1/48 Scale Revell Stearman PT-17
Fifty to 70 years ago we use to call this kind of bird a "Double-Winger." Sometime later the name was change to "Bi-Wing" or something like that.
Anyways the kit was a snap to build. "Snap" in American English use to mean "Real Easy" to do whatever! Today the young one's call it "COOL."
The kit parts did not have hardly any flashing and went together quit well. Revell did not supply any rigged wire, but I already had some different diameter's of semi-stiff brass wire that I bought at a local train hobby shop in San Jose, CA/USA. I had to be very careful and measure the wire, and cut it, then push the ends into pre-drilled holes.
The engine was very nice. I just used a "Sharpie" fine pointed permanent marker and added some silver color. Since then I have used several different colored Sharpie's and they work out ok.
The tire rims were painted blue, red and white, so I cut up some small American star insignia decals and placed them on the tire rims.
I have used "Waldron's instrument dials and their different sizes of metal seat belt buckles along with either cloth and or paper for the straps.
I had to re-scribe some panel lines and add some rivet's.
The one piece top wing was painted before it was installed on the model.
Everything else was finished but the fuselage two colored letters/numbers. I had lots of SuperScale decals and found the right looking sizes, then cut the white and black ones to mate up when they were put on the model. I think I did a pretty good job, but I'll let you modeler's be the judge.
I knew a guy that owned the original PT-17 that is in the real color photos and he loved my photos or the model, so later in life I sent the model to him as a gift and he jumped for joy. A few months later he sent the model back to me with a brief note saying that it was too much baggage!
You can't win them all, and we are still good friends.
I got another "Double Winger" model coming...then what about my "T-REX" dinosaur model-?
RJW
This build checks all the boxes for me Rodney... When I was 16 or 17 years old, I knew a man who owned a Stearman, and he gave me a front seat ride for a little more than an hour in it... I was smiling from ear to ear for over a week. To this very day it's one of my most cherished memories. I even managed a little "Stick time" on the flight. I also have had the opportunity to ride in a Waco UPF-7, and a Ryan PT-22... There's something magical about these open cockpit planes, with the sounds and smells of a radial engine humming away out front.
I fear I missed my true calling in life. Don't get me wrong, as I really enjoyed the work I did... I would just do a few things a little different if I had the chance to do it all over again. I have lived an exciting, charmed, and blessed life, done some things that most people only read about.
The Stearman is a beautiful plane and your model captures this rather well. I like the choice of markings and the details you incorporated into the build... Well done my friend. I have three of these kits in the stash. For some reason they just never made it over to the build table.
Someday that will change.
Thanks for sharing this beauty with us.
"liked"
Absolutely awesome. And a great story too.
Very nice Rodney. Great story, too. I have 2 in my stash and plan to do one of them in the configuration that my dad and I rode in up in Sonoma. I'm thinking of a diorama like this...
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
Great build and story! Really liked the color scheme and how you used the brass rod for the wire rigging.
A couple years ago the g/f and I went on a ride in a Stearman that the local CAF chapter has. After talking to the pilot, found out the airplane was owned at one point by my friend's father.
2 attached images. Click to enlarge.
Thanks to you 3...THREE guys for your comments. Too bad I got the shaky hands or I would still be building as a couple of clients wanted more models. I'm having a heck of a time on this keyboard and I'm down to about one finger doing the typing. Someone said that there is a system that you can talk into and it goes into my email send box... problem...is...I'll wake up others as I get on this p.c. anywhere from 3 to 5 am...humbug...now...i gotta go find my other "double-winger" to post.
Love it, thank you for posting Rodney. I'm about to give the Revell Stearman PT-17 a go. This is my first aviation attempt and while it looks pretty straight forward, I am wondering about the "rigging" cables. What to use, how to attach, etc...