Translate

Friday, January 30, 2015

Jupiter 2 From "Lost In Space" (1998)

Here are some images of AMT's Jupiter 2 from the 1998 film "Lost in space"

From "Lost in Space Wiki"

Jupiter 2 was a spaceship designed and constructed by the United Global Space Force and was meant to take the Robinson Family to the planet Alpha Prime orbiting in the solar system of Alpha Centauri. It was here, that the Robinson Family would help with completion of the Hyper gate; which thereby, would allow the one back on earth to connect the two so as to allow the human species to journey to another planet capable of sustaining life.
The Jupiter 2,consisted of a shell, that resembled the saucer shaped star ship, from the series, while situated within a similar launch pad gantry system. The Jupiter 2 would lift off by conventional propulsion means into orbit and once above the Earth, would break apart revealing the actual Jupiter 2 star ship.
However, the mission was jeopardized when a lone rogue spy for the Global Sedition Force could sabotage the whole operation and thereby prevent the Robinson Family from reaching their destination. The mission was a failure and the crew and the spaceship Jupiter 2 were now lost in empty space. The Jupiter 2 was being drawn toward the sun, and Major West felt using the ship experimental drive, would propel the ship away from danger. Unfortunately, this was an uncharted jump and the Jupiter 2 leaped into uncharted deep space. 

 According to Lost in Space manuals and blueprints, published at the time, there was supposed to be a lower deck, where new versions of the Space Pod and Space Chariot were stored. Although, in the actual movie, nothing of that sort was seen.

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Nieuport 17

Here are some images of Eduard's 1/48 scale Nieuport 17. From Wikipedia "The type was a slightly larger development of the earlier Nieuport 11, and had a more powerful engine, larger wings, and a more refined structure in general. At first, it was equipped with a 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône 9J engine, though later versions were upgraded to a 130 hp (97 kW) engine. It had outstanding maneuverability, and an excellent rate of climb. Unfortunately, the narrow lower wing, marking it as a "sesquiplane" design with literally "one-and-a-half wings", was weak due to its single spar construction, and had a disconcerting tendency to disintegrate in flight. Initially, the Nieuport 17 retained the above wing mounted Lewis gun of the "11", but in French service this was soon replaced by a synchronised Vickers gun. In the Royal Flying Corps, the wing mounted Lewis was usually retained, by now on the improved Foster mounting, a curved metal rail which allowed the pilot to bring the gun down in order to change drums or clear jams. A few individual aircraft were fitted with both guns - but in practice this reduced performance unacceptably, and a single machine gun remained standard.
The type reached the French front in March 1916, and quickly began to replace the Nieuport 11 in French service. It was also ordered by the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service, as it was superior to any British fighter at that time. Worthy of note is the fact that during part of 1916, the Nieuport 17 equipped every fighter squadron of the Aéronautique Militaire. The Germans supplied captured examples to several of their aircraft manufacturers for them to copy. This resulted in the Siemens-Schuckert D.I which, apart from the engine installation, was a close copy and actually went into production, although in the event it was not used operationally on the Western Front.
By early 1917, the Nieuport was outclassed in most respects by the latest German fighters. Newer models (the Nieuport 24 and the 27) were brought out in an attempt to retain the type's ascendency. However, the SPAD S.VII had already replaced the Nieuport fighters in many French squadrons by mid-1917. The British persisted with Nieuports a little longer, not replacing their last Nieuport 24bis until early 1918.
Many Allied air aces flew Nieuport fighters, including Canadian ace W.A. Bishop, who received a Victoria Cross while flying it, and most famously of all, Albert Ball, V.C.
Like the other Nieuport types, the 17 was used as an advanced trainer for prospective fighter pilots after its operational days were over. This aircraft was flown by Adjudant Rene Dorme autumn 1918.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Morane-Saulnier Type N Bullet

Here are some images of Eduard's 1/48 scale Morane-Saulnier Type N Bullet.

From Wikipedia"
 The Morane-Saulnier N, also known as the Morane-Saulnier Type N, was a French monoplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Designed and manufactured by Morane-Saulnier, the Type N entered service in April 1915 with the Aéronautique Militaire designated as the MS.5C.1. It also equipped four squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps, in which it was designated the Bullet, and was operated in limited numbers by the 19th Squadron of the Imperial Russian Air Force.

While the Type N was a graceful-looking aircraft and utilised an advanced, aerodynamic design, it was not easy to fly due to its stiff controls (using wing warping instead of ailerons) and high landing speed. The Type N mounted a single unsynchronized forward-firing machine gun (either a .303-in Vickers or 7.9 mm Hotchkiss) which used the deflector wedges, first demonstrated on the Morane-Saulnier Type L, in order to fire through the propeller arc.
A large metal "casserolle" spinner designed to streamline the aircraft caused the engines to overheat because the spinner deflected air away from the engine. In 1915, the spinner was removed from the design and no more overheating problems were found. The removal of the spinner caused very little loss in performance.
The Type N was not particularly successful. Only 49 aircraft were built and it was quickly rendered obsolete by the pace of aircraft development.

Variants

Morane-Saulnier Type N
Single-seat fighter-scout monoplane.
Morane-Saulnier Type Nm
The Type Nm had a modified tail unit. Built in small numbers.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Fokker D.VIII

Here are some images of Dragon Models 1/48 scale Fokker D.VIII.

From Wikipedia"
The Fokker E.V was a German parasol-monoplane fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz and built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The E.V was the last Fokker design to become operational with the Luftstreitkräfte, entering service in the last months of World War I. After several fatal accidents due to wing failures, the aircraft was modified and redesignated Fokker D.VIII. Dubbed the Flying Razor by Allied pilots, the D.VIII had the distinction of scoring the last aerial victory of the war.

In early 1918, Fokker produced several rotary-powered monoplane prototypes. Of these, Fokker submitted the V.26 and V.28, small parasol-winged monoplanes with his usual steel-tube fuselages, for the second fighter trials at Adlershof in May/June 1918. The V.28 was tested with both the 108 kW (145 hp) Oberursel UR.III and 119 kW (160 hp) Goebel Goe.III, though neither of these engines were ready for operational service. The V.26 utilized the standard Oberursel UR.II engine, producing only 82 kW (110 hp). While this engine was obsolete, the V.26's low drag and light weight meant that it was nevertheless quite fast. The Fokker designs were only barely beaten by the Siemens-Schuckert D.III with the complex bi-rotary Siemens-Halske Sh.III engine.
In the end, the V.26 was ordered into production as the Fokker E.V. Four hundred were ordered immediately with either the UR.III or Goe.III. Because neither engine was available in any quantity, all production examples mounted the UR.II.

Operational history

Fokker E.V
Fokker E.V
The first production E.V aircraft were shipped to Jasta 6 in late July. The new monoplane was also delivered to Jasta 1, Jasta 19, Jasta 24 and Jasta 36. Leutnant Emil Rolff scored the first kill in an E.V on August 17, 1918, but two days later he was killed when his aircraft's wing collapsed in flight. After another E.V of Jasta 19 crashed, Idflieg grounded all E.V aircraft. Pending the investigation of these wing failures, production ceased at the Fokker Flugzeugwerke. According to Fokker, the wing failures were caused by the army technical bureau, which had forced him to modify the original design by over-strengthening the rear main spar. This faulty design allegedly caused the wing to twist and fail. Fokker claimed that this defect was resolved by reverting to his original design.
According to most other accounts, the source of the wing failures lay not in the design, but in shoddy and rushed construction. Fokker had subcontracted construction of the E.V wings to the Gebrüder Perzina Pianoforte Fabrik factory. Due to poor quality control, inferior timber had been used and the spar "caps", forming the upper and lower members of each spar assembly, had been placed too far apart during the fabrication. Because the resulting spars were vertically too large to pass through the ribs, excess material was simply planed away from the exposed upper and lower surfaces of the cap pieces, leaving the assembled spars dangerously weak. Other problems included water damage to glued parts, and pins that splintered the spars, rather than securing them.[1]
Tests showed that, when properly constructed, the original E.V wing had a considerable margin of safety. Satisfied that the basic design was safe, Idflieg authorized continued production, after personnel changes and improved quality control measures were introduced at the Perzina factory.
Deliveries resumed in October. At the direction of the Kogenluft (Kommandierenden General der Luftstreitkräfte), Idflieg redesignated the modified aircraft D.VIII. Henceforth, the "E." and "Dr." designations were abolished and all fighters received the "D." appellation. The D.VIII commenced operations on 24 October with Jasta 11. The aircraft proved to be agile and easy to fly. Allied pilots nicknamed it the Flying Razor, because of its sleek appearance and single wing.
Jasta 5 was issued a D.VIII. The famed ace Erich Lowenhardt used the aircraft for a short time and scored a few victories in it, but he continued to favour the Fokker D.VII.
A total of 381 aircraft were produced, but only some 85 aircraft reached frontline service before the Armistice. Some reached Italy, Japan, the United States, and England as trophies, but most were scrapped in accordance with the terms of the Armistice.

Postwar

The Polish Air Force captured 17 aircraft, but only seven (six E.V and one D.VIII) were in airworthy condition. All were used against Soviet forces in the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1920. Lieutenant Stefan Stec earned the first kill for the Polish Air Force, by shooting down a Ukrainian Nieuport fighter on 29 April 1919. In 1921, the remaining Fokkers were withdrawn from front-line units and transferred to the Szkoła Obsługi Lotniczej (Air Personnel School) at Poznań-Ławica airfield.

Variants

  • V 26 : Initial prototype.
  • V 27 : V.26 with 195 hp (145 kW) Benz IIIb V8 engine. Participated in the second D-type competition.
  • V 28 : Prototype fitted with either a 108 kW (145 hp) Oberursel Ur.III, or a 118 kW (160 hp) Goebel Goe.III rotary engines.
  • V 29 : Larger version of the V.27 initially fitted with a 160 hp (119 kW) Mercedes D.III and later with a 185 hp (138 kW) BMW IIIa, both inline water-cooled engines. Participated in the third D-type competition.
  • V 30 : Single-seat glider modification of V.26.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Piper PA-18 Super Cub With Bushweels

Here are some images of Revell's 1/32 scale Piper PA-18 Super Cub with "31 inch Alaskan Bush Tundra Wheel Tyres".
This Piper Super Cub PA-18 bears the markings of C/N 18-8043, N7059 U.S. State Troopers, Alaska, 2012.

From Wikipedia"
The Piper PA-18 Super Cub is a two-seat, single-engine monoplane. Introduced in 1949 by Piper Aircraft, it was developed from the Piper PA-11, and traces its lineage back through the J-3 to the Taylor E-2 Cub of the 1930s. In close to 40 years of production, over 9,000 were built. Super Cubs are commonly found in roles such as bush flying, banner and glider towing.
 While based on the design of the earlier Cubs, the addition of an electrical system, flaps (3 notches), and a vastly more powerful engine (150 hp), make it a very different flying experience. Although the "standard" Super Cub was fitted with a 150 horsepower (112 kW) Lycoming engine, it is not uncommon to see them equipped with a 160 horsepower O-320-B2B, or even 180 horsepower (134 kW) Lycoming O-360 powerplant. The high-lift wing and powerful engine made the Super Cub a prime candidate for conversion to either floatplane or skiplane. In addition, the PA-18A (an agricultural version) was produced for applying either dry chemical or liquid spray.
The Super Cub retained the basic "rag and tube" (fabric stretched over a steel tube frame) structure of the earlier J-3 Cub.

PA-18 Super Cub 150 (G-HACK) at the Great Vintage Fly-In Weekend, Kemble, England, in May 2003
The first true "Super" Cubs had flaps, dual fuel tanks, and an O-235 Lycoming engine producing about 108 hp (115 hp for takeoff only). However, a 90 hp Continental variant without flaps and an optional second wing tank was available. Their empty weight was, on the average, 800–1000 pounds with a gross weight of 1,500 lb. These Cubs would take off in about 400 feet (at gross weight) and land in about 300 feet (thanks to the flaps). The Super Cub is renowned for its ability to take off and land in very short distances. The first Super Cubs were going to be offered with a unique four-wheel tandem main landing gear designed for landing and takeoff from rough terrain, but eventually a simpler and lighter two wheeled unit replaced the four wheel design. The O-290 Lycoming powered Cubs (135 hp) followed and would take off in about 200 feet (61 m). The landing distance remained the same at about 400 feet (120 m), or 300 feet (91 m) using flaps. With the use of the Lycoming O-320 at 150–160 hp, the Cub's allowable gross weight increased to 1,750 lb while retaining the capability of a mere 200 feet (61 m) required for takeoff.
The PA-18 has developed a very dedicated following in the bush-flying community, and many modifications have been developed for it, to the point where it is quite rare to find an original, completely stock Super Cub. Modifications include extended baggage compartments (reaching farther back into the fuselage, or even two-level baggage compartments in the top and bottom of the rear fuselage), external luggage pods, fuel pods, lumber racks for carrying construction materials into unimproved bush runways. Also the removal of header tanks, larger 24 or even 30 gallon wing fuel tanks, extended main landing gear for better ground clearance of the propeller, strengthened tailwheel springs, the addition of a small third passenger seat in the luggage area and lightweight generators and starters. Also various different mount areas for the battery (to move the weight forward, and reduce tail weight to shorten takeoff distance), various different tailfin shapes to increase surface area, lengthened flaps, various wingtip designs, vortex generators on the leading edge of the wings, movement of the electrical panel from the right wing root to the dashboard to reduce fire hazard during a crash, and even the addition of a constant-speed propeller. Above all, the most common modification is the addition of "bush wheels", large, soft, low pressure balloon-tires designed to absorb impacts from rocks and boulders, and to not sink into sand or other soft surfaces, ideal for off-runway landings.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Flying Saucer

Here are some images Lindberg models 1/48 scale "Flying Saucer".
From Fantastic Plastic"
The Lindberg "Flying Saucer" holds a place in history as being the world's first injection-molded science-fiction model. Re-released repeatedly during the 1950s and 1960s, it again hit the shelves in the 1970s in a "glow-in-the-dark" version, in the 1990s as one of the Golden Age science fiction kits resurrected by Glencoe Models, and finally in 2011 by Atlantis Models, which specialized in flying saucer subjects.
The model was also released by Lindberg in the mid-1950s as part of its "Spaceships of the Future" and "Past, Present and Future" collector's sets.
This classic alien "flying saucer" comes straight from the Golden Age of Little Green Men. A basic convex disc with a bubble-dome cockpit within which the big-headed Martian pilot is visible, the craft also featured twin jet/rocket engines on its "tail," additional engines on its "rotating" rim, and a pair of "zap guns" for shooting down pesky Air Force fighter planes. A timeless relic of Eisenhower Era mythology and paranoia, the Lindberg "Flying Saucer" captures in plastic the hopes, fears and innocence of Pre-Sputnik America.
From Atlantis.com" Scale models have been used for the real thing since the earliest days of film making. So it's rather appropriate that the first plastic space model was, in all likelihood, the first such kit to be used in a movie. In 1956 film maker Ed Wood used a few Lindberg flying saucer kits in his "Plan 9 From Outer Space" minus their jet engines and suspended on wires. The Lindberg models were mistakenly thought to be spinning Chevy wheel covers, a myth perpetuated by Tim Burton in his biopic of Ed Wood.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

1928 Lincoln 'L' Dietrich

Here are some images of Entex 1/16 scale 1928 Lincoln 'L' Dietrich.

From Wikipedia"
The Lincoln L-Series is the first automobile produced by the Lincoln Motor Company. Introduced in 1917, the L-Series would continue to be produced after the bankruptcy of Lincoln in 1922 and its purchase by Ford. During 1930, Lincoln would introduce the Model K as its replacement.
Assembly of the L-Series took place in Detroit, Michigan.


Henry Leland created the Lincoln car company after leaving Cadillac. After World War I, during which the company made aircraft engines, they came out with the L-series. It was designed by Leland's son-in-law Angus Woodbridge, who had been a ladies' milliner, and the design was thought to be old fashioned. When it finally was produced, it hit hard times from the post war recession.

In financial trouble, Leland sold the company to Henry Ford in 1922 for $8 million, the amount determined by the judge presiding over the receivership Arthur J. Tuttle. Henry Leland valued the company at over $16 million. After a few months, Ford got rid of the Lelands and had his son, Edsel Ford, design a new body for the L-series. Edsel became President and Ernest C. Kanzler General Manager. Under Ford, the L-series was a robust car. In the first year, hydraulic shock absorbers were added. Edsel and Kanzler implemented production economies, trimming manufacturing costs by about $1000 per car.
In 1924, the L-series was given a newer look with such things as a nickel-plated radiator shell. 1925 is identified by the absence of cowl lights. Front and rear bumpers became standard. The smallest L-series was the 2-door, 2-passenger roadster. 1926 was basically the same except for some interior changes.
In 1927, the L-series got smaller wheels. Also, 4-wheel mechanical brakes became standard. All instruments were on an oval surface. A larger engine (though no HP increase) came in 1928. 1929 brought Safety glass and dual windshield wipers. 1930 was the last year for the L-series. 
 

Friday, January 9, 2015

1931 Bugatti Royale Type 41.111 Coupe De Ville Binder

Here are some images of Entex 1/16 scale 1931 Bugatti Royale Type 41.111 Coupe De Ville Binder.

From Wikipedia"

The Bugatti Type 41, better known as the Royale, is a large luxury car with a 4.3 m (169.3 in) wheelbase and 6.4 m (21 ft) overall length. It weighs approximately 3175 kg (7000 lb) and uses a 12.7 L (12763 cc/778 in³) straight-8 engine. For comparison, against the modern Rolls-Royce Phantom (produced from 2003 onward), the Royale is about 20% longer, and more than 25% heavier. This makes the Royale one of the largest cars in the world.
Ettore Bugatti planned to build twenty-five of these cars, sell them to royalty and to be the most luxurious car ever. But even European royalty was not buying such things during the Great Depression, and Bugatti was able to sell only three of the six made.
Crafted by Ettore Bugatti, the Type 41 is said to have come about because he took exception to the comments of an English lady who compared his cars unfavourably with those of Rolls-Royce.
The prototype had a near 15-litre capacity engine. The production version, its stroke reduced from 150 mm (5.9 in) to 130 mm (5.1 in) had a displacement of 12.7 litres. The engine was built around a single huge block, and at (apx. 4.5 ft (1.4 m) long x 3.5 ft (1.1 m) high), is one of the largest automobile engines ever made, producing 205 to 223 kW (275 to 300 hp). Its eight cylinders, bored to 125 mm (4.9 in) and with a stroke length of 130 mm (5.1 in), each displaced more than the entire engine of the contemporary Type 40 touring car. It had 3 valves per cylinder (two inlet:one exhaust) driven by a centrally positioned single overhead camshaft. Three bearings and only a single custom carburettor was needed. The engine was based on an aero-engine design that had been designed for the French Air Ministry, but never produced in that configuration.
The chassis was understandably substantial, with a conventional semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension arrangement at the front. At the rear the forward-facing Bugatti quarter-elliptics were supplemented by a second set facing to the rear.
Strangely, for the modern day observer, the aluminium clutch box was attached to the chassis, not to the engine, and the gear box, also in aluminium was attached to the rear axle, so was part of the unsprung mass of the suspension. The reason placing clutch and gearbox at such odd locations was reducing noise, so increasing comfort inside the cars, a difficult problem in those days. On the other hand, in view of the Royale's huge mass, placing the gearbox on the rear axle did not present a driveability problem.
Massive brake shoes were mechanically operated via cable controls: the brakes were effective but without servo-assistance required significant muscle power from the driver. The car's cast "Roue Royale" wheels measured 610 mm (24 inches) in diameter.
Reflecting some tradition-based fashions of the time, the driver was confronted by a series of knobs of whalebone, while the steering wheel was covered with walnut.
A road test performed in 1926 by W.F. Bradley at the request of Ettore Bugatti for the Autocar magazine proved how exquisite chassis construction allowed very good and balanced handling at speed, similar to smaller Bugatti sports cars, despite the car's weight and size.
All Royales were individually bodied. The radiator cap was a posed elephant, a sculpture by Ettore's brother Rembrandt Bugatti.

In 1928 Ettore Bugatti asserted that "this year King Alfonso of Spain will receive his Royale", but the Spanish king was deposed without taking delivery of a Royale, and the first of the cars to find a customer was not delivered until 1932. The Royale with a basic chassis price of $30,000, was launched just as the world economy began to sour into the 1930s Great Depression. Six Royales were built between 1929 and 1933, with just three sold to external customers. Intended for royalty, none was eventually sold to any royals, and Bugatti even refused to sell one to King Zog of Albania, claiming that "the man's table manners are beyond belief!"
All six production Royales still exist (the prototype was destroyed in an accident in 1931), and each has a different body, some having been rebodied several times.

41.111 - Coupé de ville Binder


The Royale Coupe De Ville Binder 41.111 at the 2004 Goodwood Revival
  • The second car built, but the first to find a customer, is chassis no.41.111
  • Known as the Coupé de ville Binder
  • Sold in April 1932 to French clothing manufacturer Armand Esders. Ettore's eldest son, Jean, fashioned for the car a dramatic two-seater open body with flamboyant, full-bodied wings and a dickey seat, but no headlamps. In this form it became known as the Royale Esders Roadster.
  • Purchased by the French politician Paternotre, the car was rebodied in the Coupé de ville style by the coach builder Henri Binder. From this point onwards, known as the Coupé de ville Binder
  • Never delivered to the King of Romania due to World War 2, it was hidden from the Nazis by storing it in the sewers of Paris
  • Briefly found its way to the United Kingdom after World War 2, and was then acquired by Dudley C Wilson of Florida in 1954. On his death in 1961 it passed to banker Mills B Lane of Atlanta before in 1964 taking up residence in The Harrah Collection at Reno, Nevada, bought at the then sensational price of $45,000 (approximately what the car had cost new).
  • Sold in 1986 to Californian collector, home builder, and Air Force Reserve Major General William Lyon, he offered the car during the 1996 Barrett-Jackson Auction by Private treaty sale, where he refused an offer of $11 million; the reserve was set at $15 million.
  • In 1999, the new owner of the Bugatti brand, Volkswagen AG, bought the car for a reported $20 million. Now used as a brand promotion vehicle, it travels to various museums and locations

A Bugatti Royale features in the 2012 book Lucia on Holiday by Guy Fraser-Sampson, an addition to the Mapp and Lucia series of novels by E.F.Benson. In the story Major Mapp-Flint is asked by a maharajah to drive the car from Paris to Bellagio, but he drives so badly and inflicts so much damage that the maharajah has the car driven into Lake Como.
The Bugatti Royale 41.151 Berline de Voyage 1931 also features throughout the 2014 book "The Eye of Zoltar" book 3 of The Last Dragonslayer series by Jasper Fforde. The car is referenced ten times within the book. The protagonist Jennifer Strange describes her choice of car "After looking at several I'd chosen a massive vintage car called a Bugatti Royale. Inside it was sumptuously comfortable, and outside, the bonnet was so long that in misty weather it was hard to make out the hood ornament."
The Bugatti Royale features in the David Grossman book "The Zigzag Kid"
A blood-red Bugatti type 41 Royale Coupe de Ville appears in Leslie Charteris' "Vendetta For the Saint" (Doubleday 1964, ghostwritten by Harry Harrison) as a rental car (!!) for Simon Templar.