American (Shelton) Gyro AG-4 Crusader

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

It's difficult to recognize the future when it is in the present.

As with other many cases in aviation history (and History at large), the American (Shelton) AG-4 Gyro Crusader arrived too soon.

Eight years ago, attracted by its aspect, between futuristic and comic book, I made a scratch-built model of the AG-4 Gyro, thinking that there was no chance that any manufacturer would ever issue a kit of it.

I am glad I was proven wrong, so others can enjoy the incredibly modern looks of this remarkable plane, created in 1933 and flown in 1935.

My scratch of 10 years ago:

 

 

 

 

 

Here a clip of its test flight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1xifECLKFc

 

I will quote myself from that build of long ago -since this house policies preclude me from posting a link to my scratch-build, located somewhere else-:

 

"The retro-futuristic look and curvaceous, graceful lines of the Shelton American Gyro Crusader whisper in your ear “streamlining” and “teardrop”.

To anyone familiar with the Bauhaus school of design it wouldn’t be a surprise if this one would have come up from their workshops, but it didn’t.

It is actually an American design –many of you already knew it, since the answer is in the question- that had the misfortune of seeing the light of day in the hard post-depression years.

Nevertheless the one and only machine built attracted a lot of publicity, the attention of the general public and some remarkable personalities, Amelia Earhart among them.

During its life the Crusader had some changes in its landing gear and props and also in the variety of images applied mainly to its nose. In some images its surfaces seem to appear without any inscriptions or images, though. A good reference is: "Crusader: The Story of the Shelton Flying Wing" by Alexander Roca."

 

So we have now the Avis kit in what it came to be known as short run technology.

It has, as we all know, its pros and cons. We get those models unlikely to be cater for by the industry giants at an -in general- reasonable price, and we have to deal with something that occupies our modeling skills in a perhaps more demanding and certainly less complacent manner, cleaning flash, refining parts, dealing with the lack of locating devices and some vague fit.

So be it.

 

Resealable bag, I like that:

 

Parts' array:

 

Masks included:

 

Decals (will talk about them later):

 

Transparencies. Fair, if not precisely crystalline:

 

The limitations of the media, but nothing a modeller can't deal with...with some skill and patience:

 

 

 

Some cleanup is ahead...

 

Instructions, well printed, in good paper, with a few vague points:

 

 

 

Transparencies cleaned, washed, given some floor polish:

 

The coffee mesh in which all those parts, especially the very small ones, are washed after the cleanup. Do not lose them!:

 

Parts cleaned up. And man do they need cleanup:

 

Not the sharpest of molds:

 

 

 

Again, the fixes seem easy enough:

 

The engine fronts also need a serious cleanup. Not sure if they attempted here to represent the things behind the openings, or these are just plastic blobs.

In any case I will open those up and simulate the engine inside:

 

 

Edited June 26, 2018 by Moa
to correct typo

[Terry1954]

Yet another esoteric build Moa, which I am sure will end up as a superb example. I am also most impressed at your earlier scratch build model.

 

Will be watching this one closely!

 

Terry

[Azgaron]

Cool funny looking plane! Love to see it built!

 

Håkan

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Interior is easily assembled:

 

 

I carved out the openings:

 

The wheels need their centers drilled:

 

You may have to thin the wheels a bit for the nacelle sides to close:

 

I discarded the exhaust stack since I will use micro-tubing here:

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

I have seen a number of photos of the Gyro with the flaps down, so I thought it would give the model a little extra pizazz:

 

Flaps are cut off. The excised parts are not to be used, they need replacement with a proper flat sheet and ribs, to be made later:

 

The top and lower wing halves are glued together:

 

 

Nacelles glued together too:

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Flap arrangement ready:

 

Of note:

The plane, as many prototypes, went through a few modifications and changes in the motifs applied to the nose.

Look at photos to depict the correct decoration with the proper details, since:

-The kit provides four mass balances, but depicts only two on the instructions -for the ailerons-. The other two are seen in photos under the elevator, or on the external sides of the rudders, or both.

-There are elevator control cables running from the aft fuselage to the control horns, not shown on the instructions.

-The back side of the props was 2/3 painted anti-glare black, not shown on the instructions.

-In some photos, rudder tabs can be seen added.

-As provided, the "crusader" image on the decals is missing the legend "American Gyro Crusader" on the top line, and "Denver, Colo." on the bottom line, all in white.

-The booms had airscoops on top after the engines, missing in the kit, but easily fabricated.

-As mentioned, other logos were applied to the plane instead of the "crusader" image on the nose.

Edited June 27, 2018 by Moa
to add information

[Artie]

Didn't know this plane ever existed......It's one of the most interesting (and weird) designs I've ever seen. Art Decó at its best, a perfect piece in any Diesel Punk environment.....

Actually, drooling on my keyboard.....

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

1 hour ago, Artie said:

Didn't know this plane ever existed......It's one of the most interesting (and weird) designs I've ever seen. Art Decó at its best, a perfect piece in any Diesel Punk environment.....

Actually, drooling on my keyboard.....

Artie, perhaps you may like my Arups, then:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2018 by Moa
to add additonal material

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

A resemblance of the engines is made and inserted into the nacelles:

 

The props are given the missing axle:

 

The front of the nacelles is glued:

 

 

[StephenCJ]

This is a wonderful looking aeroplane, it is a pity it didn't take off ( sales I mean). 

 

Stephen 

[StephenCJ]

I would like to like your flying wings more than once.  Very SALUBRIOUS.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

17 minutes ago, StephenCJ said:

I would like to like your flying wings more than once.  Very SALUBRIOUS.

More than once?

Hum, here is a Ford flying wing, not very well known, that I modeled time ago:

 

I am posting these because the Crusader started life as the Sheldon Flying Wing, in the same sense that Northrop called a "flying wing" his twin-boom plane of 1929...of which I also made a mode, needless to say 🙂:

 

 

Edited June 26, 2018 by Moa
to correct typo

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Same denomination, "Flying Wing" is what EMSCO (Rocheville design) called their creation...of which I also made a model:

 

 

 

Aren't they incredibly beautiful? (the original planes, I mean)

[StephenCJ]

They are incredibly beautiful, the models too.

I wish I was your neighbor as I would hound you until you taught me how to build such beautiful things.

Absolutely wonderful Moa.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The nacelle sub-assemblies are glued to the wing. These are handed components, so be sure to do it right (or left, whichever the case, I most definitely prefer left). The fit is fair, but no perfect, so a few touches here and there will help.

The boom/nacelle joint is unfortunately a butt join, and alignment is left here to chance or your eyeball-o-meter, so be careful there. The booms/stab joint, on the other hand, has -miracle!- locating devices:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

 

 

 

[Terry1954]

Looking at your other models in the thread Moa, I have to so admire your choice of subjects, and your expert ability at modelling in general, and scratch building in particular.

 

These are miniature masterpieces.

 

Cheers

 

Terry

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

22 minutes ago, Terry1954 said:

Looking at your other models in the thread Moa, I have to so admire your choice of subjects, and your expert ability at modelling in general, and scratch building in particular.

 

These are miniature masterpieces.

 

Cheers

 

Terry

Terry, you are exceedingly kind.

Thanks.

Cheers

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

It's been mentioned that many photos show six mass balances, two under the ailerons, two under the elevator, and two on the external sides of the rudders.

The kit provides four, and shows on the instructions only the two under the ailerons.

So here is how you could make mass balances:

Sand a cone on a styrene rod and chop:

 

Locate on tube of adequate diameter exposing the front:

 

Sand it round:

 

put it aside:

 

After making several masses prepare the stems, in this case a fine strip:

 

Glue together:

 

Make a bunch, chose the best:

 

In this case this is the size needed:

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

I got a somewhat self-inflicted issue with the booms: if I aligned the booms at the top flush with the nacelles (which I did), the "karmans" (the part that help merge the two volumes, wing and boom) did not align. This is due to the nacelles' top not seating properly on the wing as molded. If you want to avoid this issue, you will have to either sand the part of the nacelle that seats on top of the wing's trailing edge, or deepen the area on the wing for it to seat lower. So be it, I can deal with that with some putty.

You are warned.

Once I trued the not very good ends of nacelle and booms, I glued the booms. After half a minute or so, I inserted the stab between them (it's a good thing the stab is keyed, otherwise the whole assemble would have been doomed).

Before the glue completely sets, alignment can be taken care of:

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The lines start to emerge:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The interior is given the base color:

 

 

[Martian]

A great start on a wonderfully bonkers subject! You will not be surprised to learn that I am up for this one!

 

Martian 👽

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

9 minutes ago, Martian Hale said:

 

A great start on a wonderfully bonkers subject! You will not be surprised to learn that I am up for this one!

 

Martian 👽

 

Oh, Martian, if those earthlings only knew....

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Interior almost ready, inst. panel decal on the side:

 

Interior ready, with inst. panel and belts already on, but guess what...

Of course the fuselage halves won't close, you will have to trim the floor a tad fore and aft, and the top of the aft bulkhead.

And this is so with 90% of kits. You think manufacturers may have realized it by now, same for resin aftermarket bits.

 

No biggie, a few more minutes of sanding and then half an hour removing dust from the -until then- immaculate interior should do it.

Edited July 3, 2018 by Moa
to correct typo