-Early scratch project-
Look! it's a spaceship from
Saturn!...a flying doughnut!...the last area 51 project!...well, actually not.
It is a pioneering plane devised by two gentlemen from Britain a few years ago (more than a hundred, actually) to take advantage of an interesting aerodynamic concept. And yes, it flew...eventually.
It was powered by an enclosed 80 hp Gnome engine, could carry two people and had elevons.
After a research session in my library and the Net, I found notes and images that helped a lot, but I also found the seemingly unavoidable contradictions among references that I like so much.
It is a pioneering plane devised by two gentlemen from Britain a few years ago (more than a hundred, actually) to take advantage of an interesting aerodynamic concept. And yes, it flew...eventually.
It was powered by an enclosed 80 hp Gnome engine, could carry two people and had elevons.
After a research session in my library and the Net, I found notes and images that helped a lot, but I also found the seemingly unavoidable contradictions among references that I like so much.
Anyway, choices were made, a
new # 11 blade was inserted in the handle and very much in Monty Python fashion we went, to travel across
the meandering paths of scratchbuilding.
As you can see in the images,
the usual pre-kit is cut from styrene, a 7 cylinder engine made of the same
material and some spare parts adapted for the occasion.
The method used to build the plane can hopefully be deducted from the images, but it is basically an approach similar to the construction of a flying balsa plane (oh, my obscure past).
The method used to build the plane can hopefully be deducted from the images, but it is basically an approach similar to the construction of a flying balsa plane (oh, my obscure past).
A generic interior was
provided installing two seats, a stick, rudder pedals, a very succinct instrument
panel and the engine -with a brass fuel tank- removing a small section of the
top to show part of it.
The pair of
"cheeks" that streamline the protruding cylinders of the engine were
glued on the sides of the fuselage and an opening was cut to "vent"
the cylinders on the floor. The landing gear and king post were a mix of
styrene rod and strut material.
Now it was time to cut the wing in halves and glue them to the fuselage, taking care of the incidence angle and the very slight dihedral. Four wheels were made with solder wire and styrene discs and set aside. Landing gear was added, rigging holes prepared and it was primer time.
Acrylic in three different hues was airbrushed, struts and other details touched-up, and rigging was done in a session characterized for the use of certain words.
Finally, the strange but beautiful shape of the Lee-Richards annular wing will cruise again on the skies of imagination.
Now it was time to cut the wing in halves and glue them to the fuselage, taking care of the incidence angle and the very slight dihedral. Four wheels were made with solder wire and styrene discs and set aside. Landing gear was added, rigging holes prepared and it was primer time.
Acrylic in three different hues was airbrushed, struts and other details touched-up, and rigging was done in a session characterized for the use of certain words.
Finally, the strange but beautiful shape of the Lee-Richards annular wing will cruise again on the skies of imagination.
No comments:
Post a Comment