The Airplane Model project

[hillflyer]

^^Thanks for pointing that out - I hadn't noticed!

[Zem]

I can't wait to see some more progress on this. It's looking great from what I've seen so far. Keep up the good work!

[hillflyer]

I thought I'd try this out. Pictured below are 5 out of the 6 designs for the cartouches that will attach all around the Airplane. 3 are recreations of what I can see in the photo - 2 are ones I designed. I'm at a loss for the sixth so WHO OUT THERE WANTS TO DESIGN ONE FOR ME? Guidelines - it must fit within the perimeters in the blank space below. It must follow an African Art Deco theme, so like a voodoo or jungle animal creature. The winner of course, would have he prestige of having their design on he model. Good Luck!!

[hillflyer]

90 minutes and counting until the unveiling!

[hillflyer]

15 minutes! Actually, I'm just using this last space so I can start a fresh page. So don't read this.

[hillflyer]

After 6 long months, (13 if you count research and planning), this is what I came up with.

This is a model of the first turn the Airplane cars swoosh around after disengaging from the lift hill towards the first drop!

Things to be added later – the goose-neck lamps and something to resemble a steel rail on the tracks.

Medium: Styrene Plastic.

Scale: 1/60, or 1 inch = 5 feet.

I hope those of you who have been anticipating the completion of this section are satisfied with the result.

I’m going to take a little bit of a much-needed break so…I’ll be back soon.

I’d be happy to answer any questions!

Let’s bring her back!

The Airplane Coaster - Rye Beach (1928 - 1957). This model is a tribute to one of the finest coaster that ever existed.

The Black and Whites makes this look like a real abandoned woodie!

Now on to some colors.

When the park opened in 1928, its artistic theme was African Art Deco (the pointy ones are spears). This type of art was featured all over the park. The coaster is long gone, but the park is still there and operating. Some traces of art deco can still be seen.

A rare view at this angle. Future structure will block this view.

I just like this shot.

Aerial view with my keys thrown in for scale.

Going for that aged look.

[hillflyer]

My next two phases will involve each of the two spirals featured on the Airplane.

 

The big one is going to be a HUGE challenge and I can't wait. What makes it so, is the huge sprial has an area where there's FOUR layers of track going on - the bottom of the lift, the end of the mid-course break, and the two layers of the spiral itself all come together.

 

I CAN'T WAIT to tackle it - I've already started the footwork!

 

I hope you look forward to seeing postings of this most complicated construction.

[hillflyer]

My process has morphed as I was working on the last section. I have found several ways to better master my relatively armature craft. First of all, I am no longer going to rely on my bent templates to provide me with exact duplicates of the bent frames. Failure to double check the measurements as I was building them led to some problems later in the building.

 

Now I’m using the bent template as a reference only, and then after all the horizontal pieces are setting in the glue, I go back with my scale and tidy up some loose ends. Even a .10 inch difference is a big deal to me, and there are lots of “I could do that better” comments going on in my head as I review my work.

 

One big change is the way I cut common sized boards – I now take long strips of plastic, group them together, then a measure, score and snap off as I need them.

 

The first photo below is of the section I’m tackling next. And the one below is the simple graduation of the order in which bents are assembled.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

LOL this keeps getting more and more insane!! It looks amazing!

[hillflyer]

SAVE RYE PLAYLAND!!

 

This was once home to the Airplane Coaster (the one I'm memorializing). Totally by chance, at the same time, there are efforts underway to keep GREEDY DEVELOPERS away - they want to 'improve' the beach side park by minimizing the amusement area and maximizing wasteful space within the red circle). Visit PLEASE SIGN the petition to keep this from happening - and of course, bring back the Airplane Coaster (which once stood on the black loops!) Please visit the "SAVE RYE PLAYLAND" and "Bring Back the Airplane pages on Facebook and get involved!

[hillflyer]

22 of the 32 bents that make up the first downward spiral built and ready to erect. I plan to start rising these up tonight using a new method.

 

The scattering of white blocks on the left are in-place footers for the complicated four-layer crossover area near the bottom of the lift.

 

This is not built on a permanent surface and the footers are only place holders for use during construction.

 

For me, this part is getting exciting -

[COASTER FREAK 11]

There are so many bents! Looking great still!

[hillflyer]

It was suggested to me that I post the layout of the Airplane Coaster and highlight the areas I"m working on as I start a new section.

 

So to begin with, here are the layouts for both the Airplane and the Dragon (just cuz) and their proximity to each other.

[hillflyer]

Construction of the famous Airplane whirlpool (spiral, turret, whatever) is happening at a faster pace than the first section for sure. The 1/2 of the spiral you see is a little over half done. A path that will be the start of the lift hill will be 'carved out' after this part is finished. I'm looking forward to that challenge!

The section in the rectangle is what I'm recreating in this phase.

Here is a photo of the completed bottleneck section (first turn and drop) alongside the whirlpool.

[Zingoman]

This is the most remarkable modeling work I have ever seen! Incredible! Any progress to share since May? Also did a 6th design get chosen for the cartouches? One more question. What has become of your previous models? They are absolutely museum worthy. Just unbelievable work.

[arby]

This is great! Nice work so far!

It is something I've dreamed of doing but haven't made the time to move forward with it, yet.

[hillflyer]

Thanks!

 

Progress is very slow going in this same section I am working on. There is so much that comes together at this point that to try and make sure everything lines up exactly is difficult but it sure is encouraging and worth the extra work when it does.

 

There is light at the end of the tunnel and I could be done by the end of this month (just this part). Posting another update a couple down.

 

I am still hoping a get a couple ideas for that sixth cartouche. I was kind of burnt out doing research on them so until the models nearing completion.

 

My previous models include a 1/8 inch scale of the entire San Diego Giant Dipper I made in 1982. That lasted quite a few years and was used as a display to promote the cause of rebuilding that coaster. I made a 1/4 scaled section of the middle section of the same Giant Dipper in 1985 - I don't remember what happened to the first one, but I know the second one was destroyed when our office at the coaster was broken in to (1990).

 

In 2002 I completed a 1" = 9' scale model of the Crystal Beach Cyclone (photos somewhere in this thread). I donated that to the National Roller Coaster Museum where I understand it still remains on display at Dollywood.

 

Thank you for your compliments.

Tim

[hillflyer]

@Arby -

 

For YEARS I was waiting for the right time to build the Crystal Beach Cyclone. This one, Richard Munch simply asked me to make another one of the lost classics. And the time just happened to be right.

 

Do you have your own design you'd like to build, or were you interested in building a replica?

 

Tim

[hillflyer]

Not much to update here - progress is slow going due to this section being difficult because there's so much going on.

This is the section pictured in the black and white a couple posts up. There are FOUR crossovers that all come together is one corner. The temporary white sticks are trusses I'm using to build the bridge leading up to the first spiral.

Brother and Sister-in-progress sitting on my dining room table waiting for some love.

[Zingoman]

That's terrible to hear your model was destroyed by vandals/intruders. What is your background that put you in possession of such great skills to do this? I'd love to be able to do work like this.

[arby]

@Arby -

 

For YEARS I was waiting for the right time to build the Crystal Beach Cyclone. This one, Richard Munch simply asked me to make another one of the lost classics. And the time just happened to be right.

 

Do you have your own design you'd like to build, or were you interested in building a replica?

 

Tim

 

I am interested in building a replica. I used to to a lot of woodworking as a hobby years ago so I have most of the tools I need to get started, I just haven't seriously thought about it much until I saw this thread and the awesome work you are doing. I keep thinking I want to build a replica of Thunder Road at my home park, only because it's so close and I can easily study the original. What keeps me from doing that is the sheer magnitude of the ride. From there, I'd like to move on to some of the classics like Leap the Dips, a truly remarkable ride for only having a maximum 9' drop.

[hillflyer]

Sounds like the only decision standing in your way is what scale to make your model. Available space and mobility are strong considerations. Studying different photos of different angles, and matching what bents go where is part of the beginning. Having a set of plans is half the work already done for you. I was able to obtain an old xeroxed copy of the Airplane's footprint after I already spent 4 months trying to figure it out on my own lol.

[arby]

Thank you for the advice. I'll let you know when I move forward with this.

[hillflyer]

GRRRR - But it wasn't too bad. Found that I had used the wrong sized piece for my top layer of track in the spiral area. I had to rip up that top layer (three layers in scale) and other facade strips.

 

But the correction took about 30 minutes for the main replacement.

 

Boy am I glad I made the track so that it separates from the structure.

[hillflyer]

Here are the most recent pics I took last night of how this part is coming along so far. I was able to finally figure out how I'm going to add steel rail on top of the wood track. I think I found a suitable solution. This is a really hard section because there are so many cross overs in one area. 3 months on this section so far.