WWII Pilots - Posable, Multiscale - Page 4

**Tirick** · #31 08-28-2011, 02:53 PM

It's possible the ones they are wearing do not have it, but its there on most of the references I have, including the ones in post #24. The first two are hard to see, although you can see the ends of the waist strap sewn or attached to those straps along the side. In the 4th and 5th pic you can see it most clearly. in pic #5 it is marked with a '6'. The straps should be attached below the groin loop however, which I've not modeled. As each strap is modeled individually it will be easy enough to build it however you prefer at any rate.

Tirick

**Tirick** · #32 08-29-2011, 07:06 PM

Caps!

Uniform Jacket and floatation device remaining. I hope to start to prototype printing this week.

Enjoy!
Tirick

**rbeach84** · #33 09-02-2011, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tirick

It's possible the ones they are wearing do not have it, but its there on most of the references I have, including the ones in post #24. The first two are hard to see, although you can see the ends of the waist strap sewn or attached to those straps along the side. In the 4th and 5th pic you can see it most clearly. in pic #5 it is marked with a '6'. The straps should be attached below the groin loop however, which I've not modeled. As each strap is modeled individually it will be easy enough to build it however you prefer at any rate.

Tirick

Right, I see what you mean now. This is the strap I have been referring to as the "seat" or "butt" strap. Between the #6 strap (that is less ambivalent

) and the 'thigh' plus groin straps, a basic 'seat' is formed that spreads the shock and the weight across the buttocks and thighs. It is like those harnesses used by climbers... at any rate, you are correct - the pieces are there and the builder can arrange as desired for best effect.

Nice caps, BTW!

**Tirick** · #34 09-03-2011, 10:26 AM

Thank you rbeach, your advice was of great assistance in the design!

I've started to put together the prototype build, and you can see progress pictures below. I've built all the pieces at 1:35 (1:33 for cockpit builds is an easy scale from here). What you see below are the officer's cap, some progress shots and final shots of the seat-type parachute and the body part of the combat jacket (the arms are the figure's arms, so are not attached until final posing). All have been touched up with paint at the edges, although some do require a few more touches. It is hard to see in the shots, but the 'seat' part of the parachute is not glued or attached to any of the straps. The center strap is merely threaded through the center of the seat.

I hope to put at least one figure together today, although after that I may start on the Ingwald Spitfire, as I want to see how the parachute-seat fits into the 1:33 seat. I plan to build at least two standing figures for demonstration, and then likely a final 'sitting' once once I have the Spitfire built.

Enjoy!
Sean

**Leif Ohlsson** · #35 09-03-2011, 01:56 PM

Hey, that looks like a really great - and complicated - parachute! - L.

**Tirick** · #36 09-03-2011, 02:59 PM

Thank you! I was careful to take a lot of pictures during the build so that the instructions are clear.

I finished the first pilot, and the Irvine jacket, which will be worn by the second pilot once I'm complete the headgear.

All in all, this figure has worked out quite well.

Enjoy!
Sean

**Tirick** · #37 09-04-2011, 02:12 PM

And now the second pilot is built. The elements on the head gear are a little tricky, and at 1:35 still very small. All in all I think the figure assembled well. I will hopefully finish the final elements for modeling this week, and then at least another week for instructions.

Enjoy!
Sean

**Nemesis7485** · #38 09-05-2011, 08:44 AM

Wow, these are great! A lot of detail in such tiny models. I likes 'em!

**rbeach84** · #39 09-09-2011, 04:33 PM

Cool engineering on these, T!

**Tirick** · #40 09-15-2011, 07:47 PM

So a bit of a delay as I built up a cockpit and canopy to test fit the figure into, but here are some fitted shots. I've finished the design of Mae West life vest, shown below, and the seat-type parachute fits nicely in the cockpit/seat I used (Andrew Ingwald's Bader Spitfire, available here in the Download section). I had a bit of squishing to do on the parachute, and I may fit the seat in a little lower, but most of that I suspect is paper thickness stack-up and my own build errors (on the pilot and the cockpit). I would however recommend building 1:35 pilots for a 1:33 scale plane. I scaled this one up to 1:33 and the difference in size is probably enough for a clean-fit compared to a tight fit.

Obviously I have a lot of touchups on the figure (as well as the helmet/arms/legs) to complete it, but I am certainly satisfied enough that the figure is suitable for use in a cockpit.

The canopy is a little foggy, so it is hard to see in some shots. The former worked really well, but I sealed the putty with white glue and I think it discoloured the clear styrene. I'll make a new one for the final build, but for fit up is works well enough I think.

Enjoy!
Tirick