RNAS Glencruitten - Relocating Lenabo

[Argos]

Thanks Northroader, some of the colours need a second coat but it is coming together.

[Argos]

2 minutes ago, nick_bastable said:

I like it a lot but the devil on my shoulder is saying Naval it should be Dazzle  

 

Nick

 

Hi Nick, 

 

I did contemplate a dazzle paint scheme but could find no evidence of one being used.

As such I stuck with the photographic record albeit I had to guess the colours.

 

The colours were covered in an earlier post:-

 

 

 

[Caley Jim]

Dazzle would stick out like a sore thumb in the Oban area!  Gorse, heather and bracken are what's needed for camouflage around there!

 

Jim

[Northroader]

No, up there you want some of this:

[Argos]

I couldn't find any paint that colour "tartan" is noticeably absent from the Humbrol colour chart.

 

I shall write and complain.....

 

[Caley Jim]

4 minutes ago, Northroader said:

No, up there you want some of this:

Aye, that's pretty much gorse, heather and bracken!     Maybe with a touch of blaeberry thrown it!

 

Jim

[Caley Jim]

2 minutes ago, Argos said:

I couldn't find any paint that colour "tartan" is noticeably absent from the Humbrol colour chart.

 

I shall write and complain.....

 

Wait until next April 1st.  Standard tasks for new apprentices on that date were to be sent to the stores for one of a) a bucket of steam, b) a long stand, or c) a tin of tartan paint!

 

Jim

[Ian Morgan]

There is a really good book about camouflage, but you will not find it in the shops ...

[Edwardian]

On 19/05/2019 at 20:44, Argos said:

What do you mean you can't find it? It's a bloody great hanger 300 feet long and over a hundred feet high! 

 

 

 

Woah! Excellent stuff.

 

I assume it has little 2mm scale corrugations?  if so, I would advocate dry brushing.  This should both soften or mute the effect and show up the relief. 

 

I would start with a pale version of the base colour (i.e. add some white, and apply this quite generously, leaving only the troughs in the original colour.  Then I would do a highlight of the while thing, just gently catching the tops of the ridge, in a bleached bone colour, all over.  

[Argos]

Thanks Edwardian,

 

I need to get the colour density consistent, then the plan is for some dark washes and dry brushing to introduce some shade variations.

 

This should be match other finishes on the layout.

 

 

[Argos]

Having spent the weekend attempting to get the Caley Jumbo running and suffering two steps forward, one step back syndrome I decided to spend the Bank Holiday progressing the airship. 

 

Given it will be a signature piece for the layout and the next exhibition is approaching fast (2mm Scale Association Supermeet at Tutbury 8th June -Plug Plug) I figured I had better get a move on.

 

Looking the control car as I left it last I realised I needed to do some more work.

The control car for the SS Class airship I am modelling was converted from a BE2c aircraft of which the original model is a fairly crude white metal kit.

The exhausts needed work to replicate the ones adapted for use on the airship, the white metal skids were poorly cast and barely holding together.

First job was to solder up some new skids using some code 40 rail with the underside filed smooth, the centre groove on the top acting as a locating lug for some brass wire formed to represent the supporting struts. 

Next up the exhausts were formed, I couldn't remove the cast pipe over the cylinder head as these were too close to the fragile propeller so the pipe was whittled back from the point it bent down, new brass wire formed to match the shape on various pictures.

The lashed together nature of these machines shows as the exhaust arrangements seemed to change shape with each machine.

A silencer (at least I think that's whist is is) was added form some small diameter brass tube drilled out to the accept the wire used for the exhaust, the the supporting struts then created from some drilled brass strip

Finally the additional fuel tank below the fuselage was shaped form Plastic and the supporting strut for the airsack intake fabricated form brass section.

The latter look over-scale but actually I don't think they are far off, from the photos it looks like the strut was simply some 4"x2" lashed together.

 

 

The photo above is quite cruel as it is about four times the size of the actual model.

Hopefully I'll get it primed this evening, assuming it stops raining.

 

Next up was the gas bag itself.

A course of filling and sanding had got the surface and shape where I wanted it to be so it just remained to add the details.

The control fins were carefully drilled to accept a 0.3mm wire which was inserted in a corresponding hole on the side of the gas bag which will hopefully add to the robustness of the model. 

The half round tube on the underside was some 3mm plastic rod filed to shape and the nose supports added form some small plastic section.

Ignore the blob of filler in the photo below, once set this will be sanded smooth to represent the aluminium nose cap.

 

 

Once the nose cap is done a few trips to the paint shop will see this bit done.

 

I can start rigging the control car support wiring, not a job I'm looking forward to! 

[Edwardian]

Brilliant and ingenious job on the 'ship' there.

[Killian keane]

On 19/05/2019 at 21:53, Argos said:

I couldn't find any paint that colour "tartan" is noticeably absent from the Humbrol colour chart.

 

I shall write and complain.....

 

I do need some tartan paint for the 1854 North British Railway royal train 

[Argos]

The BE2c control car is now painted up and ready for a sealing coat of varnish before weathering.

 

 

Again, please bare in mind this a couple of times actual size.

 

I struggled a bit to find any consistent application of livery and insignia from photos of the real airships and in the end came to the conclusion that's because there was none.

 

Some cars had no insignia, some roundels, some the class number (e.g. SS16 in black lettering on the side).

I decided that roundels added a splash of colour and not identifying the airship would be an advantage as it would avoid the pedant crowd ("don't you realise SS16 was painted pink in 1916 and shipped off to Japan" etc.)

[Edwardian]

Oh that looks really great.

 

Good decision to go with the roundel - a symbol is worth a thousand words or numbers in conveying the essential fact that this is a British airship.  And the splash of colour is good.

 

Yes, I suppose there must be Airship nerds somewhere. Or 'gas bags', as they're no doubt known. 

[Argos]

And the gasbag is now painted to match.

 

All I have do now is sort the rigging and work how best to mount the airship in the scene.

 

 

I was thinking of supporting from below using the mooring ropes as supports.

 

I'm not sure this is the best approach anymore as the ropes would need to be substantial to support the gasbag and control car.

The gas bag in its own needs a 1.5mm bras rod.

I may look to suspend from the roof of the layout instead.

Edited June 2, 2019 by Argos

[Edwardian]

That is a triumph, Angus. 

[Northroader]

Could you have it supported by two horizontal rods from behind, rather than above or below? It’s a fairly bulky item and relatively close to the back scene, so they should be unobtrusive.  With the aircrew in the gondola, I take it you’ll want it “flying”. It’s a marvellous piece of work, looks great.

[Caley Jim]

This is turning out to be a seriously good model.  Northroader's suggestion hes considerable merit in my mind.

 

Sorry i can't make it to the meeting at Tutbury on Saturday, but I think some of the Forth and Clyde group are planning to be there.

 

Jim

[AlfaZagato]

I'm with Northroader.    1/4" brass through the backscene would probably do it, especially if you have a 'joist' for the backscene already in a good spot.

[Argos]

Thanks for the thoughts folks,

 

I've been pondering some more and I think Northroader is on to something.

 

The plan is to have the airship just off the ground being manoeuvred ready for take off.

The propeller would not be started until immediately before so explains why this is stationary.

This would give very long wires if supported from above.

 

The backscene is formed of 4mm MDF and built into the base in a monocoque  type form so isn't really thick enough to provide support on its own.

I was planning to leave the back "clean" so there is nothing to catch when manoeuvring the layout but I could add a couple of wooden blocks to add thickness.

I then have some 1.5mm steel rods I could use to provide two horizontal supports (the idea is not to have the airship parallel to the backscene).

 

If I drill holes through the backscene and wooden blocks slightly undersized (say 1.4mm) I should be able to get a tight supportive fit which I can bolster with some epoxy to hold.

 

A plan is a hatched.........

[Regularity]

4 minutes ago, Argos said:

A plan is a hatched.........

...presumably from that large silver egg-shaped thing hovering above the layout? 

[nick_bastable]

15 minutes ago, Argos said:

Thanks for the thoughts folks,

 

I've been pondering some more and I think Northroader is on to something.

 

The plan is to have the airship just off the ground being manoeuvred ready for take off.

The propeller would not be started until immediately before so explains why this is stationary.

This would give very long wires if supported from above.

 

The backscene is formed of 4mm MDF and built into the base in a monocoque  type form so isn't really thick enough to provide support on its own.

I was planning to leave the back "clean" so there is nothing to catch when manoeuvring the layout but I could add a couple of wooden blocks to add thickness.

I then have some 1.5mm steel rods I could use to provide two horizontal supports (the idea is not to have the airship parallel to the backscene).

 

If I drill holes through the backscene and wooden blocks slightly undersized (say 1.4mm) I should be able to get a tight supportive fit which I can bolster with some epoxy to hold.

 

A plan is a hatched.........

if your using 1.5mm rods why not solder to a drilled  metal sheet to reduce the potential catch ?

 

Nick 

[Argos]

16 minutes ago, nick_bastable said:

if your using 1.5mm rods why not solder to a drilled  metal sheet to reduce the potential catch ?

 

Hi Nick,

 

I'd have the issue of attaching the sheet metal to the backscene, I'm not convinced a glued joint would work here on a metal/wood interface.

It would also be quite a lot of bending moment on a sheet with little in the way of support.

[Regularity]

You have the rod horizontal and perpendicular to the backscene. You could use something thin and strong, such as piano wire or nonelastic fishing line to make a right angled triangle (material in tension, positioned above the rod).

 

Does that make sense?