Bleriot XI 1/10 Scale.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

This is a new idea in modeling,something I call a "Model Sculpture".This will be a large museum piece putting together both what I have learned about sculpting birds in wood ,and my more recently acquired modeling skills.In this thread I will record the building of the model only.
The mock that you see above is made from odds and ends that I had laying about my workshop/studio.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

The laser cut wood parts look well done but the proof of course will be how they fit together.The Model Expo kits have a lot of issues in that regard.
The brass fittings are of excellent quality with no deburring to be done and being brass they are very strong. No more sagging undercarriages for me!

All in all ,sitting in the box, this looks like a quality kit and well it should be for those people who payed almost $800. bucks for it .I got mine on sale for less than $300.

[JohnReid]

Laser cut wing parts.
I haven't yet checked this out for accuracy but I know that this is not how the real wing was built.The manufacturer meant for this model to be covered with fabric, so that only the outline of the internal structure would be visible.If these wings are reasonably accurate I will build them as is and use them as templates for carving new ones in solid tupelo wood.Same idea for the fin and stab.
I have taken lots of pictures,over the past several years of the building of the real thing just a few miles from my home,so I have lots of close up pic references to go by ,which are available now on my photobucket site.I have lots more images stored in my camera that I haven't even put up yet.

[JohnReid]

The Bleriot kit.
I bought this kit a couple of years ago because I got it for less than half price.I thought that I would probably never build it because I wasn't all that happy with it ,especially the wing construction, after having seen the real thing.
Now that I have dreamed up this new idea, it actually is just what I need for the model sculpture ,as I plan to carve the wings and tail from tupelo wood.The fuselage I will have to wait and see on that decision.The brass fittings look great, as does the engine, wheels and undercarriage.The cost is worth it to me just for those items alone.It is a little short on plans but the booklet of instructions looks good.The translation thank goodness is in readable English.
I will post pics of the details of this kit as I get more into it.

[JohnReid]

I think it will be lots of fun! I am planning a full size, perched Peregrine Falcon and a Bleriot XI in flight, in 1/10 scale .Peregrine because it is natures highest expression of flight design and speed and Bleriot because it represents one of our first tentative steps into the air.The bird will be bearing witness to our early feeble attempts.

[JohnReid]

There will be no pilot figure in this piece Why? because I want the relationship between the bird and airplane to be from the birds point of view.The bird is relating to the machine not the man.The bird after millions of years of dominating the skies is the first to bear witness to this sudden huge,slow,clumsy and noisy rival.
The piece will be a combo of realism and suggestion.Parts of the airplane will be realistically modeled using some kit parts such as the engine ,fuselage and wheels.The wings will be made from tupelo wood carved from a single block and will be attached at one wing tip from a yet to be designed base,maybe a circle or crescent moon idea that I am working with.

The bird will be realistic in every way except for the minute feathering and will be painted in a subdued fashion.I don't want the airplane and bird as rivals for the viewers attention as the relationship is the important thing here.

The no pilot idea I am counting on as a real attention getter and hopefully it will lead the viewer into the deeper meaning behind the piece.Same thing with the prop which would be a blur to the bird but the engine will be finely modeled as you could be sure that he would definitely hear that.

[JohnReid]

I have been thinking for a long time about this,how can I marry up what I know about carving and what I know about modeling?My poor old peregrine had sat abandoned on the shelf for a long time looking at me.I was so tired of doing feather details after so many years that I needed a break ,a long break.It turns out now that I had stopped working on the bird at just at the right time ,as this piece would be just too much with all the detail and color and would be in competition with the airplane for attention.Sitting near him was the Bleriot waiting for Ebay ,then it hit me,a model sculpture! by the end of the day I had a mock up done and years of fun ahead of me.Funny how things go sometimes!

[JohnReid]

I haven't even started yet but I am still debating a title for this new piece.I want it to reflect the birds point of view on early aviation.I have been thinking along the lines of "Stranger in the Sky" or the more personal "Stranger in my Sky".I would think that his initial reaction would be curiosity more than anything.The rivalry for air dominance would come later.Little did he know that one day he would only be a collision hazard or sucked up in a jet engine.