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VC-25A Air Force One 1/288 indoor glider conversion
This is a half-size downscale of the free 1/144 Paper Replika VC-25A. I have several 747s on my wish list, including another Paper Replika-based model, and this is my first widebody airliner model, so this model is a good trial build. The paper is Domtar Lynx 32 lb bond/118 gsm, which turned out to be short-lived as my new favorite paper, since it buckles easily and doesn't maintain its integrity when wetted with glue as well as I first thought. Ah well, the search continues.
Overall, as a medium-detailed model, the Paper Replika plan is pretty ideal for my purposes. I appreciate the fuselage's shape, structural formers, and graphics in particular. One tricky step is how to glue the fuselage sections together at the back of the 747's "hump," since the formers make it difficult to support the inside to squeeze the glue tabs. The one glaring inaccuracy in the plans, so far as I can tell, is in the airfoil profiles. Whew, those are atrocious. Good thing I was planning on changing them anyway, and assembly-wise changing airfoils didn't require much reconfiguration, other than leaving out the aft wing spar. Wingspan is 8.15"/20.7cm; mass came out a lot heftier than I'd like at 8.4 grams. Admittedly I kind of slathered on the glue when attaching the wing-body fairing to the fuselage. I thought the perimeter tabs per the plan would help minimize glue usage, but it seems not, and they also made the perimeter edge more visually prominent. I made a bit of a hash out of the starboard wing root join. On the real thing, there is a narrow fairing that covers that area, though it's unlikely I'll add it. Meanwhile I thought the little flap track fairings would be trouble, but after some cutting and folding effort, they actually took shape quite handily. Modifications for aesthetics:
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#2
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Completed model and flight characteristics
From a short distance, between the 747-200 shape, color scheme, and foil tape, the model looks pretty majestic, both on display and in the air. Gotta love the classic paint scheme, originally designed for the 707-based Air Force One by Raymond Loewy and President John and Jacqueline Kennedy. I'm so glad that the new 747-8-based VC-25B Air Force One (actually two planes) won't be getting the soulless black, white, and dark red scheme that was the plan a few years ago. Instead it'll get the classic scheme again.
The wing loading on this model is higher than on the A-4 Skyhawk I made! I wouldn't go so far as to say that it flies like a freight train; maybe call it a passenger train. By no means is it floaty, but given the relatively slender wings, it carries through the air more slowly and gracefully than the A-4. It's touchy in roll, to the point where if the wing dihedral gets too flattened out it'll roll off to the side in a hurry. As you can imagine, the engine nacelles are vulnerable to hard landings. I've already had to re-attach an inboard one and reinforce an outboard one. But overall it's holding up well. It definitely commands attention in flight.
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List of ReynoldsSlumber's threads Last edited by ReynoldsSlumber; 02-06-2024 at 02:27 PM. |
#3
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That's an impressive glider. A lot of work, and it turned out very nice.
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Ray Respect the Paper, RESPECT IT! GET OFF MY LAWN! |
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Thanks Texman! Was realizing that, with the thought of saving drive space, the image resolution was a little too low for showing full detail, so here's a sharper one.
Also was realizing why roll stability is touchy: on the real thing, the weight of the engines puts the center of gravity lower, and the dihedral angle is based on that. So, on models of airliners with underwing engines like this, I really should be upping the dihedral angle by a few degrees. |
#5
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It's a beauty!
Don |
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1/288, 747, air force one, glider, paper replika |
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