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A while ago I got a gluebomb Stap & Battle Droid for not too much from the bay. I've used up most of the Stap in a previous build on here. Now to use up the Droid. The recipe goes like this, Take one old 1/48th Skyraider and a 1/32nd Puma tail boom. Both first built in the '80's. Strip down the Skyraider to the fuselage and sand both until fairly free of old Humbrol. Add imagination (1ltr). Here's the Droid. I unglued the arms but the knees won't move yet. This is a chunk of the Stap. It's Star Wars architecture so that's a good thing. But it needed a little something... Where the Tank Idler wheel sits was just a boring bump. This makes it more mechanical. (a touch of kreiger?) And now you can see where it goes. And the basic concept of this thing. That's a length of 20mm conduit that adds strength & holds the two pieces together. And now what it's all about. Think Cafe' racer motorbike. This is just a basic mock up obviously. The Droids hands will go onto the Skyraider taiplanes. It's going to be posed in flight so he'll need a saddle. Feet will go into stirrups. There will be landing gear too. No obvious control panel. He'll be wirelessly connected. I hope this raises a smidgen of interest here. Please let me know what you think. Cheers, Pete

A build from 10 years ago: As many of you do, I like to alternate more complex projects with simple ones. Again, as many of you do, I many times discover that simple projects simply don’t exist. Anyway, I call the long-hauling, all-demanding projects the “405 Freeway” projects. For those who live in the L.A. area further explanations are not needed. I can hear you already weeping. For the ones not familiar with the denomination, this main L.A. freeway has been under “improvement” for the last 2,798 years. Meanwhile, the already jamming-prone L.A. traffic suffers the consequences of the “improvement”. As we Angelenos once more take the 405 to our destinations, we see the closed lanes that run for miles and miles, we see the trucks, the concrete dividers, excavations that run to the center of the earth, all kinds of construction paraphernalia like a giant “Playmobil” set. But what we do not see is the improvement. As we all know, by the time it is done –if it’s even going to be done- new “improvements” are surely going to be needed. But we can confidently leave that to the next generations, since I lost any hope of seeing its completion during my lifetime. Even if I live, as I plan, for the next 300 years. So, between “405 Freeway-like” projects I take some rest building little things like the hereby presented Eshelman Flying Flounder. Once you look at it the name becomes obvious, and I hope you don’t smell anything fishy. And yes again, it did fly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8y5suPs1uE&feature=channel_page The ones familiar with these articles know that I usually favor either “Pioneer” or “Golden Era” projects, but sometimes creatures outside this time envelope (1941 in this case) are just too good to be missed. Not much is around in terms of data. A note in Aerofiles –bless it- and the above-mentioned Youtube clip. So you all know, span is speculative at 3.45 meters, and so is the color. The added walkway is visible in the clip. So is the antenna wire. Thanks to Steve K. for the white decals that saved this project. Now, is it a flying wing or a lifting body? Or perhaps a flying fish.

Finally finished. My latest Kreiger scratchbuild of a Lunadiver variant, the Manta. A space based hunter killer. I hasten to add that this is not an official part of the kreiger universe. I made it up. I do have a Hasegawa Lunadiver Stingray kit, but hesitate to build it as I'm having too much fun doing these things. Two Sea Kings, Two Whirlwinds, One Frog Wessex and various other bits and pieces make up this one. (Oh, and a fair amount of filler) (The stand is ex Corgi aircraft, 50p from the car boot) There is a WIP thread so you can see how it came together & that I didn't use a pristine Wessex! https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235043676-krieger-lunadiver-variant-manta/ Scale is 1/32nd and the main paint is IJN Grey from a Tamiya rattlecan. The main entry point, A 1/24th Muscle car bit surrounding a 1/32nd Aircraft tyre. The wheel is ex Matador. The grey bar is a common feature of kreiger builds, probably a radar device. It's actually part of a Revell P-38 Lightning. It goes under the stabiliser to stop the model tail sitting. RH rear view. One of the Whirlwinds (Originally built in the early 70's & very rough!) Probably a fuel tank. Close up of the LH engine. A bit rusty but hey, who's going to see it in space? The black and yellow thing is the root of a Whirlwind rotor blade. LH side. Yes, I think that is a Buccaneer bit you can see. And a V8 cam cover too. The cockpit has no windows so this thing is covered in sensors (painted green) for the computers to make up images for the Pilot. RH front. The 'Martian' was inspired by an Octopus on the Revell Ventura. The bit with the Skull & Crossbones is a debris shield for the fuel tanks. It's actually a bit of leftover Bo105 Helicopter roof from a previous build. The original Lunadiver uses a Porsche 911 door! LH rear. That is a 1/32nd P-38 wing with an Airfix 1/72nd Gnat upside down. Green aileron is now a sensor. The unit that operates these things in space served previously in the Desert. (probably) Hence the Camel & swords. A front view with the debris shields activated. (They swivel on Panzer axles). The green nose sensor was a 1/72nd canopy. Guns were donated by a mate. (blue? why not?) Fwd underside. More cam covers, Truck exhaust bits and solder pipework. I have had that radar dish for so many years I can't remember it's origin. It stands on a McPherson strut though. You can just see the tips of Martians tentacles (steady!) as he hangs on. Yes, that's a tank engine deck. Honey, I think. Sea King dipper halves too. And Jerry cans in the middle. Oh, and the bit sticking up on the tank deck is a 1/24th car jack. Here the stand is clear to see. Painted Gunship grey. Inside the engine bell, the fins from an Airfix 1/24th Typhoon, kindly donated by a fellow BM member. I'll call them steering vanes. The back end again showing both engines. Looks like the vanes can rotate too. The rod disappearing off to the right has a sensor on the end. I made it years ago to go on an Airfix 1/48th TSR2 as a refuelling probe. You can see it attaches to the wing in the picture above. And I think that's about it for this one. Comments are, as always, welcome. As are questions on the subject from those who are wondering what they are looking at and why. I'll edit some of the text if it helps. Cheers Pete