I've got one of the old Testor 1/48 scale S4 UFO model kits I want to build in the forseeable future. But for me, having it sit on an airfield tarmac or in a research hangar isn't enough. I want to have this model UFO levitating off the ground. and have nothing to show looking like it is "supporting" the model. Only thing I came up with is using magnets. Problem is, I'm not sure what size I need, or the amounts, or how powerful of magnets I'll need. Not even sure how many to put in the model or the locations. Anybody got any suggestions?
No idea about how many/how strong the magnets should be, but I'd like to see it done. The other alternative is a single transparent Perspex support.
Neodymium magnets. They're relatively inexpensive. You'll still need fine wire to tether the model, but much finer than a usual support and you might be able to incorporate it into the diorama.
Revell did a Magic Flight range years ago using this technique.
http://community.revell.de/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=472
Someone did this at the Oz model show in Melbourne a few years back with a SF3D kit of the pk85 Falke from Hasegawa - looked very impressive and he walked away with a first at the very least
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,38002.0/topicseen.html
William in OZ
Quote from: Flyer on February 13, 2015, 03:02:30 PM
Quote from: Mossie on February 13, 2015, 02:44:27 PM
Neodymium magnets. They're relatively inexpensive. You'll still need fine wire to tether the model, but much finer than a usual support and you might be able to incorporate it into the diorama.
Revell did a Magic Flight range years ago using this technique.
http://community.revell.de/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=472
With a well thought out base to hold the magnets surely tether lines would be unnecessary. Seen it done with ball bearings etc... a unrestricted hovering UFO would be cool :mellow:.
Possible but difficult, if I remember magnetism 101 from my physics lessons. It's basically impossible to maintain stable magnetic levitation without a tether, but in certain situations you can for a short period of time, probably not really practical for a model of the Testors UFO size. Might be worth getting Kit on board as he worked on developing maglev trains.
there is a place called American Science and Surplus, they might have Magnets for You to Get for Your Project, the web Address is: sciplus.com ! hope this helps, if not just Google them. Dan
Quote from: Mossie on February 14, 2015, 03:34:48 AM...................Might be worth getting Kit on board as he worked on developing maglev trains.
Insofar as we used bits of the MagLev control system on the APT-P tilt system.....
Maglevs use variable flux magnets controlled by quite sophisticated electronic systems and their lift height is usually fractions of an inch so the application isn't really comparable I'm afraid.
I'd like to see it done ! But even a small tether wire would be acceptable I would think :thumbsup:
You could "tether" it with a couple of figures pushing it into or out of a hanger.
The magic words to search for on Evil-Bay are "rare earth magnets"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-10-20-50-100-PCS-Strong-Small-Disc-Magnets-5x2mm-Round-Rare-Earth-Neodymium-/381059342620?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item58b8e8211c
You might even be able to find someone selling them in the USA!
These really are very strong magnets and I don't think you'd need many to levitate your flying saucer (it's not really Unidentified is it?).
Quote from: zenrat on February 14, 2015, 03:27:23 PM
The magic words to search for on Evil-Bay are "rare earth magnets"
I've always wondered how it is that there are SO many 'rare earth magnets' around if they're that rare...... :unsure:
We use magnetic tools at work to do downhole corrosion inspection of the casing in oil and gas wells. The older tool is an electro-magnet, but the new one uses permanent magnets. It pulls your feet ( when wearing steel toe/ shanks ) out from under you ! also a big pain in the but to service, rips the tools right out of your hands !
:cheers:
What if you disguise the tether as a cable with a claw on the end snatching a victim!
Quote from: PR19_Kit on February 15, 2015, 04:54:47 AM
I've always wondered how it is that there are SO many 'rare earth magnets' around if they're that rare...... :unsure:
I believe the 'rare earths' are called that because they aren't found in high concentrations (unlike e.g. copper and iron). There's a lot of it, but it's spread around.
There's invisible thread that magicians use, the Science Museum has a similar toy that they sell. Looks as though its hovering in mid air. Got one as a Christmas present, very impressive.
Quote from: Hobbes on February 16, 2015, 12:38:07 AM
I believe the 'rare earths' are called that because they aren't found in high concentrations (unlike e.g. copper and iron). There's a lot of it, but it's spread around.
Yup that's what some metallurgists I knew at work said when I asked the same question. You have to dig an awful lot of other stuff up to get a tiny bit of what you want
Quote from: zenrat on February 14, 2015, 03:27:23 PM
You could "tether" it with a couple of figures pushing it into or out of a hanger.
That sounds a nice simple idea :thumbsup: I assume that even if it's a large saucer the sheer fact it levitates would mean it would be easy for a couple of guys to move around ?
My thinking - no friction other than air resistance. Easy to move once you overcame it's inertia. A bit like giant air hockey.
Which thinking about it is another way to levitate it. We have a miniature (2' long) air hockey table which works by a battery powered fan blowing air from below through loads of small holes in the surface. One could modify the table to resemble part of Area 51. Or build something specially for the purpose - it wouldn't be too difficult.
Getting a decent height off the ground might take more airflow than is practical though.
Might be a bit noisy. Especially on a table at a show.
Should get the UFO to a nice altitude though.
We had one of those in the physics at college for demonstrating momentum, it was only capable of rising the float by a mm or two. Trouble is that you get air spill and need quite a powerful pump to give you a small rise, hence the skirt on hovercraft. And if you introduce skirt, the body may rise but the skirt will be just off the ground.
In apology, I seem to be pulling everyone's ideas down. The trouble is, any amount of levitation or 'anti-gravity' is hard to achieve, it's been a holy grail of physicists and continues to be. I feel like Scotty, yeh canna break the laws of physics! ;)
That's not to say it's impossible. I mentioned earlier that there are certain circumstances where it's possible for short periods time. When a magnet repels another, there's also an attraction force from the opposite pole so it always tries to flip over, that's why it's unstable and needs a tether. There's one way to prevent this, and that's to introduce spin. There's a small window though, too little and you don't get any effect, too much and it wobbles too much, flipping over again. There are commercial products that can do this (Levitron (http://www.levitron.com/), but I have no idea if it'd work for a model as large as the Testors S4.
After saying all that, I think having tiny tethers might work, anyone remember (you've got to be a child of the eighties!) the Flight of the Navigator?
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi72.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi176%2FMossie105%2FGeneral%2FFlight%2520of%2520the%2520Navigator.jpg&hash=ebe14b05628098baf2ec7f3edad052ad0a8fea8c) (http://s72.photobucket.com/user/Mossie105/media/General/Flight%20of%20the%20Navigator.jpg.html)
Quote from: Mossie on February 20, 2015, 01:52:29 AM
...anyone remember (you've got to be a child of the eighties!) the Flight of the Navigator?...
Yep. Tried to interest The Boy in it. Failed. Not enough Ninjas, Turtles or shape shifting ten year olds in it for his taste.
Kids these days, don't know they're born. ;D
A clear column of plastic, perhaps tinted blue or green, from the ship to the ground could work, especially if right next to a person or a cow.
Do what they did in that shot... Hide a dirty great forklift behind some polythene sheets :lol:
I am sure you guys have already looked at these.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s-wLNhRxzs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw73DcwIX-A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpEvqfl-eCE
http://www.1worldglobes.com/Specialty/floatingglobes.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Levitron-Anti-Gravity-Globe/dp/B000X22JEA
http://www.ultimateglobes.com/Levitating-World-Globes-s/233.htm