April 2011 Ping

[R.F.Bennett]

PING!


STATUS REPORTS! ALL HANDS REPORT!


Forum Stats;

Total Members:    255
Total Posts:    5518
Total Topics:    616
Total Categories:    9
Users Online:    7
Most Online:    70 - August 29, 2009, 03:33:27 AM
Online Today:    13
Total page views:    855237
      
Average registrations per day:    0.29
Average posts per day:    4.79
Average topics per day:    0.6
Total Boards:    55
Latest Member:    Charlie
Average online per day:    12
Male to Female Ratio:    1:0
Average page views per day:    707.98


Gallery Stats;

5,059 files in 273 albums and 16 categories with 688 comments viewed 488,898 times

Sorry I'm late Gents...

[Ken Pugh]

B-25B completed and delivered to my granddaughter.  She wants another bomber for her next plane.  Started work on B-25 for me.  This one will have plenty of pics and will be the gunship type.

Ken Pugh

[Balsabasher]

Well it has been a busy month with plenty of painting to do to pull models together to the completion stage,this past week I have been hand painting markings every day in order to get some pictures ready for the 2011 models section,you know what they say 80% finished with 100 % to go ! and that is so true the carving is nothing compared to the preparation and making them into neat models with the final results.

My plan for the immediate future is as follows-
1/ Complete markings and paintwork on the 'greys' currently on the workbench.
2/ Plan is in preparation for the long distance record cook up,my choice is the diminutive Comper Swift,thank you to Mark for the wonderful choice of drawings that he has kindly sent me.
3/ Templates have been cut for a Chrislea Super Ace to 1=27th scale.
4/ Templates have been cut for a Bell Airacobra to 1=27th scale.
5/ A commission model for a Heath Parasol is on the books,a plan will need to be drawn up as nothing appears available ?
6/ Work starts soon in making the booms for my 1 to 1 Tawney Owl,the wings were removed today and the fuselage pod swivelled around in my workshop all ready for work on those booms and fitting them,everything is on schedule the winter lay up has proved that the 50 year old tyres have held their pressure,and  pusher propeller will need to be carved.

So enough to keep me busy and out of any mischief for the next month at least,over and out.
Barry the Balsabasher.

[Mark Braunlich]

The painting of the 1:72 Strombecker P-80A should be completed this weekend.  The making of the decals is, shall we say, in an experimental stage.

The 1:72 Fairey IIID for the Long Distance Flights cookup needs ribbing of the top wing and the making of many struts before painting. Pictures soon over on my board.

Barry,
Regarding your Heath Parasol project, I've done quite a bit of information collecting for a flying model project.  Some findings; there were five basic versions, not counting the hundreds of one-off modifications.  They are:

1.  Heath Parasol (late 1926-mid 1928) factory or home-built with Thomas Morse S4C lower wings as the main planes.
2.  Heath Super Parasol, new Clark Y wing (mid 1928-1930), mostly home-built, various engines
3.  Heath V-Strut (or Model V) Parasol (intro. late 1930), featured in Popular Aviation series starting 12/30,  Heath B-4 engine.
4.  Heath LNB-4 Parasol, (ATC 456 issued late 1931), Henderson-Heath B-4 powered
5.  Heath LNA-40 Parasol, (ATC 487 issued 1932), Continental A-40 powered

Of these, Ed Heath had involvement only with the first three.  The company's founder was killed in a crash in early 1931 and the certified Parasols were the products of a reincarnation of the Heath enterprise formed in Niles, Michigan.  The LNB-4 and LNA-40 are bigger and heavier airplanes.

I have 3-views of versions 1 thru 4 and #5 is basically the same as #4 but with different engine.

Mark

[lastvautour]

Not much for April so far. The Beaufort and Super Sabre are coming along. The wing to fuselage fillets have been stalled on the Argus until I go down to the museum and get some detailed photos. The weather is suppose to improve later next week.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Mark this one is G-AFZE with a Bristol Cherub engine and built in 1939,I would love to have a plan to start building this project,the wings are Clark Y parrallel chord.
Barry.

[dave_t]

I think Paul Matt did a drawing of the Heath LNB-4 that might be useful. I don't have a scan of that one though.

[Mark Braunlich]

dave_t and Barry,

G-AFZE is a modified Model V Parasol based on the single photo I have of it.  Barry, I sent you a Heath Company 3-view of the Model V.  Please let me know the original colours if you know them.

Cheers,
Mark

[dave_t]

It looks like it went through some changes along the way...

http://www.abpic.co.uk/search.php?q=G-AFZE&u=reg&sort=reg_z_a
http://www.laa-archive.org.uk/results.php?q=G-AFZE&fields=reg&page=0&sort=laatypeno_0_9&ft=&limit=10
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/5505801574/

[Mark Braunlich]

Nice pictures Dave.  The Flickr photo (1951) shows it with a 22hp Blackburn Tomtit engine.  I have another photo of it with that long nose in a book published in 1958.  It would make a nice flying model with that long nose IF we knew the colors.  Owner is said to be F. G. Lowe in the caption of the photo I have.   The wingtip shape is definitely non-standard Heath and much more blunt shaped in plan view.   Some of the photos show non-standard tail shapes as well.

[Balsabasher]

Mark I have it on good authority that it was overall silver with a red nose and black registration letters,it would make a very attractive model in its many forms.
Barry.

[Balsabasher]

The last owner was the colourful character the late K.C.D.St Cyrien,he was responsible for rebuilding a Sopwith Pup G-APUP now in the Fleet Air Arm museum at Yeovilton,plus making two Bleriot monoplanes,one of the later was rebuilt by the Shuttleworth Trust many years ago,when he passed away the Heath Parasol aeroplane vanished and has never been seen since ? who knows one day it may come to light.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

Thank you very much Ken. I tried the spinning plastic disc to make my props look better. The Dremel tool worked well.

Lou

1st photo  Clear plastic disc
2nd photo  Frosted disc spinning after using 150 grit paper
3rd photo  Frosted disc standing still. Not much difference between 2nd and 3rd photo
4th photo  Placement trial.

[Balsabasher]

Now that does look effective,I must give this a try myself,the Beaufort is coming along nicely Lou.
Barry.

[Ken Pugh]

That's the trick, right there.  Looks good, Lou.

Ken Pugh