I posted this in the Ship Forums as well because it says “US Navy” on it. But since it floats in the air instead of floats in the water, I thought I’d show her off here too:
Well, it’s definitely something different for these Forums!
Sorry I didn’t reply to this sooner guys, I forgot to check the “Notify me” button! [:I]
Thank you for the great comments, I’m glad you all like this. I sure enjoyed building it, and when I got it, I really felt I’d scored big!
This kit is the very old AMT injection-molded kit, last issued in the early seventies, I believe. I got it at my model club’s “Distressed Kit Auction” for about $4.00. The box was all torn up and barely able to even hold the model inside! It’s a miracle I didn’t lose any parts.
It is about 21 inches long after assembly; I don’t know what scale that makes it, and it was easy to put together. The fit of everything was excellent and the decals, despite their age went on smooth and easy.
I hand painted it with Tamiya Flat Aluminum, even going over it when it was partially dry to enhance the texture already on it. The windows were all painted on as well.
I haven’t won any awards for it, but I am thrilled to have it in my collection. I only wish that I could get the Akron so I can have the set, but last time I saw one on E-bay, it was approaching $200.00 in price! Too rich for my blood!
Any other comments are welcome. Thaks again for checking this out.
Your Macon looks great! Both the Macon and Akron were fitted out with Curtis F9C Sparrowhawk fighters that were released and retrieved by a trapeze apparatus on the blimps.
Thanks for sharing Duke. I’ve always wanted to build an airship, but haven’t seen any in the scales I like to build (1/72, 1/144) which really, is a pretty dumb reason for not having one.
They were an important part of our air history, and I appreciate you bringing it back into the light.
Thanks for the link Lufbery! Yeah, the instruction sheet and box even described this as “the Worlds first flying aircraft carriers”!
Unfortunately, no there is no hanger for the planes. If I’d built this now, I might have put one in, but I didn’t have good enough reference photos at the time I was building this. Plus, my skills weren’t really on a par to do something like that. Unfortunately again, they didn’t even include a small Sparrowhawk with the kit either.
Thanks stinger! Yeah, I’d have loved to do an airship in 1/72 scale also! That is my preferred scale as well, but since there seems no hope of a kit of that size ever happening, I decided to snap this up while I had the chance!
Actually if you want a BIG airship, I would advice you to have a look at the plans that are being sold by AERONAUT, a German company who specializes in plans for AC and ships.
About ten years ago I bought plans for the Hindenburg, unfortunately I never got around building it, and during my moving the plans were lost.
However that thing would have been about 12 feet long and completely maneuvrable with R/C, there was no frame inside and all the electronics were supposed to be installed in the gondola.