Chronic's Research and Aeronautics Project (C.R.A.P.)

[PR19_Kit]

My first train was an "ASC" something or other, and electric train. At one point I found an open-ish stretch of track and broke ALL the damn rules and regulations and got up to a speed of 143 miles per hour.

That will have been an Acela, and it TILTS too. 

Well the real one does anyway, not sure about the Train Sim version.

Hope the groin strain eases off, that sounds NO fun at all.

[TheChronicOne]

It did!! I was wondering what that was about. Handy feature. Probably made a difference keeping me from de-railing on my ridiculous "speed run." It wasn't really apparent at slower speeds but up over 100MPH it was noticeable. 

Going to try to gain access to a diesel electric  and haul some freight next time around. Nothing like the sound of one of those!  "WOOB-WOOB-WOOB-WOOB!"   

[PR19_Kit]

I almost hate to get really techie in a place like this, but.............

Tilt systems on trains don't help the train get around the curve any faster, the system is designed so that even in a hard over failure the wrong way (the vehicle body tilted outwards when it ought to be inwards) it won't derail the train. The tilt system's purely for passenger comfort, but it looks cool too. 

Here's a pic of the Advanced Passenger Train taken during the tests in 1974 to determine if the hard-over failure mode was dangerous or not. The train was running at around 110 mph at the time.

Of course someone had to be aboard the failed coach to actually MAKE it tilt the wrong way.............guess who........... 

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks for the lesson!!  It works psychologically at least.     


How did you not soil yourself during that?!  I have nightmares of travelling overspeed through turns in vehicles and flying off. I would be in pure anxiety panic mode. Of course, I'm not privy to the engineering aspects and can't console myself with that knowledge but.... Still!!!     So...  how did you "cause" the hard-over failure in that one coach? Hydraulics and some sort of special control panel set up for the task or did you run really fast from side to side like a maniac? 

[PR19_Kit]

I was well used to travelling at silly tilt angles by then, I'd been doing it since running our first test train in 1971.

The vehicles all had twinned control channels, right from the sensors down to the control valves and we could switch from one channel to the other at the flick of a switch. I set up one channel so it worked properly and the other so it was in reverse phase, and just switched from the correct one to the reverse one when the Control Coach guys called me over the intercom that we were entering the curve.

I was well braced against the side of the coach by then of course! 

[TheChronicOne]

Understood...  fascinating stuff. Not complicated at all then.. kind of like hooking up control wires the wrong way for ailerons or whatever.


All this has me wanting to dig out my old HO electric train stuff out. I laid eyes on it all about a year and a half ago.    It even worked...  erm... back in the mid 80s!    Maybe it still does.

[TheChronicOne]

Ok! Update time. Feeling much better today. The last week or so has been miserable. I aggrivated and re-aggrivated those muscles and it tried to shut down my digestive system. I got plugged up and couldn't do much. If I tried to eat anything else, it just wouldn't go. Felt like I swallowed a beach ball. Those muscles decided they had enough and just weren't up to the task. Couldn't really belch, couldn't pass gas, couldn't poop. It's hard to describe how unconfortable this is. All compounded by the pain medicine and muscle relaxers I'm having to take.  Over a period of 5 days I only managed 3 small meals each 24 hours apart and then for a period of 36 hours I didn't eat a single thing. Just drank water. Finally got unplugged and managed to eat one tiny meal then went and mowed in the humidity and sunlight the next day and nearly passed out about 20 times and felt like my soul was being drained. Lost 16 pounds. Could be more after the marathon mowing and sweating. I just need to keep reminding myself to be careful. Every time I start feeling better, I "forget" and aggravate things again.  Oh well, for now things are "churning"  again and I feel much better.

Anyway.... since I finally feel well enough, I'm going to take some pictures of my Nomad outside. It's cloudy, but should be alright. THEN, I'm going to have a look at what work can be done on the gunship. I'd like to at least finish the sanding of the cargo door then I want to grab my 737 and sand on it some. It's been plenty enough time since I last sprayed so it should work out just fine.

[TheChronicOne]

30 minutes turn-around. Not bad.

So, here're the pictures of me lil Nomad!   






















Did the best I could! When I'm outside, I can't even see the screen so it's hard to frame things up, etc. Also, I may not have done very good on the weathering. Still... I like it. It's a neat addition to the collection. Royal Lao.....  armed to the teeth Fennec.....    the three headed elephant God thing...   

[Captain Canada]

Nice ! The Trojan is just such a proper looking ( and sounding ! ) aeroplane. Great job on this one. Makes me want to build one and fly it around the room.

[Captain Canada]

PS-great pic and story kit !

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks y'all!!  One day I'd like to make a Skyraider whif that's painted and decorated the same way.


Mr. Brad, I need to get ahold of you with an update on our project. I've been delayed something fierce but I'll get to it sooner or later.

[NARSES2]

Glad your feeling better  and the Trojan certainly looks good

[zenrat]

Royal Lao Air Force - best roundels ever.

Nice work Mr Bradley C.   

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks y'all!!! What a neat lil project. None of it was really frustrating or problematic and painting was a breeze. Base kit was decent, as well, which helps.

And thanks... I'm glad to be feeling better as well. I hope it holds. Sometimes it doesn't take much to re-aggrivate.


Weighed myself again and even after having a couple meals yesterday I'm still down 20 pounds!!!!   Lost 20 pounds in one week. I'm looking sorta trim in the mirror!! Kind of a good side effect. But... damn....  I hope I never get like this again. Groin stuff.... uggggh....   When I was younger, I was like, "That's what old people get."  I'm not old. I'm starting to GET old, but I'm not old... but uhhh... I can't tell myself that. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm closing in on 40 and can't keep working like I'm 20. This is what happens.  Hell, I've even had to pay someone to come mow my lawn.

Gotta go mow OTHER peoples' lawns today.... but when I get home. I'm going to try to work some more on the Gunship AND 737. I managed to accomplish my meager list of tasks yesterday. I did indeed finish sanding the cargo door and did indeed sand the fuselage of the 737. So, now, I just need to work on the engines and wing fitment of the gunship and on the 737 start painting with appliance white again. Hopefully no orange peel this time......

[TheChronicOne]

Feeling better and better! Digestive system has seemingly returned to normal and I've been relaxing and trying to let the muscle problem heal up. Going pretty well for now. 


Anyhow... I managed a fair amount of work on the An-12 yesterday. As with the other two recently completed models, after such a break from building, i'm finding it much easier to just get on with the build opposed to being bogged down in the minutiae of perfection. As a result, I'm very nearly ready to prime this thing. I just need to do some PSR around the areas I glued yesterday but if I put my nose down I could be done with it all in about an hour then all I really need to do is finish putting on all the masks then it's time to prime it up.



737 is ready for appliance white to be applied. Pretty much where I was at 3-4 days ago. Just been waiting for the energy, time, and motivation to do it. The wind outside has finally died down so I think today may be a good day to go for it. Wish me luck! Last time didn't go so well and I'm not entirely sure what I did wrong but hopefully this time fairs better.