"1:144th kits by Skytrex" Topic

Have any of you had any issues building the larger kits form Skytrex?

I play Canvas Eagles using 1:144th in 5" hexes. I recently bought the Gotha and Zeppelin Stalkin. I am intimidated to say the least…

Try a 1/72 Illya Murometz if you want to talk intimidation.

I am trying to decide whether or not to wire them. I do not add such detail to the smaller regular planes, although I did have a few of my 1/72nd done that way when I used 1/72nd to play CE.

It can be a lot of work and I am not sure of my skills to do it with the smaller "large plane" kits form Skytrex as I will have to use thinner (flexible wire).

Did any of you that built the kits drill holes and add the wire that way of what?

I would avoid wiring them if you intend to game with them. They can only get in the way and break or kink.
Wirring is for models that just sit there getting admired.

I use the Shapeways models for my large bombers – they are super lightweight but still pretty sturdy so the stands won't tip due to the mass of lead. They also come as one-piece models – no construction, woohoo!

(Some folks might think they are too coarse a material, but after a couple of coats of primer they look fine.)

I saw the Shapeway products today for the first time online… here in fact…. I never knew they existed and I hope the line grows!!! I love the range of lead planes and they are heavy and tip when not careful. If his line continues to grow, I will be completely switching over to theses planes. I will have to hold and see one in person to judge that. The pics on the forums are very nice, but what material are they?

Price-wise, they are quite comparable to the lead kits AND, from what I now know… no assembly required? That is VERY cool. Is there a place in the US to get them?

Just received the following from Shapeways:

Caudron G-4

Farman pusher

Fe2b

Short Bomber

All are simply outstanding models, unbelievably cut from a single piece of material! The Short Bomber has a wingspan of 7 inches, while every strut appears to be in its proper place on all of these models.

The only assembly on these models is that many require you to glue their propeller in place, and supply pilot and gunner figures (Reviresco makes these available for both Allied and Central Powers aircraft in white metal).

My dilemma now is to (A) decide which aircraft will get what paint scheme, and (B) whether or not to order the Ilya Morumetz or the Felixtowe flying boat, or stay focused on finishing the aircraft already in front of me first before ordering another batch!

Leland R. Erickson

Excellent, I would love to see some pics when completed… I am thinking I might have to go this way over the lead kits… I like the lead a lot, but the kits require some work to get the struts (wire) all in correctly… The allure of the shapeways is that they are light and single piece…

Remember, they are NOT cast, they are PRINTED by a 3D printer.

I have built a Skytrex Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI, if you are used to the single seater and two seater plane kits from Skytrex it is no more difficult, there is just more of it. The struts are easier to keep straight, being bigger.

Everything was the right length and holes in the right places.

It does end up extremely heavy though, my other planes are on 3.2mm diameter rod flight stands, this required a 6mm rod and magnet.

My brother gave me my first Shapeways plane for Christmas, the Felixstowe. I have just finished painting it and I am delighted. If I were making another Zeppelin-Straaken I would seriously consider Shapeways. The planes are so much lighter for something this big, and the couple of weeks time you save building it can go into being extra careful with the painting.

Andrew.

It seems that the Shapeway planes are a big hit? I am in it for the weight. I do not want to make this huge plane and then have it tip and smash. The lead kits are beautiful, but I find myself desiting the light weight stuff for practicality… damaging planes when they tip! And it does happen.

DO you guys think that Shapeways will expand their range considerably? I am no 3d printer guru, but if you get the images scanned in and layers cut, shouldn't this be a quick process?

This is the only Shapeways plane I have, it is White, Strong, Flexible material.

Here is the Skytrex Zeppelin-Straaken, for Wings Of War I just use two inch rods, I would not want to put this on a tall stand.

Both together with a Reviresco Freidrichshafen G-III

Andrew.

Very beautiful planes, well done!!!
That is my problem with the skytrex ZS… because it is a high flier…. that translates to big, broken plane….

Thanks for shareing the pic of the Shapeways plane…. it does look very nice. Is that as is or did you sand before you primed and painted?

I washed it, drilled a hole and glued in a magnet. Next day I gave it a thick coat of Kleer acrylic floor polish with one drop of sand colour paint added so I could see which bits I had done. It is white to start with. Next day I gave it another coat of floor polish with drop of paint.

Next day I tried painting a bit of underwing linen colour and the paint was going on fine, not being soaked up like a sponge at all, so I painted the whole thing.

I realised I had not undercoated it but it worked. Spray varnish to finish.

Because I was so intrigued…
I went and read a bunch on 3d scanners and printers.
Wow! That was a lot to digest!
And the pricing on a scanner… around $50 USDk and the printers range from the monster-$1k to soemthing more industrial around $34 USDk….

I guess the key thing is, once an object is scanned in (if you go that route) you have varying degrees of detail you can pick up… the higher the resolution of the scanner, the more "smoothing" you have to do on the finished project.

I am now learning about what type of file "STL" and how to smooth it out dimensionally. This looks like something I would really liek to learn.

Andrew,

um, what's that G-III doing in Belgian markings….? Were the Belgians out engaging in the fine old Flemish passtime of planejacking at the Imperial German Air Service aerodrome again…?

Leland R. Erickson

This is my understanding of what happened. Friedrichshafen G.III number 180/17 of Kampfstaffel 2 was shot down Jan 1918 and crashed just on the Belgian side of the lines right by the airfield of Belgium's 4th Observation Squadron. Their mechanics repaired it and it was flown to Paris for testing. Once investigations were complete it was returned to The Belgians, who returned it to the 4th Observation Squadron. Their missions were mostly photo recon so that is what they used it for.

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