Jump to content

Martin T4M-1 Torpedo Bomber, circa 1930


Recommended Posts

Mike,

Don't fret about posting too much on this one. You are providing a textbook on scratch building, an art in itself, plus you have picked a subject that will likely never be produced in kit form. Your "one of a kind" build will show everyone what can be accomplished with good research, careful planning and attention to detail. Only one thing though... some of us might get a little "green with envy". Not at your modeling skills, but at your luck to have such an understanding and supportive wife. All modelers should be so lucky. :cheers:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Lovely work Skyking, that wooden beaching dolly will really set the big truck off nicely. :P You're kind of the Norm Abrams of the modelling world are n't ya? :P (I love that "New Yankee Workshop" show)

................. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I post too much and too often about this thing...

Cheers

Mike

Nah! I think you've got the balance just about right Mike. There is always plenty to look at when you do post, it's clear, informative and gives a terrific insight into the art of scratch-building. The subject matter is also interesting. I like to take a break from the other stuff and see this era of aeroplane once in a while. It makes a refeshing change and I find I learn alot more to boot :)

I'm not sure if it's the right thing to say but your scratch building looks like an injection kit! I mean that as a huge compliment BTW :worship:

What I'm trying to explain is that everything looks so square and true. All of the components appear uniform in shape, thickness, quality, etc. This is what I admire most Mike. (Actually, now I think about it, it's way better than most injection kits....!)

Your scratch-building is an inspiration my friend. Please continue to post as often as you want, regardless of how little you may feel you've progressed with the build. I can't get enough.

:cheers:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sir,

MAGNIFIQUE! Truly AMAZING work...I have not been here for a little while and now that I have returned to view this thread all I can say is that IT IS

UNBELIEVABLY EXQUISITE......SIR you are THE MASTER ....

Oh and since I have not been her for a few days I noticed that you also put your light fingers to work on the 1/1 model of the Kitchen...EXCELLENT work on that too..

Getting back to T4M...this is DEFINITELY YOUR MAGNUM OPUS .... :worship:

Ooohhh I am so excited to see it completed and in its full GLORY... :cheers:

HOLMES... :P :P

Edited by HOLMES
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Jeff

... some of us might get a little "green with envy". Not at your modeling skills, but at your luck to have such an understanding and supportive wife. All modelers should be so lucky.

Ah that I am Jeff, she's great. She even goes to some of the shows with me. I couldn't ask for better. Thanks for the comments regarding the model too.. :)

Hiya Guy,

Thanks so much for the comments. I do make the effort to try to make sure everything is straight and true. Nothing bugs me more than misalignment. I've got a couple of minor issues with this one even still, but I'll just leave it up to the judges to find them...:lol:

Hiya Holmes. Thanks for the enthusiastic support. It helps keep me motivated. I am definately on the downhill side now. I noticed my first post on this was dated March 29th of last year. I cannot believe I have been flogging this thing for almost a year now.

Hiya Papsmurf and RS,

Ditto to the above, thanks for the comments.

T4M105a.jpg

T4M106a.jpg

Well... it's an airplane now. Top wing is decaled and mounted, cockpit combing is in place, engine is mounted, and initial rigging started. Tonight I'll install the rest of the stainless wire for the wing wires, and hopefully install the floats by tomorrow or Thursday evening. With any luck at all this bird will be done by this weekend. I still have to figure out the base yet. I'd like to do a water base similar to Pierre's, only with a ramp instead of a dock, but I'm not too sure about my water making skills, as I've never done it before. It'll probably end up just a simulated concrete seaplane ramp.

Thanks again for everyone's patience and support over the last year. It's been a long and sometimes bumpy ride, but I am happy with it. I'm not sure it's a show winner, that'll be up to the judges to decide, but I built it because I think it's a neat airplane, and for that I am very satisfied with the build.

Cheers

Mike

Edited by Skyking
Link to post
Share on other sites

Beautiful work, Mr. King!

This has been a real treat to watch come together.

I share your wonder at the horsepower v. weight and drag: that motor seems distinctly runty by compare to the whole of the great beast.

Truely a stupendous build, Sir!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you for the comments Ron, OM and Dan. I appreciate them very much.

The last few days I have been doing the rigging and setting the float struts. I deviated from my norm of mono-filament or elastic thread for rigging, and went with .008 stainless steel wire. Aircraft of this era used stainless airfoil shaped wires for rigging, and I wanted to replicate the look as much as possible. It worked OK, but it was more of a struggle than I expected. It was very difficult to keep them all looking tensioned equally. It wasn't until I added the spreader bars that it finally all pulled together with a degree of consistency. I've also added the control push rods for the ailerons, rudder and elevators. I have to add a few other items yet, mostly little fiddly bits. I also have to paint the prop warning tips, do some touch-ups here and there, make the base and mount it, and then it's done. Thanks for following along on a long and sometimes frustrating, but overall enjoyable build.

T4M108a.jpg

T4M107a.jpg

Cheers

Mike

Link to post
Share on other sites

Mike: You have again produced an extremely well done model and thanks to you I've picked up numerous tidbits of scratch-building info.

I'm still waiting for drawings of the Fleet 80 Canuck so that I can do a scratch model of my first solo bird...56 years ago.

Barney

Link to post
Share on other sites

Mike, although it is not finshed yet i think that even at this point the result is looking phenominal, everthing seems right and to think that all was started from a block of wood, I :salute: you.

I love this kind of builds and i hope that your next one will be another scratchbuild project for us to enjoy.

Regev.

Link to post
Share on other sites
I'm still waiting for drawings of the Fleet 80 Canuck so that I can do a scratch model of my first solo bird...56 years ago.

Hiya Barney. Thanks for the comments, glad you enjoyed watching. I hope you can find your drawings. That would be a great project, and one with some personal meaning like your little Grumman.

She is really looking the buisness now.

Thanks Jeff. I appreciate the comments.

I love this kind of builds and i hope that your next one will be another scratchbuild project for us to enjoy.

Thank you Reg. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, my next project is going to be off topic so I doubt if I'll be posting much. I have Trumpeters 350th scale Saratoga I am doing up in prewar livery. I do get to do 6 more T4M's, although a lot smaller. :rolleyes: Maybe I'll post some shots of those when they are done.

Well stick a fork in it, this bird is done. My first post on this was March 29th of last year. Egad I can't believe I've spent almost a year on this thing. Although I did take a few months off for SWMBO's kitchen, it's still the longest time I've ever spent on a model. I think it was worth it though as I am pleased with the end result. Looking at it with a critical Judges eye I don't think it's a show winner, as it does have a few warts on it here and there, but I built it because I liked the airplane and wanted it in my collection. Whether it wins any hardware all depends on the judges and if Pete Fleischmann shows up with his jets or Bob Beary shows up with his motorcycles. If they do I am pretty much burnt toast... lol.

T4M111a.jpg

The airplane itself is finished, but I have to add a few things to the base yet. I have the beaching dolly mounted, but I want to add a towing lanyard and some chocks to it, and get a name plate engraved for the base. The base is a chunk of 3/4 birch plywood with iron on veneer to trim out the edges. I also plan on making a transport box for it, and I'll use the float assembly jig as a cradle to hold it.

T4M110a.jpg

I'm glad I made the floats from resin, as they are fairly hefty and provide some stabilization. The airframe itself is quite light, so the floats help keep it snuggled onto the base. The Beaching dolly is mounted to the base, but I will leave the airplane loose and set it on the dolly when I display it. The rest of the time it will sit in the cradle.

T4M109a.jpg

I placed a figure from a an old Monogram Devastator to give some proportion and to get an idea how big this bird was. Pretty impressive when it's sitting on the beaching dolly. It's almost 5 1/2 inches high from the base to the top of the top wing, with a 13+ inch wingspan. I'm glad I did it in 48th scale now and not 32nd. I'd have had to build an addition to house it.

Thanks to everyone that has been following along and lending comments and support. There were a few times I felt like chucking the whole thing, but the encouragement I got from you guys really helped keep me motivated. I will have this at BUFCON in April, plus the Region 1 NOREASTCON in Albany if you would like to see it in person. And Pete I'll take you up on your beer debt. :pray:

Cheers

Mike

Link to post
Share on other sites

That is a truely beautiful beast, Sir! You have outdone yourself, I think, modestly as you present it. The glazing and louvers are particularly exquisite. It has been a real treat to watch this come together.

Break a leg at the show!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Great job Mike. :coolio:

I'm sitting here open-mouthed at what you've created. A year in the making and a year of enjoyment for us as we watched this beauty come together. Now that's value for money! :lol:

If it makes you feel any better, I can't spot any of those nits you mentioned.....(are they all on the right side? ;) )

What an stunning build throughout.

Here's to your success in competition and your next aeroplane build. :beer4:

Thanks for sharing your progress Mike, I've learnt an enormous amount for which I'm grateful.

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

OH WHAT A BEAUTY..she is a HELLUVA BEAITY Mike...

She looks absolutely awesome and you have done an EXCELLENT work this.....are you going to keep the figure as it is...With it painted it would look so NEAT giving the impression that it was about to take off..... I would love to see it when you have finished putting up all the other fi al touches..... you have absolute Justice to the Original looking T4M...

All I cans NOW IS WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOLMES :bandhead2::rolleyes:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hey Mike, Great job there....almost as good as Maggie's kitchen.....and that is spectacular.

My motorcycle won't hold a candle to your masterpiece.....but the heat stained exhausts are coming along nicely :-)

Say what you will, but I see winning hardware written all over this project of yours. Hope to see it at Buffcon.

Bob

Link to post
Share on other sites

Mike, that turned out simply superb!

Absolutetly beautiful job.I get a great deal of satisfaction after doing a factory produced, mass produced kit from one of the manufacturers, i can't even imagine the satisfaction i would have if i'd made something like you have here from scratch.

You are a true master! :lol:

Cheers,

Jeff.

Link to post
Share on other sites
It has been a real treat to watch this come together.

Thank you OM. Glad you followed along throughout. The comments from you and the others helped keep me motivated when there were times I was ready to chuck the thing.

If it makes you feel any better, I can't spot any of those nits you mentioned.....(are they all on the right side? )

hiya Guy. Thanks for the comments. Actually.. um... er... no... :crying2:. Mainly the float strut attachment and wing strut attachment points. If you look close you can tell which ones I did late at night when I should have quit earlier and went to bed. They aren't quite as tight and snug as I'd like them to be. There's also a couple of spots where paint gave me fits. Like I said they are minor, so they may get missed, maybe not. In any event I built it because I like the airplane, and if it takes anything great, if not that's OK too, as it was overall a fun build, and that's what I get the most satisfaction from.

What a brute it is!

hi Chuck, It certainly is, that's what appealed to me. It's such a dog-butt homely airplane it's got an attraction all it's own. To think this brute flew on 600 HP is all the more amazing. from the pilots reports I've read she was a real lady in the air though. Stable, light on the controls and easy to fly.

OH WHAT A BEAUTY..she is a HELLUVA BEAUTY Mike...

Thank you Holmes. And it's your inspiration (fault?..lol) that I decided to do the seaplane version. I could have had this done a month or two sooner had I done the land version, but i don't think she would have had the same appeal she does now. Thanks for following along for the ride.

bellissimo!

Hello Girolamo. I have no idea what bellisimo means (I am assuming beautiful?) but thank you anyways :worship: I appreciate your comments.

Say what you will, but I see winning hardware written all over this project of yours. Hope to see it at Buffcon.

hi Bob, Thanks for the comments Bob. We'll see. I've learned by now to never assume anything. If it does, that's great, if not that's OK too. I enjoy displaying it and talking to people. Trophies and plaques are just one more thing to dust.. :lol: Yes I will be at BUFFCON, barring any western NY April snowstorms. You coming to NOREASTCON later? I'll be there with Maggie. You can listen to her three hour dissertation of cooking in her new kitchen..lol.

Watched this build from the start and it's great to see her finally finished.

Hiya Papasmurf. Thanks for tagging along. I appreciate the comments both now and in the past.

Mike, that turned out simply superb!

Hi Jeff. Thanks for the comments. Yes there is a big amount of satisfaction from doing something like this, and more too for knowing I don't have to worry about setting this on a table and seeing 5 or 6 just like it. Thanks for your comments, both now and in past posts. They've helped to keep me going.

This is a true work of art, one you should be proud of

Hi Matt. yes I am very happy with it. Maybe I am a bit modest, but I tend to be my hardest critic anyways...lol. Besides, nobody like a know-it-all, and I'd rather hang out with the nice guys. Pete, Bob and I have a very friendly rivalry, and we'll root for each other at just about every event we are at. Besides.. either way there is beer after so nobody "looses". :lol:

After I posted the pictures of this yesterday I sat and got to really looking at them, and something didn't look quite right. I knew the base had a few things I had to do, but the model itself was missing something. After a few minutes it hit me... DOH! :doh: I forgot to put the exhaust pipes on the engine. So that was what my project last night was, along with the auxiliary struts between the top and bottom wing at the wing fold, and to tidy up a few things on the base. Once it's all REALLY complete I'll post a couple of parting shots, and call this one finished for good.

Cheers

Mike

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...