yvesvidal

Folks, a silly idea came into my mind as I wanted to build some VTOL aircraft that were all absolute fiasco, one way or the other. It was also a nice break from the wood dust and the realization that I have lost a lot of my plastic model skills. And because I model pretty much exclusively in 1/48th, the choice of these strange beasts came to: Convair XFY-1 SNECMA C-450-01 Coleoptere Bachen Ba349A Natter Focke Wulf Triebflugel The first three planes were complete disaster one way or the other and the last one did not go beyond some models being tested in a wind tunnel. The Convair XFY-1 was actually the best of all four aircraft as it did not kill its test pilots. YouTube has a couple of very informative videos and testimonies from the test pilot, clearly showing the impossibility to fly that plane (actually to land it) without helicopter assistance and radio communication nearby. Of the four prototypes, it was also the only one that could fly normally, as expected from a plane. The kit is from Lindberg and is showing its age, specifically the decals. It was the first time I used ALCLAD2 paints to recreate the aluminum finishing of the plane structure. Thanks to DocRob and a couple of tutorials, I was able to achieve a decent rendering. A new set of decals was sourced from E-Bay and allowed me to finish the model. Interestingly enough, Lindberg recreated the contra-rotating motion of the enormous propellers, with miniature gears. It is pretty cool. The second model of that crazy group, is the infamous French SNECMA C-450-01 Coleoptere. The kit was produced by Heller in 1958 or 59 and later on re-issued by a Japanese distributor. I was able to procure the Japanese kit for an hefty amount. The C-450 was a radical departure in engineering and was a platform developed to study VTOL and RAMJET at the same time. Although the only prototype did not implement the Ramjet engine, the annular/circular wing was quite interesting and must have been a challenge as the profile of the wing had to change progressively all along its circumference if the plane was to ever fly. The French test pilot Morel, managed to take off and land the contraption 8 times, thanks to a rotating seat and additional windows on the sides and below his feet. The pivoting seat allowed the pilot to always have a clear view of the ground and the horizon. On the ninth flight, the pilot decided to place the aircraft in an horizontal position and that is when all hell broke loose. The plane could not fly (annular wing had not enough lift...?) and the pilot ejected, unfortunately too close to the ground. He spent many months in an hospital and survived this catastrophe. The program was cancelled by the French government. The model assembles quite easily and the 50 years old decals had to be coated before being used. I absolutely love the shape of the bird. It is so unusual. Our third candidate is the Bachen Ba349 Natter (snake). The Natter was a last minute effort by the Germans to come up with a solution to destroy the heavy bombers that were leveling the Germany, when most of the airfields had been destroyed. The natter was built of wood and plywood, powered by the chemical jet engine of the Komet and four JATO rockets to help it get off the ground. The plane was armed with a bunch of small rockets in the nose. After destroying a bomber or a couple of them, the pilot would eject, come down with his parachute, while the plane splits itself in two sections, coming down to the ground with their parachutes. A lot of waste in equipment for some poor results, but the Natter was made of cheap plywood and the German were desperate. The first few test flights were done unmanned. The only manned flight of the Natter, was done with a young pilot who was knocked out by the initial acceleration and could not do anything to prevent the Natter from crashing and exploding a few kilometers away. The allied forces were able to bring back a few samples of that plane and one of them is in the National Air and Space Museum, near DC (waiting to be restored). The kit is an old Dragon kit and is extremely detailed. In fact, the ramp/pylon to launch the plane is much more difficult to build than the plane itself. Overall, it is a very delicate but extremely detailed model with even some PE parts. Our last VTOL is the Focke-Wulf Triebflugel. A crazy concept studied towards the end of WWII by Focke-Wulf which never ended up being built, by lack of time and resources. The design is quite incredible and only Germans with their incredible mechanical skills could have made such engineering challenge. A rotating structure in the middle of the fuselage, holding three rotating wings propelled by three ramjets, located at the tip of the wings. The plane would take off like an helicopter and transition to an horizontal flight line at a certain altitude. The landing would be done i reverse and would have presented an incredible challenge, even for the German ace pilots. The kit is distributed by Amuzing Hobby, A Japanese company and is very interesting to put together. The central section rotates nicely and the three wings can be positioned as you wish. The shape of the fuselage is really cool and I would almost be tempted to build the 1/32nd version of that same concept. Our four VTOL aircraft are now displayed next to each other: Et voila. A collection of insanity and crazy engineering dreams, that went nowhere. Yves

Craig, we missed you and your beautiful models. Very happy to see you back online. Yves

I am sure you have already thought about a successor...... Yves

Excellent rendition of these massive ships. I admire your tenacity and skills, especially when dealing with paper models. You have created a very unique piece and should be proud of the result. Yves

Another museum quality piece, Rob. Fantastic work. Yves

Superb model and exquisite presentation of the Longboat. A true museum piece. Yves

Beautiful work. You did a good job on the stern, which is not easy. Yves

What a collection !!! You are the king of 3D printing. Yves

Beautiful and realistic davits. You are an expert at soldering and bending brass tubes. Yves

You should try printing a 1/200 scale model to fit with most military ships. That would be immense but quite spectacular. Yves

Chris, this is superb. And what a treat to not have to paint: I find that to be the most difficult (for me) in building a model. I truly love the look and proportions of that Vindicator, done in an era where planes were designed to really fly and not just be a cockpit pushed by big engines (basically a rock when the engine shut down). Yves

I just bought that kit on Da-Bay a few weeks ago. Always wanted to build that monster and ominous beast. Following your build will be very helpful. I have purchased the metal landing gears from Valiant Enterprises ($20). It may be a better fit for this large and heavy plane and perhaps you should consider it, too. Yves

Another masterpiece in the making.... Yves

It is a big bird, for sure. Superb construction as always. Yves

That is a very nice model in my favorite scale. I will be following your progress. Yves

I like that blue. Gorgeous model. Yves

Fantastic model and beautiful boat. I love the contrast between the different varieties of wood and the exceptional finish and precision of the parts. Absolutely superb. Yves

The good stuff about these "barcos" is that they are usually fully painted. Therefore, caulking the hull and sanding it will never be a problem. Yves

That is so true. And the cable is running below the surface of the pavement and rails. A very clever and advanced design. Yves

Another OCCRE project. I will be following. Yves

It is actually pretty good for a "botched" attempt. Yves

Fantastic model. I am in awe with the mechanism of the Hydro-foils.....that is a feast of engineering and must be quite impressive to watch (and feel) when it deploys at speed. Yves

Ronald, The sculptures are made of CNC carved boxwood. Yves

A few progress on the stern and its decoration. The rear panel is made of three parts: The main sculpture is prepared on the bench: Although very delicate, this assembly inserts itself nicely in the stern of the ship. Et voila. I am going to take a short break from this vessel and do other things in the meantime. Thank you for following and for all the positive feedback. Yves

It is always a pleasure to see your work, Wieslaw. Yves