How to display a plane "in flight"

[nev]

After my F-18, my next project will probly be an F-16 that I was thinking of doing "in flight".

Any suggestions on how this can best be done?

[Aircav]

You could always stick it up em'
a clear rod that is, up the jet pipe
     
I've got some 8mm if you need any

[Leigh]

I do most of my planes in flight and almost finished my F16 Thunderbird two plane display. I just use 1/4 clear acrylic rod, heat it in a saucepan of boiling water, curve it around a bean tin or summat into a U shape, future dip, let dry. Use a small piccy frame or decorative shaped wood plaque (dollar each at Wal-Mart). Drill a hole in the base, glue in rod and slide the tail pipe on the other end. For 1/72 F-16 I had to take a short piece of 1/2" rod drill a 1/4 hole in slip it on the other rod to get a snug fit in the jet.
For twin engine jets I'll put a needle off centre in the end of the rod then put a corresponding tiny hole inside the tailpipe this stops the plane from spinning.
For Prop planes I'll make some kind of cradle out of spare clear sprue parts that'll be hidden by the plane.
I used to be able to buy the rod at Wal-Mart in the form of the twiddly things they use to adjust venetian blinds but all I've found lately is hexagonal rod, but my local modelling store turned me on to a plastics place that sells all kinds of sheets, colours, rods and theysell it by weight.
The bases i either do an epoxy mock water effect for naval, tarmac for ground aircraft. Or I'll sand real smooth and mix a reddy brown enamel wash stain the light cheap pine to look like heavy expensive wood and cover with wood varnish. Sometimes a national insignia Decal etc.  

[elmayerle]

Well, there was a nice touch on the original Revell 1/72 F-16 & F-15 where you had one engine you could "remove" for diorama purposes.  For an inflgiht display it was easy to open this engine up (clone it and open both for the F-15) and insert a clear plastic rod.  

[Ollie]

Maybe we should ask Kate Garraway about inserting clear plastic rods....


     

:dum:  :dum:  :dum:  

[nev]

Ollie, whats with you atm?  Thats 2 straight posts where you've gone all Graham Norton on us    

[Nick]

At Newhaven yesterday there was a very nice display of two 1/72 Rafale M's slightly banking over a pilot in a lifeboat on a choppy sea (sorry, no pics). The backdrop was a painted clear plastic board with plastic tubes sticking out to the exhausts to hold them up.
Beautifully done, I might even start liking the Rafale now!

Nick B)  

[Aircav]

What, the lifeboat had a clear rod sticking out of the exhausts or the pilot did ?
                         

[Ollie]

Must have been the water Nev!!

 

[Nick]

What, the lifeboat had a clear rod sticking out of the exhausts or the pilot did ?
                       

Good grief Charlie Brown!   :dum:  :dum:
The plastic rods went between the aircraft and the back wall....

Some other nice models there but nothing that really sticks apart from a 1/76 LandRover 1-ton truck made by some guy from Hornchurch club... can't think who that was now.....

Nick B)  

[Gary]

I'd rather not think about the kind of plastic rod a pilot might have sticking out of his "exhaust."

[Supertom]

Ollie, whats with you atm? Thats 2 straight posts where you've gone all Graham Norton on us

Bwahahahahaha!!!  I just had a thought of Ollie in a flightsuit modified to look like one of Graham's outrageous suits making prank calls to hobby stores!!!  

[nev]

And speaking in a camp Irish accent    

[Ollie]

Graham?  Who's that?

Someone help me here...

 

[Mairfrog]

Graham Norton is an outrageously camp Irish comedian who specialises in crude innuendo and kitsch. His trademark is to make smutty, suggestive phone calls to Americans who don't understand his British colloquiolisms. For example:

"Hello, is that Drain Kleer Florida?"
"Yes, sir, hi, how may I be of service?"
"Service? Oooh, maybe later darling" (huge audience hilarity) "Anyway, I've got a blocked passage round the back, can you help?"

Etcetera etcetera etcetera etc.

He is the latest in a long line of professional whoopsies to find great success in the UK and US. Kenneth Williams was one of the first, followed by Larry Greyson, Danny LaRue, Dale Winton, Julian Clary and reaching a peak with Mr. Humphries in Are You Being Served?.  ^_^

Norton, unlike his forebears, is rather knowing with his campness. In the days of Greyson the double-entendres were much slyer and therefore funnier, as all such left-footedness was still frowned upon. Fisrt Clary and now Norton, however, like to leave the viewer in no doubt whatsoever, indeed their favourite joke is that they're not afraid to 'ram it down peoples' throats'.

The best thing Norton ever did was playing Father Noel Furlong in Father Ted.