Boeing-X Sensor-Y (finished part 2 page 5+5, part1 page3)

[Tophe]

For my birthday, my brother offered me the Unicraft 1/144 kit of Boeing "Sensor Craft" UAV, thanks! Weird! Not the 1001st Spitfire!
My first project was to build a Sensor-P-51S, having P-51D fuselage Heller 1/72 and Sensor 1/144 wings, but the wings seems too big and a 1/72 P-51D has not enough length to match (to be confirmed). Or maybe F-16 Revell 1/144 fuselage fuselage with Sensor 1/144 wings, or Mini Hobby Models 1/144 F-16XL fuselage with Sensor 1/144 wings. I will check.

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/IMG_5321_sens.jpg

[Tophe]

I will check.

Size comparison:
Length of F-16C 1/144: 10.4cm
Length of F-16XL 1/144: 11.8cm
Length of P-51D 1/72 including spinner: 13.6cm
Length of Sensor 1/144 : 23,2cm (span ; 23,1cm
Length of Sensor 1/144 wing: 19,3cm
Completely impossible... And I don't want a model that big. So the final project will probably be a cut at mid span, with biplane layout and wingtip triangles only on the low wing...
Something else, picture of trying to decrease size simply, but not enough:

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/r_sensor-uav-scale25pc.jpg

[Tophe]

Or the wing could be not-fixed on the fuselage at the front side, like a canard foreplane in the air. This would be fragile but very whif, funny:

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/sensor_144-b.jpg

[ericr]

 

or the propeller could be just outside at the end of the point of the square ?

[Tophe]

Good idea! Thanks! I may try to draw it tomorrow! (together with the biplane solid way)

[Tophe]

Here are the supplementary drawings:



= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/sensor_144-c1.jpg
+ http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/sensor_144-c2.jpg
+ http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/sensor_144-c3.jpg
My favorite is the S-3, I think. Thanks again, ericr!

[kerick]

Any of those three would be delightfully strange but I have to go with S-1 for me. S-2 would fit on the shelf better so difficult choice.

[Tophe]

Thanks for this opinion, kerick, making me hesitate.
I have time as the P-51D is not ordered yet, and my bank refuses that I make web orders anymore (for informatics reasons that the local agency does not understand), so building this model may be delayed.
Uh, concerning P-51S-1 & S-3, one drawback of S-3 is that it is a little longer, one advantage is that is is better standing (without undercarriage, as I do always) on propeller blades...
I will decide later, probably. Thanks again.

[Tophe]

Years ago, I was already considering this model project, with a F-16 maybe, but I ignored all about the scale.
Now I understand this was impossible, far too big, requiring (with the 1/144 Sensor) a 1/34 Falcon (almost 1/32)...

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/F-16drwB_dh.jpg

[Tophe]

far too big, requiring (with the 1/144 Sensor) a 1/34 Falcon (almost 1/32)...

From a F-16XL instead of F-16A, the required scale would be 1/40, not available as commercial kit (either 1/32 or 1/48, not in the middle).

I remember in the 1970s, Heller did use the 1/50 scale (instead of 1/48 (and round 1/100 instead of 1/72 maybe) but it seems they turned back to 1/48 to match competitors. I have read somewhere that the secret of these scale figures is British or American, with a 6-feet man being 1 inch reduced, which makes 1/72 (and 150%=3/2 of it is 1/48)...

[Scotaidh]

I rather like your S-1 option for the Mustang, Tophe.  I dunno why, exactly, but my inner-self, on seeing that, went "Oooo!  Me like!"

[Tophe]

Thanks for this opinion making me think over it
I think I will order this week the P-51 Heller kit, as my wife (and the bank employees and me) should be present at the same time to unlock the confirmation process that was directed to her phone and no more to my computer (for the personal bank account of mine).

[Tophe]

The P-51 kit arrived today.
I chose the Heller kit because it includes 2 canopies, helping me to build a plane from the remaining parts:

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/IMG_5323_sens.jpg

[Tophe]

Oh, Lord, the Sensor wings are so big, huge, for a single plane, this is impossible for my shelves: 

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/IMG_5329_sens.jpg
The final direction may be P-51S-2, with S-1 and S-3 just as drawings, not solid in shelves

[Tophe]

So... here are the P-51S-4 that I dreamed of before knowing the Sensor size, and the S-5 that I may build at the end:

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/sensor_144-de.jpg