Snow Scarab - FINISHED

[Weaver]

So after my total loss of mojo on the Water Scorpion, I initially wasn't going to take part in this. Then I thought the imminent deadline might actually motivate me after all, and frankly, I could use a small win at the moment. I did seriously consider a barely-started project that would (probably) have been legal, but eventually decided that there was just too much work needed. None of the safe, easy projects excited me, and besides, I always seem to have done better with mad projects than safe one in the 1Wk GB, so I selected a sci-fi project that's close to my heart.

Then I found that I don't have the materials I need to do the sci-fi project the easy way or the time to do it the hard way.

Then I remembered this project and realised that it was the right blend of achievable, crazy and fully-resourced.

Then I couldn't find the base model. For two days....

I have now found the model. It was pretty much where it should have been all along, but as in so many other episodes like this, I was looking for the wrong mental image and skipped right past it....


So, here we are then, the Snow Scarab: a three-ski aerosan made by Scammel, using a cabin design that bears a remarkable resemblance to their Scarab delivery tractor. The base is the ex-Airfix Dapol kit, the prop is an anonymous white metal item I got in a job lot of such things, and the skis will be cut down from 1/24th scale personal skis from a car accessory set. Colour scheme will be BAS International Orange.

Obligatory 'I havn't started yet honest guv" pic:

[PR19_Kit]

This is going to be good, I just KNOW it! 

[JayBee]

This is going to be good, I just KNOW it! 

Oh! Ho Ho YES

[loupgarou]

Very interesting concept. I am looking forward to see its development.

[Weaver]

Now presenting: Yesterday's News Tomorrow!!!!!!

or: How I Went To Take A Progress Pic At 1am And Found That I'd left My Camera Switched On And the Battery Was Flat.

Here we are:



The idea is that the original engine drives a shaft that goes to a gearbox at the back. That drives a vertical shaft to the prop, which sits on the back of a bullet fairing. Upside is lower CofG, downside is transmission losses. To be honest, I'm not convinces the original engine would be powerful enough, but for the sake of time saving I'm going for it.

On the same basis, I'll probably not try to glaze the windows (there's no transparencies with the kit), but what I might do is leave the cab detachable so that I can add them later if I feel like it.

[PR19_Kit]

The original engine on the Scarab was positively MINUTE IIRC! It was only around 1.6 litres capacity and punched out an awesome 40 odd horsepower, but I can't find any mention of the true figures anywhere now. 

I LOVE that chassis design, Weaver Engineering strikes again. 

[zenrat]

Wow.  Blast from the past.
I had one of these on my model railway layout when i was a boy.  My dad or my Uncle had built it when they were young.
I also had a big recovery crane from the same source.

[Weaver]

The original engine on the Scarab was positively MINUTE IIRC! It was only around 1.6 litres capacity and punched out an awesome 40 odd horsepower, but I can't find any mention of the true figures anywhere now. 

I LOVE that chassis design, Weaver Engineering strikes again. 

Well that's not far off then, because the RF-8/GAZ-98 (the Russian tandem 2-seater) only had 50bhp from what's basically an early Ford truck engine (Model AA). I think the biggest misconception people have about aerosans is that they were fast: the RF-8 only did about 30mph.

The core chassis is unchanged from the Scarab. I was kinda stumped by how to do the rear suspension in a way that I a) had parts for and b) didn't take up all the limited cargo space. Then I happened to look at a couple of Tatra aerosan models I've got, and they used leaf springs directly on the skis, which solved the problem. The ones on mine come from one of the Scarab trailers.

[Weaver]

Today's progress. I hope to get an undercoat on it tonight. Not sure how many coats the brush-painted red will need, so better safe than sorry.



The box on the back of the cab is for a radio, although it's not fitted on this vehicle. I need to make an empty aerial bracket to 'hang a lampshade' on that. The pallet will be the load platform in between the cab and the prop.

[Old Wombat]

Looking like a fun little build.

[Weaver]

Well 'tonight' ending up being 5am, but a coat of white is now on it.

[Weaver]

If anyone's building one of these, one thing you'll immediately find is that the instructions are atrocious. There's a GA drawing with no lines on it, and a block of text that assumes you're familiar with the vehicle and know what every part is. I've found this build on the ATF forum invaluable in owrking out where the bits are supposed to go:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/airfixtributeforum/airfix-2017-railway-group-build-dave-s-scammell-sc-t51087.html

[PR19_Kit]

That's very interesting.

The instruction sheet looks JUST like a Kitmaster one, with all the bits shown laid out at an angle. But AFAIK Kitmaster had nothing to do with that kit, it's said to be an original Airfix casting announced sometime in the early 60s. But Kitmaster sold out to Airfix in 1962, so I winder if the Scarab was a Kitmaster design that was handed over at the time?

[Weaver]

Nearly done. I havn't been posting 'cos it's in paint. It took three coats to get the red reasonably opaque with a brush, but I'm still going for a battered look rather than a clean one in order to make it look more believeable.

[Weaver]

Could've finished it for the deadline, but since we've got an extension, I've put off doing photography until the morning rather than rushing around at the last minute. Good thing too since I've just realised that I've left my camera on AGAIN and flattened the battery AGAIN.