As many of you do, I like to alternate more complex projects with simple ones.
Again, as many of you do, I many times discover that simple
projects simply don’t exist.
Anyway, I call the long-hauling, all-demanding projects the
“405 Freeway” projects. For those who live in the L.A.
area further explanations are not needed. I can hear you already weeping. For
the non familiar with the denomination, this main L.A. freeway has been under “improvement” for
the last 2,798 years. Meanwhile, the already jamming-prone L.A. traffic suffers the consequences of the
“improvement”. As we Angelenos once more take the 405 to our
destinations, we see the closed lanes that run for miles and miles, we see the
trucks, the concrete dividers, excavations that run to the center of the earth,
all kinds of construction paraphernalia like a giant “Playmobil” set. But what
we do not see is the improvement.
As we all know, by the time it is done –if it’s even going
to be done- new “improvements” are surely going to be needed. But we can
confidently leave that to the next generations, since I lost any hope of seeing
its completion during my lifetime. Even if I live, as I plan, for the next 300
years.
So, between “405 Freeway-like” projects I take some rest building little
things like the hereby presented Eshelman Flying Flounder. Once you look at it
the name becomes obvious, and I hope you don’t smell anything fishy. And yes
again, it did fly:
The ones familiar with these articles know that I usually
favor either “Pioneer” or “Golden Era” projects, but sometimes creatures
outside this time envelope (1941 in this case) are just too good to be missed.
Not much is around in terms of data. A note in Aerofiles
–bless it- and the above-mentioned Youtube clip. So you all know, span is
speculative at 3.45 meters, and so is the color. The added walkway is visible
in the clip. So is the antenna wire.
Mr. Eshelman was quite a character, and I’ll leave it to you
to discover details of his adventurous life. Be only said here that he was
equally comfortable designing planes, toys, boats and many things more.
The model itself was solved with the usual master and vac
parts done in my magical Mattel contraption. To that core only a few details
needed to be added: elevator, rudder, turtledeck, cockpit, instrument panel, windshield
and the parts associated with the landing gear and engine.
Once you are happy and sure you have safely arrived to the
completion of the model, you realize you have to make the decals. White decals, that is. To the rescue came fellow modeler Esteban the Arizonio, who also
included in the padded envelope a crayfish that I managed to train to hold
parts while they are drying. Thanks, Esteban! The circles on the fin read in
black letters on white background
“Ehelman – USA”.
Now, is it a flying wing or a lifting body? Or perhaps a
flying fish?
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