sjsald Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Bizarre, weird, or ugly planes hold a soft spot in my heart. Perhaps one of the more interesting such planes is the Sikorsky S-38 - often referred to as "a collection of airplane parts flying through the sky in formation". This plane had a long and very interesting career in both Civil and Army service. Perhaps, in my opinion, the most interesting and memorable version of the plane is the one that Marin and Osa Johnson used when filming nature documentaries in Africa. The zebra stripe paint makes for a stunning finish! They had an equally interesting S-39 (the smaller, single engine, sister of the S-38) painted in an equally cool giraffe print. I have actually tracked down a copy of the CMR S-39 kit and hope to build it after this and perhaps assembly a diorama. The aircraft and the adventures involved really are a quintessential example of the golden age of flight. The kit arrives in a really sturdy cardboard box. I'll post a walkthrough of the kit later this week. Of note, tracking this kit down took quite a bit of perseverance! This resin kit is quite a bit more complex than the ones I have worked on up to this point so I appreciate any comments or advice people have as I put it together. On another note, I'll be doing a parallel build of the Esoteric Models vacuum formed kit of the same aircraft. It will be cool to compare the two building mediums. EDIT: here is the vacuum form build log for reference: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 These two (counting the vac elsewhere) are wonderful choices, I love the subject and potential schemes. They will demand from you more, possible quite a bit more, than simpler subjects, but you know that already. Be sure to locate and read builds of these kits by other modelers, they may save you some grief. Looking forward to your two builds! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjsald Posted June 14, 2020 Author Share Posted June 14, 2020 31 minutes ago, Moa said: These two (counting the vac elsewhere) are wonderful choices, I love the subject and potential schemes. They will demand from you more, possible quite a bit more, than simpler subjects, but you know that already. Be sure to locate and read builds of these kits by other modelers, they may save you some grief. Looking forward to your two builds! Thank you! I'll likely be leaning on the tremendous expertise on this forum when I inevitably run into a road block.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjsald Posted June 15, 2020 Author Share Posted June 15, 2020 This kit is very nicely put together! It includes a ton of very detailed resin parts and two fuselages for two difference model types. It also includes some nice vacuum formed windows for both styles. The single piece upper wing molding is huge as well! I am quite impressed it doesn't have any warping. I am really looking forward to this build! Note shown here but I have gotten bunch of assorted brass rod that I will use to replace most of the struts to add strength (per the instructions). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busnproplinerfan Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 This is an ugly but neat plane. Look up Kermit Weeks on yt, he's restoring one to flying condition. There is good video close ups of it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 40 minutes ago, busnproplinerfan said: This is an ugly but neat plane. But...but...how do you dare!!! Ugly? You don't seem Canadian! I thought they were all polite!(unless playing hockey). This is a very beautiful, plane! Now, the Armstrong Withworth Atalanta, that's a disgusting brick! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 (edited) Oh I don’t know looks ok to me somewhere between the Waco Glider and a Sunderland I’ve seen way worse. Blackburn Blackburn anybody? Edited June 15, 2020 by Marklo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britman Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 If you track down Kirmit Weeks on YouTube he goes over his aircraft and I became aware that given that it it initially looks vary odd, it is beautifully made and very practical. Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busnproplinerfan Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 2 hours ago, Moa said: But...but...how do you dare!!! Ugly? You don't seem Canadian! I thought they were all polite!(unless playing hockey). This is a very beautiful, plane! Now, the Armstrong Withworth Atalanta, that's a disgusting brick! I am being polite by speaking truth. Now I headfake you with a Dudley Do-Right and pull your shirt over your head, ha ha, ho ho. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjsald Posted June 28, 2020 Author Share Posted June 28, 2020 Made some progress this weekend on cleaning up some of the parts in preparation for assembling the interior of the plane. It occurred to me that I haven't seen any documentation of how the interior of this S-38 was configured on its African Safari. Does anyone have a resource to point to on how it was configured? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 No interior, but details, in case you haven't seen it: http://www.airminded.net/sikorsky1/osasark.html May be use this one as general guide: https://www.dutchaviationsupport.eu/00-HTMS/s-38flynytt.htm Seems they may have used these photos for their interior: https://c8.alamy.com/comp/E3YNRH/sikorsky-s-38-E3YNRH.jpg https://c8.alamy.com/comp/E3YNRN/sikorsky-s-38-E3YNRN.jpg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 But other sources have a different interior (this article states bunks and oven: https://www.sikorskyarchives.com/pdf/News Dec 00 Osa's Ark.pdf And this modeler may have some additional info: https://obscureco.wordpress.com/2017/12/08/adventures-in-modeling-s-38-osas-ark-in-172-part-1/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjsald Posted June 28, 2020 Author Share Posted June 28, 2020 Thank you @Moa! Your research skills are on par with your modeling skills! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 1 hour ago, sjsald said: Thank you @Moa! Your research skills are on par with your modeling skills! You are welcome, with pleasure, but... ...that's not really research, that was, literally, 10 minutes of Google search. More links at the bottom here: http://www.airminded.net/sikorsky1/s38.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjsald Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Well perhaps I need to work on my googling skills! More practice as always 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjsald Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 The Sikorsky archive document states "The interiors were specially designed to include bunks, a washroom, cooking stove and utensils, and food staples." This lead me to reach out to the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari museum to see if they had any photos on hand of how the interiors were configured. The provided the following four, very helpful images: The museum received these photos from the Sikorsky company archives (now Lockheed Martin). According to the museum, these photos are of the plane immediately before it left the factory as it was specially built. A few things of note, images 2282 and 2285 clearly show that the chairs fold and are able to convert into a bed. There is also a large storage rack near the aft end that I haven't seen in other interior images. Huge shoutout to the museum for providing these photos! Especially so quickly. There website deserves a visit if only for the cool photos of the Safaris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Excellent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 1 hour ago, sjsald said: The Sikorsky archive document states "The interiors were specially designed to include bunks, a washroom, cooking stove and utensils, and food staples." This lead me to reach out to the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari museum to see if they had any photos on hand of how the interiors were configured. The provided the following four, very helpful images: The museum received these photos from the Sikorsky company archives (now Lockheed Martin). According to the museum, these photos are of the plane immediately before it left the factory as it was specially built. A few things of note, images 2282 and 2285 clearly show that the chairs fold and are able to convert into a bed. There is also a large storage rack near the aft end that I haven't seen in other interior images. Huge shoutout to the museum for providing these photos! Especially so quickly. There website deserves a visit if only for the cool photos of the Safaris EXCELLENT! Not that is research! Well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjsald Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 22 hours ago, Moa said: EXCELLENT! Not that is research! Well done! Thank you! On another note, do people have a recommended source for the fine mesh seen in the photos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 1 minute ago, sjsald said: Thank you! On another note, do people have a recommended source for the fine mesh seen in the photos? I have used in the past fine mesh from plastic coffee filters. They are about $6. But then you get material for this and other fine mesh needs. I also have brass fine mesh that is sold at craft stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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