"Memories of Flight School"

[JohnReid]

After sheathing the outside of the hollowed out dowel with vertical stir stiks,I sanded it round again and then ground down the top to a thinner edge.There is no need to grind it all the way to the bottom.You can now shape a false bottom out of thin plywood, glue some kitty litter to it and paint with acrylics.

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

The coal bucket is finished.I painted it the usual way except this time I used yellow ochre for the finish color.The metal bands are actually made from small wood strips.Just paint on the bare wood and leave it rough to give it a corroded metal look.The broken shovel idea came from Chesters woodstove pic.

 

[Dan Morton]

Marvelous craftsmanship with "found items"! Your thread has given me so many tips and ideas I can't believe it.

All the best,
Dan

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

Odds and ends.
The shape on the left is easily made from a dowel.You can carve it by hand or put the dowel in a drill and turn it against sandpaper to the proper shape.
The shape on the right is a bought craftstore piece which can be used as is or if you look closely you could make at least 3 different types of vessels from it just by cutting it at the proper places to get the shape you want.For small scales look through the shipmodelers stuff for these same shapes.With a little imagination you will begin to see scale stuff everywhere.Whatever scale you are working in remember lots of stuff comes in all sizes in real life

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

From another thread on the Model Airways kits:

Thanks Jim,your comments are much appreciated.I have written on this before but I understand that this thread is getting a little long to search through.
This Model Airways(Model Expo) Jenny kit is their best so far.I have no problem recommending it to anyone who has the patience to build it ,which can't be said for their other offerings.I would start with the Jenny and only tackle the other kits after gaining some experience with this type of kit.The little bit of extra money that is required to buy it is well worth it ,rather than spending a lot of time and money try to correct the others.
So far I have build the Jenny,Albatros and the Nieuport.I have the Camel on order but I can't recommend it before I see it ,but I would be careful as it looks like it could be a step backwards after the Jenny.I also have the Wright Flyer waiting to be built and after looking in the box I would caushiously recommend it.
The main problem with the earlier kits are the metal fittings which are made from a very soft and too flexible material.Example: the undercarriage cannot support the weight of the airplane over time.A lot of the fittings are poorly cast and pitted.I did a lot of scratchbuilding.
I dont want to be too hard on their products as I understand it is a difficult market.People,it seems, would rather pay less for an inferior product than pay more for quality .You get what you pay for really applies here.Bottom line ,buy the Jenny you won't be disappointed.
Plans and instructions are generally pretty good overall but here again the Jenny kit comes out of top.
Don't get me wrong the Albatros and Nieuport are buildable but are better left to the more experienced builder as a lot of mods and scratchbuilding is required to do a nice job.After building the Jenny you will know what a good kit is and by then you will be a "more experienced builder.

 

[JohnReid]

Originally posted by Dan Morton@Dec 12 2006, 05:59 AM
Marvelous craftsmanship with "found items"! Your thread has given me so many tips and ideas I can't believe it.

All the best,
Dan

Thanks Dan! I am glad that you are enjoying it.Cheers! John.

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

This is one of the storage shelves in the engine room.It is only visible from across the room and is partially hidden behind a door.It is not finished yet as I still have to put on the rear crossbraces and stock the shelves a little more.
The oil cans are the eraser ends off ordinary pencils ,I have yet to find suitable paper labels.These would also make great barrells for the smaller scales.
Speaking of barrells the 2 you see on the bottom shelf are craft store pieces.Normally I would sand off the ridges and replace them with steel bands(painted wood strips)The other wooden parts are scratch and the metal parts are left overs from other kits.Those are Jenny exhaust collectors on top of the big box that were for the JN-D version. The Canuck only had the short straight stacks.The rusty junk is gizmology.

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

Yes this is 1:1 Scale (as big as it gets)
From the N.Z. Aviation Heritage Center.

 

[JohnReid]

Another

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

Almost the end of another year so now would be a good time to review where I have been and where I am going!(dioramawise that is)Normally I would be finished this piece by now but this computer stuff takes more time than I originally thought it would.But I wouldn't want to go back to the days before the internet, when modeling was a pretty solitary experience.
In the painting above ,of the Toronto flying club in the 30's,the main hangar on the right is almost finished.I soon will be finished the engine room modules' interior and then it is on to the checkerboard sandpaper roof and battens.
Early in the new year I plan to take the whole thing apart for the last time and move it from my small,now overcrowded shop into the family room next door.(my wife doesn't know yet!)There I will set about building it up again from the main hangars' floor to completion of the first stage, which will be the Main hangar and its' modules.I will have to make a decision at this point as to phase two,the exterior,dispatch office and outbuildings and maybe even the other hangar.I could deliver phase one to the museum at this time and then continue work on phase twr I could take a break and finish up other projects.
I am really looking forward to the time,in the main hangar, when I can say well that part is finished and glued down for good.

 

[JohnReid]