Here is an in progress concept shot of my next aircraft build/ diorama featuring a 1/48 Monogram AT-6 Texan. I still need a suitable student pilot figure though.
It will be called “A little Less on the Brakes kid”. It features the AT-6 Texan on the runway after landing that has ended up on its nose after the student was a bit heavy on the brakes. The intructor is the one climbing off the plane looking at the student saying “A little less on the breaks kid”.
I went for simplicty and humor with this subject, even without the title I hope that the fact the aircraft is a Texan trainer that has ended up on it nose shows that there was a student error and is a bit funny.
I don’t know if they would be appropriate, but skid marks might help to convey the scene.
I had a friend, an older gent who was in the Navy (during Korea, I think), tells this story:
As part of a flight crew, he used to warm up the Corsairs before takeoff. Fire up the engines, rev them a bit.
So in the course of events, they switch from Corsairs to Bearcats. He climbs into the cockpit to warm it up as usual. The Bearcat engine was so powerful, that when he pushed the throttle forward, the plane nosed over into the deck. Did a lot of damage, and ruined the plane. He got in some serious trouble and never saw the inside of a cockpit again.
I don’t know if that’s a true story, but it did make me laugh. I’ve often thought of trying to model it.
I like the concept and your layout. I would sugest bending/twisting the proppellor since the enigine would be running and thus damaged the propellor in such an accident. I do not know if any further damage is necassery, the T-6 was a pretty sturdy airplane…
Actually, it should read: “A Little Less on the Brakes, Kid”… Although, the Cadet may be praying that the Instructor give him a break (and not wash him out)…
Outstanding idea there… I always liked the “Any Landing” scenarios…
Thanks for the critique guys, its much appreciated.
Sterno- The Texan was actually going to be built as a navy trainer in a two tone white underside and light blue upperhalf scheme with red surround insignea. But as I was looking at the pilot figure that was climbing off the plane I got the idea for the diorama. Now it will be in army markings and a bare metal finish.
Huxy- I will eventually bend the prop blades, the build didnt start out as this so I had not goten aroudn to it yet. I will also dent the underside fo the engie cowling as well. The concrete base will also have nick marks in it from where the propeller struck into the concrete and chipped it before it stopped.
Just a point to check out, In Canada flying the T-6 (Harvard) instruction was done from the back seat, the student sat up front. I am thinking it was the same South of the 49th.
Don’t know if this is helpful, but my grandfather worked for Republic Aviation During WWII and related this story to me. One day, a P-47 came in for landing on a soggy, rainy day. It’s not clear whether he lost his brakes or hydroplaned, but he went on way too fast and way too far down the runway and finally turned off into the grass/mud alongside. The landing gear dug into the soft ground and the aircraft nosed over, bending the props up and damaging the landing gear. The pilot was unhurt, but the aircraft needed major repairs.
I think this is an excellant subject, especially for anyone who has gone through pilot training, it brings back some memories. I have seen a couple of Harvards in this position after a ground loop, anyone who has flown the type will know what I mean, CFB Moosjaw had a warehouse full of spare wings and props. Just move the chap from the back to the front seat, and leave the instructor right where he is (giving the the student pilot the evil eye) while climbing down and walking back to the operations shack. Trust me: very little is being said at this point. Drop the elevators down, as full aft pressure on the controls is not going to help the situation now, the student is probably thinking more about cleaning his drawers for the butt chewing that is about to take place. Bend the prop and a bit of damage to the bottom cowl and you got yourself a winner.
…or in any tandem-seat aircraft, for that matter. Texan, T-38, Buckeye, Piper Cub, doesn’t matter… the instructor is always in back. In a side-by-side arrangement, the instructor is on the right.
Very cool dio idea, by the way. The Six had a reputation for being more difficult to fly than the fighters it was designed to train pilots for… but the military didn’t consider that to be a bad thing.
I agree that you may want to consider repositioning the elevators. Full up elevator makes it look as though the pilot still has a death grip on the stick. Given that the instructor is giving him a talking-to, he has probably let go of it. Give it a little down elevator as though the stick has fallen forward. [tup]
Kevin (who makes his living flying in the instructor’s seat… [;)])
I recall seeing one version of the Texan that’s a bit unusual… It was called the “Ralston Trainer” from it’s High-Visibilty Red & White-checkered paint scheme that covered the entire aircraft to warn of it’s presence… It was a “Taxi-trainer” (meaning it wasn’t for flight instruction) and the last stop for a Cadet about to do the B4 bag-drag out of flight school… I’ve been hunting for pictures of it for a long time with no luck… It had a set of castors bolted under the nose on a strut that just cleared the ground when the aircraft was in a two-point attitude and an A-frame back to the mains, to keep a cadet who stomped on the brakes from nosing it over and wrecking the prop and crankshaft…
Been wanting to do a model of that aircraft, but can’t find a picture of it anywhere…
Oh, wow, Thanks a bunch! You shall see this built, sir… I was off a bit on the attitude, but it’s been over 25 years since I first saw that thing… I promise you, I’ve been wanting to build this version of the T-6 fot years, but never saw any more on it since the 80s and the magazine article featuring it (Wings or Airpower, Aviation History, not sure which) has been long gone as well…
Could you point me in the direction of the place you found that pic?
Oh, by the way… Here’s a really good piece on flying the T-6… Enjoy.
Thanks for all the input guys! It has helped alot and will take all into consideration.
I also was able to get the personal input of Mr Shepard Paine himself at our monthly MMSI Meeting. He thought it was a great funny idea and he also gave me the following things to add to the diorama.
He said that becuase the entire scene was taking place bewteen the student and the instructor in a very small area nothing else in the diorama actually matters becuase the entire story takes place in the few centemeters that the student and intructor figures are placed in. He told me to make it a great diorama I need every part of the diorama to tell the story. He said to add a portion of runway with skid marks and torn up turf where the airplane slid off the runway into the grass. The propeller should be bent and the elevators should stay up. While technically they should be down, to help tell the story better and show a bit of desperation on the students part showing them in an up position helps convey the last ditch attempt of the student to prevent the accident. Also to add bits of turf on the airplanes wings and nose to show the propeller chewed into the ground and sprayed it everywhere.
Perhaps my favorite addition was to the name intead, of calling it “A Little Less on the Brakes kid” He said make the title look like a statement from the instructor and call it “A little less on the brakes next time kid!”
