From Photos only!!!

[gera]

Would you guys like a ---group build---making a model just from Photos???..I´ll give a few tips on how to do it and then we all jump in with our photos and see what we come out with.I think something like this would wind me up again....

[Balsabasher]

Gera I have done this myself a few times by getting a known size ie wheel and scaling from that alone,the results as you know can be very worthwhile and satisfying,it teaches us about shape and not relying totally on a drawing,sometime this is more accurate than a plan.
I will go for it ! it should be a lot of fun as well.
Barry.

[Ken Pugh]

This might be interesting.  What I am working on now is complicated and frustrating.  I could use a break.

Ken Pugh

[gera]

Gera I have done this myself a few times by getting a known size ie wheel and scaling from that alone,the results as you know can be very worthwhile and satisfying,it teaches us about shape and not relying totally on a drawing,sometime this is more accurate than a plan.
I will go for it ! it should be a lot of fun as well.
Barry.

Hi Barry, that´s it!!!...the trick is getting the known size of an object(S) near by the plane in the photo and scale from that. I have found that using "people" in the photo is a very good start, gas drums, houses, and like you say, parts of the airplane itself......I see Ken also is interested. Let´s see if we get a few more volunteers and then we can jump in the fray.....I think the the fever is back!!!! Hurra!!!!!!

[cliff strachan]

Gera, I think it's a very good idea. Perhaps it may be quite a while before I can partake but I have been thinking of asking if any of our members could offer advice on how to go about making plans from photos - 3views from photographs taken by the modeller. Do we use french curves, dimensional graph paper or, heaven forbid for a shaky old whatever, freehand. What I had in mind was to enlarge 3views of a DH82A that I have so that I have a more detailed useable drawings of a DH82C (Tiger Moth) the latter taken from Photos taken earlier.
Cliff.

[Peter]

I'm am willing to give it a try. Of course mine will look more like a plane crash.


Peter

[Balsabasher]

Peter if it did then it would certaimly be different ! the good thing about this is anything goes,its what we make of the shapes before us,yes French curves are brilliant for drawing and even those curvy snake things that are as as cheap as chips,the way I do it is as Gera mentions go for a known dimension,then with a pair of dividers simply track across the picture,you can make a datum first from say spinner to sternpost and some vertical lines at different stations,but everything is loosly done,it is the overall effect that matters,I suggest a soft pencil as they flow better,then you can always ink in the shape but it is not necessary,its real fun and many a time when a drawing was not available this system has been used,my flying wing from 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' was done this way from film company stills to work from.
A simple but fun approach that certainly teaches observation skills.
The one that I will go for is the Hanley Page S.24 which was designed for the U.S.Navy,there are no plans as far as I know and ony one photograph but it is a cracking design,who cares the challenge is to make a model utilising Geras technique,may not even bother with a plan and just ink directly onto the wood constantly looking back and forward that picture,this is about observation.
Have you ever wondered how those old magazine type plans were made ? well exactly by this method,the draughtsmen would probably work to the span and any dimesions and what pictures were available of the latest ship for Uncle Sam,then draught out the shape freehand adjusting as they went along,then a tracer would ink in the drawing ready for publication,Thetford and his team made the drawings for 'Aircraft of the Fighting Powers' in this way,there is a picture somewhere of him chuffing away at his pipe whilst drawing ! its certainly not rocket science and many an idle moment in tech drawing at school was spent designing aeroplane drawings to make solids,the teacher got used to me knowing that I was not really interested in yet another third angle projection !
Barry.

[lastvautour]

With more than enough participants I will move this thread to the cook-up section and rename it From Photo Only. I have a USAF Recognition Journal from 1955 that should provide me with inspiration.

Lou

[Peter]

Thanks for the advice. I just bought a French Curve and a bendy ruler yesterday so it's meant to be. Now to pick a subject....

Peter

[Ken Pugh]

I was thinking of doing something crazy, like maybe a scifi spacecraft.  Then I remembered the spy drone shot down in Iran (RQ-170?).  That is my project.

Ken Pugh

[Balsabasher]

Go for it Ken,sounds ideal.
Lou I have never seen a USAF Recognition book before ?
Peter get that bendy rule flexing,it will be interesting to see what you come up with ?
Well done everyone I am sure Gera is proud of you and what a great cook up this wil make.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

Barry, I was the most lucky recipient of this journal in the late 1950s by a suitor of my sister. He was obviously trying to get on her good side through me and it work, at least for me. I see that Amazon is selling some but did not find out how much.

Lou

[lastvautour]

One can always change their minds. In my case it is sometimes hard to even find it. I downloaded a few pictures of the CU-170 Heron UAV and always pictured it to be a large aircraft, however following Gera's advise, I found a few pics with people in them. The wing is probably just over a meter of the ground which give me a good idea on measurements. I feel all fired up also.

Lou

Details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAI_Heron

[Peter]

I will hop on the UAV band wagon and try a Predator. It has reasonably simple lines.

Peter

[lastvautour]

Maybe we can have a mock dog fight at the end.

Lou