RAF Servicing Platform (Safety Raiser)

[hendie]

This is a Work In Progress and something I've been working on in the background for some time. The ubiquitous Safety Raiser, as they were commonly known. Found in hangars and servicing bays everywhere, especially where there were Wessex roaming in the wilds. Even when we were using them in the 80's they seemed antiquated. 

 

I made one of these before, about 10 years ago back when I did my first Wessex build here on BM.   

Yes, that's rolls of Kimwipe and a toolbag. There's even rolls of sacrificial tape and a pair of scissors.  

 

 

Then, thanks to the goading of the BM unruly rabble, I even had to add some cans of MEK along with a 7UP & a Coke can. Those were the days.

 

Since then, the advent of 3D printing has made things much easier so over the last year or so I began working on a solid model of the safety raiser. Which brings me to this...

 

 

It still has a long way to go before I'm finished. The biggest issue has (as always) been obtaining some decent photos of the beast. I think I have around 5 or 6 photos and have had to interpolate and extrapolate and just plain guess at some things based on those photos alone. It seems ground equipment was never really glamorous enough to photograph. More's the pity.

 

I've ran one test print the other day and so far it appears entirely doable - thankfully.

 

 

If all goes well, I plan to have the safety raiser adjustable for height, along with the ability to have the guard rails set in the "up" position, or just hanging free.

 

 

The design itself has been done in my usual 1/48, but there's no reason this cannot be scaled up to 1/32, and possibly even down to 1/72, though full adjustability at that scale may be tough.

 

I'm still working out a few issues and determining the best path forward. For example, I will probably have to supply the ladders in several height versions, depending upon whether the user wants the raiser extended or not.

There will more than likely around 40 to 50 parts in the assembly, so it's almost a little kit in itself. Customers will have to supply some small lengths of 0.8mm brass or styrene rod, but that's all (at least at the moment).

 

I do plan on adding some other ground equipment when I get time. 

If you are interested, PM me and if there's enough interest I'll take this off the back burner and put some heat under it.

 

 

 

[Pete in Lincs]

22 minutes ago, hendie said:

goading of the BM unruly rabble,

Mea Culpa, I hope no lasting harm was done. Those were indeed, the days.

What a great project. It brings back memories of teetering on top of these contraptions and fixing Walters. 

And, trying to move them around! They weren't built for speed! Damn! just dropped another spanner   Good luck with the project, Alan. 

[hendie]

20 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Mea Culpa,

Yes, I distinctly remember you being a primary instigator Pete 

 

 

I got a bit more time on the model this morning and spotted a few additions. Adding those parts meant I had to reduce the width of the bottom frame by around 1.5mm - thank heavens for parametrics as it made the job relatively painless.

I also figured out the ladders. Since the height of the platform will be adjustable, I'll provide a bottom section with some steps fitted along with a bunch of additional steps. Ø0.8 rod can be used to extend the ladder to the required height and the steps can just be slid over the Ø0.8 rod. That was the easiest way I could come up with but I think it will work okay. End users will need to add the step strapping from lead foil or tape or similar.

 

 

I just need to run some test prints now and check that it all fits together. No doubt there will be some tweaks required, but hopefully not too many.

 

... back when there's more news

 

 

[dnl42]

Oh, nice! I love odd 'vehicles'. 

[bootneck]

Is this the same platform?   If it is, then I have about a dozen or so views of it as I planned to do a scratchbuild of it.  I can post more photos if interested.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

[hendie]

1 hour ago, bootneck said:

I can post more photos if interested.

 Thanks Mike - any photos would be welcomed.

There appears to be several versions (from what I can tell) but they are all very similar with only minor modifications between them. I guess they "upgraded" over the years.

[bootneck]

I shall send you the full size photos Alan and ask Julien if there's a section in Walkarounds that we can archive ground support equipment images.

 

cheers,
Mike

[perdu]

On 18/07/2025 at 19:04, bootneck said:

I shall send you the full size photos Alan and ask Julien if there's a section in Walkarounds that we can archive ground support equipment images.

 

cheers,
Mike

That is a b***** good idea Mike

 

Alan registering interest in tiny scale versions

[hendie]

Just a couple of rather nasty photos to show progress on this so far. My phone refuses to take decent photos of this and these are the best I have so far. I will try and get better shots when I get more time.

 

I have spent about a day in total putting this together and that included painting.  There's still the ladders to add and then it should be finished. I had a rethink about the ladders and think I've now managed to get the easiest method for creating and adding the ladders. Those are currently printing so I should be able to finish this next week sometime. 

 

 

Once the ladders are added I'll give this an overall flat coat to eliminate some of the shininess on the rubber bumpers, and maybe add some more detail painting.

I will also go back and make some additions/modifications based on my experience with the assembly.

 

 

Overall, I'm very pleased with the way this has turned out.  This model has been created in 1/48 so scaling up to 1/32 or larger scales will not be an issue. Scaling it down to 1/72 will present some major problems though I am going to look to see if I can redesign a 1/72 version which requires less actual assembly - when I get time.

There's no getting around it - this is a VERY delicate and fragile model to put together. Definitely not for the beginner.

 

 

 

 

[hendie]

First test build completed this morning.

 

 

[TimB]

Very nice, but looks a bit like the manufacturer's catalog pic!  It misses the FOD bins hanging on the rails, a lot of oil stains and chipped paint and a few dents!  A very welcome addition.

 

Regards

 

Tim 

[speedy]

And now you've got your eye in. The hobby needs the scaffold pole staging.

[TheBaron]

Love it Alan. Impeccable work as always.

[Terry1954]

Lovely job Alan. Opens up all sorts of ideas for display aircraft (fixed and rotary) undergoing maintenance etc.

 

T.

 

[xvtonker]

Looks amazing, and a great subject.

 

As with many others I spent many hours on these things and I'm right in saying that it will enhance any diorama, especially a hangar setting.

 

Great build and do you plan to make them available in various scales?

 

XVTonker 

[Wez]

On 18/07/2025 at 16:54, bootneck said:

 

 

 

Looking at the SWL of those things I can confirm those figures were routinely ignored (let's face it, 2 or 3 hefty liney's, some spares, tools and a few cans of OX-26 or OM-15 and you're over the limit).

 

Thanks to Mike @bootneck for posting the pictures.

 

Great work @hendie, I don't tend to do 1/48th but 1/72nd...

 

Any thoughts about doing a Giraffe?

[hendie]

10 hours ago, xvtonker said:

Great build and do you plan to make them available in various scales?

 

If all goes well, I'll produce these in 1/48 and 1/32.

1/72 is just too small, the pieces are very fragile even in 1/48. I may do a different version (fixed height) in 1/72 if/when I get a chance.

 

10 hours ago, Wez said:

Any thoughts about doing a Giraffe?

If someone could provide drawings I'd give it a go but from my searching to date, reliable references for ground equipment are extremely difficult to come by.

 

 

[Wez]

Thanks Hendie, if you do decide to do a fixed height one in 1/72nd I'd be interested.

 

As for drawings for the Giraffe, I would suggest maybe the manufacturer but I don't even know who that would be.  I only used ground equipment, I left the rest of it to the Jeffry's (much like yourself I expect).

[xvtonker]

9 hours ago, Wez said:

Thanks Hendie, if you do decide to do a fixed height one in 1/72nd I'd be interested.

 

As for drawings for the Giraffe, I would suggest maybe the manufacturer but I don't even know who that would be.  I only used ground equipment, I left the rest of it to the Jeffry's (much like yourself I expect).

For your info Newark Air Museum have a giraffe as part of their support equipment, and they are very accommodating when asked if you can take details and measurements of their exhibits/equipment.

 

They very kindly allowed me access to the Phantom nose section and crew ladders to take measurements & pictures for my 3D models.

 

XVTonker