Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

[Guest]

Was there ever an aircraft called "Swan" ? Sopwith Swan sounds right but I cant remember one.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Why not build a Marque ?



The great thing about modelling is that we can create any period of history,or any object in miniature,the themes are endless and even the history of aviation in miniature is a daunting project as many have found out.But there is another avenue to take,that of creating a 'Marque' in miniature,by taking a particular company we can trace the evolution of that subject in a logical and constructive way,for example I have been working at the De Havilland theme for some years now,this in itself is far from easy as many of the aircraft have not been kitted,but by using plans and photographs enabled me to scratchbuild quite a few of them.The picture above shows a few Moths with a Spartan Arrow on the extreme left to show of a strong contender to their light aircraft designs,a follow on to these are the Dragon,Rapide,Comet,Mosquito etc.

Just as stamp collectors can never hope of acquiring every single issue of the world,as builders of models we need to set our aims,by doing this we have an objective to work towards and thus gain a specialist interest in our subject matter.

As suggestions you could not only choose to model a particular manufacturer,but the history of a particular squadron or airline,or say the history of VTOL flight ? the permutations are just endless,and once more in the unlikely event that you have built every model in that particular stable,you can then move onto another subject to keep you busy ?

[Guest]

Duncan It was a joke mate lol !!!!!!!

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Building Models from Card





BE2C Card cut out model.



BUILDING MODELS FROM CARD



Card and paper modelling is probably the oldest form of model building in use today,in fact there is a new and revived interest thanks to the internet,now thousands of card model designs can be easily downloaded,printed and built up into practical small scale models,we have our very own card models here on this site which have now been downloaded in their thousands to individuals and schools throughout the world,so why card as a modelling material ? well there are many good reasons firstly it is available anywhere and appeals to many who live in conditions where sanding dust etc is a no no,also it replicates very nicely the structures of boats,battleships,farm and fairground equipment,aircraft,trains and traction engines,being a sheet material that is easily bent around an inner structure it lends itself to some detailed built up constructional techniques,once more it is easily sealed to make it not only tough but waterproof and can be painted with either enamel or acrylic paints as desired,in fact the sky is the limit and only your own imagination restricts what you want to build,its fun,cheap and available.

One of the better card stocks is called Bristol board,this is obtainable from local art shops in sheets or large format books,it has a nice smooth surface,is easy to bend and form into the most tricky of shapes,a good tip is to get hold of some sorbo rubber,three layers of carpet underlay is ideal,place the card onto the sorbo and with an ordinary domestic teaspoon rub gently against the card which is placed onto the foam,soon the card will take on a dished shape,much the same as a panel beater uses a sandbag to do his panel beating,with practise all types of forms can be made up,simply experiment and get to know both your tools and materials,other useful tools are a good steel rule,the best can be an industrial hacksaw blade,the staggered teeth either side assist in gripping the card which is placed onto a self healing mat,ordinary craft knives are suitable for cutting out the shapes or a small pair of curved nail scissors also come in useful,adhesives are imporetant with card as every type of modelling,UHU do some excellent products,also thinned PVA adhesive applied with a stick or stiff paintbrush are ideal,for sealing the card use two part furniture sealer,better known to us as Tufcote fuel proofer,once mixed up apply to the card outside as this stuff really stinks,once set it is like a piece of metal especially as it soaks into the pores of the card.Also useful in card modelling are various types of adhesive tape,masking tape is excellent for the temporary holding together of the parts,for inner strengthening use the licky sticky type of brown paper tape,you can still get this from art shops simply ask for watercolour paper securing tape and they will know what you want.

You can easily design your very own models drawing out the subjects onto the card itself and scribing fold lines with a blunt tool such as a well worn kitchen knife,to fold the card hold it against the steel rule and bend it over,the inner joints can be re-inforced with strips of balsa wood used as a suitable fillet,for making up railway buildings card reigns supreme,it is easy to cut and shape.More ambitious shapes can be created by rolling around a piece of dowel,use a wooden rolling pin to curve the card gently onto the sorbo rubber base,by applying different amounts of pressure you can get different effects,secure the ends with tabs cut into the card,splay these outwards or inwards if it is possible to get at the parts during assembly if this is not possible plug with pieces of balsawood.

I have seen a variety of models made up from a tiny scooter and side car to an impressive bridge modelled on Ironbridge for an exhibition,there are also hundreds of card cut out books available if you are prepared to look out for them,these originate from an early pioneer called Wallis Rigby,this person used a variety of card models as advertising mediums,he would get manufacturers involved and sell them his wonderful designs,these appeared in full colour during the early thirties,also some comics had weekly parts within their pages,for example aeroplane models with one wing one week,then some parts for the fuselage etc much the same as modern part works,except more reliable ! So you can see the modern Plastikard sheet is just a development of good old cardboard,save your cereal boxes they not only make excellent templates for your models but is also good material in itself for building small miniatures.Most of all remember card modelling is far from dead,in countries like Czechloslovakia it is a very popular form of modelling,and these countries are excellent sources of inspiration for us all.

[Guest]

Duncan It was a joke mate lol !!!!!!!

I know , I know , just wondering if they had ever used the name since it was a cinch for an amphibian, every other water-bird seems to have been used, Goose , Duck, Mallard etc etc. Why not a Swan. Bad Luck Bird or something ? Card modelling : check the Marcle Models site for an insight to the vast range of subjects available in that medium.

[Guest]

Never underestimate the value of good old PVA glue. I use it a lot on the model boat superstructure in the form of Weatherproof Resin W glue but it is basically the same stuff I was using when I first started modelling many years ago.

It is a perfect medium for so many materials that would be susceptable to problems with some of the solvent types of glue.

One of the real bonuses though is that for intricate woodwork or cardwork you can water it down to whatever consistency you require and paint it onto assembled pieces and let the glue soak into the material. I quite often do this with delicate stuff then paint over a thicker consistency when things are held in place.

[wonwinglo]

PVA is so versatile,and cheap,you can buy a big bucket of the stuff from any DIY shop for a few pounds,I mix it in jam jars different consistencies,the thinnest is used as a type of clear dope on tissue etc,the full strength makes good fillets,I also like the way it dries smooth and clear and can be painted over,Polyvinyl Acetate is one of the wonders of this century coupled with the amazing qualities of Cynoacrylate.

Builders use PVA as a membrane on concrete floors,I have seen them using a broom to spread it across the surface.

[Guest]

My garage floor got three coats of a proprietary treatment before paining which is basically a thinned PVA compound. I spread it around with a broom!

First coat very thin, second 50-50 and the last full strength.

When I was at school we used to mix it with powder paint and use it as oil paints. All the advantages of oils with the versatility of a water based medium.

I have also used it mixed with black powder paint as a caulking for model boat planked decks. (See the Ben Ain thread)

It is amazing stuff with endless uses.

[wonwinglo]

Apparently it seals all dust in the concrete floor,gets into all of the pores,your use at school with powder paint was pioneering stuff,as you know today we have acrylic paint a modern day oil colour,Winsor & Newton make a basic colour pigment for all of their range of colours ie Water colour,Poster colour,Gouache,Oil Colour,pastels, for water colour they add gum arabic,white body paint plus gum arabic for Gouache which makes it a non transparent version of water colour,ditto for poster paint but coarser pigment for cheapness,linseed oil plus driers for the oil paint,a binder for the pastel chalks and for the Acrylic range polyvinyl acetate,this makes into a thick bodied paint that does not take weeks or months to dry as per oil colour.

And then the former cellulose based plastic woods etc we now have...yes you have guessed it polyvinyl acetate,which is incidently finely ground into a powder and dissolves with the colour.

Knowing how these things are made gives you a much greater understanding of the individual products.

[Guest]

Copydex the best masking material known to man!!!!!!

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-dealing with Transparent Mouldings in the home workshop.

Have you ever been faced with making a large transparent canopy ? well if you dont know how to go about it stick around a minute for a method that costs you no more than your favourite soft drink,the material that large bottles of soft drinks come in is ideal for or task but first we need to make a plug,dont worry at mention of this, it is a simple task,just grab a block of balsa the size of your canopy and mark out first the side view,cut this out with a band saw or if you dont have such a luxury a keyhole saw will suffice,next mark the plan ( top ) view and cut away the surplus wood,finally use a surform or similar to shape the block,smooth the edges with glasspaper,if you wish you can face the bottom portion with a piece of ply,this does strengthen the plug and give that extra bit to play with whilst trimming the canopy etc.

Next take the large drinks bottle and cut off the top portion at the neck,place the carved block of wood into the bottle and ram in some rag of similar to blank off the open end,now take your heat gun ( you can use any hair drier or heat gun with care ) and play the heat evenly onto the plastic,what will happen now is the plastic bottle will shrink itself up tightly against the wood former,just be patient and do not get too close otherwise you will burn the plastic,practise will soon pay off as you get to know just how close you can get without spoiling things,leave to cool off and with your Stanley knife run a line at the base of the canopy and trim up with a pair of scissors,result one new canopy for your pride and joy.

There is another way to make smaller canopies or plastic mouldings,the results will surprise you and like the plug in bottle technique a little practise and a few failures will bring forth expertise in the task,and better still results.





Modern cosmetic gift wrapping material is ideal for making up transparent mouldings,never throw such material away as it is just ideal for modelling,in order to avoid heat spots wash the material in warm soapy water,clean and dry off with a chamois and leave to air dry.Get the best by positioning across the female mould,dont forget to allow some extra material for the depth of the draw,spacing the staples will also give more plastic to pull through without lappin onto itself in the process,a few experimental plunges will give you an idea of how deep the plug will go into the hot plastic without curling back.

This is the time established way of making small cockpit canopies,simply carve a plug from balsa wood,make a female mould from a piece of ply slightly oversized to allow for the deep draw of the plastic sheet,pin or staple the sheet to the female and heat over a gas or electric ring until the material becomes floppy,then plunge the plug into the mould,wait for a few seconds to cool and withdraw the plug,you will probably need a bit of practise and a bit of wasted material in the process but practise makes perfect and that is the secret.

To trim up firstly use a chinagraph pencil to mark the base line,then with a pair of sharp curved nail scissors carefully cut outside the line,a permagrit abrasive block will easily clean up the edges,but beware of scratching the material.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-What happens to all of your models ?



A remarkable chance happening here at Scale-Models,a model of the Albatross C.1 that was built for a TV series called 'Wings' was spotted by the son of the builder through this forum,after years of storage after its rebuild to fly a lot more is now known about this very interesting model,the picture above shows her shortly after rollout from my tiny workshop,being such a large model that needs careful rigging and assembly,she needed to be placed sideways into my then Nissan Prairie vehicle,no room even for a passenger as the wings spread across the front seats ! after waiting a few weeks for suitable weather off I went and made the one and only post restoration test flight,that was it, I was perfectly happy and due to the logistics of assemling and carrying this monster around never flew her again,as it happens I am not short of subjects to fly and she has been resting ever since in storage until a museum could be found to display her.

This made me think as to how many similar models like this there are still around in sheds and attics throughout the land ? many models never get properly completed,others suffer the inevitable prang,others get sold off,but there must be thousands of models out there just waiting to get restored or flown again ? many builders are content to complete the model and sell it on having enjoyed the build process,others will fly them into the ground until the fuel rots the structure,and some will go into lofts to be forgotton about.

Over the years there have been special places where scale models are on show,there are specialist boat museums,and places where model aircraft are kept ready for flight,one such place now sadly now longer open was the model airfield at Goosedale,Nottingham,here you could store that monster B-29 bomber fully rigged, ready for the day when you could get assistance to lift her outside and fly her from the prepared airstrip,such luxury is beyond most of us and can entail a long journey to enjoy using our models to the fullest.

Another avenue to take is to use our local museums,there are some splendid miniatures in glass cabinets to enhance the full sized thing,but here lies a warning,make sure that your model is going to be well cared for,there have been instances where presented models have been dumped in storerooms and get damaged,you need an assurance that the model will in fact be displayed to the best advantage,and above all looked after especially if on loan to them.The museum avenue can be a good way providing this criteria is met,once more you have the advantage that you can still have the pleasure of seeing your model any time that you are passing by.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Flying Daredevils & Barnstormers.

FLYING DAREDEVILS.



During the early nineteen twenties there was a surplus of training airplanes in America left over from the first world war,many of these wood and fabric machines were scrapped off,others found their way to airplane brokers who sold them to budding would be pilots who taught themselves to fly,there was also a gallant band of ex war pilots who had little money but loved flying,they got hold of a Jenny,toured America landing in hired farmers fields and gave people a taste of what aviating was alll about and made a good living at the same time,long before the days of personal insurance we had people getting more and more daring in performing stunts in circuses,these same people got into the air and started to walk along the wings of their machines,they were called 'Wing Walkers' not content with doing that they got more adventurous and trying to get that little bit better act like changing the wheel of a machine in flight,or hanging from their teeth from the struts,with all of the wires on a Curtiss Jenny or Standard biplane they could cling onto these parts and entwine themselves.

Yes there were accidents,many falling to their death,to get a good idea of what stunt and daredevil flying is all about then try to get to see 'The Great Waldo Pepper' which gives a good idea what aviation was all about in those far off pre-regulated days before the Federal Aviation Authorities stepped in.

These old pictures from the archives show just how daring and fanatical these people were,some went onto greater things,the most famous being Charles Lindbergh who later went on to conquer the Atlantic single handed by air flying from America to France.Others less fortunate met a timely death either in crackups ( a popular term of that period ) or just sheer bad luck,one slip and that was it,over you went,very few wore any parachute,these would have been far too bulky for the stunts that they performed.

I dedicate these pictures to the true aviation circus pioneers of the early days of aviation,the bravery ( and sheer madness ) knew no bounds,the Barnstormers who toured America from coast to coast.



Making a pickup from a speed boat,the speed of the boat and the Jenny had to be very carefully timed.



Art Bebber wrestles with a Jenny with a rope ladder hanging underneath,stunts like this were relished by the film companies who kept the pilots and circus crews in employment.



Hanging from the wingtip anti-scrape loop and balancing on top of a Jenny wing required great nerve and skill,there were many accidents.



Having crawled down the top of the fuselage to the tail,the pilot in the front cockpit is hidden in this view.To crawl down like that with the slipstream blasting takes some doing,the had nerves of steel.Note the Jenny still has its military markings having been purchased from one of many of the war surplus yards of that time,airplanes had no certification and very little maintenance,attrition rates were very high.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The slide in society standards.

Well today I am putting aside my usual blog, and going to talk about something that caught my eye in the letters column of the 'Coventry Evening Telegraph' it is a poignant reminder of the times in which we live,here is the letter which is titled 'Let's all think about more of others '-

'I have lived in England for nearly all of my 47 years.I witnessed a pensioner travelling at nearly 60 mph on the A45 where there are roadworks and a speed limit of 40 mph.

She was grey haired,selfish,a hazard to other drivers,in fact most drivers were breaking the speed limit,not only this but she was stringing the most foul obscenities and gesticulations.

I regularly see people dropping cigarette stub-ends,litter thrown everywhere,even urinating in a hedge or against a wall.In queus,it is interesting to see people of all ages and occupations showing intolerance,using foul language,showing that they or their job or duty is of more importance or priority than anyone else's.

Have they forgotton about 'hello','good morning','please','thank you','have a nice day' ?

I think that everyone or everything ,from the spiders,flowers,my dustman,doctor etc,should be treated ith respect,due care and attention being given before my own inerests.

That is what I have learned from wonderful England and its people over 40 years and I would like to think that it is only a small minority who upset or spoil my day'

Such letters are on the increase as good living people are exposed to these degenerates in society,why should they have to put up with such foul behaviour ? a lot of the blame must go to television who see it fit to allow foul language on their programmes at any time of the day,once more the acceptance of this by society in general is a signs that we are slowing sliding as a nation,not everyone wants to hear this in their living room and above all accept it as a matter of fact,if we are to maintain standards then we must be seen to be doing something about it,are we slowly going back into the dark ages ? the letter above is a good indication of the concern by many towards this scourge of modern society,I agree we should show every consideration towards each other, and not tolerate these people who try and pull us down with their poor standards whether it is verbal or in the way that they act towards society.

[Guest]

I'm afraid we are now living with the results of the liberalisation of society that we all strived for through the 60's and 70's.

Parents seem to blame everyone else but themselves for thiers kids shortfalls but it originates from them. There is no discipline at home because too many parents are all busy chasing thier own selfish careers so the kids are farmed out to nursery's, school clubs, grand parents etc.

Parents seem to think that buying the latest "Game Boy" or sending the kids to piano lessons is doing thier bit as a parent but they don't even bother to eat thier meals together as a family nowadays.

It is not the schools fault, society's fault, the police's fault or any other institution we care to think of to blame. It lies fairly and squarely with selfish and bad parents.