USS Macon
Comments
22 18 March 2020, 04:07
Łukasz GlińskiIndeed it iwas 😄
I meant "the one of the flying aircraft carriers" of course 🙂
Are the airplanes included?
18 March 2020, 13:06
Ben M AuthorNo, there are no airplanes. But the door on the bottom is a separate part - I wonder if anyone makes airplanes for it?
18 March 2020, 14:16
Ben M AuthorSo, your post inspired me to look on shapeways - looks like some folks do make tiny 3-d printed 1:520 Curtiss F9C fighters! I ordered some ... maybe I should make the hangar door open on the bottom of the dirigible, and have a hook holding one??
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18 March 2020, 14:37
Alex KCool indeed! Great idea to look on shapeways for aftermaket - and you did well to order the little Curtiss!
18 March 2020, 18:26
Nikolaos KouzinisBravo Ben. Very impressive and difficult, I suppose, to make it.
11 April 2020, 10:51
Ben M AuthorAn update - I ordered vallejo white grey paint for the stripes on the side, it was model color not the airbrush kind, but I figured I could thin it. I waited a month for it to arrive. When it arrived it was very thick like jelly. I tried thinning it first with vallejo airbrush thinner and then with mr hobby levelling thinner, but it kept clogging my airbrush and I couldn't get it to spray even when it was very, very thin. The pigment kept drying in the nozzle and plugging it. So I decided to try brush painting it. It was like painting with jelly. Again, I tried mr hobby levelling thinner, but it was just crappy and lumpy. Something is wrong with my bottle of paint, it must be very old or something. So I wiped the paint off. I have white tamiya paint but no black to mix to make an off-white grey - I have other brand black paint, but mixing brands just results in some bad chemistry set experience. As you know it is not possible to go to the hobby shop now, so I ordered some paint online and will wait another month for it to arrive 🙁.
18 April 2020, 14:50
Łukasz GlińskiBetter waiting a month than having a big jelly instead of a nice blimp 🙂
18 April 2020, 15:19
Ben M AuthorHaven't been sure how I'm going to make the trapeze for the little fighters. I ordered some n scale etched brass ladders to see if I can make something out of them. Any other ideas?
25 April 2020, 20:24
Łukasz GlińskiMaybe some PE railings or ladders for ships, like 1/600 or 1/700 scale?
3 May 2020, 21:34
Ben M AuthorJust the trapeze and perch. I ended up using N-scale photoetch railroad car ladders.
3 June 2020, 15:54
Ben M Authorand... completed! Perhaps I will hang it (I put the loops in on the top) but for now I put it in my display case.
3 June 2020, 15:59
Ben M AuthorDo it! One obvious improvement over what I did is to make the struts on the tail section out of smaller diameter plastic or brass rod instead of the very overscale kit parts that I used.
3 June 2020, 17:50
Juergen KlinglhuberI like unusual topics and beside that - your model turned out great.
3 June 2020, 19:06
Mike PowersGreetings
I saw your build and was blown away by it, so mush that I also purchased the kit and will attempt to add in the fighters and the launching and recovery ladder.
If I understood your write up you added the recovery ladder by custom building and adding a HO railroad car ladder and 1/600 to 1/700 scale Biplane Sparrowhawk. I also liked the idea of using the 1/600 scale ship ladders. So excellent job sir, I'm very excited to give this kit a try and will post my results for your review and critique I hope mine will do you proud for being my inspiration for this kit. Any suggestions that you can provide me with would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much
Michael Powers
Aka
Rescueranger
4 June 2020, 12:38
Ben M AuthorI used 1:520 F9C Sparrowhawk planes I found on shapeways, and N scale railroad ladders to build the trapeze and such. I think I'd recommend replacing some of the oversize struts on the tail with brass rod or smaller diameter plastic rod, but I'm happy with how mine turned out.
4 June 2020, 14:50
Mike PowersBen is that the 3-D printing company?
I looked it up on line and thats what came up. I also agree with you on the tail struts brass or copper i was also thinking about trying a stretch and heat shrink fabric over the intire kit to give it a fabric realistic look, but my biggest problem was finding the F9C Sparrowhawk planes, I was about to settle for a 1/350 F3F BiPlane but if you can steer me to the site you got your 1:520 F9C Sparrowhawk I would be very grateful.
Thank you
Michael Powers
Aka
Rescueranger
5 June 2020, 04:30
Mike PowersThank you for sharing I'm really interested in getting this started and sharing it with everyone
5 June 2020, 18:13
Mike PowersBen, went to the site and placed my order, got the Macon blimp just the other day and I purchased a 1/35 scale F9C Sparrowhawk, I thought it would look cool next to the Macon to represent what the aircraft looked like so you did not have to squint to look at the 1/520 version. The kit I got was the WILLIAMS BROS. MODEL 1/32 CURTISS SPARROWHAWK, I posted the kit in my stash.
8 June 2020, 15:27
TeeageVery very nice zeppelin, Ben. But I wonder, where you going to keep it? Above the bed as we did in the previous century?
13 May 2021, 13:34
Robert PodkońskiIt is great to see that beast finished and get the sense of its immensity.
13 May 2021, 14:14
Ben M AuthorIt's currently in my glass case, Tini, but it does take up a lot of space. Not sure where it will end up long term - I might hang it from the ceiling.
13 May 2021, 14:38
SkyhikerThis looks like an expensive kit. Really nice results. I love these air ships but my scale is 1/72 and I try not to switch to other scales. 1/500 is reasonable for this subject but 1/72 may be a bit over the top since I don't have the room for a 6 foot model.
13 August 2024, 17:40
Ben M AuthorThank you, Dave. It was one of my pandemic projects that gave me something fun to do.
14 November 2024, 18:59
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Flying aircraft carrier
