Uutisvirta

Łukasz Gliński
Interesting. Is this the of of the flying aircraft carriers?

Ben M
Yes - what an odd idea!

Łukasz Gliński
Indeed it iwas 😄
I meant "the one of the flying aircraft carriers" of course 🙂
Are the airplanes included?

Ben M
No, there are no airplanes. But the door on the bottom is a separate part - I wonder if anyone makes airplanes for it?

Ben M
So, your post inspired me to look on shapeways - looks like some folks do make tiny 3-d printed 1:520 Curtiss F9C fighters! I ordered some ... maybe I should make the hangar door open on the bottom of the dirigible, and have a hook holding one??

[img1]

Łukasz Gliński
That would be more than cool IMHO 🙂

Alex K
Cool indeed! Great idea to look on shapeways for aftermaket - and you did well to order the little Curtiss!

Black Baron
Hovering along

Łukasz Gliński
Wow, the Sparrowhawks are soooo tiny 🙂

Black Baron
Don't forget the rigging

Ben M
Sparrowhawk painted!

Alex K
aaawwww!!! the cute little (microscopic) Sparrowhawk! 👍

Łukasz Gliński
Wow

Nikolaos Kouzinis
Bravo Ben. Very impressive and difficult, I suppose, to make it.

Ben M
An update - I ordered vallejo white grey paint for the stripes on the side, it was model color not the airbrush kind, but I figured I could thin it. I waited a month for it to arrive. When it arrived it was very thick like jelly. I tried thinning it first with vallejo airbrush thinner and then with mr hobby levelling thinner, but it kept clogging my airbrush and I couldn't get it to spray even when it was very, very thin. The pigment kept drying in the nozzle and plugging it. So I decided to try brush painting it. It was like painting with jelly. Again, I tried mr hobby levelling thinner, but it was just crappy and lumpy. Something is wrong with my bottle of paint, it must be very old or something. So I wiped the paint off. I have white tamiya paint but no black to mix to make an off-white grey - I have other brand black paint, but mixing brands just results in some bad chemistry set experience. As you know it is not possible to go to the hobby shop now, so I ordered some paint online and will wait another month for it to arrive 🙁.

Łukasz Gliński
Better waiting a month than having a big jelly instead of a nice blimp 🙂

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Watching

Ben M
Haven't been sure how I'm going to make the trapeze for the little fighters. I ordered some n scale etched brass ladders to see if I can make something out of them. Any other ideas?

Łukasz Gliński
Maybe some PE railings or ladders for ships, like 1/600 or 1/700 scale?

Ben M
Good idea.

Nikolaos Kouzinis
What lilipout things did you scratch man? Bravo!!!

Ben M
Just the trapeze and perch. I ended up using N-scale photoetch railroad car ladders.

Ben M
and... completed! Perhaps I will hang it (I put the loops in on the top) but for now I put it in my display case.

Torsten
What a beauty😎 👍

Neuling
Something very special. Thanks for building and showing!

Łukasz Gliński
Awesome, makes me wanna build one too😉

Ben M
Do it! One obvious improvement over what I did is to make the struts on the tail section out of smaller diameter plastic or brass rod instead of the very overscale kit parts that I used.

Alex K
Nice one, Ben! Congrats! 👍

Juergen Klinglhuber
I like unusual topics and beside that - your model turned out great.

Mike Powers
Greetings
I saw your build and was blown away by it, so mush that I also purchased the kit and will attempt to add in the fighters and the launching and recovery ladder.
If I understood your write up you added the recovery ladder by custom building and adding a HO railroad car ladder and 1/600 to 1/700 scale Biplane Sparrowhawk. I also liked the idea of using the 1/600 scale ship ladders. So excellent job sir, I'm very excited to give this kit a try and will post my results for your review and critique I hope mine will do you proud for being my inspiration for this kit. Any suggestions that you can provide me with would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much
Michael Powers
Aka
Rescueranger

Ben M
I used 1:520 F9C Sparrowhawk planes I found on shapeways, and N scale railroad ladders to build the trapeze and such. I think I'd recommend replacing some of the oversize struts on the tail with brass rod or smaller diameter plastic rod, but I'm happy with how mine turned out.

Mike Powers
Ben is that the 3-D printing company?
I looked it up on line and thats what came up. I also agree with you on the tail struts brass or copper i was also thinking about trying a stretch and heat shrink fabric over the intire kit to give it a fabric realistic look, but my biggest problem was finding the F9C Sparrowhawk planes, I was about to settle for a 1/350 F3F BiPlane but if you can steer me to the site you got your 1:520 F9C Sparrowhawk I would be very grateful.
Thank you
Michael Powers
Aka
Rescueranger

Ben M
Here's where I got mine: shapeways.com/produc..5&li=marketplace

Mike Powers
Thank you for sharing I'm really interested in getting this started and sharing it with everyone

Mike Powers
Ben, went to the site and placed my order, got the Macon blimp just the other day and I purchased a 1/35 scale F9C Sparrowhawk, I thought it would look cool next to the Macon to represent what the aircraft looked like so you did not have to squint to look at the 1/520 version. The kit I got was the WILLIAMS BROS. MODEL 1/32 CURTISS SPARROWHAWK, I posted the kit in my stash.

Tini Hendriks
I envy your WhiteGate working bench as well ?

Tini Hendriks
Very very nice zeppelin, Ben. But I wonder, where you going to keep it? Above the bed as we did in the previous century?

Neil
Love this 👍 really enjoyed the build pics

Łukasz Gliński
Very nice finish 👍

Robert Podkoński
It is great to see that beast finished and get the sense of its immensity.

Ben M
It's currently in my glass case, Tini, but it does take up a lot of space. Not sure where it will end up long term - I might hang it from the ceiling.

Skyhiker
This looks like an expensive kit. Really nice results. I love these air ships but my scale is 1/72 and I try not to switch to other scales. 1/500 is reasonable for this subject but 1/72 may be a bit over the top since I don't have the room for a 6 foot model.

Ekki
Watching

Sergio Ordonez
Ekki, but do not expect anything marvellous: there IS not a good base to make a good one from this one.

scalemates
Yes add them as a "Book" with format digital

Luc B
check Book: Great Planes of the Cold War [DVD]

Miguel Vaquero
Starting stronger since the A350 catastrophe. Cockpit sub assembled with the Eduard Detail set, painted and weathered. Couldnt take more pictures of the progress due to the details being so small 🥴🥴

Michael Kohl
Nice cockpit

Thomas Kolb
My goodness, that cockpit looks stunning! Are you sure it's not 48 scale?

Miguel Vaquero
Thanks Michael!

I could have hoped Thomas😅😅. It would have made my life way easier. Though the PE details helped a lot

Treehugger
If you fill it with helium, it will seem to hover in mid air. 🙂 Somebody did that on my school once, with this miniture baloon. That is how I remembered it.

bughunter
Better not fill with helium, otherwise the balloon will be shot down 😉
The scale is a bit unusual (too big in 1:350?) but great project idea 👍

Curatorm
Excellent xO

Ben M
Biggest that will fit in my 3d printer, bughunter.

Christian Bruer
Well, wasn't it a weather ballon 😄

Michael Kohl
Cool. I am in

Ben M
All parts printed. I need to separate them from the supports and then harden them in sunlight. It'll be a while as we are in a snowstorm right now.

Villiers de Vos
A very funny subject. Looking forward to see your progress.

xiaohan Li
间谍你妹额……

John Hughes
Time to get 99 Red Balloons to the top of the charts.

Neuling
Around the world in 80 days ...........

Łukasz Gliński
LOL, following

James C
👀👍

Dmitry Agafonov
Fast enough... Really LOL. You should add F-22. :-D

Ben M
Red Zeppelin. This makes me so happy on so many levels.

theatlantic.com/inte..-west-divide/673011/

Robbie
I am from Arizona - what is that white stuff on the ground ?? Kidding - pretty cool idea. From what you posted I did not know it was that huge.

Thomas Espe
👀

Treehugger
Road sign (From Twitter):
"Free balloon rides cancelled until further notice"

Tommy Agne
Watching 😁👍.

bughunter
Ben, have you see this pic?
[img1]

Ben M
Hi friendly spy balloon!!!

Łukasz Gliński
spyballoonsim.hornetsnestguild.com/
ROTFL 😄

Ben M
Possible next subject: Chinese spy crane

wsj.com/articles/pen..pying-tools-887c4ade

Łukasz Gliński
The crane story sounds a bit like a return of the red scare, doesn't it? 😉

Ben M
I got in a bad fight with my airbrush but I managed to get the payload sprayed aluminum finally

bughunter
Will you add the buses from picture 1 as a size comparison?

Ben M
I'm pondering if I should paint the 40 solar panels a dark blue.

Łukasz Gliński
I wonder - how are you planning to display it? Hanging under the ceiling? 😉

Ben M
Yes. I put a loop on top so I can hang it from the ceiling!

bughunter
... so the Chinese can spy your living room 🙂

Ben M
Spy balloon complete. Great addition to my balls collection!

John Hughes
People will be looking for the light switch for that!

Łukasz Gliński
It looks great, but John is right too - looks like a lamp w/fan 😄
Now wondering when we'll start seeing such lamps in shops 😄

Villiers de Vos
Very nice and creative work.

Neuling
Ben, watch out for jetfighters in the vicinity! There might be some collateral damage to you stylish living room!

Ben M
Oh… I would love a lamp with fan that looked like this! Thank you, everyone. I was a bit obsessed with the spy balloon and I was sad when they shot it down.

Ben M
Bughunter now the Chinese government can be informed of everything I do, and I don't even need to install TikTok.

Ben M
The spy balloon still makes headlines: wsj.com/articles/chi..n-americans-2e3f5039

Skyhiker
Very cool. Love it.

Michael Kohl
I am in.

Christian Abraham
Some paintwork was done. But there is still more corrections needed and also the water pass is missing.

Christian Abraham
Not sure why I add All these little parts

Dave Flitton
Watching!!

Guy Rump
Following too. 👍

Christian Abraham
Thanks guys. The model is nearly ready for the waterbase

Christian Abraham
The end is near. I just work on the mast and the life boats

gorby
Very nice work!

Pietro De Angelis
Beautiful work, congrats!

Christian Abraham
Thanks guys. The end is near

Christian Abraham
The project is finshed

Michael Kohl
Beautiful

David Taylor
Brill.