The Airplane Model project

[COASTER FREAK 11]

The level of detail in this is amazing! Thanks for all the updates!

[arby]

That's for sure! I can't believe how detailed this is. It's looking great!

[hillflyer]

PROGRESS REPORT

 

Just took these photos this weekend to give me a feel for where I am. Looking at these, I'm thinking that I'm pretty much past the halfway mark!

Reminds me of the Dragon in the eighties.

Brake run leading to the station.

Joeyzilla!!!

[hillflyer]

Aside from trying to figure out how to make the roofing paper stick better to the roof, the brake run, garage, and dip are finished!

[hillflyer]

Setting up the stage for the FIRST DROP!

[Cyrbuzz]

This thing is looking pretty awesome. I'm just blown away by the intricate detail of this coaster. Keep up the good work!!

[hillflyer]

Working on tracking the valley of the first drop of my Airplane Bring Back the Airplane Coaster! Model. The structure and subtrack were a bitch to get right, but all should be easy for now.

Working on tracking the valley of the first drop of my Airplane Bring Back the Airplane Coaster! Model. The structure and subtrack were a bitch to get right, but all should be easy for now.

[hillflyer]

Starting to sketch out plans for the skeletal frame for the back end of the station house.

[hillflyer]

Shortly after I completed the bottleneck, I discovered through some clearer filmed footage, that the diagonals on the interior of the turn were in fact 4" x 8"s wedged in between the 4 x 8 uprights. I was using the standard 2 x 4's hammered placed on the outside of the posts.

 

I was going to put off switching them over until I decided if I was going to even bother with it. But, it is an important structural key in the way that turn was engineered. I'm about to close up this turn, making the switch next to impossible, so ...here I go. So far, it's not as hard as it seems.

I was using the standard 2 x 4's hammered placed on the outside of the posts.

The diagonals on the interior of the turn were in fact 4" x 8"s wedged in between the uprights.

BIG visual difference so far. Glad I decided to take on this little set back.

[hillflyer]

I went to Belmont Park to measure the original Bobs car on display in the ticket office/museum. The same style train operated on the Airplane, so I was lucky to have such a source close by. Here is the draft I came up with. The red pencil is pointing to the actual width of the car.

Edited August 4, 2014 by hillflyer

[hillflyer]

Rainy day inspired me to snap a couple.

[hillflyer]

As you will see on my recent postings about my progress with the station house and the trains.

 

The front area of the station house had me puzzled because there was not a lot of information to go off of, and I hate having to GUESS.

 

Soon after, I posted a sketch I did based on the Belmont Park Giant Dipper's pilot car. I looked for a good, clear photo of the SIDE of the car to be sure I noted any differences.

 

I was going to tackle that starting THIS WEEK but a friend had sent me a website Westchester.gov. just to show off a new photo of the Airplane he had never seen before. He didn't know there was a link to a whole TREASURE trove of photos that came as if sent to me by some other plane...its SO weird, the timing.

Heeelllloooo Timmm...here is that measurement you needed...

Not too many people know there used to be a tunnel that dropped down to the lift hill. I didn't, until I saw this photo.

[hillflyer]

From all the newfound photos, I was able to piece together the station house. Okay, enuff drawing, let's get this station built~

[arby]

Wow! The detail is amazing. It is looking great!

[hillflyer]

Day one and two of building the station house. Right now, I'm framing and installing the floor that runs between the rails.

[hillflyer]

Now framing the back end of the station, where people exit the Aeroplane. The framed box in the back will be some sort of office and below that will be the trains' 100' long storage shed.

[hillflyer]

The station house for my Airplane model is undergoing having the wooden floor laid. I couldn't wait to temporarily place it in the spot where it's going to go. When I started building the station, I raised it 4 feet so I could have a foundation for the part that's below ground level. Soon I'll lop off those 4 feet. I hope to start painting it tonight.

[hillflyer]

Playing around with the new picket fencing inside the station house. Yup, that's the correct number of slats.

[hillflyer]

The start of the drop tunnel at the beginning of the ride. Just testing the fit here.

[hillflyer]

Testing the fit between the first half of the station house and other section after painting and trimming the floor. I can see what needs to be worked on more in photos than I do the real thing. Ha ha. Before I permanently affix the two parts, I'll work on some more detail on each section like the picket fencing, brake lever gear.

[Yamez]

Great work!

 

Just curious, about how much would you gauge your overall progress % wise?

[Fallen Heretic]

This is some really nice work. Ive seen pros selling models which don't have this attention to detail.

 

It shows that its a labour of love.

[coasterschile]

This is definetly the best model I've ever seen

[coasterkid21]

I swear I'm addicted to this thread. Love the work. Seriously. It's just incredible.

[hillflyer]

Photo from the day the Airplane was dismantled.