Finished up the float plane and the Beaver is now ready to get in the pond. Ready to join the other float planes which are cut down from 1:144 models.
Now my VIA rail Windsor-Quebec City corridor train moves into the car side replacement phase now that I have the correct baggage car. I just need to correct coach and club galley sides and to get moving with my scratchbuilt steam generator unit.
The Beaver looks nice, and I can only imagine how much fun the walkways on the floats must have been. I also really like the Cat!
Nice work John. Looking more and more airworthy by the hour... Finished up that GP35-3 I was working on today. Cheers, Brian
The non skid pad on the floats was certainly a necessity when not unloading at a dock facility. I noticed in watching some videos of Beavers in operation that at the regular dock facilities they had a portable stair to the dock to off load passengers. The decals for the striping are from a CB&Q switcher set while the De Havilland logo and the float pads are vinyl decals from the kit. The Cat flying boat is from a 1:144 kit along with the German flying boat that is now the spoils of war. The future harbor area has a seaplane hangar and ramp and most of the small aircraft are for there while the orange seaplane in one of the above photos is cut down and designed to fit in the hangar of the research vessel. Other than one or two more small vessels that is it for the harbor area inhabitants. The wood aircraft kit has been a challenging but fun build but that is it except for maybe getting a Piper seaplane that also fits my era. The HA by the way stands for Harbor Air which was flying the Washington/Vancouver Coast since the late 1940s. The De Havillands are still flying today. Next on my list is to build an engine house from another wood kit for the upper area and engine faciilty.
John. Your float plane is amazing. Also your NUMA vessel is great as well. Great modeling and it's fun to watch your progress.
While reading Mike's comment above, something else interesting struck me about the NUMA vessel, a mix of old and new looks. The forward bridge(?) and tower, as well as the stacks, have a very old look (thinking vicinity WW I) while the midships structure is very similar to modern US warships with the helicopter hanger. Just something I noticed and an interesting thing.
It is an old WW1 four stacker that saw service in WW2 as a USCG vessel. Acquired by NUMA as a surplus war vessel from the USN to whom it was returned after WW2. It was purchased by NUMA for $1 and sent to the shipyard for conversion. New power plant, reconfigured inside for labs and living quarters for a crew of 30 and a science crew of 40. The hangar was added as a storage for the minisub or other equipment and the seaplane based on mission requirements. The vessel serves as a launch platform and support for a diving bell, minisub, and sonar mapping rig which is the torpedo shaped object in front of the hanger. It is an old kit that was cut down and some styrene added to adapt to 1:160. And yes it is full hull so a recess will have to be made at the dock area the set the vessel to the right height. One of two vessels I have that are full hull. The other is the lumber carrier Norego. Turn the letters around and that spells Oregon. The rescue tug Wile E. and the two USCG PCEs are waterline along with everything else. Have single edge razors, Exacto knives, and a Dremel, plus a ample supply of styrene and drill bits and a complete abandonment of all sanity to convert other scales to N scale.
Yes... I've already done a few of the modules; in fact, of the modules that are 'completed' (they're never completed), I have only 4' of this section to finish as far as ballast is concerned. In this pic, you may be able to see that the one foot module in the foreground is, indeed ballasted. I'm using Kato ballast (Not my preference-I'd love to ballast with Arizona Rock and Minerals N scale ballast, and in another color-but these are T-Trak modules, and I'd like some measure of continuity when setting up at shows and such). ballasting the Kato track, even if it's just adding it to the edges, goes a long way to improve the appearance. That being sais, the biggest improvement one can make is painting the rail and ties...very easy to do with a paint pen these days. Bruce
I have been working on a couple buildings for the club layout. A Walthers State Line Supply and the other is a Self Storage Complex that is Atlas kits and a BLMA office combined. I am working on the fence for the storage yard. The posts are way tall and will be cut off once the chain link is on. Mike Mike
Hey Mike... Is that real glass or plexiglass you are using as a topper on your workbench ? Inquiring minds want to know. TIA :question:
