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

[Rick Lowe]

The mower's cool.  Needs a scale Brad C knocking back a beer and a blunt while operating it.   

Damn right it does. That gets the gears to grinding because I had never considered making a scale model of.... MYSELF. lmao     Hmmm.... I bet there are some "figure guys" that have, though!

There are plenty of 1/16 figures available, it just means using some putty and sculpting skills.

A new skill for you to learn, Brad? 

Or not, there are these available:

https://www.scalefarm.com/d-60006_access-farm-figure_bruder_bworld_man_with_blue_trousers.htm

https://www.outbacktoystore.com/1-16th-Bruder-Forestry-Worker-with-Chain-Saw-and-Accessories

[TheChronicOne]

Those are cool!!!   Definitely would be some Miliput involved regardless to achieve such a svelt physique as the one I maintain using beer and good food.  I've been a pot-bellied human since puberty so we gon' need some modding action. 


I wonder if anyone has lil scale push mowers and tiny lawn equipment like weed eaters and such?! Hmmmm....    Then maybe I can find a model of my work truck (98 GMC 2500).   

[Rick Lowe]

Those are cool!!!   Definitely would be some Miliput involved regardless to achieve such a svelt physique as the one I maintain using beer and good food.  I've been a pot-bellied human since puberty so we gon' need some modding action. 


I wonder if anyone has lil scale push mowers and tiny lawn equipment like weed eaters and such?! Hmmmm....    Then maybe I can find a model of my work truck (98 GMC 2500).   

'I got this body lifting weights - 12 oz at a time!' 

I wouldn't be surprised if some or all of that equipment is available - check out some of the other worker sets on those two sites.

As far a the truck goes, very probably - if not a kit, then as a diecast, though possibly in a funny scale - 1/36 or similar.

[TheChronicOne]

Fun!!! I'm going to enjoy browsing through all of them. Every time I come across stuff like this I wish I had infinite money. 

[Rick Lowe]

Fun!!! I'm going to enjoy browsing through all of them. Every time I come across stuff like this I wish I had infinite money. 

Yea, me too - and space to build/store it...
Like I said one time, I seem to be awfully good at spending your money for you... 

[TheChronicOne]

Yeah brotha but that's alright, we can stick to window shopping.   


In other news, I've decided to stop and repair some of my busted already-finished models. It's pretty sweet what a lil tube of super glue can do. It has provided a HUGE mood boost to repair my lil busted models.

Also, almost finished with my MiG 8 "Duck."  The windows are utter bullshit, however. They don't remotely fit, any of them, and some are so small that working on them to get them to fit is proving to be tedious and frustrating. If not for the wind screen and a couple of relatively larger side windows I'd look into liquid window fixing. Regardless, I will press on and finish this. I will likely have to employ some "tricks" but it should turn out fine. 

[Rick Lowe]

Yeah brotha but that's alright, we can stick to window shopping.   

Trudat... 

[TheChronicOne]

Finished up the MiG a couple days ago. I found myself in a position of losing interest FAST dealing with the egregious windows. I mean.....   of all the kits I've done, I haven't seen worse looking and worse fitting windows. Aside from the windscreen, they are all frosted like that privacy glass. It wasn't AS frosted as that stuff but close. Quite thick and pock markes everywhere and looking through them was like looking through a blizzard. They didn't REMOTELY fit. Too damn tiny to re-shape comfortably. I could have done a bunch of weird clamping and what-not but the thought of all this wasn't appealing. It took over an hour to get two tiny corner windows in. I was trying to get more in when I decided "to hell with it" and popped them all out. It looks decent and wasn't the first model I've made with no windows!   BAC-11 didn't have any and looked fine. I left the windscreen on however but that was it. Once I got the windscreen in I painted the frame work on and now she's done. I just need outside pics.

What to do next...   I finally started to look at the T-16 project. I opened up the F-16 kit and dry fitted the fuselage together. Man, I see why that thing came with no box, no decals. Musty and dank and my throat and sinuses were burning and acting up. Mold spores, obviously, so I got it opened up and threw the plastic out pronto and started in on the T-38 and got as far as looking at it then was through for the evening. I'll get back to that soon but I think I'd like to pick up a dial caliper to assist. I have one somewhere but I think it's seized up with corrosion and useless so I'll try to pick one up today.

Looked at the Tristar and 737 cold projects. I think I'll go on ahead with the 737 and get it done. I need to paint still, and scratch build some parts, but when compared with the sheer volume of decals needing to go on the Tristar it would seem the less frustrating project. In fact, I'm going to try to get back to it this evening. I need to throw a couple more coats of clear on it before I mask again and paint the bottom half.

[TheChronicOne]

Duck is finished.



Not too shab even with the disastrous windows.   


This thing here came with a pile of stuff I bought a few years ago.....    and it has been hanging on the wall ever since as sort of a decoration. All you see is all there is of the kit; no wings, no glass, etc. Damn near useless................. ..................    to anyone but nutty people like us who kitbash, scratchbuild, and create contrived conceptual contraptions. So it sat on the wall for about 3 years then just the other day I was looking at it and all of a sudden I saw it.....   



"Turn that bitch into a helicopter!"    Hell why not?!  Here's a size comparison with an Apache. The Cessna is 1/48 but look how well it would scale-o-rama into 1/72? Now, the real task is the scratchbuilding and in particular the clear parts. I'll be needing help with that. BUT... I figure if I can do something as ambitious as the Pluto then maybe I can handle this as well? I just need ways to do the clear parts, I can handle the rest. I've already been provided a nice way to attack the side windows (flat panes) but windscreen and any curve stuff is WAAAAAAY outside of my abilities so like I said, I'll be needing community advice and tips.




This evening I'll be looking more into the T-16 project and I've already been planning the next phase of the Saudia 737-268C (wit' ground kit!). In fact, if I'm feeling perky, I might even do some masking on it and spray some paint onto it.

[Rick Lowe]

Not too bad a kit, the old Monogram 180 - but it *is* old...

It goes together ok, but you may/will notice issues around the 'A' pillar, particularly with all the door & window holes - it distorts quite a bit.
My fix was to use a paperclip as a former/frame, that went from one wheel axle, up the undercarriage leg, shaped to fit and align the front of the fuselage, then down through the opposite undercarriage leg and ending as the other wheel axle.
It's a bit of work, and may be more than you're willing to put into it, but the technique is there FWIW.
(An idea not shared is an idea lost)

And I'm glad the ruler idea is of use. 

As far as the front windscreen goes, maybe someone has a spare from something like a Skycrane or Sea King that you could trim to fit?

[frank2056]

Cessna made a helicopter - the CH-1 Skyhook This kit looks like the perfect whif

[TheChronicOne]

Not too bad a kit, the old Monogram 180 - but it *is* old...

It goes together ok, but you may/will notice issues around the 'A' pillar, particularly with all the door & window holes - it distorts quite a bit.
My fix was to use a paperclip as a former/frame, that went from one wheel axle, up the undercarriage leg, shaped to fit and align the front of the fuselage, then down through the opposite undercarriage leg and ending as the other wheel axle.
It's a bit of work, and may be more than you're willing to put into it, but the technique is there FWIW.
(An idea not shared is an idea lost)

And I'm glad the ruler idea is of use. 

As far as the front windscreen goes, maybe someone has a spare from something like a Skycrane or Sea King that you could trim to fit?

Big thanks for that idea... that's brilliant. It's another thing I'm going to be looking for while at the dollar store when I go next (and also get stickers). Clear rulers and whatever else looks interesting... gets the gears grinding and I'm sure I'll see some other things that might help!

That said, I believe this is a 172 based on the fact that it has a rear(facing) window and how the rear fuselage connects to the cabin. 180 is more streamlined and generally larger I think?

Seaking!! I was thinking the same thing... I have one that I can use for comparisons sake to see how well it would mesh. This project could be a pain in me arse but imagine how sweet it would be to find "common" parts that match or nearly match up to what's already there with the kit....   

[TheChronicOne]

Cessna made a helicopter - the CH-1 Skyhook This kit looks like the perfect whif

Glad you mentioned that! I have a kit and have it handy for reference.    



I almost built it a couple times but it has PE and I'm not always in the *mood* for PE. 

[TheChronicOne]

Jumped right in and have already chopped the "cockpit stuff" out of the T-38 kit. I eyeballed things beforehand and if I do it right, I can blend it into the F-16 fuselage. Not something I've done before but I'm willing to try. 

The stuff:



The cut:



The plan:




The cuts I make into the Viper will be crucial; if I mess it up, I'm in for a world of Miliput.

[Flyer]

It's a 172, the tail is why I say that, the 180 has a straight tail (and so did early 172's) and to my knowledge never got the swept style tail, and as you said the 180 doesn't have the rear window.