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A friend of mine is discussing a job which could prove quite interesting. A customer has asked for prices to supply 25 scale Mustang and 25 scale Spitfire models for exterior display purposes. All going well, my part will be to paint and distress/weather them. Wing span will be in the vicinity of 1.6m or 40" My friend has the resources and technical ability to build quite a good product using methods that you would use were it to be a flying model, but I wonder if there might be a better way to skin this cat. I thought there may be some people here better versed in volume production of dimensional work like this. For instance I thought there may be a way to cast them from foam using a rigid 2 piece mold. The brief is that these things will be viewed from a minimum distance of approximately 2.4m or 8'and will require a reasonably high degree of detail. Ideally the finish on the piece when removed from the mold would be of a standard high enough to need minimal prep before being ready to paint. Any takers? Regards, David
-------------------- David Fisher D.A. & P.M. Fisher Services Brisbane Australia da_pmf@yahoo.com Trying out a new tag: "Parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth Peter Ustinov Posts: 1450 | From: Brisbane Queensland Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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yeppers!! First, you must have a flawless model complete with all the desired detail. Then a fiberglass mold is made of the components and reproduced. Very costly to mold up but very quick and economical to make the reproductions. NOT that I would be interested in the job, but, there are many companies that do this type of work. Just search the net for fiberglass reproductions, etc. Sounds like fun !!
-------------------- John Smith Kings Bay Signs (Retired) Kissimmee, Florida Posts: 817 | From: Central Florida - The Sunshine State | Registered: Jan 2000
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There are in the Radio Control world suppliers of these type of planes. Since you are buying volume you might be able to approach them for buying these kits minus the internal working parts. Lots of these kits are vacuum formed plastic bodies and shaped foam wings, fairly easy to put together and paint/finish. Check with your local hobby shop. Good luck, should be a fun project.
-------------------- "Are we having fun yet?" Peter Schuttinga DZines Sign Studio 1617 Millstream rd Victoria BC V9B-6G4 Posts: 521 | From: Victoria BC | Registered: Mar 2002
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Yep, I was gonna suggest the R/C airplane route as well. In the "Scale" class, the models are as true to the real planes as possible, and probably dead-on regarding the size you need.
You could buy one then build a mold and copy it.. but it would probably cost less in labor if you just bought a bunch of empty fuselages and wings.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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these companies all sell numerous types of radio controlled airplanes. There are a few models close to the specified wingspan and many more in larger wingspans.
good luck with your project, and if I can help you more I would be glad to try and help you out, I fly radio controlled airplanes and have been doing that for quite awhile now.
-------------------- Harris Kohen K-Man Pinstriping and Graphix Trenton, NJ "Showing the world that even I can strategically place the pigment where its got to go." Posts: 1739 | From: Trenton, NJ, USA | Registered: Jun 2001
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Either of you have trainers for sale? or know anyone that does?
I've been looking at electric park flyers and micro-flight planes but think I've decided on a gas powered trainer in the .40-.60 range so I wouldnt get bored with it too quickly.
I stopped at a local hobby store to pick up some items for my nitro truck and seeing the planes in person has given me "the itch".
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Mike, I'll check around and let you know. If you buy a trainer new, I'd recommend a Hobbico Avistar. I'm training a student on one now and it is a great flying airplane. Mild enough for a trainer but will do limited aerobatics. You may want to check online for clubs near you. Check out the Academy of Model Aeronautics website. There should be links there to local chapters.
-------------------- Dave Johnson Saltsburg, PA
724-459-7240 Posts: 228 | From: Saltsburg, PA | Registered: Dec 2001
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Mike, I HIGHLY recommend that whatever trainer you get, that you contact a local club and get hooked up with an instructor there, they will probably recommend that you fly with a buddy box and learn to fly withthe help of an instructor. When I learned how to fly, I worked with a buddy box. My instructor told me that I should be able to qualify to fly unassisted in 25 flights, I made it in 21. wouldnt you know it, my qualifying flight was in a major wind storm with downdrafts and all. Still the plane landed in one piece and lasted another 6 flights before its first crash. I finally sold it after my first season. I too recommend the Avistar as a first plane, also ThunderTiger makes a nice package deal with an ARF trainer and complete radio, motor and servos. a few hours of assembly and your ready to go train.
GOOD LUCK Young Grasshopper!
-------------------- Harris Kohen K-Man Pinstriping and Graphix Trenton, NJ "Showing the world that even I can strategically place the pigment where its got to go." Posts: 1739 | From: Trenton, NJ, USA | Registered: Jun 2001
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Thanks guys, the Avistar is the same plane the local shop recommends for training and through the same shop I got the skinny on the local club - over 100 active members! Shouldn't be hard to find an instructor.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Thanks for the responses Gents, I was trying to post lastnight but had some probs with this poor old clunker, sorry I couldn't clarify the post a bit more till now. My friend's line of business is in making RC aircraft to order from molds he owns as well as buying in ARF kits from other manufacturers, so to produce a traditional kit is not so much the problem. The potential problem I can see is that these things are going to be outdoor in areas that often are subject to very crappy weather IE: hail storms. Traditional model kits will not stand up to this kind of treatment for the obvious reasons of weight etc. My first thought was to use the fibreglass mold to make a plug, from which you could then make a 2 piece mold from plaster (or whatever is a better material nowadays) and then cast the model in resin, or perhaps expanding foam thereby making the model semi-disposable or at least relatively inexpensive to replace. I'm more of a one-off kinda guy, I was hoping there might be someone lurking out there with experience in volume production using materials available now. Thank you for the input this far and all other thoughts welcomed. David
[ May 15, 2003, 08:21 AM: Message edited by: David Fisher ]
-------------------- David Fisher D.A. & P.M. Fisher Services Brisbane Australia da_pmf@yahoo.com Trying out a new tag: "Parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth Peter Ustinov Posts: 1450 | From: Brisbane Queensland Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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If he builds them using fiberglass there won't be any problems with them holding up to weather and he can use his existing fiberglass molds to build them.
A solid casting in resin is going to be pretty heavy and could get expensive depending on the type of resin used.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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David, I guess my First question would be.. How long do they want them to last.. Are these temporary Marketing models or premanenet displays. For temporary outdoor displays I would use a just a pouable expandable resin. You can get different densities by adding more resin and a sealed mold. If they want long time exposure and rigidity then I would do a solid resin shell by roto casting the parts...(Just fill your mold about 1/3 full of resin, cap it, then rotate the mold in all directions till the resin sets up usally between 2 and 5 mins depending on the resin. then fill the hollow wing or body part with a less expensive expanding foam resin then paint to suit.. How do you plan on mounting these after they done. if your going to belly mount them . i would look at doing an amurture in the center fusalge then assemble the plane around that for strenth. heres a link of a sculpter in colorado I worked with on his planes. His Name is Robert henderson and he does all his planes out Bronze.. I know thats not what your looking for but it might give you some other ideas. http://www.warbirdcentral.com/warbirds/P51_Mustang.htm Hope this helps some its just an overveiw if you need more help give a hollar.
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