1/18 scale Tervamaki Engineering JT-9T autogyro

[Nick_Karatzides]

I’ve been asked about the available space where the rear passenger puts his feet on. From the pictures of the model have been published, and the art images (click HERE) found on the article’s first page, it appears that the rear seat is too close to the back of the front seat - and it is also clear from the bluebrints (click HERE) of the real autogyro that it’s not my own assumption or a model building mistake. In real autogyro, rear passenger's feet are not squeezed behind the front passenger seat back, but they are placed left & right of the front seat! To make it more understandable, here is a picture where:

• The green lines represent the front seat passenger and the position of his feet on the rudder pedals and
  
• The blue lines represent the rear seat passenger and the position of his feet on the rudder pedals.

 

Also notice that the position of controls (stick, rudder pedals and engine throttle) meet the relative position of the elevator and rudder fins, the nose wheel, etc. The front & rear seat rudder pedals perform exactly the same movements as linked to the same wire transmission. If you also check the rudder pedals position, you’ll notice right rudder pedals pressed front end, bringing the left rudder pedals full back. As an effect, the nose wheel turns to the right and rudder fin turns in a way to turn the autogyro to the right as defined by the position of the rudder pedals. In similar manner, both control sticks (which perform exactly the same movements as they are connected to the same bar drive) are positioned slightly forward. This has the effect of elevator fins rotation so as to oblige the autogyro in the descent, as defined by the position of the control sticks. In a similar position the main rotor head is placed as required. As it is known, the autogyros and the helicopters leans to the left or right, elevates nose up or descent nose down, by turning the main rotor blades disc and secondarily to aileron and elevator fins (if present) and turn to left or to right with the rudder fins (autogyros) or tail rotor (helicopters).

 

 

Click HERE to watch a video showing a tandem cockpit seating positions as described. Picture following too.

 

[Nick_Karatzides]

CHAPTER XI - Display base & grass

 

It’s been few months since the JT-9T project was complete. I found nice idea to place it on a display base, simulating an airfield area with concrete ground. The idea was to establish an idea of an abandoned small airfield, now used by general aviation pilots for their weekend excursions. From my local store, I bought a 20x30cm polished wooden picture frame.

 

 

I add some grams of plaster powder and few drops of water with a syringe into a soft rubber cup to make the right mixture. Materials like plaster, start as a dry powder that is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after drying and this characteristic make plaster suitable for the job. Keep in mind that adding salt into wet plaster mixture, reduce the plaster's hardening time and adding vinegar into wet plaster mixture, extend the plaster's hardening time. When the first layer of thinned plaster applied on the picture frame, a glass were pushed against the plaster to form a flat basic strong cast. The basic idea, is to produce a totally flat cast and later add some detail or apply extra stuff where is needed.

 

 

 

 

 

[Nick_Karatzides]

I left it few hours to get harden in order to be sure that the cast wouldn't break when I would try to cut it into desired shape. Meanwhile, I took the soft rubber cup which I used to make the plaster mixture, squized it to break the last hardened plaster left inside, so it would be easier for me to clean it afterwards and prepare it for any future mix. That's the reason this soft rubber cup were used for.

 

 

 

As soon as the plaster cast got harden, cut into shape and the concrete plaques were lined with a scriber, I used my airbrush to paint it. After the polished wooden frame was covered with masking tape, three different acrylic paint layers were applied on the plaster surface. First, mat black colour covered the area and then a light grey applied with airbrush, spraying in almost zero degree angle, to let the darker areas between the concrete plaques remain naturally dark. The corner was paint with earth tones and as soon as the acrylic colours dried, I tried some drybrushing on selected spots using sand tones.

 

 

 

[Nick_Karatzides]

As for he grass & plants, I used three different ways:

• From my local hobby shop, I got different colours of static grass, empty them into a plastic box and make a mixture.

 

• Found into my garden perimeter, I collect few natural stuff, cut and placed into plastic box for such use.

 

 

• From my local super market, I got a small wicker broom. If you look closely, you’ll find some very interesting stuff for scale modeling use and dioramas building.

 

 

[Nick_Karatzides]

Water based white glue for wood, which becomes transparent when it dries, is just the right for the job. So, I opened a 500 grams canister bought for 2€ only, pick a small quantity, add just few drops of water with a syringe into a small metal container to make the right mixture and finally I applied on the desired areas to be filled with grass & plants, using a wet brush. Because the mixture is enriched with water based glue, it is easy to correct possible mistakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nick_Karatzides]

As soon as the result was OK, I sprayed over with Humbrol enamel mat coat, to seal the paint and grass, so far. I left it overnight and as soon as the enamel mat coat dried, I add very few light & dust effects with chalk dust. Feel free to check final pictures of the JT-9T autogyro placed on the display base.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for following this thread and I hope you enjoyed reading this article.

[wuwumaster]

congratulations! fantastic, amazing job!

[Nexus]

Hello Nick!

You do a great job as a modeller and we really appreciate you share your workshop with us. It is something you can't underestimate. Thanks for this!

But... there are some rules which apply to everyone on the forum and I have to ask you to follow them. I'm talking about picture size - according to our rules it cannot be bigger than 800 pixels in horizontal. We do it for the sake of users who have slower speed connection to internet (and in Poland it is not unlikely to have such one). I hope you understand our request and follow it.

Best Regards

 

 

Tłumaczenie:

Witaj Nick!

Jako modelarz wykonujesz wspaniałą robotę i wszyscy doceniamy to, że dzielisz się z nami swoim warsztatem. To jest coś czego nie można nie docenić. Dzięki za to!

Ale są pewne reguły, które dotyczą wszystkich na forum i muszę Cię poprosić o ich przestrzeganie. Chodzi o rozmiar zdjęć - zgodnie z zasadami wymiar poziomy nie może przekraczać 800 pikseli. Robimy to dla użytkowników, którzy mają wolniejsze łącza do internetu (i w Polsce nie jest to coś nietypowego). Mam nadzieję, że zrozumiesz naszą prośbę i dostosujesz się.

Pozdrowienia.

[Nick_Karatzides]

I tried black paper background (instead of white) & different light conditions and I was surprised on how the model looks like. From now on, black background and low level lighting only...

 

PS. A little sparrow bird is now present on tail fin