1/48 Roden Pilatus Porter

Really nice detail.  Great looking build and I hope it show up on the pages of FSM.

Thanks Don and JRB. I appreciate your commenting.

I went to a model show yesterday and Tom Valenta took pictures for Finescale Modeler and Scale Auto.  The Porter may show up in the magazine.

Wow, that is some nice scratchbuilding.  You guys always give me something to shoot for, always showing us that little bit extra that really sets off a model.  Thank you.

Jack

Gorgeous!

Thanks for commenting TankerB.  This plane has a lot of little 'things' sticking off of it.

The metal spinner came out well.  I'll be doing more of them in the future.

Oh My ;

 Can you say Good Bevins to Hetsy ?

 Talk about detail ? Too bad the plane's panels couldn't be metal in places .That spinner is nothing short of awesome . Yes , you are right , Nothing looks like polished metal than metal !

Came back around and finished this one.  It was my first Roden kit.  Reminded me of a limited production kit.  Good detail, but attachment points are sketchy.  Panel lines are wide and shallow.  Surface is not polished smooth, but paint went on fine.

The final paint coats did not go on well.  Some fisheyes showed up initially which hindered good coverage.  Not my best finish, but it doesn't show up so much in the pictures.  This would be a great kit if the panel lines were better.

Nice detail, that's all going to bring a square box model to life.

Coming along nicely.  Really like the spinner.  Great idea for AM product.   Gear look nice as well.  Should be quite a nice piece.

I decided to try  to make a spinner from aluminum because nothing looks like metal better than real metal.

First setup - rough shaping using cutters and a file.

Second setup - finished off the pointy end.

Drilled holes for prop blades and polished.

Mockup on the nose.

Getting close to spraying some gloss paint.

Planning a white/red trim over gray color scheme.

Those headsets are gorgous.

Nice work going on there, including the scratchbuilding.

Got the interior mostly done.  Seemed to take forever.

scratchbuilt some headsets and landing gear struts.  Can't build out of the box, you know.

I believe the company that builds the Porter, or a related compamy in Europe bought rights to certain patented features of the Porter.  There was an intermediate aircraft between the Helio Courier and the present Porter, but there are genes that were passed up the line.

I saw an Aviat Husky land on the short direction of 8/26 at K34 (Gardner, KS). Wind was about 15/25 from 180. It was impressive.

I actually watched one do it - stiff headwind. The Storch supposedly could do the same and I've also watched a Cub do it. Again, stiff headwind.

I don't think the Porter could land on a tennis court - its a huge plane.

I don't mean to speak for Don, by I inferred from his post that the Helioplane was the predecessor of the Porter in the sense that the Helio was the first purpose-built VSTOL (V for Very, not Vertical) general aviation aircraft.

Ciao!

Bolt

Hi Don :

      Well , I would take you to task there . The Helio Courier was more like the " Vertiplane " than the Pilatus Porter . The Porter is a true airplane where the helio I believe was a Gryroplane 

Hello Don!

Please excuse me for saying this, but aren't you confusing the Pilatus Porter with the Helio Courier? Those planes, although look similar, aren't related in any way, from what  I know.

Have a nice day

Paweł

I remember a demo at an airshow of the Helioplane, in late '40s or early '50s.  That was the predecessor of the Porter.  It was amazing- they said it could take off and land in a tennis court.  The Porter has grown, though, over the years- wonder if it could still do that.

Hello!

Cool thing. I would like to build it some day in 1:72, as the AU-23 from the Vietnam War.

Good luck andthanks for sharing, have a nice day

Paweł