Concerning Hobbies
Today, I’d like to announce my new model aircraft building project: A Schleicher K 8b (or short: Ka8b) on a scale of 1 : 5.
She’s a one-seater soaring plane from the 1950s, and due to her simple, but rugged construction she’s still in service today, especially suitable for beginners making their first solo flights.
That sound a bit like me, doesn’t it…
After the basic requirements regarding the dimensions were cleared, an extensive online Image research took place. Apparently, opinions are divided whether a model Porter with a tender is a prototypical sight. Fortunately, I can avoid this topic altogether because I’m not going to model an explicit prototype. Instead, I’ll experiment with different themes and decide on a case-by-case basis whether and to what extend I’ll let the prototype reign supreme or just get some inspiration for my own creations.
Since I stumbled on a picture of a Dewey Bros. 0-4-2T, I’ve fallen in love with this little engine. My first encounter happened during a Google picture search for industrial steam locomotives.
This particular image came from a book written by Angus Sinclair in 1907: Development of the locomotive engine, where it served as an example for oddities of engineering history. Several universities offer free online access to the book.
For the next year I’ve set an ambitious goal: I’d like to attempt my very first scratch-build of a steam locomotive in Fn3 (1/20.32, 3-ft-narrow gauge).
My model of choice is an industrial loco of the late 19th century:
(Source: Sinclair, Angus: Development of the locomotive engine, New York 1907, p.511)
