What modelling projects do you think you'll never build or see?

[Gondor]

What modelling projects do you think you'll never build or see?

Probably 90+% of my stash 

Reading up on threads I've missed, the above definitely applies to me and my Stash^TM as well. It doesn't seem that such an insight has any impact whatsoever on the procurement side of my hobby, though.. 

The same here my friend.

Gondor

[jcf]

How big were the MODELS? 

1/200 scale, so about 32" OAL. Undersized relative to our 1/144 biplanes but STILL a nightmare to handle on a gametable and normally only usable at large convention events.

Yikes.
Bigger than I expected.

How big were these?

P Class 163.5 meters long x 18.69m diameter

Wiki says the Q class were 15m longer.

Thank you Scoot.

IIRC to turn a P into a Q fullsize, you cut the girders where the nose and tail ogives meet the center "cylinder" then splice in a full 10m gas-cell at the rear and a 5m half-size cell at the front.

Thank you for this , Harold. It's  useful  information, and knowledge gained is never time wasted,  but I'm sure you will appreciate that this is not a feat of engineering I'm likely to attempt in the near future.

Takom do a P and a Q in 1/350th.
P is 46.6cm long, Q is 51cm.
Over half the parts of both kits is
photoetch. Gondola mounting struts etc.

[Diamondback]

Takoms are more "practical" size, but wouldn't be good for wargaming with all the photoetch. Looking at all the PE, it's probably a good thing I had three straight eBay auctions not go my way.

Were I fabbing a Zeppelin for gaming purposes, I would do a lot of it as clear-plastic sheets or blocks with etched channels to flow paint into representing the structural members and driveshafts.

[Rick Lowe]

You could find a 3-D printable, then laser cut and etch the clear sheets, maybe?

Lots to choose from here:

https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=zeppelin&page=1

There's even one to laser cut on Page 1. 

[Weaver]

I've long had a project in the back of my mind to do a Victorian steampunk airship, but the difficulty of making the envelope has been the most off-putting thing. My best idea so far is to get two 2-litre pop bottles, cut the bases and necks off them, join them base-to-base, add shallow cones of something in place of the necks, and then cover them in PVA-soaked fabric strips to simulate fabric.

Bear in mind that this is for a small 1/72nd scale steampunk craft, so even though it plays fast-and-loose with the neccessary lift volume, it still needs to be fairly big to be even somewhat credible.

[zenrat]

I will one day build Captain Fat Hamster's Sky Pirate airship in 1/72.  I've been gathering parts for at least ten years.
The gondola will be a Revell pirate ship.  The gas bag is currently slated to be an AMT Akron/Makrin in 1/320.  I don't mind a too small gasbag cartoonish look but i have a feeling when I finally get to offer the parts up it's going to look too small even for me.
So I have been considering how to knock up something bigger (not big enough to be realistic, just bigger than what i've got).  Current thinking is a framework made from discs of varying size cut from styrene sheet strung along a central pole with longerons of styrene tube glued to the discs.  The outer skin will be tissue soaked in PVA.  The thing I haven't worked out yet is the end caps.  I'll need a flat cone for the front and a pointy cone for the rear.

[PR19_Kit]

When thinking of airship models I'm always reminded of the 1/72 scale model of the R100 airship that was in the roof of the Barnes Wallis Hut at the Elvington Museum near York.

The model was TEN FEET long!       

[Rick Lowe]

I'll say it again, 3D printing should work - especially as any 'round' shapes like tubes and end-caps will tend to print with facets, rather than truly round; annoying if you want a perfect cylinder, but ideal for this sort of construction.
And yes the issue will be finding somewhere to do the job, and at a reasonable price, but the idea is there FWIW.
They don't have to print solid either; minimal infill or hollow are options... (and lower the price)

Just trying to help, Your Honour... 

But Freds' idea of circles and stringers is a very viable option too. Curving the end stringers over tapering circles would likely be the best option for the ends.

[Weaver]

I'll say it again, 3D printing should work - especially as any 'round' shapes like tubes and end-caps will tend to print with facets, rather than truly round; annoying if you want a perfect cylinder, but ideal for this sort of construction.
And yes the issue will be finding somewhere to do the job, and at a reasonable price, but the idea is there FWIW.
They don't have to print solid either; minimal infill or hollow are options... (and lower the price)

Just trying to help, Your Honour... 

But Freds' idea of circles and stringers is a very viable option too. Curving the end stringers over tapering circles would likely be the best option for the ends.

You could also mimimise the size of the individual prints by segmenting each tube section laterally, so you assemble half-circles, quarter-circles, or even "orange-segments" for each tube. The latter might also solve the facetting issue more or less automatically. Make the outer face of each segment as two flats instead of a curve, and there you go.

[zenrat]

I'll say it again, 3D printing should work - especially as any 'round' shapes like tubes and end-caps will tend to print with facets, rather than truly round; annoying if you want a perfect cylinder, but ideal for this sort of construction.
And yes the issue will be finding somewhere to do the job, and at a reasonable price, but the idea is there FWIW.
They don't have to print solid either; minimal infill or hollow are options... (and lower the price)

Just trying to help, Your Honour... 

But Freds' idea of circles and stringers is a very viable option too. Curving the end stringers over tapering circles would likely be the best option for the ends.

That was the intention Rick, but I cant see me getting a neat finish where all the stringers meet at the ends.  I feel a cap at each end will keep it all tidy.  I don't have a 3d printer but I do have a lathe and could turn end caps.

[Old Wombat]

I feel a cap at each end will keep it all tidy.  I don't have a 3d printer but I do have a lathe and could turn end caps.

You could also use the end caps to mount a central/axial rod from which to support the frames, so they're less likely to sag.

[Weaver]

I'm still looking thoughtfully at plastic picnic glasses and those little brollies you put in cocktails...

[jcf]

Something to bear in mind is that
Zeppelin's early machines were parallel sided for most of their length. Rather than the "stretched teardrop" that people generally associate with airships. Personally I think a parallel sided envelope would be more believably steam punk, if one didn't want to go the Lebaudy route.

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Then there is the aluminum skinned airship of David Schwarz.

You cannot view this attachment.

[Weaver]

Something to bear in mind is that
Zeppelin's early machines were parallel sided for most of their length. Rather than the "stretched teardrop" that people generally associate with airships. Personally I think a parallel sided envelope would be more believably steam punk, if one didn't want to go the Lebaudy route.

Pictures aren't showing, but I know what you mean and I agree. That's why I've been looking at the pop-bottle route.

[jcf]

The images not showing thing is getting old. I look at the post,
they don't show, I open it up to
edit and there they are.
🙄