armyairforce
Well-Known Member
and some!!!
'1943, Somewhere in England', N scale Monster Layout
- Thread starter armyairforce
- Start date
and some!!!
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
Around thirty figures, six GMC CCKW352's, four Dodge WC62's and eight Willys or Ford 1/4 ton trucks, more commonly known as the Jeep. Built and part painted.
The painting of the vehicles is complete in this picture, including one "Follow Me" Jeep for the airfield, and the hoods have been given a gloss coat ready for the star decals.
The painting of the vehicles is complete in this picture, including one "Follow Me" Jeep for the airfield, and the hoods have been given a gloss coat ready for the star decals.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
A number of GI's were bought to guard the airfield.
Now with decals on, but still not quite finished.
Now with decals on, but still not quite finished.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
Finally complete, all the vehicles now have a sprayed matt coat to seal in the decals.
Now back to the hangar. Rather than wait for the layout section, I made a separate base for the hangar, just big enough for the building and part of the apron at each end. The white strips are pieces of grooved styrene for the door runners.
The slot down the centre of the board is for the Catalina movement mechanism, the start of which can be seen in front of the board.
Now back to the hangar. Rather than wait for the layout section, I made a separate base for the hangar, just big enough for the building and part of the apron at each end. The white strips are pieces of grooved styrene for the door runners.
The slot down the centre of the board is for the Catalina movement mechanism, the start of which can be seen in front of the board.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
Here's the hangar, placed over the door runners, which can be seen more clearly now.
Here's a close up of part of the screwjack mechanism that will move the Catalina in and out of the hangar.
Here's a close up of part of the screwjack mechanism that will move the Catalina in and out of the hangar.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
The screwed rod pushes and pulls the smaller square brass tube, which slides inside a slightly larger square tube. The raised section on the end lifts the moving section to the surface of the base board, where a smaller section brass bar will be connected to the bottom of the Catalina.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
Here's the final drive bar, sitting on the surface on the hangar floor. Two small pins will be fixed to this to attach to the rear hull of the Catalina.
This is the completed mechanism fixed to the bottom of the hangar base. An old servo motor drives a bevel gear on the end of the screwjack. Micro switches limit the travel distance.
This is the completed mechanism fixed to the bottom of the hangar base. An old servo motor drives a bevel gear on the end of the screwjack. Micro switches limit the travel distance.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
Here's the modified servo, now just a geared motor.
The micro switch is wired up in the normally closed position. As the ramp on the sliding bar moves towards it, it slowly breaks the circuit, stopping the motor. The diodes linking the terminals, prevent the motor from running any further, but will allow current to flow when the polarity is reversed, so allowing the motor to run the other way, pulling the sliding bar back again, even though the microswitch is still open until the ramp clears the button.
The micro switch is wired up in the normally closed position. As the ramp on the sliding bar moves towards it, it slowly breaks the circuit, stopping the motor. The diodes linking the terminals, prevent the motor from running any further, but will allow current to flow when the polarity is reversed, so allowing the motor to run the other way, pulling the sliding bar back again, even though the microswitch is still open until the ramp clears the button.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
Here's a close up with the ramp engaged in the micro switch.
The Catalina should go from being just inside the hangar to mostly out. A Jeep will be connected to the tow bar which extends from the front of the aircraft, so it looks like the Jeep is towing the aircraft out of the hangar.
The Catalina should go from being just inside the hangar to mostly out. A Jeep will be connected to the tow bar which extends from the front of the aircraft, so it looks like the Jeep is towing the aircraft out of the hangar.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
This is about the position of the Catalina in its fully out position. I need to leave room in front of the aircraft on the apron. We are planning on using the Faller Car System to have an articulated tanker driving around the airfield.
The tanker will be turning from the sidings/unloading area around the Catalina end of the hangar, before driving down a road beside the hangar and onto the apron at the other end of the hangar. From there, it will drive onto the perimater track and round to the aircraft dispersals before returning to the sidings.
The tanker will be turning from the sidings/unloading area around the Catalina end of the hangar, before driving down a road beside the hangar and onto the apron at the other end of the hangar. From there, it will drive onto the perimater track and round to the aircraft dispersals before returning to the sidings.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
Catalina being Towed from Hangar
A Jeep is fixed to the tow bar to look like it is pulling the aircraft while it is being pushed by a lever from inside the hangar.
Movement is slow because of the screwjack gearing, but is probably scale due to the tight fit of the aircraft through the T2 hangar doors. The completed scene will probably have some ground crew watching the wing tips.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbdTi2glAXI
A Jeep is fixed to the tow bar to look like it is pulling the aircraft while it is being pushed by a lever from inside the hangar.
Movement is slow because of the screwjack gearing, but is probably scale due to the tight fit of the aircraft through the T2 hangar doors. The completed scene will probably have some ground crew watching the wing tips.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbdTi2glAXI
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armyairforce
Well-Known Member
Here's a close up of the Jeep attached to the Catalina's tow bar.
In this shot, with the Catalina detached from the movement arm, you can see the two pins which locate in the hull of the Cat to move it.
In this shot, with the Catalina detached from the movement arm, you can see the two pins which locate in the hull of the Cat to move it.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
With the mechanism all working, and the hangar floor all skinned, the concrete floor panels were scribed. The hangar floor was then sprayed in grey primer.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
The pump house for unloading bulk fuel from rail tankers. Like many brick airfield buildings, it has a blast wall in front of the doorway.
Here's the airfield fire truck, a modified GMC 6x6. One of my resin cast cab/chassis with a styrene rear body. Behind it is the fire truck shed.
Here's the airfield fire truck, a modified GMC 6x6. One of my resin cast cab/chassis with a styrene rear body. Behind it is the fire truck shed.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
Close up of the GMC. The wheels were left over from an old white metal kit.
First coat of paint on.
First coat of paint on.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
The start of some blast shelters for around the airfield.
The 'earth banks' were built up from balsa, and will be grass covered once complete.
The 'earth banks' were built up from balsa, and will be grass covered once complete.
armyairforce
Well-Known Member
I would never consider micro-controllers and I just can't see how they will save me frustration or money. I don't need anything more technical than a simple switch to stop a motor, and that certainly isn't frustrating. Certainly not cheaper. 
I would never consider micro-controllers and I just can't see how they will save me frustration or money. I don't need anything more technical than a simple switch to stop a motor, and that certainly isn't frustrating. Certainly not cheaper.
There would be a SLIGHT learning curve, but given your skill level and technical ability I don't think it would be an issue! You could drive a servo or motor from the controller, and with a few taps of a keyboard you can program whatever parameters you want it- You could control the speed, stop limits, timing- All sorts of things.
As for costs, I was AMAZED. I can use a microcontroller to so something simple, like flash an LED- for about $12, which was less than the cost of building a control circuit with 555 ICs or transistors. It also gives the advantage of programability- I can do complex flashing sequences (think buoys that flash morse code), etc VERY easily... Just a few changes to the code. The initial 'investment' in a starter kit with all the parts you need to fab up experimental circuits is about $50 or so.
The best part is that controller will have 16 or so input outputs, so I could up to 15 more items from it.
