HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

The damaged engine is just about finished.I cheated a bit with the spark plug/ignition harness assembly and I also left off the valve springs as they will hardly be seen with the engine upside down.The electrical cables and the plumbing would mostly be destroyed in the fire.The engine will be finished and weathered when installed on the skid assembly.I made no attempt to clean up the castings or fill the holes and dents ,as this engine makes a fine wreck just the way it is.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

I didn't have any references for a damaged engine so I just used my imagination.
It seems to me though, that rather than bending due to stress ,a lot of these parts such as the exhaust stack would probably just shear off due to the brittle natural of the metal.
The damage that I inflicted on the #1 cylinder would be from the nose over more than forward motion.I will probably break the engine off at the motor mounts and roll it slightly on its side to make it a little more interesting.
The next step will be to decide on the skid platform and mounting the engine to it.It will have to be large enough to rest not only the engine but the complete center section too.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

The piece of white foam board represents the size of the eventual wood skid.I propped up the the engine onto the foam board using pieces of wood and hot melt glue.The engine is set at an angle while the center section N struts will be level with the skid.Now I will build the airplane fuselage around the engine now that it is in a stable position.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

I initially plan to build the fuselage in one piece using the above methodology.
Later I will cut the fuselage in two near station F016.On the finished piece it will remain completely severed except for the control lines.I figure that the weakest point on the fuselage would be just behind the aft landing gear strut.Not only does the pilot cockpit hole significantly weaken the monocoque type construction but this area would be subject to a lot of wear and tear.These trainers would also be under to a lot of stress from handling by their novice pilots ,heavy landings etc...which could weaken the structure over time.
From a viewer interest point of view it also would be the most interesting area to have access to with the controls and instrument panel easily seen.
From an artistic point of view the exposed cockpit and empty pilot seat with the dangling seat belts, fits right in with the storyline of a missing pilot and his faithful dog overlooking the wreckage.

[JohnReid]

For those who may be interested, Model Airways makes available on their website for download, the complete instruction manual for this build.
The instructions and plans for this model are actually quite good,it is a shame that the casting are so poor.Too bad because a lot of would be builders probably have been turned off these models because of this.It is not that they can't do a good job on these kits, as their Jenny is one of the best kits that I ever built.Sure it sells for a hundred bucks more but it is money well spent as there is no aftermarket left to buy but the glue.Above all the frustration level is really low if you study and follow the plans carefully.This cannot be said for any of their other kits, which require a lot of modification and scratchbuilding to make them right.Sure they are buildable but not very accurate,make a nice show piece but are far from museum quality.Buy the Jenny!