Having just returned from the IPMS Nationals in Hampton, Va I got a renewed energy towards scale modelling. I only picked up 3 kits this time around. Military topics isn't really my thing ( and it's a huge part of the IPMS) and since sci-fi kits are few and far between, I look toward the X-planes. While yes the Luft '46 aircraft are military, if they have an odd enough configuration, I'll also get them.
This time I got Anigrand's M2F2 Lifting body and Orbital sciences X-34 RLV at the Rare Plane Detective table. Over at the MPM table I picked up Planet Models' Blohm and Voss P.170. Talking about an odd plane - this one is it. The links will show what I mean. I also picked up more tools. You can never have enough tools.
When I got home, I found that the Bubble Ship from Oblivion was in the stack of mail. This kit is from Fantastic Plastic. At 1:48 scale it's not the typical scale I stick to, but chance of it being done in 1:72 are slim at best, and I really like the design. So this time I made an exception. ;)
I got all my goodies home and went up to my studio. I had been working on the VZ, when I started working again on the room. So naturally that was the first thing back on my table. I have no idea what happened, but the two props for the plane are gone... gone, gone. No where to be found. Not wanting to slow my newly refreshed enthusiasm and until the two props turn up, I looked at another Anigrand model I had in my stash - the Curtis Wright X-19. The X-19 was supposed to be the prototype for a vertical takeoff transport.
Testing was done in nearby Caldwell, NJ. The first flight of the X-19 took place in November 1963 (other sources give 26 June 1964). It was intended that the X-19 would be developed into a VTOL transport aircraft. However the first X-19 was destroyed in a crash on 25 August 1965, and the program was subsequently cancelled.
From now on, instead of photographing every single step as before, which really slows me down, I'm choosing to build a number of sub-assemblies and then let you see.
Here, I added the weight to the nose so the plane wont be a tail sitter, and added the wing pylons. I put the fuselage halves together and assembled the props to the nacelles.
If you look at the pic closely you you can still see bubbles on the props. This must have been an old kit from an old mould. The parts are chock full of bubbles, slipped moulds and "gouges" that need to be fixed. When I was taking bonsai lessons, my Sensei once said "Don't ruin a good tree trying to make it great." So I'm going my this logic for this plane. I'm not going to sand and fill every single bubble - I've already been working on filling and sanding for hours and hours each session. Who knows how long I could keep going. So I will fill and sand the ones that really stick out, and then I'm calling it a day.
More soon.
