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

[scooter]

Wiki has an article on avalanche control that you might find useful.  The article also mentions the use of FAE bombs as well. 


USFS team using a 106mm recoilless rifle for avalanche control at Mammoth Mountain in the Inyo National Forest.


Yellowstone's 105mm Howitzer


Utah DOT's 10mm Howitzer

But just remember:

[zenrat]

As I have posted in the weather thread, Avalanche warnings have been issued for the Victorian Alps so we could do with the services of Avalancher IRL.

https://www.begadistrictnews.com.au/news/national/5571958/avalanche-risk-in-victorian-alpine-areas/

[Old Wombat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZLfboCceGA

[PR19_Kit]

This one's good too, they use a 105 mm howitzer to start the avalanche!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKlNzalXUFI

[zenrat]

Tanks/Howitzer + Hi Viz Clothing. 
It just doesn't look right.

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks for the vids.. friggin awesome and like ol boy said.. what a job to have!!!!! 

Anyway, looking at the howitzers.... I bet I could make those out of sprue rods but if not, I found an ol' boy that 3d prints German WWII vintage ones and can get 2 of 'em for $11 shipped. Also, found a pretty strong contender for the gunship:



An-12 Avalancer?  Yeah?  I think it has the proper size fuselage to store sideways canons so there's that.

[PR19_Kit]

An-12 Avalancer?  Yeah?  I think it has the proper size fuselage to store sideways canons so there's that.

And the tail gun to nail any 'stragglers' after the main fire pass? 

[TheChronicOne]

An-12 Avalancer?  Yeah?  I think it has the proper size fuselage to store sideways canons so there's that.

And the tail gun to nail any 'stragglers' after the main fire pass? 

That's totally what I was thinking!!! What a treat, that rear position. Also, would be nice to have a camera back there to boot for doing BDA as they flew from the area. 

[PR19_Kit]

Actually adding that tail gun position to a Herc would look pretty good too, albeit a tad expensive.

Unless you built the An-12 WITHOUT the tail gun and grafted the ex-Herc tail in its place. Hmmmmm.........

[TheChronicOne]

What would be cooler would be to add the AN-10 early tail into the mix, the one with the fins outboard on the horizontal stabs. lol     gunner position from AN-12, AN-10 emppenage, grafted on a Herky Bird. 


But anyway... to talk about what's going on today and what WENT on the other day. I didn't stop by to mention it because I got next to nothing done, certainly no appreciable work on any of the models themselves, and even regressed the BAC 111. I got my arse handed to me at work that day and was exhausted so that played a part in it all.

So... on the Yak-53 I decided to stop and get all the transferes measured and cut down so they actually fit onto the plane. That took awhile. Longer than one would think because it's not easy running straing blades through tight sweeping curves sometimes and also the mere fact that to get to one area could cause the thin to fold over and crease, etc, so it takes tedious work. But, having most of that crap out of the way I'm whittling it down to the point where if I don't do anything else to it, it'll be stalled because there's really nothing left to do now but get the transfers on.

BAC 1-11.....well... this one was finally going great. I was finally at the point where I can gloss it. I decided to wait until after the cheatline transfers are on (at least) before masking and painting the black. This way I can get it perfect and won't have to worry about gaps and getting tape lined up. I was rather proud of this conclusion because it's smart and will save a lot of time and headache. So, to that end, I warmed up my gloss and started glossing it only to look and see a dog hair firmly glossed onto the nose!!! Oh no!!! I so I got back out but it was too late... some of the white paint came off even and the finish was ruined in that area. You know, it's funny, I was talking about doing patch work on the finish of the Yak but didn't want to risk it, NOW, all of a sudden, I'm FORCED to undertake the exact same repair on the BAC 111 so I guess we'll see if I can do it well afterall...

So, I'll have to lightly sand the area, hit it with a shot of white, then gloss it again and hope to hell the blend isn't noticeable. The part that worries me most is that it's already cleared so when the white paint goes on, it might not blend with the other white paint. It's going to stick out... but... the question is, when I put the gloss back over the top of it, will it finally blend in or will it still stand out??? Damnit all to hell!!!      I DO need to practice on this process, however, so it's not all bad. It'll be a learning experience.


So, anyway.. the plan is to try to fix the BAC 111 and start transfers on the Yak. 

[TheChronicOne]

My poor baby! 


Look there in the lower left, a tiny transfer that went missing back on the F-15 build. "CAPT RICH MCHARE, CAG"   

Grumble grumble.  I'm not sure I've sanded it enough/properly so I'm thinking I'll need to spray a little white on it and let it dry then might have to sand some more and do it again, we'll see. At least for now, I'm just about ready to spray it again. I'm going to do a little more sanding then wipe it down and hope for the best.



In other news, transfers are finally, very slowly, being applied to the Yak-53. So far, so good! I have no plans of actually finishing these today but if I do, great! Problem is, this thing is so slick or whatever that the things are having to be left alone to dry up and settle. Usually I'd try to dry it up and press em down with paper towel but they're just too squirrely this time. I even put soap in the water to help break surface tension and all that.. it's just not helping enough so I've no choice but to take this very slowly to keep from moving something. 




The good part is that these are what I'm thinking will be the most tricky ones to apply so it should be "downhill" from here. I still need to trim out and shorten some of these though so I'm not out of the woods yet. Here's a nifty aspect of this kit, the red striping stuff on the ends of the props come as transfers! How cool is that? No need to paint them for a change. 

[TheChronicOne]

SO, the BAC-111 repair is fully underway and I think I'm done with the white paint. I can let it dry awhile then hit it with gloss then hopefully no errant Mimi hairs are floatin' around.     As disappointed as I was about that, I'd rather the whole plane grow dog hair than not have Mimi!    She is just shy of 16 years old now, I want her around as long as possible!

So anyway...., I hope there's nothing embarrassing in the background..   





The little Yak is coming along, as well. I lost the damn prop blade transfers for awhile. I made the last cut with my scissors and they dropped to the floor. I spent almost TWO HOURS looking for them. Inexplicably, they wound up about one foot UNDERNEATH the area rug I have under the desk. How.. in .. the hell....whatever, I don't give damn, I'm glad they are back.



Time for chronic break then back to the transfers on the Yak. Still a lot to go including stencils.

[Old Wombat]

The little Yak is coming along, as well. I lost the damn prop blade transfers for awhile. I made the last cut with my scissors and they dropped to the floor. I spent almost TWO HOURS looking for them. Inexplicably, they wound up about one foot UNDERNEATH the area rug I have under the desk. How.. in .. the hell....whatever, I don't give damn, I'm glad they are back.

Obviously the Carpet Monster grabbed them when they hit the rug, then realised they weren't styrene.

[TheChronicOne]

LMAO...  yeah, spit them suckers back out. 

I was going to mention that the transfers aren't carpet monster's normal fair...     

I'm just glad they soured his stomach. 

[NARSES2]

Some really neat work there mate 

I was going to mention that the transfers aren't carpet monster's normal fair...     

I'm just glad they soured his stomach.