Madman

For this build I restricted my post to fewer forums. But now you can have it all in one batch - The build is here - The diorama is here - Larger pictures are available on my photo album Just click on a thumbnail and the picture opens. At the bottom left there is an option to view it full size. At the top left are the forward / back buttons.

After 2 years and 4 days the Felixstowe and its diorama is finished. I stick quite precisely to my usual production pace The scale is 1/72 and I used the Roden kit with a couple of modifications. Felixstowe, UK. Spring 1918 The tide is out at the Royal Navy Air Station. A salty fresh sea smell is lingering in the morning air. Wood debris float lazily in the water, seamen run around and shout orders. Finally they pull the large seaplane out from the maintenance hangar onto the jetty. The Royal Navy urgently need new recruits. The officer, the panel, the plane and the camera are ready to shoot the ultimate propaganda picture. But where is the official photographer? Unfortunately today the seagulls are playing the goofs! The official photographer is ordered to climb the ladder and curse the impertinent squawking beast away with the broom. The Officer is not pleased at all with the delay and is quite grumpy. A sailor tries to cool him down, by pointing at the events unfolding at the top of the ladder. "Sir, today we have a heavy seagull activity in the bay!" Finally the annoyance appears to come to a happy end. At last the gull considers a quieter place and flies away. But the game is not yet over... ... and already the next bird soars in over the scene, looking for the "right" place to land. "How about where the buddy just leaves?. But let's wait until the ladder is pulled away" Thank you all for dropping by and reading my little story, Pierre

How about this one? Kidding of course

Finished at Last It took 17 months of hard work, interesting research and training to achieve this model, featured with a great deal of "hand-made" parts, some so tiny they are hardly noticeable to the bare eye. The kit and the sprues with all parts, except the instructions leaflet and the scratch-built parts. Missing is the Part photo-etch, which is a great help to populate the inside of the hull. The wings, with an impressivly large span, are hold together with a maze of rigging wires, most of them double, as featured in almost all British WWI airplanes. The control surfaces are all deflected. The command wires, with their brass pulleys, combined with the complex rigging gives the impression of a flying kite. Drag was not yet well known to aircraft engineers... The upper part of the hull remains open to unveil the fully equipped inside: seats, steering wheels, command wires, radio, navigation table and instruments, fuel tanks, dashboard and even a first aid box with its red cross. Every engine, measuring only 3cm, is built with 127 parts, most of them being scratch-built additions. The radiators are PE, as are the propeller hubs. The valve camshafts are made with soldered brass and has tiny valve springs. The V-12 Rolls-Royce engines have a total of 48 valves ! Along the front center mast the aileron command wires run upwards to the brass pulleys, turned on a watchmaker lathe. I painted the hull with artist's oils to simulate wood. The bow is upgraded with a bunch of ropes. A pair of Lewis machine guns mean no good for the mighty German Zeppelins! Two little footsteps helped the four-man crew boarding the plane. Protection of the flight crew was restricted to two tiny windshields. At the back of the engines are the oil tanks. Four exhaust pipes lead the hot gases away from the upper wing fabric.A double Lewis gun mount aims at bad fates for Zeppelings. Above the center of the hull are two small propellers, acting as fuel pumps as soon as the airplane caught up speed. Under the lower wing are two bombs, targeting German U-Boote. The floatplane sits on a wood trolley, allowing the plane to be pulled out of the waters and manoeuvered on the ground. Eventually a fine aircraft model, recalling the old-time memories from when flying was a hard experience, for which you needed thick leather jackets with furred inside, a warm leather helmet and googles, along with warm boots and a solid will to stand the lengthy patrolls over the North Sea. Flying is long stretches of boredom and sheer moments of terror Learning watchmaking and how to use the precision tools was a great help to build parts that would have been impossible to evenen think about in 1/72! The building thread can be read here

Hi Gents, A quick overview at what's happening to my Felixstowe project... the end is closing in More at the Aerodrome here

Gents, I am sorry to announce that I stop posting news on the Felixstowe project at Britmodeller.com The reason is that I am currently posting to 8 sites, plus my own photo album, in 3 languages. This has grown to a workload I cannot stand, and I've decided to lower dramatically the number of sites I post to. For whoever is interested, here is the link to my photo site : Felixstowe Everyone is welcome over there for a visit Alternatively you can follow the progress in English here The Aerodrome So long, take care - pierre

The upper surface was painted dark green. I mask the ribs. After a few layers of heavily thinned paint (base color + yellow + white), I remove the masks to apply pastels : white, brown and green. The result : a old leaned fabric, weathered by the sun and salt.

I carve shallow slots for inserting - at a later stage - the elevator push rods. Painting of the lower surface, and weathering with pastels.

Intensive use of the magnifyer. In the plastic box are a few tiny parts, awaiting their turn to be mounted. Pulleys, machine-guns, ammo boxes, engine coolers, etc. Drilling of the horizontal stabilizer axis. Drilling of holes for linking the elevator. The wood bloc is to keep a correct angle on one axis, so I can keep an eye on the other (the elevator is only 1mm thick!) Brass rods make the link. Et voilà : one side is almost ready for the paint. Note the lowered elevator position.

Three layers of varnish later the hull nears completion I added the lower hull profile Plus a couple of PE details, like this tiny little hook. It's all fun !

Finished at last. The strengtheners and ladder steps were a never-ending job... After I glued the starboard side part I cut the angles and touch-up the paint. Et voilà le travail Some more "wood" weathering, a few coats of Future, and this chapter will be closed.

I glued the hull strengheners with thin CA, and added the chicken stair to the boarding ladders. Close-up. I beweled the profiles and touched up the paint with a fine brush.

I added the footsteps I had to sand earlier. The roundel is airbrushed.

Painting and weathering of the vertical stabilizer.

Rebuild of the footsteps on the hull, which I removed to paint the wood. I copy their form on a Post-it to check the accuracy. The shape comes from a copy I made on transparent paper before I sanded the footsteps.