Author Topic: In Flight Displays  (Read 3439 times)

Offline Cliffy B

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In Flight Displays
« on: November 17, 2012, 09:00:42 AM »
Gentlemen, I find my self with a great idea for an in flight display after picking up a few small planes for next to nothing but I'm unsure as how to display them.  What are you're preferred methods of doing in flight displays?

I'm depicting a KC-10 with two small planes getting gas complete with re-fueling hoses connected to them.  I've seen clear plastic rods, painted rods, and wire of all gauges sometimes hidden by the environment and sometimes not.  I have to support the KC-10 with some sort of rod due to its size but what I'd like to do is use the fuel hoes to support the smaller planes but I'm afraid they'll have too much play in them and bounce around too much. 

So far I've come up with the idea of making a seascape on the base with acrylic gel and then painting the three support rods to match the sea.  Do you think it would look strange to have the tanker supported on a rod and the other planes not? 

Any other methods to secure them to the base with minimal visual distraction?  I want to avoid the statues on pedestals look.

Any and all help is appreciated as always,
-Mike
"Radials growl, inlines purr, jets blow!"  -Anonymous

"Helos don't fly.  They vibrate so violently that the ground rejects them."  -Tom Clancy

"If all else fails, call in an air strike."  -Anonymous

Offline kitnut617

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Re: In Flight Displays
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2012, 09:46:34 AM »
What scale are we talking here --1/144 ?

Offline Weaver

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Re: In Flight Displays
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2012, 10:57:36 AM »
I doubt whether it would be possible to support the fighters on the refuelling hoses. Not only the hoses but the probes would have to be metal and solidly attached into the aircraft's structure, and then the whole weight of the fighter would still be hanging on the joint between hose and probe. Probes are usually far forward of the CoG and usually offset to one side too, so the weight would be both pulling the tail down and trying to rotate the fighter to one side.

How about a vertical wall behind the aircraft, either transparent or with a skyscape painted on it, and clear rods running out of it into the jet pipes of all three aircraft? That way the "poles" do at least follow the natural path of the jetwash.
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Offline Cliffy B

  • Ship Whiffer Extraordinaire...master of Beyond Visual Range Modelling
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Re: In Flight Displays
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2012, 11:32:14 AM »
Thanks for the replies guys.  We're actually talking about 1/350 with the DC-10 being 1/320 (the RoG kit that I'll modify into a KC-10) but after running the numbers they are so close that the few millimeters difference doesn't bother me in the slightest.  The planes that will be being re-fueled are very,very light but Weaver's point is still valid and was one of my concerns.  I don't want a nearby jolt to snap any weak connections between any of the planes.  I want to be able to move this around, take it to shows, etc... without fear of it falling apart due to weak connections or the need to make those connections with CA glue.  Even in such a small scale though the DC-10 is still larger then a 1/144 E-2C by a good bit.  I can measure the subjects involved if need be, just ask.

Said planes will be a pair of highly modified Trumpy C-2 Greyhounds, IE prop jobs that will have clear plastic circles for props.  I'm also toying with having one C-2 and an ES-3A as escort instead but I haven't decided yet.  This is going along with a whiff story of mine and they'll be doing some hush-hush work for the CIA/OSS.  Regardless of which I chose their probes would all be centerline, on top and immediately behind the cockpits so yes they'd be a good bit away from their CoGs.

I wanted it to be visible from the sides and above IF possible but its not a necessity.  I was contemplating printing a skyscape so that from above it would appear they were above the clouds.  I do like the idea of there being a wall behind them and them mounted to it but I'm not sure how I could secure them to the one anchor point well enough to support them properly.

Speaking of clear rods, where can I get them?!  My LHS and fav online stores don't have them and neither do any of the local hardware stores.  I know they exist but where?

Given the closeness in scale and the fact that I have a fair amount of spare 1/350 USN aircraft and the KC-10 is ridiculously cheap at my LHS I want to make some more in the future that will include jets.


Kitnut - speaking of 1/144 I do have KA-6D in said scale that I would like to display in a similar manner with some Tomcats so any ideas you may have will certainly be appreciated.
« Last Edit: November 17, 2012, 11:39:33 AM by Cliffy B »
"Radials growl, inlines purr, jets blow!"  -Anonymous

"Helos don't fly.  They vibrate so violently that the ground rejects them."  -Tom Clancy

"If all else fails, call in an air strike."  -Anonymous

Offline kitnut617

  • Measures the actual aircraft before modelling it...we have the photographic evidence.
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Re: In Flight Displays
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2012, 10:55:51 PM »
For your 1/350 scale set up, I would use a single length of wire right from aircraft to aircraft.  I would slide the refueling basket along the wire to where it would be when refueling, form one end of the wire to represent the fueling probe and the other end to represent the flying boom, adding wings etc to the wire.  I'm trying to imagine the actual size of the model aircraft though !

For the 1/144 set up, I would gut the F-14's of everything that isn't needed to lighten it as much as possible, but I don't think you could use the same process as above.  I used to have my 1/72 Victor displayed refueling a Sea Vixen, I used a length of styrene coated wire which was quite stiff and didn't bend very easily, but the Sea Vixen still had to be supported by itself.  In the pic below, they've come un-attached but you can make out how I formed the wire to bend like a hose might (sorry about the pic quality though)

Offline Cliffy B

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Re: In Flight Displays
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2012, 05:33:00 AM »
Thanks Kit!  You just reminded me by mentioning the flying boom; KC-10s can only re-fuel USN planes one at a time and didn't get the pods until much later.  I'll need to support the other plane on its own regardless now unless I add the pods....hmmm....

Measurements are as follows;
KC-10
Length: 176mm (~7")
Wingspan: 152mm  (~6")

C-2A
Length: 50mm (~2.75")
Wingspan: 70mm  (~2")

Another issue cropped up as well; the re-fueling probe on the C-2s.  It can't be above the cockpit due to the props so it will have to be long and alongside the nose akin to a helo.  So I'm thinking it should have its own rod as well just for stability.  I wouldn't want it supported so far out in front of itself.  That's asking for trouble.

I'm thinking about making the hose(s) out of floral wire and using it and some 0.25mm thick plastic for the basket.

-Mike
"Radials growl, inlines purr, jets blow!"  -Anonymous

"Helos don't fly.  They vibrate so violently that the ground rejects them."  -Tom Clancy

"If all else fails, call in an air strike."  -Anonymous