January 2009 Ping!

[spider web]

Glad you folks enjoyed the helicopter museum site.
The picture of the Kellett autogyro in the museum's header is being flown by George Townsend whom I worked with in the pubs department at Vertol.
George restored that bird to flyable condition in New Jersey.
In his younger years, a picture of him is shown of his alighting an autogyro on the roof of the 30th st Post Office building in Philly.


The Princeton test bed is a hovercraft while the Flying Jeep is meant to get out of ground effect.

This going to be an interesting modeling year for me !


The Spider

[spider web]

What is amazing to me whatt was accomplished with the materials at hand.

Transitioning from a beautiful concept on paper to the actual thing was the challenge.
Today, everything can be done on a computer before one component is made.
Boeing now uses a software program called "Configurator"

In short, from a concept in the mind to a finished prototype can be build and flown on a computer. 

As a young man working on developing the helicopters of today is amazing given we had no computers available.

Anybody want to buy a "slip-stick?"

The Spider

[Paul]

Hi folks,  I just joined.  I also just finished my sister's Christmass present (oops), a 1/48th scale DC-2 like the one our grandfather used to fly when they were new.  Photos are in the user gallery.  I've been building plastic airplanes kits since I was a kid and I've been woodcarving sporadically for a few years.  This is my first attempt at combining the two hobbies--that's my excuse for finishing a month late.  I don't know what I,m doing next, maybe a Roland DII?

[Ken Pugh]

Hi Paul,

Welcome aboard.  The DC-2 looks good and I guess the bug has bit.  Just build something!  I am wrapped up in complex projects and am regretting it.  I'm a big believer in building several simpler projects to get your skill sets up to snuff.  You'll get more efficient and confident and will later complete more complex projects quicker.  It's also fun to get something done quickly, especially if you learned something on it.

The cookups are a good place to get ideas.  Cookups never die here and those who've been there probably have plenty of drawings of the ideas they did not build while deciding on the one they did build.  We just add to them as time goes on, no scheduled completion dates.

Since I started scratchbuilding a couple of years ago I just can't get back into the plastic puzzles.  I love it when I ruin a part just build another from the same scrap laying around.  No destroying expensive detail add-on parts when you make them all yourself.

Ken Pugh

[lastvautour]

When did you finish your DC-2 and what plans did you use?

Lou

[Paul]

Hi Lou,
I finished the DC-2 on the 31st of Jan and turned the stand the next day.  For plans I used the Squadron book "C-47 Skytrain in Action".  On page 10 there is a 3-view of the C-33 that I scanned and scaled up to 1/48th scale.  I didn't know about it when I started, but 4+ Publications has a book "Douglas DC-2" that has much more detail and has 1/72nd scale plans with cross-sections included.  If I were to do this project again I would use the 4+ plans instead.

[Oceaneer99]

I've been to see the DC-2 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.  This plane is one of two (I think) that is still flyable.

http://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/douglas-dc-2

It really is a beautiful bird.  Most visitors I've overheard mistakenly think it is a DC-3.

Garet

[lastvautour]

Being finished in 2009, it will qualify for our model of the year next January.

Lou