How do you choose your scale project? (Full Version)

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Ram-bro -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/6/2003 11:09:14 AM)

Hey guys, a simple question for you for which there is no simple answer. I have to write an article on scale and I decided to choose the topic on how we choose our projects. I know how I do it, but how do you guys do it. I consider this the research side of the business. Be specific, give details, life history, couch time involved etc, etc. Cant wait to see how this all turns out.



ProfLooney -> Histerical aircraft (7/6/2003 12:09:23 PM)

I chose mine by histerical value. I like to do the popular WWII era birds but always have to do them in a totally unusual paint scheme. I am also just getting deeper into the design stage and away from the bashing to do the often forgotten heroes of WWII for instance the Lockheed Hudson Bomber.

First i decide what plane I want to do and it has to be big and cant be the common every day p-51 or p-47 they so common they are boring.

Second I see if the plane I want to do is done by a decent designer so I can enlarge it a little no brian taylors top flights or meisters for me they build slab fuses that dont enlarge well.

third I have to be able to find a totally unusual paint scheme. it must be challenging to do and totally different from those out there.

if steps 1,2 and 3 all add up right I do it.

Joe



Ram-bro -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/7/2003 6:44:59 AM)

So professor, you live up to your name sake. A lot of research. How much time would you put into your research b4 you have cut your 1st piece of balsa? What is your latest and greatest project and what is the most off the beaten path you have done?



ProfLooney -> Projects (7/7/2003 8:07:45 AM)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by G-man
So professor, you live up to your name sake. A lot of research. How much time would you put into your research b4 you have cut your 1st piece of balsa? What is your latest and greatest project and what is the most off the beaten path you have done? [/QUOTE]

well it all depends on how fast i come across something eye apealing. Heres how I would do a project.

Say I decided to do this ME 109E I am designing and someone out there actually had a decent giant scale set of plans that were perfect for what I wanted.

First I would use WebFerret http://www.ferretsoft.com (it is a search engine you download and is a million times better than the online ones like google or dogpile etc. I have found websites i had never seen on other search engines)

I would type in either ME 109E or BF 109E both will get a ton of hits. then I will click on each website and see if anything interesting in there like color schemes, walkaround shots, gruppe markings etc and create a folder in my favorites and save the site. As I go through the sites any unusual paint schemes i find I save to my HD.

After I am done usually by then I have found the paint scheme I want to do. I then check the scheme and the plans to see if they match ie version A1 A2 A3 B C D etc etc and if they dont match I research for what changes were made between the versions and if I can make the changes without redesigning the entire plane. If not i find another scheme until I am satisfied,

I then order my laser cut kit or up until abt a year ago start cutting out parts. this process can take me anywhere from 24 hrs to 2 months depending on what changes i have to make to make the same model type.

Once you have your scheme etc figured out you got all the time in the world to do more research for decent noseart pics walkaround pics etc as you frame up your plane so it is basically doing it at the same time. as you can tell from my hurricane project I got everything figured out for it and at a stall waiting on retracts to be made. my hurricane research took me less than 24 hrs to find all the info I needed. Some planes that happenes with others are a challenge.

Latest Projects is the ME 109E and Lockheed Hudson I am designing and my 1/3.5 scale Hurricane. Upcoming for fall if i get this stuff done is building a ZIroli Dauntless and AC-47 Gunship at normal size and hopefully a Giant Helldiver.

The most unuslual project I have done so far was the Don Dmith DO335 ut was fun to work on with my friend as it was his not mine but had fun. Another unusual project I will have coming up is a scale Grumman Duck. I am not super big on bipes but this is one beautiful set of scale plans I just couldnt pass up. I have been researching this plane for abt a year now and has been very elusive at finding paint schemes and detail stuff for it. So far I have only found 2 pics of it but keep searching.

Joe



Ram-bro -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/7/2003 8:17:47 AM)

was the grumman duck featured in the one movie....Murphy's war?



ProfLooney -> Duck (7/7/2003 8:19:53 AM)

Dunno heres the two websites I have for it.

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/modern_flight/mf8.htm

http://www.aviation-history.com/grumman/j2f.htm

Joe



ProfLooney -> Duck (7/7/2003 8:39:06 AM)

Just had to do another search and just found a new site with pics from 2002 http://www.shanaberger.com/J2F.htm it also mentions a couple museums the pics were taken from. I now have more valuable info in a year long research. I can now ask on here for kind people close to those museums to see if they will take a few pics for me. I also make a list of pertinent info I would like them to look for ie flush or raised rivets or a mix of both. any shots of text they can get or inst panel. and anything unusual they may notice. Remember most of us on here are modellers so if you can find another scale guru they will know what to look for and it wont be a big burden. If they use 35 mm film I just ask them to take the shots and send the film to me and i will get them developed and shoot them 20 bucks or so to take the family out to dinner for their time. Also one place not to forget to research at is the plastic model guys. they are more anal than us and have found that they are more than happy to zerox off in color if need be their ref material for the cost of copying and shipping and of course i usually send along 20 bucks for their trouble or swap with them any info I have. I found 20 bucks to be pretty reasonable if i have a project say like the duck i cant find anything on and someone has all the ref stuff i need or a chance to take pics for me. it saves a plane trip or drive across the country.

OK I just found a varient That would be really cool it is a monoplane version of the duck but one I would have to design myself but has never been done before but they were only prototypes and flew but never went into production http://www.shanaberger.com/XJL.htm
Joe



Ram-bro -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/8/2003 7:12:59 PM)

it is really surprising to see that for the most part the way we pick our scale projects is split evenly 3 ways. I think that for the most part the way I choose my scale projects is kind of a combination of the ooh and ahh and a little shock and awe. I try to find the one project that we can a ll relate to and can recognise and then the shock and awe thru either size, color scheme and or features. What I am learning is that sometimes I bite off more than I can chew. I have so many unfinished projects.......One of these days I will mature and come up with the right project for my ability. Right now I am living off of youthful exuberance......I wish probably more igorance.



Patrick Underwo -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/8/2003 10:31:55 PM)

I am only slowly getting started in scale, but I will never do a plane I don't feel a "wow" about, and P-51s/P-47s etc. pretty much exhausted my wows a long time ago. Needs something more exotic. There are plenty of offbeat, under-represented designs that look great--like many of the Russian aircraft of WWII--so I would do the La-5FN instead of a P-47 and a Tu-2 instead of a B-25. If I had the money and expertise for turbines I would do a bad ol' Su-15 instead of an F-4. If I were to do a standard subject, I'm with the great and powerful Prof. Looney--I'd try to do an unusual paint scheme.

Probly not a good attitude for winning scale competitions, but there ya go.

Patrick



Jim_McIntyre -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/8/2003 10:42:17 PM)

I couldn't decide how to vote....:/

It often starts as a "sentimental journey" but may be an ooh/ah, then progresses to practical limiting factors like complexity which goes hand-in-hand with cost.
The final determining factor is simply; can I find enough documentation to make it campaignable....



smchale -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/9/2003 1:54:02 AM)

Interesting question....I had to choose other because after some thought i'd say that I pick my scale projects first on just pure interest and appeal that that plane has on me. I guess I figure I'm going to be spending so many hours looking at pictures and building the model....then flying it, etc. I should at least like it myself. The other items, such as history as Joe mentions and feasbility as Jim eludes too are important, but first and foremost I pick planes that I like to look at. :)



ProfLooney -> planes (7/9/2003 1:59:07 AM)

Ewwwww sean hehe ya need the ugly ones in there too just for hysterical value. Like i want to do an AC-47 gunship next and its so ugly but have to do it hehehe of course then I have to have a big AC-130 gunship just to have a pair

Joe



Ram-bro -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/9/2003 4:40:12 AM)

a good ugly subject generates a lot of looks a nd questions. I love the Russian airplanes just for that reason....they arent as pretty, clean or well known as the standard allied projects. An Italian Macchi will get that look from the uneducated also. The one thing about this hobby is that we are a social group and we like to let others know what we know and we like to find out what they dont know also..... Lets hear it for the Shock and Awe crowd!!!!!



ProfLooney -> rusky planes (7/9/2003 4:51:17 AM)

I would like to see a major designer come out with an IL2 with like a 10 - 12 ft ws

or even an poplov I-16 Rata I know there are plans for them out there but they not very big or very scale

Joe



Ram-bro -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/9/2003 8:08:09 AM)

Sean, I was out to the field tonite and asked to of our prolific scale builders and flyers this same question and once again I was surprised by their replies. One reply was instep with yours about if you are spending so much time with the plane you gotta like it to keep the juices flowing and the other response was he has been dared that he couldnt make a plane fly.......so does that fall under others or the Shock and Awe category? What surprised me the most probably was the fact that they were not concerned with the flying qualities of the [lane but just with researching and building the plane and making it fly. Both guys questioned are avid scratch builders......



smchale -> ugly duckling (7/9/2003 5:51:52 PM)

Yes, the Ugly Duckling theory! :D I'd have to agree there, to have something a little more unique and different also adds interest. Personally I like such planes as the Walrus and Swordfish, and most would call those ugly.
Here's a couple pics of my Walrus....compared to me the plane is a beauty...it's all relative!! :D



smchale -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/9/2003 5:52:35 PM)

...and in flight....



BillHarris -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/9/2003 8:42:09 PM)

The Ugly Duckling category fits me well. Or rather, "unique".

Scale planes in the works include a 1:6 Fieseler Storch, a 1:4 PZL Wilga and a 1:6 Transavia Airtruk. Beauty also being a factor, a deHavilland Dragon Rapide is planned once I get plans/3-views.

I bought the Wilga as a pre-fabbed kit 5 years ago as a "one year anniversary of quitting smoking" gift. Nice kit-- 'glas fuse, obechi-covered foam wings and functional scale landing gear. Power via a Brison 4.8 Twin.

I wanted a quarter-scale plane, but nothing mundane as a Cub. I'll confess that I've been waiting for my building/flying skills to catch up with a $3K aeroplane, and having fun building and flying and detailing the Wilga.



Ram-bro -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/9/2003 8:47:43 PM)

Bill dont ever mention the costs.....remember this is just a hobby for our relaxation and enjoyment.lol....Those are some planes that only the designer could love. You will definitely get the stares and questions with those choices. So how did you choose your projects and did you vote on the poll?



GrnBrt -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/10/2003 9:54:01 AM)

I look at the historical part first, then I want something that most builders haven't done. I like the war planes but how many P-51's and Corsairs can you look at??? I have a SBD Dauntless waiting and have been eyeing the Avenger that Skyshark has for awhile now, these are ones you don't normally see at the flying field, love things that are different!



ProfLooney -> ref (7/10/2003 10:00:18 AM)

One thing I am getting ready to do is the Mick Reeves 1/4 scale spit the reson i am doing such a common plane is that the hurricane i am doing is from the eagle squadron and the same guy that flew the hurricane flew the spit and i happend to find pics of that plane so this way i have 2 birds of the same pilot for hysterical value.

Joe



BillHarris -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/10/2003 7:04:10 PM)

G-man--

You're right, I don't sweat the cost that much: it's my hobby, and money be dam*ed... But flying a more-expensive, 1/4-scale 35-pound toy is a different game and I wanted to hone my skills a bit more.

I voted Door 3, "Oooh and Ahhh". The planes were chosen because of my preferences, literally a whim.

My current project is a 1:6 deHavilland Beaver. I saw a Beaver floatplane a few years back and fell in love withthe Beaver. So, I guess this is "historical".

The Storch is an unusual-looking plane with excellent STOL capabilites as a model. I have 1:6 Holman plans, and it should be a relaxing stick-and-rag project. It may be a bit complex getting all the glass in the "greenhouse" to come out right, and I'd like to have the springy stork-legs functional, but this is not impossible.

I've been involved with r/c sailplanes for a while and that Wilga is an excellent scale towplane. I was introduced to it, and was attracted to it's unusual and distinctive appearance. I wanted to build a 1/4-scale plane, but not a Cub, so the Wilga was a reasonable choice, albeit more pricey than a Cub.

The Airtruk is a oddball, no doubt. Seeing that it has been modelled, and having seen it in the Mad Max/Thunderdome movie, I have to have it.

The deHavilland Dragon Rapide? Golden Age, a work of art. I bought a 1:72 scale plastic model (Heller?) a few years back and decided to fly it some day. A twin-engined, tapered-wing bipe is going to be a challenge, but do-able since I've seen a couple of flying models.

See, not too whimsey after all.

--Bill



ttmr -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/11/2003 5:26:54 AM)

I'd have to say historical, but sentimental ranks close! If any body know where I can fins a good SB2C let me know! Only one problem, I'd have to put depth charges and Ghetto riged napalm on it!



ProfLooney -> Helldiver (7/11/2003 5:34:26 AM)

Jerry Bates has a nice set of helldiver plans http://www.scaleaero.com/jerrybates.htm
thats one of them nice ugly planes ya just gotta have.

Joe



Cdallas2 -> How do you choose your scale project? (7/11/2003 6:05:01 AM)

I have to go for being unique. Every time I see another P-51, Extra 300 or Cap 232 I just gag. Sure they're nice planes but have some originality. If you're going to build a P-51 you have to do something never seen before (I'd post a picture of the P-51's in German markings but I've decided to tone down on pushing peoples buttons).

I'm working on a Twin Otter. They're around but not that many. And lots of really cool paint schemes. I've choosen a simple scheme just for that reason.

Just wait as more and more people get this Hangar 9 P-51. Oh God!!

I still think the ultimate would be a Ju-287 or an X-29. Now there's some conversation pieces.



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