James Duffy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Messages
- 1,445
- Reaction score
- 1,733
Thought some here might like to see this project that I started some 19 years ago, yet never finished...
I always wanted an upscaled Orbital Transport model with a radio-controlled glider, and planned a 3x version some twenty years ago. The plans sat dormant for a while, and I eventually ordered the parts and began cutting and gluing parts from cheap 1/4"-thick ply, adding some of the smaller details using basswood. For whatever reason the project was never finished, and the incomplete rocket idled in the rafters of the garage for years. Eventually it was moved to my warehouse for long term storage, and pretty much forgotten...until last week.
I dragged the unfinished rocket home, and assessed the degree of hangar rash that had been inflicted on the bird. The airframe and ply parts were in pretty good shape, but the basswood bits had to go. These were snapped off of the model, and the old parts were used to make new components from 1/4"- and 3/16"-thick balsa. With the detail parts out of the way the ply bits were given a good sanding, inspection, and de-funking. Nineteen years can add a lot of filth to a model, y'know...
Here's the wing section of the OT with the old basswood stuff ripped off.
Most of the shortcomings with the model can be overcome, except one: the wings of the OT have taken on some pretty dramatic warps. There's not a thing I can do about that, so we're just not going to worry about it.
The new balsa nacelle components are assembled, and all of the new parts are given a coat of diluted Elmer's wood filler.
More later,
James
I always wanted an upscaled Orbital Transport model with a radio-controlled glider, and planned a 3x version some twenty years ago. The plans sat dormant for a while, and I eventually ordered the parts and began cutting and gluing parts from cheap 1/4"-thick ply, adding some of the smaller details using basswood. For whatever reason the project was never finished, and the incomplete rocket idled in the rafters of the garage for years. Eventually it was moved to my warehouse for long term storage, and pretty much forgotten...until last week.
I dragged the unfinished rocket home, and assessed the degree of hangar rash that had been inflicted on the bird. The airframe and ply parts were in pretty good shape, but the basswood bits had to go. These were snapped off of the model, and the old parts were used to make new components from 1/4"- and 3/16"-thick balsa. With the detail parts out of the way the ply bits were given a good sanding, inspection, and de-funking. Nineteen years can add a lot of filth to a model, y'know...
Here's the wing section of the OT with the old basswood stuff ripped off.
Most of the shortcomings with the model can be overcome, except one: the wings of the OT have taken on some pretty dramatic warps. There's not a thing I can do about that, so we're just not going to worry about it.
The new balsa nacelle components are assembled, and all of the new parts are given a coat of diluted Elmer's wood filler.
More later,
James