For My 14,000th --- Aeroplanes in A Bottle (Many Pictures)

To celebrate my 14,000 post here on Democratic Underground, which is sure to occur sometime early this evening, I thought I would share with my friends here two just completed examples of my quiet hobby, the construction of small scale models of antique airplanes, and She Who Must Be Obeyed was kind enough to indulge me by photographing them. The scale is 1/72, or six feet to the inch, and I will not bore you with construction details, except to say that both are from examples of the same kit, and have been extensively reworked, bearing very little relation to what just assembling the pieces provided would have produced: in particular, all of the interior is scratchbuilt.

Both these machines are derivatives of the Hawker Audax, itself a modification of the Hart S.E.D.B., a spectacular device when first introduced in 1929.

The first is a Hardy of No. 6 Sqdn., RAF, modeled as it appeared in a photograph taken early in 1938, operating from Haifa on patrols over the Galilee in that period of intense strife in Mandatory Palestine. Earlier, this machine had served with No. 30 Sqdn. in Iraq, and after being replaced in No. 6, was, after Italy entered the Second World War, issued to No. 237 (1st Rhodesian) Sqdn. operating against italian forces in Ethiopia, first from Kenya and later from the Sudan: it was struck off charge as decrepit in September of 1941.







The second is an "Export Audax" operated by No. 1 Sqdn., Royal Iraqi Air Force, modeled as it appeared in a photograph taken (I believe) in the late thirties. Thirty-four of these machines were delivered to Iraq, in two batches; this is the second machine of the first batch. The inscription, I am told by an Arab bookseller in my neighborhood who was kind enough to look at the photograph, signifies "Mosul", which is where the squadron was based. There is every liklihood this machine was involved the hostilities with England commenced by the "Golden Square" coup in April of 1941: twenty-five of the original thirty-four Export Audaxes were still in service at that time; they were the most numerous type of warplane in Iraqi service still, and were active in attacks on the RAF training base at Habbaniya, and in intercepting English bombers, in the first week of May.

And painted with a sharpened toothpick....

And a tip of my hat to She Who Must Be Obeyed on her fine photography skills as well!

Well done! :thumbsup:

She will appreciate the compliment: she is quite good at that, and I am helpless in such matters.

Great job- I'm sure you had fun with those.

Took the hobby up again after the heart attack; I find it meditative and relaxing to do precise little things of no consequence....

Excellent craftsmanship and the history adds a lot.

are assembled with the same precision as your sentences.

Thank you for showing us these models.

Or was it the other way 'round?

Absolutely *ace* work, good sir! :thumbsup:

are demonstrated in other talents as well, I see. We are honored.

I wish we had added a dime for reference so people can see just how tiny these details are. So tiny, in fact, that I can't see all of them on the planes, just in the pictures. One of these models could sit on top of a CD and only the propeller and wingtips would extend over the edges.

Congrats on completing your stunning creations!

:toast: :toast: :toast:

:loveya:

:D

It's our anniversary today. :D

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmMagistrate! :loveya:

Quite excellent!

The detail is exquisite.

There is little to say other than to congratulate you on a job, very well done!

:applause:

I will now be able to get to that reading matter you were kind enough to send me: it looks quite interesting....

You are to be credited on your meticulous craftmanship and dedication. The photography certainly does an excellent job of displaying your work, also.

Thanks for sharing this with us. :)

I enjoy working with you as moderator, and find your posts very enlightening. :toast: :bounce: :yourock:

I love Military History and I really like WWI-WWII era warplanes.
It would be great if you showed us more of your work

Here is one my favorite planes, the Supermarine Spitfire:

PS: Paging Hawker Hurricane!

And congratulations! Hope to see you at the next Chicago get-together. :toast:

Those models look so intricate and detailed. And congrats on 14,033 posts. I've learnt a lot from many of yr posts :)

Cheers...

Violet...

How are things in Israel v. Palestine nowadays?

Things are quite dull and boring there lately, and apart from the occassional interesting post, it's hardly worth reading nowadays. Then again, I'm in a mood where just about everything's boring me....


Catch up with ya later...

Violet...

Congrats and well done. :hi:

These airplanes are the work of sheer artistry.

Thank you for posting these pictures...and congratulations on your upcoming milestone here.

Terry

And the details are so amazing, even the little harnesses in the cockpits. :-)

Model kits almost never come with all the right parts to resemble accuracy, and it takes a fine hand to truly bring out the details. Especially in the cockpit; you really do have to make it all from scratch if you want it to look right.

:thumbsup:

I build in that scale as well (mostly First World War) so I can appreciate the amount of work involved---also the skill required for the photography.

A pleasure to find another builder interested in the older periods.

and quite an accomplishment as well. :thumbsup:

:applause: :woohoo:

I have a question, though.

Where do you plan to find pilots small enough to fly those things? :D

Have the gliding angle of a brick, and cannot survive the slightest jostle....