1/144 Latécoère Quatre Moteur "Tophe"

[Daryl J.]

This is just so  good!   



Daryl J., slackjawed and tickled pink

[ysi_maniac]

Love your model, really! 

[sideshowbob9]

That really is a clever idea and brilliant execution! Bravo! 

[Weaver]

That's excellent and inspired Brian - nice one! 

[frank2056]

Brian,
You've turned a sow's ear (or "Wilde Sau") into a silk purse!

With push and pull engines!

[Tophe]

from a brilliant engineer and mathematician from Groupe Latécoère who went only by the enigmatic name Christophe, known to his friends as Tophe.
The original "Tophe" prototype made a non-stop trial flight from Toulouse to the colony of French Guyana in August, 1932

The grand son of engineer Tophe (myself) has actually lived in Toulouse, yes (1975-1982)... And my best friend in 1977 had his father living in French Guyana (for the Ariane rocket space program). How did you guess all that, Brian? Why not becoming billionnaire instead (guessing the right numbers of the lotto)?

[Doc Yo]

 Quite beautiful!

[Tophe]

Tophe reports that he received it intact, to my great relief.

Here is how the 4 parts arrived, perfectly, back in France from America (according to the story History). Next week-end, French mechanicians will build it up again, but... with French wine overconsumption (I prefer coke as far as I am concerned), I am a little afraid... this perfect model, absolutely true, may start a what-if second life. Fortunately, Brian's photographs will keep forever the original layout...

[Brian da Basher]

Mon Dieu! I had no idea it broke like that!

I'm glad the pictures will help you put it back together Tophe. Looks like the various postal/customs authorities did take "Fragile" as an invitation to play football with it.

I'm sorry, mon ami. I tried to pack it securely but it looks like to no avail.

Brian da Basher

[Stargazer]

There used to be a time when the word "Fragile" on a parcel meant something to the postal workers. I realized this changed when a post office clerk once said to me: "Whether you write it or not doesn't make a difference, it has no official value". They just chuck the parcels into the bags and then bounce the bags, they couldn't care less that someone is carrying something fragile in it. Another answer I once got was: "If you want it to get there safe, use the Chronopost service (UPS kind of thing) but then it's 20 dollars just to send a parcel, which is kind of expensive...

[Brian da Basher]

I'd have gladly paid more than $20 for it arrive in one piece.

*sigh*

Brian da Basher

[Stargazer]

Yeah, but then I realize it's 20 dollars for a LETTER, parcels are at least double that I think!

[Tophe]

Mon Dieu! I had no idea it broke like that!

Uh? Is it "broken"? The cut in two of the fuselage is so clean, perfect, I was absolutely sure this was a voluntary way to include it in a smaller parcel. I am not sure, but I thought the 2 parts of the fuselage were in separate bags, no? Or/and the spats, separatly, I don't remember, I was so happy discovering, I did not note everything...
Anyway, this separation in parts is an invitation to create something a little different maybe. You made a very perfect Laté Quatre Moteurs, than I may what-if this (secretly what-if-) looking-real model... almost "too much serious" for my crazy collection... (for family visitors ignoring all of aviation History).
Thanks again, don't blame the postal services: I am delighted, indeed. I swear.

PS. Thinking about it, I may understand the misunderstanding: to have the normal tailplanes on a fuselage upside down, the tail had to be cut off the fuselage, thus there was a fragile point there. But before reading your inverted-He-219 source, I could not imagine that, so it seemed not accidental.

[Daryl J.]

BdB,

That was mighty fine of you to send off your work to someone else like you did.   



Daryl J., feelin' your pain

[B777LR]

I'd have gladly paid more than $20 for it arrive in one piece.

*sigh*

Brian da Basher

You should rather pack it well. Fill the box up to the brim with padding or foamy material. If the model can't move, and it doesn't come in direct contact with the box, it is hard to break.