Misc.

[Mark Braunlich]

http://cgi.ebay.com/old-Wood-US-Army-B-17-Flying-Fortress-Airplane-12-x17-/220732740288?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3364b252c0

[Mark Braunlich]

Link to model collection at Le Bourget:

http://aeroscale.webs.com/lebourget.htm

[Mark Braunlich]

I believe these are both built vintage Strombecker models, good for restoration projects:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Hand-Carved-Wood-Prop-Airplane-Model-1930-1940-/260755619715?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb63eff83

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Hand-Carved-Wood-Prop-Seaplane-Model-1930-1940-/260755624642?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb63f12c2

[Balsabasher]

As you say Mark good for restoration,they put them together like plastic kits back then ! no shaping or sanding or even primer by the looks of things,but nothing that could not be sorted.
Barry.

[Balsabasher]

I love the colours,I love the interesting subjects,and above all I love them all because they are our beloved solid models ! they have individuality and character,thanks for sharing them Mark I just wish the pictures were larger.
Barry.

[Mark Braunlich]

This old model is what the antique dealers call a "primitive".  Looks like some wierd tailless glider.  Actually it's a 1/72 Strombecker P-61 with a few parts missing!   One wonders how many of the Strombecker models didn't get much beyond this stage before the young builders gave up.

[Balsabasher]

I have seen far worse Mark,build some booms and a tail then restore it using your solid model skills to re-create a bit of history.
Many never got past opening the box,sensing some work to be done and pushed into a drawer.
Barry.

[Mark Braunlich]

The serial numbers on the P-80A tail are home made decals made with USAAF serial stencil font available free here:

http://hans.presto.tripod.com/fonts/usaaf.html

You can go into MS Word and use Help to see how to download new fonts for use with Word.   Print on clear decal paper.

Mark

[Mark Braunlich]

I used USAAF Serial Stencil font.

Try here:  http://www.dafont.com/font.php?file=usaaf_stencil

[Balsabasher]

Thats a very useful stencil pattern to have Mark,thank you for sharing the details.
Barry.

[Mark Braunlich]

Similar to Air Stories in the UK, the American pulp fiction magazine The Lone Eagle of the late '30s had solid model plans.  These pulps are unfortunately very collectible but one can occasionally find one in poor condition for reading and modeling purposes at a somewhat reasonable price.  Here is cover of August, 1938 issue that is in my collection.  I will copy the Nieuport drawing and add it to the Gallery later today.  My father was an avid reader of The Lone Eagle as a youth.  There were many such American aviation themed pulp magazines but this is the only title I know of with solid plans.

[Balsabasher]

Mark I had never heard of this 'Lone Eagle' before you mentioned it ? my father had some 'Flying Aces' which are now mine and I cherish these old pulps,sadly they are self destroying as the acid content in the paper is quite high and lets face it they were never intended to last as long as they have.
As a lad I used to drool over the plans which always had the effect of making me reach for my building board and what balsa I had in my valuable offcuts box,those plans certainly had a big impact upon my interest in solids and small rubber driven models.
'Flying Aces' usually had about three solid plans per issue with lots of hints and tips and fine adverts from muscle building ( remember Charles Atlas ! ?) to Sellytex pre-formed fuselages for flying subjects,names such as Arch Whitehouse for the excellent stories,yarns like 'Death steals the Electra' and more down to earth 'On the lightplane tarmac'
As WW1 was still quite young the romance of aerial warfare with the aces was still on the minds of the public,thus plans of biplanes appeared just like in your 'Lone Eagle' looking forward to seeing that Nieuport and building it as well.
It is important that we scan these old pulp drawings because they will certainly not last forever in those original magazines,insects can also attack the paper as it falls apart and goes very brittle.
Barry.

[Mark Braunlich]

Barry,
Do you have any of the solids you built as a lad?   I, and I'm sure others here would be happy to see them and we could see that even the experts were not always so.   I still have a 1:48-ish solid balsa Fokker D.VII that I built when I was about 13 years old.  It's now in pieces having been played with by one of my cats.  I may have a go at restoring it some day.   Most of my models are of the flying stick and tissue variety and only a few those have survived for long but I still have the first model airplane my brother and I ever had, a plastic Hawk Nieuport 17, built by my father about 1960.  It too was in pieces but I restored it about 15 years ago and it now holds a place of honour in my small collection.

Mark

[Balsabasher]

Yes I do Mark,quite a few of them,how about if I sort them out and do a photo shoot ? it is about time they saw some daylight again.
Barry.

[Mark Braunlich]

An amazing model airport:   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1383532/Knuffingen-Airport-German-builds-worlds-largest-model-airport.html