What a cool thread. Really inspirational stuff. My son wanted an airport so our plan is to have the top of our "mountain" be a removeable section and swap between a small private airfield and a mini n-scale layout.
Of course in the grand tradition of model railroaders I've bought all the planes long before I reach that portion of the layout. We've got die-cast "Hot Wings" private craft and 6 HO kits of similar craft who'se brand escapes me at the time. Also a few 1/200 or so scale jetliners.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
BEAUSABREJust think, if you are modeling the Thirties, you could have one of the giant airships!
A zeppelin would require some significant selective compression. Not sure you could get that high enough for forced perspective to take over, which works better when the scale differences are not so stark
HO-VeloNice aircraft and history Mike, I like your Osborn Beaver, with pontoons it would be a nifty addition to a water scene.
Actually, the HO Osborne Beaver kit comes a float aircraft. I modded mine to wheeled configuration when I built it not long after it was released. Subsequently, Oscorne began offered a conversion kit to take it from float-bearing to land-based wheels.
Thanks for the great memory about your son and his Phantom. This is a neat way to get someone involved in building kits to participate, not "on," but above the layout.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Nice aircraft and history Mike, I like your Osborn Beaver, with pontoons it would be a nifty addition to a water scene.
For a time back in the late 80s my 12 year old son had his F4 Phantom hanging over a layout he and I were working on. The layout is gone, but the ol' Phantom still survives, sitting covered in dust with warped wings upon a shelf up in the attic, tickles me every time I see it.
Regards, Peter
"Planes in HO scale are pretty scarce."
But we can use forced persepectve to our benefit as a smaller scale aircraft would just be flying at a higher aititude
Forced Perspective is a technique which employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is. It manipulates human visual perception through the use of scaled objects and the correlation between them and the vantage point of the spectator or camera.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_perspective
Just think, if you are modeling the Thirties, you could have one of the giant airships!
https://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/w/images/Graf_Zeppelin_airship_DLZ-127,_M%C3%A4rklin_5406_13806_(MarklinCat_1936).jpg
Yes it would pack quite a wallop !Die cast P-47 Razorback powered by a Powerwheels 6volt gearbox!
And people worry about their trackplans being a little too roundy-round...
Looks like great fun until someone enters the room through that door while you're flying fast.
https://youtu.be/hB6mTt14NGY
Didn't realize it had been awhile since an update. I've thinned the airways over the layout, keeping fewer examples on display, which makes it somewhat more believable. Works for me, anyway, although I understand it doesn't for everyone.
Several recent additions are aircraft close to my heart, playing essential parts in the story in my dissertation. Plus they were known to operate over the Southwest, so conceivably could have been spotted over the San Juans.
First is a 1:48 RB-57D that I kitbashed from an Italeri B-57G "Night Hawk" kit.
The most obvious change was adding longer wings, which I made from the Genesis PVC ceiling tile I used to construct my HOn3 display layout.
Here's a pic showing the dramatic increase in wing area required to operate at high altitudes with the original outer wings placed on top of the modded wings.
The new wings are kind of crude, no panel lines, rivets or other details, but at 3 feet none of that matters.
The RB-57D was an interim aircraft for these sorts of recon missions before the U-2 arrived. Here's a rather dramatic pic that's in the public domain of one sampling at a 10 megaton test shot.
My sampling pods are simply reworked tip tanks for now. Somewhere in my research collection are original blueprints that I will use to revise the model with once I dig them out.
The other new arrival is a mod of the new AFV Club 1:48 U-2A, which like many iterations of the U-2 story focuses on photo recon. I added a "hard nose" mod, which allowed air in and through particulate filters of picking up fallout. Also added was the airfoil that channeled air into and out of the Q-bay (this replaced the camera array when sampling) to feed the compressors that took in gaseous samples of fallout and other isotopes of nuclear intel interest. Like the RB-57D, it was originally operated in Air Force service by the 4080th Strategic Recon Wing out of Laughlin AFB, Texas.
While 1:48 planes are kind of large (the U-2's wingspan is about 20"), I guess my experience in seeing them up close and close to the ground when I was a kid makes this work for me. The U-2 could really fly, although you had to be a good pilot to handle it. I saw one kick the hammer and fly almost straight up until it disappearred from sight from standing still on the runway at one air show.
I've never hung a model airplane overy my layout, what few times I actually had an operating layout. But when I was a kid, 4th grade, I used to build military airplane models such as the C141 and a few others and thumb tack them to the ceiling in my bedroom with sewing thread. But for a layout, the airplanes would be so high as to be well beyond the ceiling so I don't have any plans to hang any there in the future. They would be more of a distraction to the eye from the RR scenes.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
dehusman Since I am modeling about October of 1903, airplanes really aren't anything I need to worry about. There might not even be a the word "airplane" yet.
Since I am modeling about October of 1903, airplanes really aren't anything I need to worry about. There might not even be a the word "airplane" yet.
The term "airplane" actually predates, uh, airplanes: it was coined in the 1870s. Aeroplane goes back to the 1830s.
If you want to get super picky, the term even dates to antiquity. "Aeroplanos" was an ancient Greek term that could be used to describe the seemingly random actions of a soaring bird (literally sky wandering).
I eventually got some pretty decent pics of the restored Ford Tri-Motor flying over the city here. I shared them with Bear (who has a eye for such vintage antiques), but don't recall doing that with anyone else, but they should be here, so here they are.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Gary,
Interesting that revell calls it 1/90. I wonder if it's the same kit as the Walthers 1/87? Did not know about the Sportsplanes kit, will have to keep an eye open. And that B-45, as smaller is usually better with planes...they're just flying high, makes the ceiling look taller.
Ed,
Those Tri-Motors are the Model T of Airliners. There's one that comes through the area every so often to offer "heritage" rides. I love hearing and seeing it circle the city.
mlehman Gary, Thanks, great looking model. I wouldn't mind having one, as I like the little-known stuff. Plus it adds to the neat pic of this rarebird earlier in the thread
Thanks, great looking model. I wouldn't mind having one, as I like the little-known stuff. Plus it adds to the neat pic of this rarebird earlier in the thread
Further Googling leads me to believe the Airfix model is/was made by Frog and was 1:159, so essentially N-scale: http://retroscalemodeling.lefora.com/topic/8421527/Frog-1159-North-American-B45-Tornado
Gary
Oh, Yeah... Thanks Mike!
Just when I thought I was caught-up on "most" of my model projects you go and plant the seed for me to replicate this scene...
I've already got the K4 and tons of Tuscan heavyweights. I see there is an old Revell-Monogram Tin Goose in 1:77 (pretty close for HO)
I wonder if the T.A.T. decals can be found? [edit] I did find one with TAT-Maddux airline decals.
Looky what this fellow did!
https://technologyinscale.org/category/civil-aviation/
I flew in one of the Island Airlines (Ohio) Tri-Motors back in 1970. If I'm not mistaken, one of their planes was one of the two used for the PRR-TAT Airway Limited.
http://www.putinbayphotos.com/trimtr04/trimtr04.htm
Fun Stuff!
Ed
mlehman Gary, Thanks, great looking model. I wouldn't mind having one, as I like the little-known stuff. Plus it adds to the neat pic of this rarebird earlier in the thread 1/72 is OK, too, as many of my models are. Given perspective that is from above the layout high enough to allow it, having aircraft somewhat larger than HO actually works pretty well. Once you get them on the ground in HO, then it's better to go with the limited selection of HO aircraft (and is anyone knows of any not already mentioned in the thread, please add those!) that are available.
1/72 is OK, too, as many of my models are. Given perspective that is from above the layout high enough to allow it, having aircraft somewhat larger than HO actually works pretty well. Once you get them on the ground in HO, then it's better to go with the limited selection of HO aircraft (and is anyone knows of any not already mentioned in the thread, please add those!) that are available.
Revell made a 1:90 DC-3 that would work for HO scale.
A friend gave me a Revell 1:87 3 Sportsplanes kit. Haven't built them yet includes a Piper Super Cub, Cessna 150, and a Piper Cherokee 140:
You're welcome
I got to crawl around inside HU16s several times at Armed Forces Day exhibits at Randolph AFB, where dad was stationed for most of the 60s. That was one of the coolest of the aircraft IMO, take you about anywhere.
Love all the aircraft pics, especially the sea plane. Brought back lots of memories, worked on HU16' S while in the U.S.A.F. along with lots of other prop. jobs.
This is surely Kismet. I was reading about the B-45 yesterday: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_B-45_Tornado, and I looked up models, and this thread reappeared. Unfortunately, 1:87 will be a problem. Mach 2 makes a 1:72 model: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mach-2-Models-1-72-NORTH-AMERICAN-B-45-TORNADO-Bomber-/361602725509 I believe Airfix made a model many years ago as well, but I have no idea what scale it is:
I've been using 4# test line, as that's the smallest I found when I went shopping. I drill a tiny hole, then apply a small spot of AC to the line, then thread it into the hole. Once it sets, you're good to go. The tiny hole also helps if you end up needing to do several to get the favored balance point.
I like your idea of incorporating aircraft above your layout. I was thinking of doing a restoration factory and having a stub line leading into it Utilizing flatcars and some unique nice loads. When I first started to fly someone had a shop near the airport. He had some cool stuff coming in all the time. Once seen a ME262 with bullet holes riddled all over arrive on a flatbed.
I have always hung my models and my son's using 2# test, drill a very small hole in the top of the fuselage and use a very small fishing hook fed into the hole. Ceilings were always covered with models.
Peter,
Thanks, great shot! I remember that kit, but not who made it.
Mike, Always enjoy seeing your aircraft modeling and the fun way you incorporate those models into your layout. Feeling better today, but still resting up and digging around in my photo libary. Been quite a few years since I snapped this shot during a visit to the Walnut Creek model railroad club layout.
Thanks and regards, Peter
mlehman NorthWest That said, I hope KiwiRail reopens the line through Gisbourne again. I have heard conflicting information about whether there is tourist service (or none at all) over the runway. A rail line across an active runway? I'll bet that made for some interesting dispatching Did the aircraft side of things involve crossing gates or were light signals considered sufficient? That and the common sense of not landing if you see a train approaching... Could be a problem when landing from IFR conditions, though.
NorthWest That said, I hope KiwiRail reopens the line through Gisbourne again. I have heard conflicting information about whether there is tourist service (or none at all) over the runway.
A rail line across an active runway? I'll bet that made for some interesting dispatching
Did the aircraft side of things involve crossing gates or were light signals considered sufficient? That and the common sense of not landing if you see a train approaching...
Could be a problem when landing from IFR conditions, though.
well this is one of the airport that does have an active rail line near the end of the runway ... displace threshold come to mind
mlehmanWould be interested in more HO scale planes, though. Am I vaguely remembering maybe Roco or someone offered a L4?
Finally found a 1:72 L4, made by a Czech company called KR (#31). I decorated it for the Blackstripe Brwery, because sometimes you need a little beer in a hurry, I suppose, and the D-Day stripes on the kit decal could be easily cut to the Blackstripe logo. Left the rockets off, because I don't have any small enough. Maybe it's Bazooka Charlie's plane after being sold at surplus?
The miner's militia does have a lot of keen surplus equipment that they somehow manage to get ahold of despite usually being at loggerheads with the gubmint on various matters. Here are some examples, mostly smaller planes that work well flying above HO scale, despite being 1:72.
A T-28D Nomad
An OH-58D
An OV-1 Mohawk
I mentioned my 1/72 Grumman Goslng in this week's WPF that transforms into a pretty darn close to HO scale Goose.
This one's literally as big as a flying bus, so I stuck my MH-53J PAVE LOW with the other Green Giant separate from the rest. I hacked a MPC HH-53C's nose, added miniguns made from the landing gear off an old Walthers semi-trailer, and put a 50 cal in the tail position I robbed off a Roco tank.
BTW, the PAVE LOW is prototypical for the area. The AF crashed one on a training mission a few years back between Durango and Silverton and had to truck it out, not enough lift to simply grab and go with the hulk as they tend to do at lower altitudes.
http://pavelow.us/piwigo/index.php?/category/163
As an old aircraft modeler (First World War types) let me suggest for aircraft on the ground try 1/72 scale airplanes. Slightly larger than HO but close enough to get away with. Airborne, given distance perspective you can go smaller.
Years ago I read a letter to MR where a modeler was trying to do a Civil War layout in HO but couldn't find any Civil War soldiers in HO scale. MR suggested he go the 1/72 scale route, it was more than close enough to work.
The responder also said if anyone gave him any grief concerning the slight size difference, tell him to "shove off!"
I'
archy***Mike Lehman Urbana, IL*** I hope you do a model of Major *Bazooka Charlie* Carpenter's L4 Piper Cub with the 6 rocket launchers. Leaving an assortment of burning Tiger tanks and armored cars on your layout would be optional, but I wonder if anyone around Urbana still remembers him. He taught history at Urbana High School...
I'm old, but not that old. And didn't attend U High, but in Germany thanks to Dad's most expenses paid world tour with Uncle Sam. I'd heard the story before somewhere, never knew it was tied to Urbana. The only armor I'm aware of in Silverton is a half-track that is often parked outside what was once the miner's union hall and is now a bar/restaurant, so no flaming tanks. They have enough environmental issues thereabouts lately to deal with anyway...
Would be interested in more HO scale planes, though. Am I vaguely remembering maybe Roco or someone offered a L4?