Flying Boats

[Flynlo]

Once again inspired by PatW, some flying boats from the collection:

Glencoe Martin M-130 Clipper

Airfix Boeing B-314 Clipper

1/48 Glencoe Grumman Duck

Minicraft HK-1 "Spruce Goose"

Revell "Box Scale" Martin Mariner and Seamaster

1/72 Academy PBY-5A Catalina "Black Cat"


Hasegawa 1/72 Shinmeiwa PS-1

Matchbox 1/72 Supermarine Stranraer, How could the same folks that designed the Spitfire ever conceived of this beast?

Edited April 13, 2020 by Flynlo

[Snake45]

12 minutes ago, Flynlo said:

 

They're all beautiful, but I especially like these two--I have these and hope to build them someday. 

[Madhatter]

Very nice collection. I particularly like the B-314 and have done so since I was a kid. I have the Anigrand 1/72 version to build one day.

I'm also kinda partial to the ridiculously huge Spruce Goose. It's quite elegant given how big it was. Thanks for sharing these

Si

[Mike999]

5 hours ago, Madhatter said:

I'm also kinda partial to the ridiculously huge Spruce Goose. It's quite elegant given how big it was. Thanks for sharing these

Same here. I saw the Spruce Goose several times when it was parked beside the Queen Mary in Long Beach harbor. Like the Pyramids or the Empire State Building, it's hard to judge how big that thing really is until you're looking at it, one-on-one.  No photo or video really gets across its sheer size.

When I lived in Los Angeles, I knew a guy whose Dad was an engineer at Hughes Aircraft long ago. A favorite family story:  one weekend morning, their phone rang at around 3 A.M.  His Mom answered, and heard a voice say:  "Hello. This is Howard Hughes." 

His Mom said, "Yeah, and I'm Jane Russell."  Slammed the phone down.  It immediately rang again:  "Lady, this really IS Howard Hughes.  And if you want your husband to have a job on Monday morning, you had better put him on the phone."

[Flynlo]

9 hours ago, Snake45 said:

They're all beautiful, but I especially like these two--I have these and hope to build them someday. 

Thanks Snake! They are a quick build as they are simplified to the point that there is no temptation to add a lot of detail. Nice self quarantine projects.

[unclescott58]

Beautiful models. I love the looks of the commercial flying boats in particular. A couple of years ago I bought a Minicraft Hughes Hercules with Pan American decals, just because of the beautiful box art. Minicraft also did one in TWA markings too. Again, beautiful box art. But, I couldn't justify adding another one to my collection. 

 

[Flynlo]

It is an amazing aircraft. Hard to believe that it remained the largest aircraft flown until just recently. Although beautiful, I think that thing would have been an operational disaster based on  delamination and flamability issues.

the big Boeing boats proved very durable. Although there were accidents, they operated continuously throughout the war moving high priority passengers and cargo.

Edited April 13, 2020 by Flynlo

[Snake45]

17 minutes ago, Flynlo said:

the big Boeing boats proved very durable. Although there were accidents, they operated continuously throughout the war moving high priority passengers and cargo.

I suppose you saw the recent multi-part article on the wartime operations in Air Classics magazine? 

[Flynlo]

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

I suppose you saw the recent multi-part article on the wartime operations in Air Classics magazine? 

Sure did! Always been fascinated by the Boeing Clippers. It is amazing what Pan Am did with these to aid the war effort and a crying shame that not one example escaped scrapping right after the war  ?

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Flynlo said:

Sure did! Always been fascinated by the Boeing Clippers. It is amazing what Pan Am did with these to aid the war effort and a crying shame that not one example escaped scrapping right after the war  ?

When I was very small, I had a coloring book that had many of the Boeing Clippers in it. I didn't even realize this until many years later I saw a photo of one and recognized it immediately from the coloring book. 

I would LOVE to find one of those old coloring books today! 

[Nazz]

Nice collection of  flying boats. I particularly like the PBY.

[PatW]

Superb again Tim, flying boats, the big stuff! They must have been amazing to fly in, on vacation especially! 

Edited April 13, 2020 by PatW

[Flynlo]

Thanks Pat!
There sure is an elegance around the old passenger flying boats.

Although I didn't get to fly on it, my son and I had an opportunity to go aboard Kermit Weeks' Sunderland while it was moored on the lake at Oshkosh many years ago. Had to swear my son to secrecy regarding walking around on top of the wing with the crew chief(what Mom doesn;t know can't kill us)! Once in a lifetime opportunity I am sure. Will have to dig out and scan some (pre-digital) photos. ?

[Snake45]

Does anyone kit the Martin Mars? That's a good-looking airplane. 

[Pete J.]

On 4/12/2020 at 7:16 PM, Flynlo said:

1/72 Academy PBY-5A Catalina "Black Cat"


Special place in my heart for this bird.  My Dad was in VPB-33 when the Black cats first deployed to New Guinea.  I use to love to hear the stories of he and his friends flying night missions  down the slot!  I have his photo album with many of the non amphibious PBY-5.  True sea planes.  The strangest on is one that is all black except the necalles which are the standard two tone blue or gray(hard to tell from a black and white photo).  Apparently the black ones were shot up and in the hurry to get it back in the air, they just grabbed a set off of a non camo bird.  The black was a field applied paint job.  

 

[Mike999]

11 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Does anyone kit the Martin Mars? That's a good-looking airplane. 

Make plenty of room on your workbench!  And name your poison:  A-Model does a 1/72 scale Mars in plastic, and Anigrand does one in resin.  Here's the A-Model kit:

https://www.scale-model-kits.com/products/Martin-JRM-1--Marshall-Mars--AMO72038.html

 

[DonW]

One Man Model does a 1/72 scale Saunders-Roe Princess that fascinates me. The 1:1 had a 219 foot wingspan and was 148 feet long. So the model has a 3 foot wingspan.

 

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Mike999 said:

Make plenty of room on your workbench!  And name your poison:  A-Model does a 1/72 scale Mars in plastic, and Anigrand does one in resin.  Here's the A-Model kit:

https://www.scale-model-kits.com/products/Martin-JRM-1--Marshall-Mars--AMO72038.html

 

There's one I'd actually prefer to drop down to 1/144. Or even a Revell-ish "box scale." Would be cool to have one in the same scale as the Mariner. 

[Flynlo]

11 hours ago, Pete J. said:

 

That is a cool family connection to the "Black Cats". Treasure those stories and photos and pass them down so that the memory lives on!

When I built this one I intentionally did not weather the engine cowlings to hint at a recent engine change. No one worried about making them pretty, only what was essential to keep them airworthy.

[Pete J.]

39 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

There's one I'd actually prefer to drop down to 1/144. Or even a Revell-ish "box scale." Would be cool to have one in the same scale as the Mariner. 

For a mere $3,000,000 you can own the real deal, last flyable aircraft!

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/oshkosh-worlds-largest-water-bomber-airplane-martin-mars/index.html

[Pete J.]

Just now, Flynlo said:

That is a cool family connection to the "Black Cats". Treasure those stories and photos and pass them down so that the memory lives on!

When I built this one I intentionally did not weather the engine cowlings to hint at a recent engine change. No one worried about making them pretty, only what was essential to keep them airworthy.

Pretty was never the PBYs strong suit!  The photos show the paint in theater, was pretty rough especially at the water line around the nose.  Some came close to being striped in that area.

[Flynlo]

I Saw this at Oshkosh and believe me if I had $3mil it would be mine!!!

My friend and I were pretty proficient at flour bombing and airborne TP application years ago. Just think of all the fun to be had making it rain on your buddies' picnic on a grand scale! ?

[PatW]

19 hours ago, Flynlo said:

Thanks Pat!
There sure is an elegance around the old passenger flying boats.

Although I didn't get to fly on it, my son and I had an opportunity to go aboard Kermit Weeks' Sunderland while it was moored on the lake at Oshkosh many years ago. Had to swear my son to secrecy regarding walking around on top of the wing with the crew chief(what Mom doesn;t know can't kill us)! Once in a lifetime opportunity I am sure. Will have to dig out and scan some (pre-digital) photos. ?

Very lucky guys!

[Lizard Racing]

I always liked the look of the Martin flying boats.  I read somewhere that the Mars was a true Navy plane.  The commander did not fly the airplane and had his own cabin. There were two gallies; one for officers and one for the enlisted men.

I visited the Hercules once while it was still in Long beach.  Standing in the front, I couldn't see the back.  It had an earthmover-size diesel engine as an APU.

[unclescott58]

13 hours ago, DonW said:

One Man Model does a 1/72 scale Saunders-Roe Princess that fascinates me. The 1:1 had a 219 foot wingspan and was 148 feet long. So the model has a 3 foot wingspan.

 

That is cool. I didn't know anybody made a model of one. If my memory serves me correctly, I don't think the real plane ever few?