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22 – Aft Superstructure and Hydravion
Thank you Don. I always appreciate your kind remarks.
So . . . Work around the aft superstructure continues. I created an emergency steering station located just behind the aft mast. The three wheels are laser cut card.
Also added were a pair of ladders (paper) and railing (paper).
Image 172 features parts and assemblies for the first of two U-Mk2 Hydravion (Seaplanes) for long range scouting. Included are wings, wing connectors, floats, propellers, wheel/drive belts, tail assembly and the motor. The airframe in the center of the image includes two seats, one for the pilot and one for a spotter. The pilot’s chair also has a steering wheel (not easy to see). All the parts are hand cut paper except as follows: The propellers, steering wheel and outboard wing connectors are laser cut paper.
To make the Seaplanes plausible on a predreadnought warship, I knew they would need to have a very early configuration. So, while creating the parts, I did some research into some of the first aircraft equipped for the sea. It was a lot of fun. Image 173 shows Henri Fabre at the controls of his “monoplane” on floats in 1910. Image 174 is a great image of a U.S. Navy NC-4. This one provided the shape for the wingtip floats on my Hydravion. Otherwise the “Curtis” was a bit too modern, but I could not resist showing the photo. It would make a great model project.
Kind Regards,
Mike
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