Hobbit Pilots

Librarian · February 15, 2015, 10:40:13 AM

Good! Got your attention. A world like ours but with three advanced hominid species. What we think of as humans are 1/48 scale. On a very large island continent are another advanced species (think Planet Elekton - Trigan Empire) but they are the equivalent of 1/72 scale, perfectly formed, nothing dwarvish.

This allows me to make aircraft of two scales BUT I need advice on things like propeller/engine power, armament etc. Could this be feasible? Although 1/72 would they carry 1/48 guns etc. Ideas please, I'd be very interested in your thoughts.

eatthis · February 15, 2015, 10:46:23 AM

im the worlds biggest hobbit

Mossie · February 15, 2015, 11:54:51 AM

Nah, wrong forum, this is real-world!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_floresiensis

pyro-manic · February 15, 2015, 11:59:10 AM

Quote from: Librarian on February 15, 2015, 10:40:13 AM
perfectly formed, nothing dwarvish.

What you got against dwarves??

Librarian · February 15, 2015, 12:03:10 PM

Quote from: Mossie on February 15, 2015, 11:54:51 AM
Nah, wrong forum, this is real-world!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_floresiensis

We're singing from the same hymn book....they were the inspiration behind my idea

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maxmwill · February 15, 2015, 12:13:33 PM

Hmmmmm, seems t'me that some few here may be developing some bad hobbits, the problem being that is very hobbit forming, and that the only way to resolve this is to start buying bottles of Frodoze, and start chanting, "one pill to rule them all, one pill to find them, one pill to bind them, and one pill to rule them all and in darkness to find them, in the land of Fordor, when the Dodge Shadows lie"

Or, are nuns with bad hobbits being dealt with?

Librarian · February 15, 2015, 01:09:03 PM

....it's hobbit-forming.

maxmwill · February 15, 2015, 03:18:43 PM

Only until a few pills of Frodoze are used.

Go4fun · February 15, 2015, 06:58:07 PM

This is as bad as when they announced small 4 cylinder powered sprint-style cars could no longer be called 'Midget Racers' but had to be called "Size Challenged Racers"
So if I found a 1:48th auto kit and installed a 1:24th engine and drive line would that be a Hobbit Car?

philp · February 15, 2015, 07:35:49 PM

Think it would depend on who is building the equipment. If it is the human sized people than that would be the scale I would have the equipment. This would take some modifications for the smaller people to be able to operate.
I think it would be very hard for a 72nd figure to operate a 48th scale rifle for example, but could maybe handle a 48th scale .50 cal.

It is also possible that if both sizes are on the same side than modifications would be made to equipment so the smaller statue people would be able to operate them effectively.

Librarian · February 16, 2015, 05:08:28 AM

What I have in mind is a very powerful, super-rich Imperium, allied with a race of smaller humans. Both share ideas etc. I've read that to design a warplane you take a set of average humans dimensions, design the cockpit around those and then pile the aircraft around that. The aircraft could be a lot smaller if the pilots were a lot smaller, but would they use/require smaller HP engines and, consequently, propellers etc. To be in the fight, so to speak, and for supply to forward units, armament would have to be the same.

so, for eg, could a 1/72 Keiun

http://modelingmadness.com/scott/axis/previews/finemolds/fp23p.htm

which is big in that scale, be upgunned to 1/48 specs, but keep its propeller. I'd suspect it would need to be broader.

ps in the world I'm working on oxygen levels from sea level up are slightly higher than those here/now.

Weaver · February 16, 2015, 05:28:42 AM

Okay, random thoughts:

1. First post mentioned three species, but you've only defined two: the humans (1/48th scale) and the hobbits (1/72nd scale). What are the third species like?

2. What scale are the people the humans & midgets are fighting?

3. Using small pilots in small planes doesn't get you much of an advantage: it's still just a small plane. The real advantage would come with a full-size plane (1/48th) that had a hobbit pilot, since it would have more disposable payload for fuel and/or weapons. The G-tolerance of the hobbits might be greater too, though it would be even better if they actually were a bit dwarf-like, i.e. short and round with big hearts, since their circulation system would them be pumping blood a shorter distance to their brains with more pressure behind it.

4. You can already see a degree of adaption to small statures in the real world. A lot of older Japanese equipment was sized for smaller humans. There's also the example of the Singaporean Ultimax 100 light machine-gun, whose soft-recoil system was originally developed to make it handleable by slightly-built Asian soldiers. When you see one being used by a strapping six-foot Anglo-Saxon, it looks like a toy.

Librarian · February 16, 2015, 05:55:33 AM

1) Haven't quite sorted out the third bunch yet, but none of that Voltan/Aquaman cr*p.

2) that's a point...hadn't got that far yet

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3) It was the g-tolerance that interested me, I'd suspect the pilot/planes would end up being very nimble, trading a lower tolerance to combat damage (again, Japanese connection).

I've seen occasionally two third scale replicas of military equipment at airshows, there was/is a FW190 out there like that. I suspect the pilot got a bit cramped but wonder if it gained in speed/manoeuvrability etc.

It's a work in progress at the moment and really an excuse for me to add a bit of fun (plus of course a few nice 1/72 models) to a long term project

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One large island continent will still have a few large reptiles banging about just for the heck of it.

Weaver · February 16, 2015, 01:01:09 PM

Quote from: Flyer on February 16, 2015, 06:24:10 AM
Quote from: Librarian on February 16, 2015, 05:55:33 AM

I've seen occasionally two third scale replicas of military equipment at airshows, there was/is a FW190 out there like that. I suspect the pilot got a bit cramped but wonder if it gained in speed/manoeuvrability etc.

The W.A.R. range of replica's are quoted as being 50% replica's, but I think they average out to be around 3/4 or 2/3 scale and are powered by a variety of engines but all are around 100Hp, because of their lighter construction and no need to carry armor or weapons they would have excessively greater maneuverability much like R/C models do compared to their full size counterparts, but their lighter weight and small Hp range (not to mention changes to airfoil sections etc...) would mean their top speed would be far less, more in the range of a fast general aviation (Cessna etc...) aircraft. If they scaled the engine power to match the scaled airframe, including the wing section etc... then a increase in speed and manoeuvrability may be noted. And yes, I believe a change of prop would be necessary.

I myself am very interested in this topic and I am looking forward to seeing where you go with it.

Plus, making the plane smaller doesn't make the job it has to do smaller, nor the equipment needed to do it. Adding 6 x .50 cal MGs to a half-size Mustang would have a lot more effect on it's performance than it would if you were adding them to a full-size one.

Weaver · February 16, 2015, 01:06:20 PM

The size of the opposition is a big deal. If it's humans+hobbits vs other humans+hobbits then it's probably more effective to have each species fighting it's own kind. Little people fighting big people have to get creative though, because the size of bullet needed to take down the opposition is bigger, but the amount of recoil you can take is still the same. Depending on the degree of size difference, they might have to adopt some of the technologies used in real-world anti-armour warfare, such as recoilless launchers and explosive warheads.