R-34 scale model project...Shaping the control car, continued.

I started working on the control car blank, again, today, December 22, and I notched the front of the car out for the windshield bulgeout, which I made as a separate piece. After that, I made the roof of the car, glued it on and flushed it up with the top of the car, and the windshield bulgeout. Then I shaped and installed the aft half bottom bulge that is on that end of the engine compartment of the control car. After that I cut out, shaped, and installed the two landing bumpers on the bottom of the car, both the fore and aft bumpers.

Here are pictures of today's progress, comparing the shape to this 1919 photo of the actual car, as well as checking it for size up against the model's plan sheet.

I have about five hours labor in this piece, by itself, now. I think the total labor time in the whole ship is now approaching about 77 hours.

Jim.

R-34 scale model project...Resuming work, the control car!

I have pulled the R-34 model out of deep storage. Started work on it on Saturday, December 8th, by starting to shape the control car out of solid balsa stock. I started by gluing the side profile pattern of the car from a copy of the plan to the side of the balsa block. I cut, whittled, and sanded it down to this side profile shape first. Then I sanded it to shape looking at it from the bottom, which is rounded off in the front, and it tapers to a point in the back, much like a greatly enlongated teardrop. After I had this rough shape, using period photos of the control car, I smoothed out and rounded over the edges on the car blank as indicated in the photos. The next step is to fabricate and install the double landing bumpers on the bottom of the car, and the windscreen (windshield) mount block that wraps around the front of the car. After that, I need to make the mounting pylons and struts to which the car mounts to the hull by. That is next. It really does not look like much, now, but give it time. I'm not done making it yet, but the basic shape is there.

Jim.