THE BIRDS (all things bird model related!)

[Kevin WS]

The one on the right was the one that took my fancy. I have this one, but seeing get made up provides inspiration.

Have not seen the other one before though - excellent considering it has the blimp, King Kong and the biplanes! Pity they never used the mooring post in reality. You know they planned for it?

[JohnM]

BLIMP ??? Perleese ... The Empire State is bigger than most people realize. That's the Akron. A fully fledged aircraft carrier AIRSHIP. But no, the actual docking never did happen. I believe they did experiment with a blimp, but the winds were way too naughty to attempt a docking, so the dock tower was eventually converted to the current aerial mast.

Both models came from the same Flikr source Kev. You just have to search further through to find the other one. You'll need to visit it's home website to get the extra free page for the extras though.

http://www.buildyourownnewyork.com/howemp.html

Johnny.

[Kevin WS]

Thanks Johnny. Explanation helps explain why I could not find the "extras"!.

[JohnM]

In the early days I used to Print up every model I downloaded. Usually two copies ... one to archive and one to make, but the 'Stack' got a bit big, so I started the electronic archives instead.

Prompted by the news of the impending return of my 'Dead' archive HDD (see other thread Paper model collecting ) today I had a peek in the old Card archive box and found some treasures I'd forgotten about and thought were lost forever.

But relative to this thread, the best surprise was to find an unstarted Birdmobile Merlin, that (According to the enclosed receipt) I bought from Hobbit's Backroom some years ago now. That will get scanned before cutting begins of course, but I now know what my next model will be.

All in all, Johnny's a happy chappy again. The Ospreys are back in the valley and even the sun showed it's face today ... not for long like, but at least it's trying. I wonder if I dare leave the thermal underwear off tomorrow?

Johnny.

[Kevin WS]

I enjoyed the Merlin - what little I did! It's clean now and ready for me to carry on.

Will do a build thread - started taking the pics.

Watch out for the wingtip feathers. On mine they have different colouration to the main wing feathers. I tried making copies at different densities to get a match. No luck.

Eventually just made the wings as I was sick of stuffing around. In retrospect maybe I should have photoshopped the scanned feathers to get matching shades.

[JohnM]

Err? Lookin' at the picture on the front cover, it looks like the wing tip feathers are meant to be a different color to the rest of the wing. I'm assuming you mean parts 16, 17, 18, and 25, 26, 27.

I don't know the facts here, but I did think it strange ... I have noticed that every bird model I've made so far only had four toes on it's feet, but I now see that the Marlin has five. My Owls have two forward and two rear, and everything else has three forward with one rear. I'll have to look closer at the sparrows, etc, in the garden.

The Marlin is going on the scanner right now. Snippin' should start at 0900 tomorrow. I'll try to remember to set up the camera.

I also found a ready printed Firecrest and a Tommy gun (but we won't mention that last one here, eh?). I still haven't come across the Firecrest that I made last year. It must be hiding on a plant somewhere, or it migrated south for the Winter. Wish I'd gone with it. I hate cold and wet weather. I guess I must have spent too long in tropical countries. Don't ask. If I tell ya I might have to kill ya.

Keep on Snippin'

Johnny.

PS: Eat yer heart out ... last night I ordered a Brother MFC-J6510DW A3 Multi-funtion Printer/scanner, complete with an Iris CISS unit.

[JohnM]

[four toes on it's feet, but I now see that the Marlin has five. ]

Sussed ...

If you fold the feet as instructed, and glue the back toes together back to back, we have only four toes like all the others.

RTFM Johnny.

[Kevin WS]

Ah. I was about to say that. Also got confused!

[JohnM]

I owe you an apology Kev ... I found the Firecrest I made last year, and it IS substantially smaller than the Wren. Perhaps I had smaller fingers back then?



Nil progress on the Merlin. I'm trying to get a half size print of it (Well everything else on the ceiling is half size) but my printer keeps clipping the edges off, as the designs go right to the edge of the card. Getting close to saying 'Sod it' and building it full size.

Keep on snippin',

Johnny.

[Kevin WS]

Look nice perched on the plant. However do housework "perch them " there?

Still not certain about the different colour wing tip feathers - yes the numbers you mentioned.

They look pretty odd to me when assembled!