Is nobody else building anything???

[Charles Adams]

No projects in the works out there? Am I the only one building airships?

Remember you can show off works in progress here, not just completed stuff. So, any other airship models on the bench (or in the computer) out there???

:D

[CanisD]

I've got a paper Macon model sitting on my desk, but my eyes went south last year so I haven't started it. Most of my money right now is going to pay for my eye doctor's vacation home on Hilton Head! :)

[Charles Adams]

Tell us more about this Macon kit! What scale is it? Who made it? Where can people get one? I am itching to try a paper model myself. I placed an order for LZ-1 from the Zeppelin Museum shop but they screwed up the order and I have to try again. . .

Thanks! :cheers:

PS Sorry to hear about your vision loss! Yikes!!

[CanisD]

Its available at Shop.com for $8.95 from Paper Models International (http://www.shop.com/op/~U_S_S_Macon_1933_Navy_Airship-prod-6423220-9227893?sourceid=298)

Its 1/350 scale, just over 2 feet long when finished. Its built in sections, then stacked together from bow to stern. The hull itself doesn't look too complicated, but the details, like the prop sponsons, the Sparrowhawk, and the mooring mast look much more complex. I've never built a paper model before and that and the eye trouble has made me hesitant to start. The catalog I got with it had several other models, including Hindenburg, Graf Zeppelin, and the Los Angeles.

[McTodd]

I built Ralph Currell's 1/700 scale card R100 and Vickers Transoceanic Airship models (which got lost during a hiouse move, sadly...). I was also designing a 1/700 scale R101 in the same style, but I only got halfway when Ralph released his R101 so I gave up! Still have the files somewhere...

I've also got the Schreiber Bogen 1/200 scale card kit of the Hindenburg, which I bought from the Zeppelin Museum shop when I was there a couple of years ago. It looks incredibly complex, plus it'll be huge, around 4 feet! As I currently live in a tiny (shared) flat in London, it's not really feasible to build it for now. I've also got a 1/200 card kit of the LZ1, from the Zeppelin Museum shop as well.

Here's a link to someone who sells it (they've got a couple of good images to click on): http://www.moduni.de/product_info.php/products_id/6072609

Near the bottom of the page is a link to the LZ1 model too.

As for a more solid model, I would have thought the plank-on-frame approach would have been ideal, seeing as you're looking at a hull with a polygonal cross-section.

[Paul Adams]

I built the S/B L45 paper kit as a starting point before building their Hindenburg.

The L45 was a lot of work but very nicely produced. The thing I found frustrating about it was the quality of printing was so good, and I mean really excellent, the joints let the model down. I went to great care not to put any unintentional creases or folds into the model, and not to get glue anywhere it should not be. But at the end the joints were very obvious, even when I colored the end of the card as suggested.

I kept the model for some time but it fell victim to a major re-organization in the house; then the Hippo model came out!

Perhaps what we should do is collect a sufficient number of pre-orders to convince Hippo to make more Zeppelin kits?

I have a couple of their Zeppelin kits and the only problem is the cost of buying them using US$!!

Paul

[Charles Adams]

I just recently found Hippo Models and so I have only seen one of their kits (was it the LZ-47? IIRC). They produced more models than that? Do you have any specs, details, or pics to some of their other airships?

Thanks!

[Bengt Fred]

Hi Charles,

I?m building (along with A LOT of other card models) the LZ-127 "Graf Zeppelin" from Schreiber-Bogen, in 1:200 scale. The hull sections are completed - I?ve strengthened the circular formers with extra heavy card and made the joining tabs double and slightly longer, for a better fit.
The engine cars are cut out but not assembled. The control car is in place and so are the fins.
I?ve added the small extra rudder 'fins', that were an integral part of the manouvering system (based on highly detailed photos from the period) and will also do the intricate rigging around the fins, using either monofolament fishing line or very thin steel wire. I haven?t decided which yet.
In place of the propellers I might use circular plates, made of thin plastic sheets or celluloid, to simulate running engines.
And, before glueing this 1 meter 18 centimeter monster together, I will arrange two small attachment points for the ceiling display lines.
Not so much left, really but enough to keep me busy for a while still.
After the Graf, the Hindenburg is next in line. All the parts have been cut out and the scoring is next. And after the Hindenburg? The LZ-126 "Los Angeles" and The LZ-120 "Bodensee" (or the LZ-121 "Nordstern"), all of them 1:200 scale card models. I might have to add a new room to the house...
Waiting in the wings is also the Nobile "Norge" (a Fiddlers Green model) and the CL 160 CargoLifter, in the same large scale (this one is MASSIVE!)
So you see, I have no problems with my spare time...

all the best,
Bengt Fred?n, Stockholm :cheers:

[MPL]

My first post on this site...what a great resource for ideas and techniques.

Several years ago I started a project to scratchbuild as many of the big rigid airships as I could, in 1:144 scale out of cardstock. Please see http://www.cardmodelers.org/matso.html for a few photos.

I was fortunate enough to sell a few of the models to an airship enthusiast here in the Seattle area; unfortunately, when we moved to our new home recently, I had to scrap some of the remaining models - not enough space to display them.

I think the biggest challenge was in finding enough reference material for accuracy. I did OK with the American ships (Shenandoah, Los Angeles, Akron & Macon), and only so-so with the British R-100 and R-101...never did find enough photos of R-100's control car.

I do still have a prototype USS Shenandoah in 1:200, hanging proudly in my new home office. Maybe I'll start the whole project again in that scale...

Matso Limtiaco
Everett WA

PS. If anyone's interested, I have more photos around here somewhere.

[Charles Adams]

Welcome aboard! Very nice! :) Yes, would love to see more. I had seen that page somewhere before, it was one of the few that ever turned up while searching the Net. It's amazing how few collections of airship models like this seem to exist. More, more! ;)

:cheers:

[Digger]

Nice job on all those MPL. I think the R -101, and R-100 look pretty good there, I'd love to see better pics of them. By the way have you seen Ralph Curell's versions? They are free to download, though in 1:700 scale. They could easily be upsized in photoshop, or other graphics programs, that is if you wanted to do them again. welcome aboard. :cheers:

[Kaiser Willie]

I just ordered a couple of card models and I was fooling around with the idea of expanding them to HO scale and cutting the rings out of foam, or plywood. Im working on getting some war time Zepp plans and do one from scratch . I just bought a jig saw and believe it would be a lot of work. I cant find anybody in germany with a laser cutter yet, but people over here would either look at you strange if you wanted somthing cut, or ask for an arm and a leg.

[nighthawk3524]

Mr. Adams:

I have been researching scratchbuilding an aircraft in 1/48thscale for a few months and I have decided I would like to construct the control gondola for a K-Type USN blimp from WWII.

Until I found your forum and SIG I was getting nowhere for finding pictures or plans for this type of airship.

I have been building model aircraft for a number of years and have a lot of spare parts lying around in 1/48th and 1/32nd scale which is why I chose 1/48. I have also had to scale up my model building because of aging eyesight.

Anyway, is there some place or person I could contact for plans for the control car? For personal reasons I need to speed up my build of the gon and plans or drawings would improve my chances of finishing the project.

Any assistance from forum members is also welcome.

Thanks,

Dave Savage

[joec]

Mr. Adams:
Anyway, is there some place or person I could contact for plans for the control car?
Any assistance from forum members is also welcome.


Dave, I wish you luck. I searched for plans for whatever I could get and wasn't terribly successful, but I'm not very patient, or a very good searcher. I imagine Charles would be a help. I found a very sketchy plan for the R80 gondola that I built on some website in england. I checked out a book at the library that had a chapter on USN blimps, I believe it had photos but no plans of course. I would imagine it's out there.

I have the good fortune of having CAD and I was able to recreate the R-80 to some extent, there are a lot of missing details to be sure, and I had the advantage of working at 1/16th scale. I generally build models strictly for my own enjoyment and so deviations from the real thing don't get in my way too much.

The R-80 gondola is a great project, I should post a photo showing the main trusses underneath. I'm not trying to redirect you whatsoever, but if your interested I'd be happy to share the plan I developed (copied). It's on autocad, so in the unlikely event you use that I could send the file, or I can make pdf's at whatever scale you settled on.

Joe C

[Charles Adams]

Welcome aboard! :D

Check out this thread (http://www.airshipmodeler.com/forums/showthread.php?t=291). NAS Tillamook has a model of a K-type and the Pensacola location mentioned has an actual restored gondola on display. I would think those two places would be a great starting point for research.

Also check out the Navy's historical archives. Some of this is now online. I'd start by contacting the Smithsonian and see what they have. Their site has links to other government archives such as the Navy's material.

I found complete blueprints for the Akron in the Smithsonian. They also had plans for the ZR-1. Since I don't have much interest in blimps at the present time, I haven't done much research on those. But I'm guessing there's even more material on them than on the large rigids.

Atlantis Productions has video footage of blimps. There are also numerous books on these subjects. Some of the people who flew them are members here. Why don't you start a new thread asking for info on the subject?

Don't forget, you can always use the Search link at the top of the page to search for info here on this site. You might try separate searches for any of the following:

blimp
blimps
Atlantis
Smithsonian
gondola

That might help you get started. Also check eBay for a fellow who goes by the name zccaams (mailto:zccaams@bellsouth.net). He is a retired blimp pilot that has stuff. I don't have the link to his website handy, sorry. . .

[chilly]

well... I'm currently in "pre-viz" stage of a cross section of the Graf Zeppelin.

I have created a 3D (in computer) very rough cross section so far...( pictures to come soon )

I am using a set of plans that Charles thinks were created in the 20's But these were copies I purchased off of E-bay. They are not as detailed as I was hoping, and they leave a little to be desired when it comes to rigging and interior girder work.

my plan was to create a cross-section of the fore-most engine pods, creating the girder work and the interior and exterior rigging and possibly creating the gas bag(goldbeaterskins)

I currently live in a small 2 bedroom apartment with my lovely wife, and 8 year old son and my very new 5 month old daughter, so creating a full model of the GZ would be space prohibited... So I thought a cross section would be the best. And maybe, just maybe, I could create nice accurate engine pods.

I have recently found a great photo-etcher, who has done some work for me on another project. so I would design the girderwork and have them etched out of stainless or brass. and depending on the scale I make it I would use Accu-Flex jewelers wire which is braided and looks an awful lot like braided steel cable.

I will need from you wonderful people lots of info when I come to it...

I will have pictures for you of my progress... and I will share what plans and files I create.

My only problem is TIME!!! I am currently commissioned to create a series of 1920's-1940's circus wagons. ( I have included pictures ) Plus not to mention family and life are also mixed up in all of that. I luckily have a great wife and family that love to see me create.


So anyway, thats my plan... still in very early stages, and I will of course need all of your help.

-kev

circus picts now forth coming... sorry this part is off topic...

I hope I did this right...I normally have a FTP site I upload to...

[joec]

That's a great wagon. What scale is it? I tried making a wagon years ago but got stuck on the wheels and gave it up. It wasn't near that detailed or that large. Great work! I'm sure the cross section of the Graf will be equal or better, looking forward to seeing it.

Like I mentioned I've used steel fishing leader wire. I got a 300 foot spool of it, from a fishing website, I can find the name of it if you want. The wire brand name is AFW (american fishing wire). It's good stuff, maybe slightly cheaper than jewelers wire. It comes in several sizes, I think I got 0.018" diameter, not the smallest or the largest.

Good to hear from you.

Joec

[chilly]

Joec,

The wagon is a 1/24 scale wagon it represents a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey main ticket wagon/office.

It is totally scratch built styrene, bass wood, brass, and cast resin. the springs are photo-etched brass. It also sports Custom decals, and working brakes.

This is one of my favorites that I have built so far... currently I'm working on 4 sideshow wagons for the "Midway". They are almost all built with the exception of the roofs and side panels.

I have been busy at work to do anymore work on my GZ... but soon I hope.

Thanks for the intrest.
kev

[joec]

Yes it's worthy of some more photo's for sure. The circus model building is a whole field in itself isn't it? I've never gotten into it but I've seen some shows at a shopping mall where whole circus's are made in miniature (the particular one I saw was combined with model railroad, the whole thing could be packed on to train cars and driven away).

Did want to mention the steel wire, you'll find out I'm sure but I think most of the zeppelins has solid wire bracing rather than wire rope.

[nighthawk3524]

Dear joec,

I don't have CAD but can view and read pdf's jpg's and so forth. I would be happy to look over your plans to R100 if only to give me some ideas about how to construct a sturdy model. I am not opposed to switching to another model, I'm just more familiar with them. My e-mail is "nochehawk@aol.com."
Should I find any plans on line, I'll see about posting them here. I am also planning a trip to Pensacola so I can take extensive photos of their display of the real gondola. I'll also post them here when I get back.

Thanks,

David

[nighthawk3524]

Dear joec,

R80, not R100...getting senile and can't remember big numbers any more. anyway, thanks for the help.

David

[nighthawk3524]

Dear Charles,

Thanks for the information. I have already stumbled across the Tillimook website and a filmography of a WWII movie with Wallace Beery in it about the blimp service. I have a small but expanding number of photos showing a lot of exterior detail. I am going to make a trip to Pensacola to photograph the control car they have restored. I'll make and photograph measurements then. I will of course post them here.

I'll pursue the other courses you suggested and see what happens. I'll update you from time to time.

Catch ya later,

David (nighthawk3524)

[joec]

David,

I sent you an email with some drawings, see the airship gallery here too, it has a pdf of the drawing I downloaded for the original.

JoeC

[rick c faust]

working on graf zeppelin 1st time on here been, watching and checking out the site for a while. Show photos soon as I can figure out pictures ot this site. Tryed a float test with a ballon from store, balsa and foam board no way :cry: love the lz 2 rick

[AZSneed]

I was working on the Hawk's Graf Zeppelin, but I was waiting on more research material.
So now, I am working on the AMT 1/520 U.S.S. AKRON.

[Gerakis]

I am working on a 1/200 scale lz 129 hindenburg paper model for hanging in my basement work area

[devrier]

I just started work on a 5' LOA stick and tissue model of the R-100. As an experiment I'm
going to use full length laminated stringers to set the shape, with just a few rings to stabilize the structure and provide hard-points for gondolas, fins and such.

Layout of the mold on blue foam is done. Rigging a table mounted hot-wire cutter is next on the agenda.

Derek

[huntertracker6]

I'm busy working on a 1/245 scale model of the Graf Zeppelin... so far so good. Picked it up at the local hobby store, but the model is made of plastic, so I was wondering if anyone had a clue on how to make a more realistic control car...:confused:

[Charles Adams]

If you do a quick search, you'll find several threads going about the Graf kit. :)

[joec]

Always fun to see some photo's too, I'd like to see what you're all up to. Joe

[AZbuilder]

It has been many a moon since I have done a card model airship. I built the Graf Zeppelin by Schreiber-Bogen back in 1975 and that one came out o.k. wish I had taken some pics of it when I finished it. I also built the Testors/Hawk first issue of the Graf Zeppelin that one came out bad. I had an issue with the alignment of the gondola one half was higher/lower than the other half and tried to fix it by using squadron green putty. I sure wish my modeling skills were better back then. I also built the plastic Hindenburg, Akron/Macon kits and the Good Year blimp back then those kits survived until 1990 when my EX decided that I was too old to be modeling and trashed them. My current wife is more accepting of my modeling mania and even offers suggestions on my current projects. That being said well recently I found Ralph Curell's site with his downloadable .PDF files and downloaded and saved all his Airship designs and actually built 2 of his models. The first was of his High Mast Mooring Tower based on the one in St. Hubert near Montreal Canada and the second project was the R-100 Airship. I combined the 2 projects to make a diorama and added some 1/700 Scale Photo etch figures on the ground and in the mast. any ways here are some pics of the finished project and also a link to my site below where I have additional photos

http://modelmania.niceboard.com/airships-up-ship-f62/

Enjoy
AZbuilder
John

Let Your Imagination Soar

[Andreas Horn]

Dear AZbuilder this models looks very nice - so far I have only seen pictures without the mooring mast. The sheets of the kit are somewhere on my computer but I didn't have the time to have a closer look at them.

I have just have one question. Is the mast to the correct scale 1/700 - it should then be about 10 cm high, almost exactly a third of the length of R 100?

I am sometimes (often, always) misled by the optical impression from the famous FROG model with the well oversized mooring mast. Though there are pictures on which the mast dwarfs the airship, it was in fact relatively small.

[AZbuilder]

Thanks for the positive comments on my build, and your work is simply fantastic I just blows me away to see the detail you put into your projects. but, to answer your question according to Ralph Curell the St. Hubert mooring mast was made to go with both the R-100 and R-101 card models so I assume the 1/700 scale is correct. The mast measures about a little over 3 and 1/2 inches high. The R-100 measures about 11 inches long. I did run into some trouble during construction of the mast though. The strut and ring assembly going from the roof of the building and surrounding the elevator would not cut right so I needed to construct the assembly using some wire I had laying about. It came out O.K. but I think It could have came out better. I am not familar with the FROG R-100 kit so I have no idea how it looks. I attached the .PDF files I used to make this project you tell me what you think of the scale.

AZbuilder
John

Let Your Imagination Soar

[Andreas Horn]

According to my information the measurements of the original airship and mooring mast were as follows:
R 100: length 216.1 m / 709 ft; diameter 40.53 m / 133 ft
Mast: height 70.1 m / 230 ft
(Sources: "Zeppelin: Rigid Airships 1893 - 1940" by Peter Brooks and "R 101, A Pictorial History" by Nick Le Neve Walmsley)
All the mooring masts built for the British R 100 and R 101 at Cardington, Ismailia (Egypt), Karachi (India), and Montreal (Canada) had been built by the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Co. and they all had the same dimensions.

Based on these dimensions, the scale of your model, John, is 1/773.4 for the airship and 1/787.4 for the mast - that is pretty close, considering that the dimensions of the model you mentioned are not very accurate.

The difference to the scale 1/700 as stated by the designer Ralph Currell is probably due to a smaller print of the sheets.
Ralph Currell provided a "ruler" along the edges of the sheets so you can check if your print has the correct size.

The FROG kit is discussed in the thread on airship kits. See http://www.airshipmodeler.com/forums/showthread.php?t=319

[AZbuilder]

I believe you are right about the scale Andreas. Tonight I started on a new paper project the Vickers Transoceanic Airship. Which according to the print out by Ralph Curell is supposed to be 1/700 Scale but is off by 1/10 of an inch or off by one millimeter (I compared ruler markings on the printed page). So the same must hold true for the R-100 and the mooring mast which I just completed the scale given and the actual scale are very different and innacurate. :cry:

AZbuilder

Let Your Imagination Soar