BSC2018 Johnnytodd's BF-110

[Johnnytodd]

Because what I do best is build airplanes... of course my entry will be aircraft related.  I'm thinking of recreating the ILL-ADVISED "peace" mission of #2 Nazi leader Rudolf Hess, who bailed out of his Messerschmitt BF-110 over Scotland in 1941, remaining in captivity the rest of his life. My plan involves three parts: #1 the plane, #2 the pilot descending by #3 parachute.

[von Lucky]

Looking forward to it. It's the best way to handle this contest - have an entry that can be scaled up or back as required.

[Vanvlak]

I was hoping there's be one of your aeroplanes in this edition 
Interesting choice too. Hope you manage to include the parachute as I'm really curious to see how you do that.

[Johnnytodd]

Without lifting a hand to reach for a tool yet (following the rules), I'm thinking through each step of this build.

Step #1 the PLANE:  Fairly certain this will probably take 2-3 weeks to build.  As usual carving from wood in 1/56 scale.  Finding some details of Hess' plane are very specific (nomenclature), while other details (model type and paint scheme) are up to interpretation.

Step #2 the PILOT: Have never made a green-stuff mini entirely from scratch so I'm giving 2 weeks to that step.  Must attempt my 1st wire-frame skeleton...

Step #3 the PARACHUTE: The challenge of constructing a 28mm scale parachute is the big unknown, and its consuming most of my mental energy now:  I want it to be a rigid structure but look like thin cloth - leaning toward carving from wood but open to any suggestions.  

[von Lucky]

Maybe PVA dipped canvas or cotton for the parachite? Will allow you to shape it and if you don't like it's easy enough to try again. But then you are a master wood carver, so I don't know.

[Billchuck]

Step #3 the PARACHUTE: The challenge of constructing a 28mm scale parachute is the big unknown, and its consuming most of my mental energy now:  I want it to be a rigid structure but look like thin cloth - leaning toward carving from wood but open to any suggestions.  

Perhaps carve a wooden plug and vacform the canopy?  Doped tissue over a wire frame may work, but I don’t think it would bell out like the real thing.

[Johnnytodd]

I'm reconsidering my plan.  A single photo image as the final entry is presenting a technical challenge.  Pilot descending by open parachute would never be seen together in same proximity as their plane?  By the time Hess opened his chute his abandoned plane would have fallen 100s of meters away - difficult to capture in one image.  I'd rather make the centerpiece of my build be the plane instead of the chute.  So to maintain historical accuracy I'm thinking of focusing on a pre-flight vignette with the plane still on the ground.  Any thoughts?

John

[dampfpanzerwagon]

I once read an article where a parachute was made from sellotape - you used sticky-side to sticky side formed over a ball then once dry the parachute shape was cut out and painted.

I hope that this helps.

Tony

[Johnnytodd]

Tony,  Building a model parachute is not my issue ... but rather that the airplane model and parachute model would look unrealistic together in the same photo composition. 

[Vanvlak]

Tony,  Building a model parachute is not my issue ... but rather that the airplane model and parachute model would look unrealistic together in the same photo composition. 

It'd work in a comic-style presentation - as in the old Warlord, say. Or if you go for the runway, make a little Hess with someone giving him the parachute.
Alternatively, small scale aeroplane in the background and 28mm parachute - but then we won;t get one of your fantastic large aero models 

[Andym]

What about doing a forced perspective shot! A 28mm parachutist with a smaller scale plane in the background?......or the opposite way around, with the plane in the foreground?

[Billchuck]

Or show him in the process of bailing out. Which at the time was a pretty bad idea in its own right...

[Johnnytodd]

Progress for 1/14:  There's a bit of research involved in selecting a plan.  First I compare several measured drawings, as I've found there are variations in all of them.  Then I picked this one for simplicity and its helpful 3D contour guides.  I scale the plan to 1/56, then use printer at wife's work to produce correct measured plan,  then print a bunch:



....Then cut and glue plans to appropriate size wood blocks:

[Johnnytodd]

An hour on the band saw:

[Vanvlak]

Good grief.
At this rate we're going to have a book of tutorial lessons here on LAF.
Multiple sets of plans? I am suddenly feeling VERY primitive and lazy