Dummy pilots

[Squirrelnet]

Very happy Dave, thanks

I'm actually wondering if I could make a mould from some of Dave Bank's pilots as I have some silicon left over and make some more of my own (Dave seems to have given up)

For the Bleriot at least I'd like a full length pilot so I've made another mould today for the bottom half. I've found having air exit at the extremities seems to reduce or even stop the formation of air pockets and as its tricky to cut them later the easy way seems to be adding them to the master in the form of cocktail sticks. This has the added benefit of sorting out the thickness of silicon on the lower surfaces by adjusting their length and allowing something to attach to the pot the mould is formed in as most things will float in liquid silicon and need attaching to the forming box

I now have two pilots, the second is better and a third drying ...well two heirs and a spare

[Squirrelnet]

The lower half leg mould had to be cut into 4 to get the master out as it's such a funny shape but I now have a set of legs and another drying

My wife says I should make another model with just the legs sticking out of the bottom of the fuselage    ...tempting

[Squirrelnet]

I joined the two halves together today, lowered his arm and gave him a trial fit in the Bleriot. He looks the part I think , well worth the effort . I ended up cutting his lower legs off to straighten them up so his feet sit either side of the control column. UHU POR seems to work well with the foam

Total weight so far before paint is 4g so I didn't attempt to hollow him out and anyway as he's stuck together I could probably use the internal surface area for the glue

[Anyun]

I think Wilbur will feel at home in the Bleriot, at least the wing warping technique was copied directly from the Wright brothers.

Good idea using the cocktail sticks as you do when making the mould!  /Andrea

[dputt7]

  Sorry to hear about Dave Banks, I've delt with him for a long time.
I'm running out of words with all this magic happening, seems the possibilities are endless.

[Squirrelnet]

Very hot here but I have managed a bit more with the pilots. I now have a small squadron or wing perhaps. The Bleriot pilot now has a coat of base paint which showed up the 3d print layers so there's a bit more lw filler gone on to hide that a bit. I don't mind it on his trousers as it makes them look like cords ! I have one for the Deperdussin project though he will need arm surgery so his hand holds the wheel  so I have a couple of spares ...and a spare arm

The down side to using the expanding foam with just two moulds is the cans only seem to do two applications then the valve sticks shut the rest of the contents useless. As a result it took 3 tins to get this little group together. I presume when Dave Banks was doing it he had multiple moulds so he could do as many at one squirting as possible. I remember him coming to own of our Oxford meetings with a plastic container full of them and offering them round free to competitors so he certainly produce them in numbers

The Bleriot pilot now has the magnets in his bum so he sticks to the seat and now weighs 4.5g which compares very well with the Dave Banks previous pilot which is 5.5g

In the picture my Dave Banks recruit looks less than impressed by his novice pilot usurpers

[Jmk89]

Here's a photo taken from Harald Penrose's British Aviation, The Pioneer Years showing Harry Hawker (right with cap turned around) and Fred Raynham with his cap peak forward!

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Clever people could make pilots of these!

[Squirrelnet]

Harry Hawker is great. If I was designing my own rather than buying someone else's 3d print I would have gone for the suit and tie look

..Well at least someone is enjoying the heatwave !!! Bleriot Pilot is now painted in oil paint. It's bit hot to sit out in your tweeds but he seems to be enjoying it.

No doubt it will take a few days to dry after which he gets a mist coat of matt acrylic varnish to take the shine off but I couldn't help giving him a trial fit. Very happy with that and well worth the effort and ..well the expense. With the silicon and expanding foam the chap and his 3 and 1/2 fellow novice pilots have cost me about £50 so about £11 each

Being an obvious novice pilot in his country shooting attire I have made a slight addition to the Bleriot . The fullsize I've modelled is the 1909 Bleriot XI at Shuttleworth, now one the oldest flying aircraft in the world  which spent it's early years at the Bleriot School at Hendon so I have added the conceit to the fin....or if any scale judges are looking ..meticulously researched the early Bleriot's that were available to hire for lessons and added the totally correct insignia.  Actually the font and wording are all from a 1911 advert for the Bleriot School so close enough ?

[Pete Fardell]

Very nicely done! He looks well up for his first solo. (And the writing on the rudder is the icing on the cake.)