This is
Murphy's "Flyin' Lavatory", his dynamite enhanced gasoline bombs
primed and ready. The engine is cranked up for a test run before Louie
lowers him into the water to find that "Flammin'
submarine".
This is
an extensively modified and reworked Airfix kit, with a good deal of
spares contributions, scratch built and after market parts. The tail
surfaces were repositioned. The ailerons were replaced with items made
from Italeri helicopter blades, with wire hinges and replacement actuator
covers. The trailing edge of the wings was thinned down. Other detail
parts were added or removed as necessary. "Murphy" is a posed
figurine, with limbs from several unused pilots, and a floppy vac formed
hat. The out board wing struts had to be lengthened and re-angled to
produce the correct dihedral. Their cross section was also reduced. The
wooden bracing on the port float is made from a whittled down bamboo tooth
pic.
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The model was
completely re-scribed. All panel lines were highlighted with a white
marker. The paint is a lightened Testors dark sea blue, with some silver
dry brushing and BMF for chipping and peeling. Powered pencil lead was
used around the engine. To produce a sun weathered effect, the upper
surfaces were given extra heavy highlighting. The roundels are scaled
30 and 34 inches and painted on. The lettering is Woodland Scenics dry
transfers, applied to clear decal film. The wing patches are white decal
film with some blue marker lines, which the application chemicals blurred
to good effect.
The
gasoline bombs are made from 6V light bulbs (I'LL bet that's a first) and
glass tubing attached with CA glue. I reshaped lead weights to make
the dynamite bundles. The netting, a lucky find in a bundle of rags, was
painted with Tamiya Khaki. It's very in scale.
The engine is an
Aries R 1820, with modifications to more closely represent the engine on the
"movie aircraft". The exhaust ring is scratch built from brass tubing.
Brass rod and tubing was also used to a shaft and bushings for the Monogram
P36 propeller and Academy PBY spinner. It was spun with a jet of air for the
photos.
Phillip Steele
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