Avaiojet

Incredible talent and unbelievable work.

I viewed every photo with amazement.

Kudos!!

Whistling Death

Bravo!
one question: Did you harden the head before you started adding the earphones and such? I ask because you were using your finger, to steady your sculpting hand, against the back of the figure's head.
Does sculpy clay take finger print impressions easily or is it pretty stiff?
I have never used sculpy clay, just Chavant plastiline.

Fly4Real

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I use Sculpey Firm clay. In comparison, regular Sculpey or Sculpey III is like Silly Putty! Good eye! I usually try to touch the sculpture as little as possible but sometimes it happens, but usually the Sculpey Firm doesn't leave a fingerprint too easily.

Whistling Death

I was interested in how you got the leather pattern into the clay? That detail is as authentic as it gets.

Fly4Real

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Sorry but the "boss" says that is proprietary information, and if I told you, she would have to kill... me!

Whistling Death

Ha Ha, No problem.

Bluffman

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Awesome detail, I want one for my Jerry bates sea fury. Ian

Fly4Real

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Bluffman, I think you SHOULD have one. You guys on this post will be the first to know when Sailor is flight ready!

Fly4Real

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Invariably when sculpting a pilot, you see something and wonder what it is, a mystery object. Well on this sculpt, there is this little flap at the back of Sailor’s flying helmet. Looked like a little flap or strap but with it being 2-D who knows? If this was a 2-D sketch, you would just smudge it in there and that would be it, but since this is a 3-D sculpture, you need to know what it is. As I put the goggle straps on the helmet it became evident what that was and the mystery was solved. That is one of the exciting things about sculpting historical objects.

After digging out from a foot of snow last night, here in Kansas, I got to finish up the flight helmet - RAF Type C non-wired, specifically. With goggle straps, and the back part of the helmet. Wires from the head phone speakers and chin straps will have to wait until I get started on the body so I can see where these can go. These little things take longer than expected due to how carefully I have to handle the head now. Don’t want a big dent in anything!

By the way the RAF Type C flight helmet and Mark III goggles, were worn by quite a few of the American pilots as well, so Sailor’s head could be used for an American USAAF European Theatre pilot as well.

gsmith6879

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Lyle,

Absolutely stunning work! This forum subject puts a whole new perspective on the quality of your pilots. You not only create a lifelike pilot, there is a history that comes with each pilot figure!

I hope you continue expanding the line.

Gaines

BobH

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Here's a picture of a guy I recently painted for my 1/4 WWI Fokker DVI. He's and Aces of Iron guy and looks the part.

Problem is.. where's his body?? where where where?

We need a full body guy in the WWI era too.. just an FYI.

Fly4Real

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Hey Bob, You did a great job painting the Aces of Iron pilot. I think a full-bodied pilot for WWI is more critical than a WWII figure, because you can see right down into the cockpit on most of the crates from that era. As for Best Pilots, I am looking forward to doing a WWI pilot hopefully this year, and he will be full-bodied.

BobH

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Fly, thank you. We need an ally and axis guy bad!

ZERO-322

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can't remember the last time I saw a really nice full figure Japanese pilot in the 1/6 scale " hint hint hint "

FireBee

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Fly4Real,

fantastic work. I now know where the best choice is. I need this pilot for my 1/5 spitfire. !!! awesome job. When can I order one?

How would it look in a Vailly Hurricane? a little bigger than 1/5 at 92 Inch span.

and your website... the 1/8 B-25 is also on my list to build. expect more orders from me in the future.

r,
Mike P.

P.S. My uncle is a bronze sculptor in KS. I think his best work was years ago. He did the best bust of JFK ever. It is life size. My dad has one still.
As a kid it was kinda creepy, but now I appreciate the detail.

Fly4Real

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Gaines - Thanks for the kind words! I intend to keep expanding the line. I look forward to flying with you guys again this summer!
Mike P. - Thanks for the compliments. I'll post it on here when Sailor is ready. There is a LOT to do. I look forward to having you as a customer.

Fly4Real

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Before calling the head finished, I want to start on the torso and get that knocked out. Man, today was one of those days where you don’t seem to get much done, but in hindsight, a lot was accomplished. I spent the entire morning mixing clay, and part of the afternoon looking for reference on the life preserver or “Mae West”. I didn’t know that the Brits coined that name for the preserver, but that is pretty much how it is referred to in all the documentation I could find. Gotta love their sense of humour!
It is fairly difficult to find Battle of Britain war time shots, simply because there weren’t a lot taken because the pilots had the world to save! But I think I’ve found enough on-line to get an idea of what is going on there in the front. Since there are no photos of the pilot from the front while sitting in the Spitfire, (how would they have gotten that shot anyway?) I’ll have to “fill in the pieces” from side views and from what I know is there from references. At this point I am mainly going first from the photo of Sailor sitting in the Spitfire, and then cross referencing with other pictures to make sure I've got the right gear. The aluminum tube is the air tube for the Mae West. It looks like that might get covered up by the parachute belts in reality, but I’m going to try to have some of that sticking out. That touch of dull red (see color shot of re-enactor on reference shots) will look great on the finished painted pilot!
This is also the stage where I start to give the figure its "posture". Most of the pilot figures on the market look like they have rod up their keester! Pilots don't sit ram-rod straight, ever. So the pose or posture of the pilot really ads - or detracts - from the realism. With Sailor, it almost looks like he is in a recliner, and he is, kind of, because the tail-dragger Spitfire is sitting on the ground in a tail-low attitude, tilting his seat back. Achieving that posture with the sculpt should make a very realistic pilot figure.

Experten109/40

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absolutly outstanding work! do you take requests? I need one of my great uncle made.

JL1

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When you do the WWI figure you might consider this guy

http://www.constable.ca/caah/brown.htm

http://www.amazon.ca/Captain-Roy-Bro.../dp/1883283566

It is just a co-incidence that I have a 1/4 Camel in his markings

Fly4Real

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Experten 109/40, Sorry, I would love to do request, but it just isn't financially feasible in time for me to do "one offs". I create mine to produce multiple copies. There is Patti over in Australia, she is a swell gal, that does one of kind portraits of pilots. Here is her thread ... http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_95...11/key_/tm.htm

There is also my friend, Mike Brent who does Pilot Portraits, he may be able to help you as well... here is his website...

http://www.mikebrentart.com/

Fly4Real

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Have spent some time checking and double checking the fit and proportions of the Mae West, and parachute harness belts to the picture of Malan in the cockpit. Then I double check those with other references.
Interesting observation - When sculpting the Mae West on Sailor’s right shoulder, according to the reference, it was fairly flat and smooth. When sculpting the way it lays on his left shoulder, in the main reference, it is bunched up, puffed up and more wrinkled. What the hey? Then it dawned on me that the reference for the right shoulder was standing, gravity pulled it downward and wasn’t bunched up with belts. Also, it seems like the genuine articles were more wrinkled than those that were used in the BBC movie First Light (An awesome show and book by the way - Google BBC First Light you won’t be disappointed!). I snagged quite a bit of hard to find shots of the gear from screen caps.

Ideally, we would have a shot of Sailor in his Spitfire from all 360 degress. Since that doesn’t exist, I have to create articles from scratch, make sure that the “look” makes sense - does that strap continue on? Would it fall that way? Is it wrinkled enough? etc. As opposed from copying directly from a single source. It is challenging, but fun! So far so good.

vasek

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fly4real. are you a sculptor by profession? you're doing an amazing job!

keep up the good work,
V.

P4Patti

G'day F4R

Great thread , Sailor is looking fantastic already I know what you mean about the research on those Mae Wests and all the other bits and pieces. I can imagine you spend many hours just finding the right material and comparing all the different models! The colour pic from the movie looks like a different type to the other picture - I thought that was the Canadian one but could well be wrong. In the end, as long as it looks busy and interesting I don't think most guys would really mind which style the Mae West is if the pilot has a great face like you're doing. I'm currently researching all the badges and medals on Richthofen's uniform and that's a job in itself, but don't you learn a lot?


I've just become aware of this thread so a little behind but hi there Dave - Richard is planning the crew of a Lanc, project for the middle of the year. AJ-N Dambuster with Australian captain Les Knight and crew. Fly4Real has great 1/8 bodies and the heads will fit onto those. Don't worry, Fly4Real knows about it (the little heads that fit his bodies, not the Lanc project) and we help each other out

Are you going to keep the thread running through the painting stage?

Keep up the good work

cheers
Patti

www.properlittlepeople.com

Bluffman

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He is looking great, just don't know if he will have that same smile when he gets in to my plane. LOL Ian

langerl

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OUTSTANDING WORK Lyle!
Dang, I had no clue you'd blossom into such an awesome sculptor and entrepreneur when we first started discussing your bomber crew!  With no reservations, I'd honestly say you are, now, as good as the best Aces of Iron had to offer.  And you're offering full body figures.... something AoI does not.  Smart move, Lyle.

I know you're focused on the widest market, 1/6 and 1/5th scale models, but I REALLY wish you'd consider the literally untapped market of 1/4 scale models.  We have to settle for much less, when we need quarter scale pilots.  I've been working with Patti to craft up a quarter scale Erich Hartmann for my new 109, but generic quarter scale Luftwaffe, American, RAF, Japanese and Soviet pilots (late war) would be very welcome, I'm sure, by the hobby.

Think about all the BIG warbirds you've been seening lately.  They really should have some of your pilots in them, instead of the current crop of "dolls".

Best regards and congratulations on your thriving business,
Lynn