Hi again

Drying out, caught up and back on track Haven't been idle either, we've recut Manfred about 4 times! just refining and tweaking his features until we were both happy with him and now the cap has also been redone to fit the head well and had the piping put around the top. I've been researching the badges, buttons and medals on his jacket and they're about to be cut. He has a German Army Pilot's badge which took a while to find out what it was called so we could get a decent picture of it. It's quite conspicuous and hangs on the left side below the Iron Cross.

I've made a "first draft" of the jacket and machine embroidered the red piping around the edges and it's going to look great. That needs a little refining in the shape and I'll make a good one and then the pants. The boots are going to be made with the wrap around putties over the top and moulded in one. In the larger size - 1/3 the flight cap can be made from leather but with the smaller sizes they would probably be better done in fabric - or .... we just got some new flexible casting compound to make an A-14 oxygen mask and the first trial is amazing. The stuff is extremely resilient and holds great detail and is really flexible so we will probably be able to make "leather" caps for the smaller sizes that pull onto the head from this stuff. It should be great for goggles as well so loads of potential for new accessories there.

I'm also doing a commission for a 1/3 and 1/5 pilot of someone to take to a scale rally in early April so pushing on with that. I think he was inspired by you Brad The rally is on at Dick Smith's property near Canberra and we're actually hoping to make it down there ourselves with a few pilots in hand - and hopefully a plane or 2! Because it's at Dick's place we're making a pilot of him as well so a few projects humming along.

Ahh, too much fun to be had


cheers
Patti

PS - Lynn, I haven't forgotten Erich Hartmann, he's next and the uniform should be quicker since the pants at least are the same as Manfred's.