1914 Lee-Richards Annular Monoplane - done!

[Old Wombat]

I just love the workmanship & pride that went into things like that back then & wish it still did.

[frank2056]

Thanks for the coments!

The existing, non-flying replica did appear in "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" according to the Wikipedia page for the Lee-Richards. (I loved that movie when I saw it as a kid! - Amazon US has the DVD):



The C-1 camera is a work of art - the woodwork is amazing.

Looking at the rigging, I think I'll have to attach the cameras first, or I won't have good access to the sides of the observer's position. YAY! I get to put off rigging today...

[Tophe]

My drawing of LR-51 (then LR-82) did not respect the scale, morphing to match. Now I consider building a "true" plastic LR-51, and I would like to change the drawing for both sources to be 1/72nd. But I have not found the size of the LR-1914. Is the length of the wing (rear to front): 3.5 inches? (9,8cm)?
Thanks in advance if you can measure and confirm.

[TomZ]

I've been fascinated with this aircraft since I saw a model of this in the science museum in London, must have been more than 30 years ago.
I just bought the 1/48 version of the kit and it is on its way.

TomZ

[frank2056]

Tophe, the wing is about 90mm in dia. (width and front to back) in 1/72:







The rigging is nylon thread painted aluminum. It's a single thread, tensioned as it went through the holes with superglue. A couple of the passes are a bit loose.

Tom - the 1/48 kit should be easier to rig; the 1/72 had no holes in the fuselage for the rigging and I screwed up the placement of the elevator holes (the cable should be parallel to the elevator.) I found this site (after doing the rigging, of course) with better images of the rigging and general layout:

http://aviadejavu.ru/Site/Crafts/Craft32576.htm

I should have the decals completed and on the plane by today.

[PR19_Kit]

Gordon Bennet! There's a few wires on that model! 

[Tophe]

Wonderful model, congratulations!

Tophe, the wing is about 90mm in dia. (width and front to back) in 1/72:

Thanks a lot! I will correct my drawings, and maybe build in 2021 this LR-51D I am dreaming of...

[Tophe]

Yes, I needed to decrease a little the wing size, thanks again!

[frank2056]

There are more rigging lines under the plane, and I missed/ignored a few...

Tophe - the 1/72 looks a little better - more compact.

Here's the finished plane. I noticed some paint splatters - they're "oil stains"...

Top view, with a Preiser 1/72 figure for scale:



Not much in the way of decals - a Union Jack (right side up...) and N 20, which is "November 2020" the month/year when this model was built.





Front side, with figure for scale. The base is a cheap groundwork set for trains, IIRC.



Thanks for looking! Overall, not a bad kit.

[VickersVandal]

This is superb! Very plausible.

[Tophe]

Great!
Uh, if this shape had been used everywhere (1915-2020), this would be just normal (or even boring) but, as this was unique, and a failure for mass production, this is a weird and marvellous memory...

[zenrat]

 

[Tophe]

This is the Avis 1/72 Lee-Richards Annular Monoplane

Twenty minutes ago, I ordered one copy of this kit, thanks! (and a P-51 Heller to match into LR-51 and Plasto putty to make that work)
(If I were the Avis company, I would give you, frank2056, 50% of the income, for efficient advertisement! )

[NARSES2]

Really has come out well 

[Glenn Gilbertson]

That looks wonderful - well done!