[Epapazian]

[Cavtanker]

Foolish aviation knowledge-defunct question:

what are they?

[lanslide]

Helldiver, Devastator, and Vindicator - all BADLY needed!!! Are these plastic and who makes them? What scale are these?

[Epapazian]

Originally Posted by Cavtanker

Foolish aviation knowledge-defunct question:

what are they?

They are solid resin custom made castings made from specially created rubber molds about 10-12 years ago. The castings are in 1:72nd scale and depict the planes as if in flight---hence no props. I gave up on this idea once I realized that a diecast revolution was underway. The metal creations being put out by Armour, Corgi and soon after, by Dragon, were much cheaper and their canopies were far more realistic so I became a diecast fan. I still have many of my resin models on display or in storage, and have posted pictures of them in various threads on this forum.

[lanslide]

Cool Epapazian! Are they your creations from scratch or store bought? Were the rubber molds created by using existing plastic models?

[Epapazian]

Originally Posted by lanslide

Helldiver, Devastator, and Vindicator - all BADLY needed!!! Are these plastic and who makes them? What scale are these?

See my reply to cavtanker on this thread.

[Shawn 507]

I'll throw in with this vote, and in the Pub is my thread on pre-war planes that'll have a few of these in there. Also, the planes as is aren't too bad. Some props and fully closed greenhouses and they would be alright. Well save of course for those who demand that their toys, er I mean finely crafted model actually kick over and fly away. A copy of each would be cool, espically in pre-war colors for the first two.

[ZS-VAN]

Interesting and often requested. I'd be most open to the Helldiver.

[kb466]

Yes, all three would be most welcome.

[Epapazian]

Originally Posted by lanslide

Cool Epapazian! Are they your creations from scratch or store bought? Were the rubber molds created by using existing plastic models?

Basically, I hired craftsmen to make "master copies" of each plane using a variety of parts including aftermarket sources like canopies, etc. As a rule these parts had to be altered in such a way so they would produce clear panel lines and canopy window frames when the actual casting was done. This entailed lots of inscribing and in many instances, the addition or deletion of unwanted detail. An example of this is the drilling out of shell casing ejection ports under the wings. Another example was gluing thin strips of tape over the canopy window frames, thereby creating a slight indentation so they would show up clearly. This was vital when it came to painting the models, later. Once the master copy was approved, it was the basis for a two-part rubber mold ( top and bottom halves of the plane). Heated, resin in liquid form was then "poured"into the mold at considerable pressure and then quickly cooled to produce the basic replica. This needed sanding, and there usually were some air holes to repair. The planes pictured are all single castings, although other parts, such as bombs, torpedoes, pitot tubes,etc were added to complete the model. In more complex cases, such as a DO-17Z, the tailfins would be molded separately and glued on.

As I have noted in other posts, I was tempted to sell these replicas as they were far superior to the wooden models then commonly available ----and comparable in cost. When the diecast deluge began, I realized that plastic couldn't compete price-wise or in basic appeal for collectors of ready-made models. Also, getting into the manufacturing process was a huge hassle, plagued by unreliable and over-priced suppliers, so I abandoned any ideas of a commercial venture. That said, my custom-made resin castings have given me great satisfaction and they still fill many holes in my ever growing diecast collection.