact, a mixture of the eras.  A blend yet presented as fact.   That is how cliche falls off, or at least for the 1/32 Hobbycraft SPAD XIII. 

The necessary commencement photo of the kit and the accompanying inspiration (Thank-you Scotland):




^^^^^
Writing in mirror image is not that easy.....    


Yet to arrive:  Tamiya Stegosaurus in 1/35 along with the Harley riding motorcycle figure set also from Tamiya.




The preliminary goal:   The Stego wears a harness and is the aircraft tug; his spiked tail cushioned with 'Remove before Fight' covers.   To entice him to work, a sapphire (we all know how much dinosaurs need their jewels!) is hung just out of reach in front of him.   The SPAD gets all metal wings and the linen is clear doped and weathered.  Alternative materials such as carbon fiber may be used.   No markings at all.   In the cockpit a MFD augments an antiquated instrument or two.   The flight officer supervises the Stego and the tow on his MAGLEV bike.  Possibly, the 'bike' would be lit with a pale blue LED underneath (not unlike these rice burner 'glowriders' buzzing about SoCal) to represent energy.    3 Whiffs, one Vignette.  Name: undecided. 

The backup plan:  If the Stego gets blitzed, and it may, the Harley would get converted into a three wheeled tug with rather large steel wheels suitable for a small steam engine.    Should that become the plan, a second figure would have an iPod plugged into a tube amp powered laptop or the like.  Again trying to meet the visual goal of 3 Whiffs, one Vignette.

As it's late, the project begins tomorrow after work.   


AFN,
Daryl J.

[Edit 15 April 09]  Wings sanded down ready for Mr. Surfacer 500.  Some parts of tooling appear to have 'sags' that are deeper than others.  PSR rules!

[captainsmirk]

To save yourself the grief of writing backwards I believe there is a function to flip the pictures taken so they are the right way round. Its in the Edit menu.

Hope that helps.


Nick

[Daryl J.]

Really?   Will try it.
Thanks!



Daryl J.