wellsprop Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Good evening chaps, Well I got bored so decided to scratch out a homebuilt microlight. Its all been done by eye and making templates from paper to get the right shape control surfaces getting there slowly... Ben. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Cool! Total scratch building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 Well heres a few more... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 Understandably, this thread hasn't got much attention (hey, I'm posting on a military focussed forum, what should i expect?) However, I have a few more pics no the build is completed, all that's left to do is to slap on some paint and decals! Two pence for size Ben. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Well I for one love it. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 (edited) I love it too, could you tell us if you used wings or tail surfaces from "something else", wheels from wherever? Stuff like that raises the interest levels a treat. Like the nose section, what was that "before" The concept is fun and I'm sure lots have looked and said little waiting for info How is it powered? For example.I love to see the guts of an idea coming through, will she be "quite quick or slightly slow" You have had 342 (350) views for 4 (5 now) comments according to the site plotter, trust me that ain't a bad response Anyway, I am looking forwards to the finished baby, I really do like her, most of us are modellers rather than simply militaryists. I'll make anything man. It only has to excite me bill Edited July 12, 2013 by perdu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Monday Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I love this, I have to say. As Bill says, post up as much info as you can, what bits come from kits, what bits are scratch-built and how you are bringing it all together. It doesn't matter that the model is your own fictional design. Every flying machine starts off as a simple idea. Keep going with this. It looks amazing. BM. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmcclure Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Now it's seven comments and as the other guys have said - detail, detail, detail! Looking very interesting so far. I see you changed the wheels - good idea as your second set looks a lot more fit for purpose, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VulcanXH558 Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Very cool, I don't think I've seen a microlight being modelled/scratchbuilt before, so kudos. As above I'd also like to know what the donor kits are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 There is life here haha thank you for the kind comments Well the build started because I like the simplicity of microlighting in the evening when the weathers good. The wings and tail all came from the wings from the airfix dh4 that i found in a wreck at my air cadets squadron. I used plans of a homebuilt microlight but mostly did it all by eye. The main frame was made from a paperclip and other struts from spare bits of sprue. The wheels came from somewhere (i havent got a clue i found them in my spares box). The engine and prop where scratched from sprue and coke can. Its got a pusher motor above the wing. I would guess its cruise speed to be around the 50 mph mark. The nose section used to be a drop tank for a p-51. Im thinking of making a diorama out of it. Something the lines of an elderly ex raf gentleman going out flying for the evening in his microlight thats painted up in RAF wrap around camo colours. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 (edited) Its brilliant. It'll look fun in wrap-around camo. If it were mine I'd have WW1 type stripes on the rear tail surfaces, but in the more 'normal', ummm thingy, red leading instead of blue. Edited July 12, 2013 by Black Knight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 Its brilliant. It'll look fun in wrap-around camo. If it were mine I'd have WW1 type stripes on the rear tail surfaces, but in the more 'normal', ummm thingy, red leading instead of blue. Black knight, i totally agree! I have some left over interwar decals so im goibg to go for the old style hi vis roundels and fin flash. It should be a nice diorama of an older guy reminiscing back to his youthfull war days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Invasion stripes too? Like it, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Invasion stripes......naw, thats OTT.......... OTT, and UTB too, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Liking this. I used to fly microlights and often though of scratchbuilding the ones I owned as there's nothing out there. This has given me some inspiration to think about it more seriously Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanflyer Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Aha, someone else with the same idea! I learned to fly on this twenty years ago: and I've been engaged in collecting enough information and drawing up plans to build one for a while now. I was thinking more 1/24th scale for myself, but yours is really capturing the look of these primitive flying machines well. Don't forget to add a fuel tank! Looking forward to seeing more... Cheers, Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick231 Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Ahh this is actually pretty cool , good job mate cant wait to see her painted up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madaboutmodels Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 nice, fancy doing a 1/144 one hahaha microscope required lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanguin Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 More than twenty years ago a friend called Dennis Toone built a radio control flying scale model of a Flying Flea, about six foot wingspan with a painstakingly steamed laminated main spar to get the constant curve on the mainplane. It was beautifully finished. It took him about a year to complete the project and was a replica of one of the few British ones that were successfully flown. The Pou-de-Ciel was probably the most widely known homebuilt microlight (as we now call it) ever, hundreds of sets of plans were sold in the late 1930s and post war. Of the few that were completed most crashed, often with serious or fatal consequences for the pilot. The CAA actually banned the design in the UK. Sadly, like most of the real thing, Dennis' replica stalled badly on a trial 'ground hop' and broke the spar at the central pivot for the mainplane. Dennis built an unattractive but durable box section to repair the break, made one successful flight to prove that it could be done and never flew it again. However, he was asked to display it locally for an Arts and Crafts exhibition and so I built a 1/72 replica from the long-gone Aeroclub kit, same markings as those Dennis chose and accompanied by a hand-crafted minature Mr Toone lovingly fettling his machine. It was a nice kit and much appreciated by the visitors as we displayed them together, my tiny version beneath the wing of its giant brother and entitled: 'Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum.' Sorry, we could not resist using that line! Dennis is no longer alive, his daughter found the Flea (and his other aircraft) broken up in his loft and the control gear removed; my 'Littler Flea' had vanished, too. Ben, enjoy your scratchbuilding and keep on looking at more microlights, there are huge range of them in varying unlikely shapes and spindliness to test your skills. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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