From the archive (2009):
At the beginning of the 20’s German students grouped in
associations to promote gliding.
One of those was located in the Berlin area and gave birth to a number of
designs, the fist of which is presented here.
It is not clear if this tail-less design had such economy of
materials because of the tough after-war times or perhaps due to the influence
of the Etrich zanonia-type gliders.
In any case the attractive lines of “Charlotte” were enough for me to have a go at
her.
I was introduced to this remarkable lady by fellow modeler
and friend Sönke Schulz.
I didn’t go for my usual step-by-step construction report,
but you’ll get the idea from the photos. Styrene sheet, rod and little bits of
metal were the materials used in construction. An interior with internal
structure was devised to which a bucket seat was added. Polly Scale and Model
Master acrylics were used for the finish.
The number of gliders in my collections tends to increase
noticeably, perhaps –besides their undeniable aesthetic qualities- due the fact
that they do not have engines, propellers, wheels or tails as in this case. But
do not fool yourself; this one is made of more than fifty parts.
Fellow modeler and friend Jimmy Puget told me that indeed
the Akaflieg B1 was designed after the experience of WWI, when pilots had their
enemies attacking almost invariably positioned at their tails. The absence of
such tails, says Jimmy, would have deterred enemies from attacking. Hum.
Being this a small article I will compensate by passing on
some modeling wisdom in the form of 12 ½ suggestions:
1) Forget about what you painfully learned with your
previous models. There is always room for invention –and oblivion.
2) Collect a reasonable number of references. Don’t even
look at them until you are finished.
3) If you want to try something risky, and you got that very
complex and time-consuming model almost ready, now it’s the time.
4) Write-down a suitable sequence for painting and gluing
parts that will alleviate your burden during building and save you time. Leave
it underneath some reference books and forget about it until (see 2)
5) Very sparingly glue the interior parts. Knock the model
against a hard surface when close to completion. You will get a very pleasant,
maraca-like rattling effect.
6) Set-apart the more delicate parts in a separate
container. Go and do something. Anything will do. Come back and sit on top of
them. That’ll teach’em.
7) For painting your painstaking, beloved masterpiece,
choose a windy, dusty day. Do it out there, on the balcony or out the garage.
Ah, fresh air. You may feel as if you were Lawrence of Arabia making models in
the wild. And you will probably obtain alike results.
8) Do start a model and once you are half-way, meticulously store
the thing in the darkest crag of your closet/cabinet. Come back to it by the
time you have forgotten all the insights you had regarding construction and
ways to correct/improve it.
9) Scratch-build that nightmare that you always wanted, and
carefully finish it by the time a kit is finally mass produced and on the
shelves for a ridiculously low price
10) Need the right tool but is out of reach? Nah, use the
other one that’s just on the table. It won’t work the same, or probably won’t
work at all, but in the process you will manage to ruin the part. That will
give you the chance to get more practice time doing it all over again or even
learn how to scratch-build it!. A similar procedure could be used for materials
and almost all modeling supplies.
11) Get carried away and glue all the pointy/fragile bits
before you are completely finished, let’s say before painting or decaling. Then
look at the model in a state of dismay until the next season (see 8).
12) Run out of the paint you were using in the middle of the
job? May be you can use that suspicious other one at the bottom of your drawer;
then you will achieve two things: the colors will never match and the coat
underneath will crackle/blister/melt and/or otherwise produce remarkable
–although not necessarily desired- special effects.
13) Get back to 1)
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