Zeppelin !

[Martian]

Greetings Earthlings. Apologies for the lack of posts on the builds this week but I was attending an important convention in the Galaxy of Transylvania. (Be afraid, be very afraid!)

 

As the sub-title of the post suggests, I have been working on the gondolas for the Q Class ship. I have taken the brass rod for the struts down in diameter from 0.45mm to 0.40mm and feel that this gives a better scale effect. I shall have a bash at he rear gondola tomorrow night as I want the glue on the forward to fully cure before I remove it from the ship.

 

One thing I noticed recently was that on a rare photo showing the underside of what was either a P or Q Class Zeppelin, the bomb doors seemed to stand proud of the envelope slightly. Takom have represented the doors as engraved lines and this will be just fine for many modellers. The trouble is that I just cant keep thinking about those doors. So, on the basis that I will never be happy with the models unless I do something about them, I will never be entirely happy with the builds, I filled the kit panel lines and added some doors from .10'thou plastic strip. .05 'thou would be better and I do have some of the stuff. However, it always seems to be more brittle than ordinary styrene stock. What I shall do, when they have cured, is to sand the doors back until I am happy with their appearance.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Martian 

 

 

 

[Martian]

The rear gondola of the Q Class ship now has its struts attached and we can now compare the differences between them on the two ships. See what I mean about needing to keep the parts separate? 

 

Next up I need to start work on the various radiators. Takom do provide some on the PE fret and they would probably suffice in this scale. However, once again they are too two dimensional for my taste and I think it is worth having a bash to see if I can do better. I also need to be thinking about the ladders that connect the gondolas with the main hull of the Zeppelin. I have almost certainly have some PE somewhere that will fit the bill but lining up the holes for them in the gondolas and the envelope could be interesting.

 

I am awaiting the delivery of a small drawing board so I can lay out a plan of the outriggers for the port and starboard propellors. I can then have a bash at making them in brass. Likewise for the assorted hand rails that adorn the sides of the gondolas. All this on assemblies that are no longer than an inch and three quarters in length for the rear gondolas and an inch and a quarter for the front! Wibble!

 

Further developments at the Martian Luftschiffbau have seen the arrival of Mark1 Models' S, T, and U class kit. This will allow me to build the L.48 out of the box and the kit I was about to convert to a U Class can revert to being built as an R Class. L.31 (Heinrich Mathy)  or the L.33 that came down at Little Wigborough and of which I have a decent sized piece of wreckage to display alongside it? Decisions, decisions.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Martian 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pete in Lincs]

4 hours ago, Martian said:

Next up I need to start work on the various radiators.

Makes sense, The crew would have been cold at altitude. 

[LorenSharp]

2 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Makes sense, The crew would have been cold at altitude. 

 I thought that's what schnapps was for.

[Martian]

12 hours ago, LorenSharp said:

 I thought that's what schnapps was for.

You would have thought so but apparently General von und zu Melchetthausen sent them off with Boddingtons instead, the predictable results of which ensured that the British could hear and smell the Zepps coming long before they actually saw them.

 

Martian  

[Brandy]

Probably a tactical decision as they may gave been able to use all that extra gas. Both the gas in the beer,  and the "aftermath" of drinking the stuff.

 

Visions of WWI German aircrew experimenting "Willy Wonka" style....

 

Ian

[JohnT]

2 hours ago, Martian said:

You would have thought so but apparently General von und zu Melchetthausen sent them off with Boddingtons instead, the predictable results of which ensured that the British could hear and smell the Zepps coming long before they actually saw them.

 

Martian  

 

9 minutes ago, Brandy said:

Probably a tactical decision as they may gave been able to use all that extra gas. Both the gas in the beer,  and the "aftermath" of drinking the stuff.

 

Ian

yes both quite right. It’s the origin of the English phrase for calling an alcoholic drink a “snifter” after how our earliest Zeppelin warning detection apparatus was developed. 
 

Still extremely brave and clever these early German designers. Put the bomb cells in the Zeppelin gas bag envelope to keep it well away from the farty crew. Can’t have high explosive mixing with Boddingtons after the event as it were.  Much safer to put it beside all the hydrogen cells and………….hang on, I’ll be back in a moment…….

[general melchett]

Quote

General von und zu Melchetthausen sent them off with Boddingtons instead, the predictable results of which ensured that the British could hear and smell the Zepps coming long before they actually saw them.

 

True, true, old Leopold never could get it right, he once sent a whole battalion into battle after insisting they each drank a stein of his homebrewed Lederhosen cabbage and Jerusalem artichoke  wine...caused a helluva stink, whole battalion literally wiped out in under eight minutes (the first recorded 'Blue on Blue' gas attack, only this was Green on Green).

 

 

 

 

Not much 'height climbing' to be done with all that heavy white stuff perched on top of that old Hun gasbag, looks decidedly dicey.......sorry, I'll fetch my trenchcoat. 

[Martian]

5 hours ago, Brandy said:

Visions of WWI German aircrew experimenting "Willy Wonka" style....

Isn't this supposed to be a family show?

 

Martian 

[Martian]

2 minutes ago, Martian said:

59 minutes ago, general melchett said:

 

True, true, old Leopold never could get it right, he once sent a whole battalion into battle after insisting they each drank a stein of his homebrewed Lederhosen cabbage and Jerusalem artichoke  wine...caused a helluva stink, whole battalion literally wiped out in under eight minutes (the first recorded 'Blue on Blue' gas attack, only this was Green on Green).

 

 

 

 

Not much 'height climbing' to be done with all that heavy white stuff perched on top of that old Hun gasbag, looks decidedly dicey.......sorry, I'll fetch my trenchcoat. 

 

Another lesser know fact is that the first Zeppelin to be lost in the Great War as not due to enemy action, but as a result of Von Melchetthausen's, very short lived sidekick, Baldrich von Misthaufen* deciding to hold a fart lighting competition onboard to relieve the tedium of long flights.

 

Martian 

 

*Misthaufen = German for dung heap

[Learstang]

Right! This is silly! This is all very silly indeed! Just the way it should be. For a moment there, I was afraid that the thread was turning into a proper modelling thread. Why if I wanted some proper modelling, I'd get back to my mountain of semi-completed models and at least get a few finished before all life on Earth is wiped out by the inevitable asteroid. And good riddance too, I should say!

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason (clever saying)

[Pete in Lincs]

1 hour ago, general melchett said:

Not much 'height climbing' to be done with all that heavy white stuff perched on top of that old Hun gasbag,

Mein Gott! Who is it you are an old Hun gasbag calling?* Perhaps it was disguised as a snowman and the giant carrot fell off?

Another thought, is that where Barnes Wallis got the idea for the Tallboy bomb? 

Vintage German newspaper headline - Himmel ! Giant Carrot destroys railway viaduct. "Like ein Rabbit I ran" says witness.

 

* I think I have German ancestry. My surname is the same as a certain Southern German town. But I was only acting being born under orders!

[Space Ranger]

2 hours ago, Martian said:

deciding to hold a fart lighting competition onboard to relieve the tedium

This sounds very much like the OrbitJet's crew on a long Space Ranger patrol mission. And my high school band trips.

[JohnT]

2 hours ago, Martian said:

Another lesser know fact is that the first Zeppelin to be lost in the Great War as not due to enemy action, but as a result of Von Melchetthausen's, very short lived sidekick, Baldrich von Misthaufen* deciding to hold a fart lighting competition onboard to relieve the tedium of long flights.

 

Martian 

 

*Misthaufen = German for dung heap

 

At last the definitive reason for the 

Hindenburg disaster is revealed

[TheBaron]

Gas bags Dad.

 

[Pete in Lincs]

And how about this for a future project?

 

[Martian]

Things have been a bit slow on this build recently as I have been trying to figure out the best way of making the out riggers look three dimensional. My attempts at soldering were patchy at best, although I now think I have worked out where I was going wrong and will have another bash on the Q Class model. For the P Class however, frustration got the better of me and I decided to go "Old School" and fashion a set from 0.25mm plastic rod. This went reasonably well, even if it was a tad time consuming. I could get so far and then had to leave off for 24 hours to allow joints to set properly. Another issue was to get the propeller drive shafts just the right length so the gondola can be teased out of its location for detailing and painting and then refitted when the hull of the Zeppelin has been painted.

 

Another factor that is at once an advantage and a disadvantage with this build is the fact that we are not just building some models here but also a complete display. A disadvantage in that it slows things down on this thread for you good people but an advantage in that when I am getting frustrated with the models, I can go and work on more research or be preparing Zeppelin fragments or pictures for the display. I am finding this equally as interesting as doing the builds which helps to keep my interest sharp.

 

I have recently managed to track down the address where my Grandmother was working in London and would like to be able to find out the name of the family that was living there at the time. Does anyone know if it is possible to get a name on a census (1911 or 1921) from an address or if there is any other method I could use?

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Martian 

 

 

 

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday Martian, that's some rather fine work you've done. The thinnest rod I've seen here is Evergreen 0.5mm, any thinner and I have to stretch it myself. Good luck with the research. Regards.

 

Impressed, of Earth.

[Martian]

Just now, ArnoldAmbrose said:

Gidday Martian, that's some rather fine work you've done. The thinnest rod I've seen here is Evergreen 0.5mm, any thinner and I have to stretch it myself. Good luck with the research. Regards.

 

Impressed, of Earth.

Thanks Impressed of Earth. I know Evergreen go down to 0.20mm and I am hoping they go down to 0.15. Otherwise it will be stretching the stuff myself or trying to work with some Slaters 0.10mm rod that I have for some of the smaller struts on the outriggers that I still have to add to the model. I have to go and do my annual restock of Evergreen today so we shall see.

 

Martian  

[Terry1954]

Very nice work on those outrigger supports Martian.

 

9 hours ago, Martian said:

I have to go and do my annual restock of Evergreen today so we shall see.

 

I first assumed that would be our LMS down close to Poole quay, but then I realised they don't open on a Monday?

 

Curious of Purbeck of Earth.

[Martian]

1 hour ago, Terry1954 said:

Very nice work on those outrigger supports Martian.

 

 

I first assumed that would be our LMS down close to Poole quay, but then I realised they don't open on a Monday?

 

Curious of Purbeck of Earth.

As I discovered this morning.  There will be a slight intermission while I obtain further stocks of Evergreen.

 

Dischuffed of Mars 

[Martian]

Terry, haven't you enough trouble with your legs already without them being broken by a narked blurglecruncheon toting Alien? 

 

Narked of Mars 

[Chief Cohiba]

22 hours ago, Martian said:

the best way of making the out riggers look three dimensional

Good morning, dear Martian, and sorry for answering late - and hopefully not too late...

 

I wanted to suggest at an earlier stage the usage of one of my secret weapons, which I keep throwing around here (so I guess it can't be considered that secret anymore); electric guitar strings. These come in various gauges, starting at 0.008", (which translates into something 0.2mm, I guess) are stiff and flexible, can be cut to lenght rather precisely and are perfectly round. And I had no issues bonding them with CA.

But I've seen you already moved on with styrene and it does look good, one must admit. So I guess my tip is not only late, it also can be considered unnecessary. Still not daring to touch mine...

[ArnoldAmbrose]

11 minutes ago, Chief Cohiba said:

electric guitar strings.

Gidday Chief, I recall this but had forgotten it (quite normal for me at my age, or any age). But you've got me thinking again of them. Thanks for the tip again. Regards, Jeff.

[Martian]

53 minutes ago, Chief Cohiba said:

Good morning, dear Martian, and sorry for answering late - and hopefully not too late...

 

I wanted to suggest at an earlier stage the usage of one of my secret weapons, which I keep throwing around here (so I guess it can't be considered that secret anymore); electric guitar strings. These come in various gauges, starting at 0.008", (which translates into something 0.2mm, I guess) are stiff and flexible, can be cut to lenght rather precisely and are perfectly round. And I had no issues bonding them with CA.

But I've seen you already moved on with styrene and it does look good, one must admit. So I guess my tip is not only late, it also can be considered unnecessary. Still not daring to touch mine...

Thanks Chief, I haven't give upon the brass yet but I felt I needed to achieve something positive on at least one of the models before I went completely gaga. (Silence in the cheap seats!) I shall get the outriggers finished on the P Class and then have another bash with the brass on the Q Class.

 

Martian