Ghibli 1/144 - Pig Fight (Savoia S.21 + Curtiss R3C-0)

[strobez]

So now that my Nausicaa Ohm build is finished, I can focus on another little Ghibli-themed build.  This time it's a scene from "The Age of Flying Boats" - the short Porco Rosso manga upon which the film is based on.  The scene is basically Porco's first encounter with Donald Chuck where the S.21 is shot down.  The scene is much the same (albeit shorter) as it is in the anime, but the plane designs and markings are slightly different.

Since there are no real 1/144 kits available, I resorted to disassembling and modifying some pre-assembled gashapon kits of a R3C-2 and a Macchi M.33.  The real trick, however, was how to get props spinning on planes that small.  WWII is about the limit for the tiny DC motors I have.  Anything smaller/earlier and there's no room.

To fix the problem, I scavenged a fan from an old laptop, sealed off most of the blower and then added a little scoop to re-direct the airflow.  I can only really get one of the props to spin like that, but since Porco's engine gets shot out, his prop stops spinning anyway.  Strangely enough, it works.  Sometimes I amaze myself.



This might look like the end... but it's a beginning.  I could just repaint these two and call it a day... but what's the fun in that?



Let's break it on down... strip the paint, and we'll need a brand new wing/tail.



There... that should work.



The underside also needs to be extended... first, let's glue on some plastic rod.



Then file/sand to match the shape. The shadows are a bit more pronounced on the white extensions, but it looks pretty close to me.



We also need to move the cockpit back, so a bit of plastic tube provides the fuselage cover.  Hated to cover up the little chair, but there was no way to remove it without destroying it, and once we stick a pig in there... no one will know the difference!



The Curtiss doesn't need as much work, but I do want to thin the struts a bit... they're HUGE!



The engine also needs some modifications...



Engine modified... cockpit moved... new wings... new tail... this is coming together!



Drilled some holes for the engine...



And it needs some adjustment, but the proof of concept seems to be there.



It's a bit loose, but good enough for now.



Now to get started on the R3C... needs a bit of work.



First I thinned down the massive leg struts and then added some wire as the cross pieces.



Lots of sanding and I can reassemble the fuselage.



A couple of small additions to be made.



I believe that's it for scratchbuilt parts.  Let's get some paint on them and see where we're at.



A bit of white paint to start... oh, look! All the mistakes!



Before we get too far into the painting though, let's try a bit of proof-of-concept for the blower.



To get the wind to blow in the right direction though, we need a scoop... and a hole!



All sealed up...now to test it...



The prop is spinning. success!



A bit of silicone mixed with clear blue/green Tamiya acrylic paint, some aluminium foil and a bit of cotton...



Yeah... now I can see it.



Masking... Round 1



Masking... Round 2



Wooohhh... NOW they look familiar!



With the decals on, they look even better. I can't believe the white masking actually worked.  I also painted the tinfoil with some clear blue Tamiya acrylic paint.  It adds more depth to the water I think.

[Rick Lowe]

Nice work there, and a cool, sneaky little work around to get the prop spinning! 

[nighthunter]

Greg, my friend, please hook me up with a gashapon Curtiss R3C-2, I have plans for one and a 1/144 version is probably cheaper than the 1/72 Porko Rosso version.

[Dizzyfugu]

Oh, that's sweet - esp. at that size/scale!   

[PR19_Kit]

VERY clever 'prop drive' Greg, and both models look REALLY good too. 

[strobez]

Greg, my friend, please hook me up with a gashapon Curtiss R3C-2, I have plans for one and a 1/144 version is probably cheaper than the 1/72 Porko Rosso version.

Well, as it so happens, I spotted one on Yahoo Japan auctions (via Buyee.com).  It's only 200 yen at the moment with 1-day left to go.  You might have to fight a bit for it in the last few minutes, but I've been able to snag a few kits at cheap prices that way.

I'm not sure if you're familiar with Yahoo Japan, but most sellers don't sell abroad (Japanese thinks it's too much of a hassle... not quite sure why). So Buyee acts as a go-between.  Keep in mind they charge a fee for their service, usually about 200yen ($2) and you have pay shipping twice.  Domestic shipping for this would be about 400 yen and then international depends on where it's shipped, but they usually have lower cost options.  They also have a calculator to give you an idea of what the grand total will be.

It's handy for finding stuff that never shows up on eBay, but obviously pretty Japan-centric.

https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/409187967?conversionType=search_suggest

[AndrewF]

Superb.

[strobez]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the comments.  It takes a bit of work to get it positioned, but after watching some YouTube videos on how to make a mini airblower I thought I'd give it a try.  I was going to try and split the airflow and try to get both props spinning, but I decided to to push my luck.

[zenrat]

Awesome, but so small.

[NARSES2]

They are gorgeous 

The Savoia and the various similar looking flying boats are some of my favourite types 

[strobez]

Thank you gentlemen.

We're almost done now. I painted the last few details, propellers, pilots and tiny little guns. Then I mounted them in place and added some clouds using a bit of white cotton and some hairspray. I was even able to disguise the vent hole with some careful cloud cover. All that's left now is some smoke coming off the Savoia, and that'll be that.

[nighthunter]

Greg, my friend, please hook me up with a gashapon Curtiss R3C-2, I have plans for one and a 1/144 version is probably cheaper than the 1/72 Porko Rosso version.

Well, as it so happens, I spotted one on Yahoo Japan auctions (via Buyee.com).  It's only 200 yen at the moment with 1-day left to go.  You might have to fight a bit for it in the last few minutes, but I've been able to snag a few kits at cheap prices that way.

I'm not sure if you're familiar with Yahoo Japan, but most sellers don't sell abroad (Japanese thinks it's too much of a hassle... not quite sure why). So Buyee acts as a go-between.  Keep in mind they charge a fee for their service, usually about 200yen ($2) and you have pay shipping twice.  Domestic shipping for this would be about 400 yen and then international depends on where it's shipped, but they usually have lower cost options.  They also have a calculator to give you an idea of what the grand total will be.

It's handy for finding stuff that never shows up on eBay, but obviously pretty Japan-centric.

https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/409187967?conversionType=search_suggest

Thanks Greg! I'll keep an eye on it!

[PR19_Kit]

Ye Gods, he's got a whole COLLECTION of those giant sized Tamiya pots! 

[loupgarou]

Another beautiful job, Greg.
And thanks for the link!

[NARSES2]

Ye Gods, he's got a whole COLLECTION of those giant sized Tamiya pots! 

And pin vices