SPIRIT OF St LOUIS

  • Hi Boys and Girls


    Well we have another model soon to be released from GreMir Models.


    http://www.gremirmodels.com


    The SPIRIT OF St LOUIS in 1/33.
    Designed by Rafal Ciesielski


    As you can expect from Rafal the design and graphics for this model are fantastic. The fit so far is great and I have had no problems with it at all!!


    The control surfaces have been designed to work, and easy to build :)
    The model also has a very good engine and cockpit 8)


    I will build this over the next two too three days so the posts will be close together for the build


    Next

  • Boy, oh boy, my all-time favourite and no 1 on the wish list. I can't believe this is true. I'll have to make a major rearrangement of my model-building plans for the future. This will have to climb to the top, no matter what.


    The only problem will be that as far as I remember the GreMir model CDs cannot be accessed on a Mac. Will have to take this up with Michael directly.


    In any case, I'm much looking forward to your test build, Rob, that goes without saying.


    Thanks for posting the preview of these glad tidings!


    Leif

    Dankbar für die Gelegenheit auf Englisch schreiben zu dürfen, kann aber Antworten problemlos auf Deutsch lesen.

  • Back again =)


    I started with laminating all the wing spas and ribs.


    Then made the internal card rolls for the control surfaces and the strengthners to join the wings to the main body of the plane.


    I will show the construction working parts as I make the others later.
    To get to this stage has been easy as it is so well designed.
    One tip though you must cut the parts out carefully or it will not fit


    More in a few hours time =)


    Take care for now


    Rob

  • Hi Leif


    Another thing is I think it will more than stand a upgrade in the scale :rolleyes: As I some how think you would want to do =)


    Just looking at the kit make you want to build it sooner than later, thats for shure!!


    Take care all


    Rob

  • 1/16 is a given, Rob (as you correctly surmise). I'm even hoping for an opportunity to make it a cut-away model, with a portion of the left side (the one without door) left out in order to show the cramped interior. But I'll have to study the kit first of course.


    Did you know that Lindbergh had to trim part of the top stringer to be able to get in with full gear; and climbing he had to let air out of the inflatable seat in order not to bumb into this recess? And can you imagine some 36 hours alone just staring at an oversize instrument panel right in front of your face. Not exactly something you would say epitomizes the joy of flight...


    If I do the cut-away, I'll have to find a way of replicating the greyish-yellow fabric interior, plus square wooden stringers on top of a steel tubular framework, while keeping the outside as close to silver dope as possible. I'm thinking laminated covering, with thin silver paper on the outside, and fabric-covered on the inside. And then there's the little periscope. A lot of interesting problems to solve!


    But I'm second-guessing your build. More when you can, as you would say.


    Leif


    PS. I have PM'd Michael and am eagerly waiting for an answer...

    Dankbar für die Gelegenheit auf Englisch schreiben zu dürfen, kann aber Antworten problemlos auf Deutsch lesen.

    Edited once, last by Leif Ohlsson ().

  • Hi Leif


    The kit does have an interior with it, Even at this scale it will look real good.
    With the kit as it has been designed you could add a lot of extra detail without too much trouble as everything is shown as far as I know!!


    The build Iam doing is the basic build as designed, this is still detailed though and well worththe time to build


    Right now Iam covering the first wing and have started the cockpit area.


    More in a few hours when this is done


    Have fun drooling =) =)


    Rob

  • Rob (and Michael, if you're watching),


    The kit sure seems excellent - and still there's clearly room for some improvement in details, which makes me kind of happy. Where's the challenge otherwise?


    For example, the aft fuselage had wooden stringers, outside the steel tubular framework. The stringers are clearly visible from the outside, and would require some embossing at least. For the inside, I'm still thinking that the cover parts should be made slightly more fabric-textured (only the outside was silver-doped).


    So I'm thinking fabric-covered insides, slightly bent where the stringers run (don't know how to modify those particular parts, but perhaps they will stand for some very small amount of bending and still fit), horizontal stringers (brown paper), tubular steel framework parts (don't know yet how to do that, perhaps rolled steel-coloured paper?). Outside in silver paper, clearly embossed and slightly bent where the stringers run.


    And that wicker chair (parts K3 if I'm not mistaken), got to look for a better pattern for that!


    All in all, I'm very much set to go and drooling a fair amount already - hope the model comes out in time for X-mas!


    Leif

    Dankbar für die Gelegenheit auf Englisch schreiben zu dürfen, kann aber Antworten problemlos auf Deutsch lesen.

  • Nice looking job Rob fingers seem to have recovered well again look forward to the rest


    regards

  • I'm no expert on the Spirit of St. Louis, but didn't it only have some sort of a periscope for the Lindbergh to look through? How would the model's interior be visible if you don't do a cut-away? Do you leave the door(s) open?


    Just curious



    Cheers,


    Oliver

  • Hi


    Leif, can't wait for you to put your golden touch to this great kit 8)


    Bazzer, yup the fingers are on the mend, just can't cut 1 and 2mm card to well yet. Thats why the stall on Missouri :( before I go on with her I need to cut some real heavy card!!


    Oliver


    Iam not a plane guy myself, (unless they are massive!!) but I do know this that when you do take a close look at these kits when built its amazing how much you can see through the windows, and yes opening the doors is another option.
    At the scale Leif will build it in that becomes even more important.


    I have done a lot more on this, just working out how the new camera works :rolleyes:, as soon as I have that sorted I will post the photos later.


    Till then take care all


    Rob

  • Thanks Mike for the heads-up. My order to Slawomir Wojcik for the WAK model went out this minute.


    (As you know, I would have preferred the electronic version, but since I'm on a Mac, alas...)


    Best & thanks


    Leif

    Dankbar für die Gelegenheit auf Englisch schreiben zu dürfen, kann aber Antworten problemlos auf Deutsch lesen.

  • Hi all


    Just a little up date for now :rolleyes:


    What with moving house and a lot of other stuff (line connections ect)to sort time has been very short, oh and a divorce =) =)


    I have been building this in small sections to join together later, then if I don't like any part I have built or its not right I can just crush it and build another without destroying the whole model!!


    These first photos are of the start of the cockpit build, the seat and some of the controls to be added yet!!


    Next

  • Also build the nose section so I can start to add the engine cylinders.


    This is the part of the build that will take the most time to do as the cylinders have good detail and she has just one or two of them =)


    As you plane guys will know this section has to be built first to fit the engine cylinders.


    Yes Iam still having fun building this and so far it all fits great 8)


    Next

  • Hi all


    Back again :rolleyes:


    Finnished the basic cockpit section of the build, just some paint work to do on this.
    The wires that form the seat fit into the bulkheads of the cockpit to hold the seat in place. The photo of the seat is not a very good one, I will try to get a better one in daylight, if we ever get any =)


    More tomorrow


    Rob

  • The seat seems to have turned out quite well after all. I'm happy for you, Rob. And I'm very impressed by the front top fairing against the wing-to-come. That part always seemed to me to be the most difficult one to get right.


    I see now the way the cockpit has been designed. Seems like a sensible compromise, although in reality of course it was wide open all the way to the rear of the aircraft. There would be a rubber raft lying on the cockpit floor aft of the wicker chair, and also some mounted open casings for maps and for the window panes (which Lindbergh, once airborne, never ever mounted, preferring to get the flow of air help keeping him awake).


    I'm happy to see the recesses for the rudder pedals in the main fuel tank are there. In the real plane this tank is slighly rounded and mounted inside the square framework, but, again, the design seems to have achieved a reasonable compromise.


    Leif


    Below: A view of the left side of the cockpit. Just forward of the instrument panel sits the massive 209 gallon main gas tank. The control stick is visible just beneath the window frame and just in front of it sits the triangular-shaped trim adjustment lever. To the rear of the stick sits the throttle lever, and below that, the Earth Inductor Compass controller.


    http://www.charleslindbergh.com/history/sec/

  • Hi, Rob! :)


    Wow!! 8o


    Rob, I always figure on an awesome build when your name is involved in the build thread, but this is absolutely outstanding! I know you said the fit is superb, and the detailed graphics brilliant, but somehow I think your magic in making paper models has a part in this. ;) I'm glad to hear your finger is on the mend, mate!


    I am excited that this is going to be available from Mike, and on December 20th...oh, yeah, this is going to be on the wish list for Christmas...you better get that bandwidth thing going, Mike, I expect quite a few orders on this one!


    Looking forward to seeing more, Rob.


    Cheers!


    Jim