RE: TF FW190 GIANT ARF
Thanks for the opening Terry! Here is a "sneak peak" at the in-progress sculpt of the upcoming WWII Luftwaffe Best Pilots figure. He will be 1/5 scale, sporting authentic Luftwaffe gear. The perfect match for the TF 190. Can anyone tell who he is sculpted after?
Posted on: 8/23/2012 12:21 PM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11203633

RE: Warbirds Over Iowa 2012
Warbirds over Iowa 2012 was a great time! The Cedar Rapids Skyhawks outdid themselves with hospitality, a fantastic place to fly and they even special ordered no-wind conditions all day Saturday. Thanks to everyone involved for a great time. Below is a link to a Youtube video of Steve Forrest and I flying our Mustangs on Sunday. Video supplied by Dennis Johnson... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0McEmJ1P6Q&feature=g-all-lik
Posted on: 7/25/2012 10:15 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11168680

RE: Giant Scale Twins F7F Tigercat
Masterful flying Noah! Of course after seeing you fly several years, it is to be expected, however, a 35+ MPH wind takes confidence and know-how to fly successfully in that! The both of your "cats" look great! You guys hit upon a pet peeve of mine as well. Videos of flying. A good flight video, in my opinion, shows take-off, a few fly-bys with rolls or whatever, any "oops" moments, and then Landing. Leave 'em wanting more! I think these videos should strive to convey the thrill and excitement of this hobby. Stan obviously gets what its all about. Good job Stan!
Posted on: 5/24/2012 12:05 PM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11093272

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
I am very excited to share with you guys here on RCSB the following email I received... "Dear Lyle, WOW! That sculpture is amazing! In my opinion, you definitely captured Lothar! Yes, I can imagine that it would be hard to sculpt a three dimensional figure of someone where you can only see two dimensional photos. I will show my family! But you have done very good, and that's great coming from a von Richthofen! Thanks again! You are very talented!" ~Saya von Richthofen - The great-great-granddaughter of Lothar von Ricththofen.
Posted on: 5/21/2012 11:14 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11088985

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Well gee whiz guys! Thanks for the compliments. I am very flattered. I’m glad you guys enjoyed the “build”. You know, I really believe that all of us modelers have lot of artistry within ourselves. I just happen to have more training/experience in creating a human likeness. To me, a beautifully crafted RC model aircraft is just as much a work of art, if not more so, than some objects in art galleries/museums. Of course, they look even better with a good looking pilot in the cockpit! The cool thing is after creating our works of art, we get to go out and fly them! I look forward to meeting you guys at the fly-ins this summer! And yes, Manfred, after getting Lothar squared away, and getting my RC planes ready for the summer, I will be starting on a 1/5 scale WWII German Luftwaffe pilot. Stay tuned!
Posted on: 3/30/2012 6:55 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11020975

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Wow! This has been quite a journey. Sculpting 1/4 scale figure has had a few unexpected surprises, like the eyes had to be sculpted with more detail to look right, the figure uses exponentially more resin, and the size of the mold required a much larger motor to rotocast. It got a little hectic at times juggling the sculpting and filling orders, but that is a good thing for the business. On the plus side, they are easier on the eyes to paint, actually they are a lot of fun to paint if you like that sort of thing. Luckily I do! It has been a rewarding process, not only because the vision I had of Lothar was realized, but you guys on this forum have been an inspiration to me to strive beyond my best. Here are the beauty shots and the first batch of Lothars itching to take to the sky in search of that next victory. Available now on the Best Pilots website!
Posted on: 3/26/2012 10:16 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11015697

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Finally had a weekend to really finish up the sculpt on Lothar and harden the clay in the oven. Everything has gone well so far, no cracks or anything and next up is the making of the molds.
Posted on: 2/17/2012 9:39 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10963238

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Thanks Bob! Glad to know you are following along! The last component and the one I have been eagerly awaiting to sculpt... the leggings or puttees. Nothing says “The Great War” like puttees. Combatants on both sides wore them. To sculpt them, I had to do a little research, and found there was definitely a trick to wearing these, and if not put on correctly, one could run across the airfield and end up with their puttees dangling around their ankles! (That actually sounds dirtier than it is. Lol!) How embarrassing. Their function was to keep dirt out of your shoes and provide a measure of support for your legs. Lothar must have liked them, because he is wearing them in a lot of photos. They were amazingly simple to create in clay, just made a string of clay and wrapped that around the leg, keeping the spacing exactly as Lothar’s pair. Then feathered them into the leg. Last detail was the little clip on the side and texture. As I was sculpting the legs, I kept remeasuring Lothar’s legs, for they seemed pretty darned skinny in comparison to his upper body and bulky coat. Nope, they are dead-on to the photo I blew up to true quarter scale. The guy had skinny legs, “bird-legs” if you will, which is fitting for an aviator I guess!
Posted on: 2/7/2012 3:19 PM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10948139

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen

Posted on: 1/30/2012 11:41 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10935325

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
This sculpt is moving right along! But it is now time to sculpt the most challenging item... SHOES! Yes, shoes are more difficult to sculpt than even the face. Mainly because they are two items that have to be identical, except a MIRROR image of the other! It was challenging, but very rewarding when they started to obtain the “lived-in” look I was after. From what I could see, Lothar was wearing the hobnailed infantry boot in the photo of him dismounting from the Albatros. This makes sense to me. Instead of wearing the dress boot, while on combat patrol, I would prefer to be wearing the infantry boot if forced down in No-Man’s land! So how do you “hobnail” a 1/4 scale boot? It turns out, very carefully. I wanted “rivets” in the clay, and regular pin heads were a bit too big. So I hollowed out the end of a coat-hanger wire so that it was cup shaped. Then dipped that in clay and gave it a slight twist while applying it to the sole of the shoe. Ta-Dah! Hobnailed boots. Wish something like that would work as well for making raised rivets on a model!
Posted on: 1/30/2012 11:38 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10935321

RE: Bulding a 1/4 sccale BUSA Fokker D7
I understand and thanks for your interest in my pilots. Good luck with the build, I can't wait to see her in the air!
Posted on: 1/17/2012 7:21 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10913245

RE: Bulding a 1/4 sccale BUSA Fokker D7
This build is looking fantastic! I would be honored if you would consider having one of my pilots in the cockpit. Here is the link to my "build" for my 1/4 scale WWI German Pilot - http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10800179/anchors_10807843/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#10807843 He should be available mid Feb. 2012! Keep up the great work!
Posted on: 1/16/2012 5:40 PM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10912404

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
This weekend’s focus was on finishing the torso and gloves, then applying the texture and stitches to everything. I was happy with how the safety belts turned out. I was even able to apply that slight “pucker” that stiff material sometimes gets. The fur collar was fun, but it sure was time consuming. I could have just brushed it with a wire brush, but it just didn’t have the look and feel of rabbit fur. So I made my own smaller wire brush, feathered the ends of the wire with my Dremel tool and applied that. The results were much better, with some individual areas modified with a single wire. It wasn’t sculpted “hair by hair” but it was, at times, pretty close to that. I finally found a sample of actual WWI German aviation gloves so I replicated those. They were just what I was looking for. Gauntlets with a strap. In the past, hands/gloves have been a bit of a challenge, these actually just fell into place. I must be learning something! Of course the leather texture makes these pop. Some people have commented that the 1/4 scale must be easier to do since everything is bigger. Well, everything is easier to get to, but since it is bigger, there is more surface area to cover. Also, the larger size is less forgiving with the details. The smaller scales allow a little “fudge factor”, since they are so small. I’m not allowing myself that luxury on this scale, because those details are larger and therefore have to be more defined. In short, it IS easier on the eyes when sculpting, but there is MORE to sculpt.
Posted on: 1/16/2012 8:34 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10911507

RE: WWI 1/4 Scale Pilot Figures - Where are they?
Thanks for the "plug" UncleJoe. Loopman, Below is a shot of my latest pilot in the works, he is non other than Lothar Von Richthofen, the younger - but no less deadlier - brother of the Red Baron. He is 1/4 scale, full-bodied and will be hollow-cast in durable resin. All detail is authentic, right down to the crown on his Imperial German Army buttons! Here is the "build" thread of how I created Lothar... www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10800179/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm He will be ready for sale Mid-February 2012. Best of luck with your WWI project!
Posted on: 1/16/2012 4:32 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10911170

RE: Giant Scale Twins F7F Tigercat
Hey Noah, Thanks so much for the kind words. I'm thrilled to have one of my pilots in your aircraft, I know you will treat him good. The Tigercat is looking awesome! Can't wait to see Bob "guiding" it through the skies this summer. All the Best! - Lyle
Posted on: 1/11/2012 6:17 PM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10904277

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Thanks Terry! Couldn't resist a little Photoshop fun. Many smooth landing for the New Year everyone!
Posted on: 1/3/2012 9:12 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10889437

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Here is wishing you all had a great holiday season! After knocking in the upper torso, I began to wonder if I shouldn’t put the lap belts on the sculpture. I didn’t think of it before, because in my mind, in WWI there were no parachutes (until the last summer of the war on the German side only), therefore, no belts. I don’t think other pilot makers include lap belts either. BUT, It would add to the visual interest of the pilot and save my customers some time by supplying them. That’s added value folks! Well, lets do it! Now did you ever have a change of plans and then that change tended to wipe out some previous work? That NEVER happens in RC right? Remember the buttons I fixated on earlier. I cast around a dozen of them... now with the belts in place, they cover up all but TWO buttons! What can I say, nothing beats good planning. The Germans were pretty consistent in the design of safety belts. I was able to find actual factory drawings from Fokker, scaled them down and voila! 1/4 authentic safety belt fittings! I cut them out of an aluminum can. Once again, something this geometric will keep its shape better than if made in clay. Since this will be cast out of a mold, it all has to be filled in with clay behind to avoid severe undercuts. This will help the piece come out of the mold much easier when done. When painted black, and dry-brushed with a touch of silver paint I expect these will look great! Next the belts themselves have to fashioned with texture and historically accurate stiching and seams. After the saftey belts are in place I can rest assured that Lothar has “clicked it, and won’t get a ticket”.
Posted on: 1/2/2012 7:50 PM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10888751

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
I had a little technical difficulty the last couple of weeks when our 7-year old Canon camera shot craps! So the last few updates have been taken with my Android phone and they don’t look too bad for a phone, but I think the pics taken today with our new phone and micro-lens, will show the detail and texturing much better for you guys. I finally “pulled the trigger” and baked Lothar’s head, (that sounds downright mean! Lol.) permanently curing the Sculpey into a rock hard state. It is worse than packing for a 5 day trip: Did I get that? Did I smooth that? Is all the texture popping? What about the eyes? etc. I was sweating bullets putting him in the oven! After cooking for some 6 hours, there were no cracks or soft spots. Yay! Looking at his portrait in its final state, the result is a success! I am excited about how the Best Pilot “top secret”-texturizing worked out on the helmet, scarf and goggle strap. The eyes are believable non-painted, which is a good indication he will paint up well. I did get to include eyelashes if you look closely. Whilst flying, he should be able to pick out the “English Lords” from quite a distance!
Posted on: 12/20/2011 8:30 PM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10869216

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Manfred, (I like the name!) I'm shooting for the middle of February. Of course that is dependent upon the unforseen. I will be glad to have you as a Best Pilots customer!
Posted on: 12/13/2011 3:35 PM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10858066

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Well, I’ve got all the major components “blocked in”, Head, Torso & Legs. It is a touch & go process, since these parts are separate and then have to fit together, it sometimes feels like you can’t finish one until you finish the other... and then vice versa! But through working it out and thinking through the process it comes together. Because of the size of this figure, I had to create an armature, which is essentially a skeleton of heavy wire to support the weight of the clay. You can see a bit sticking out from his left foot. The overcoat and collar is working for me and I really like the scarf in there. The head will be able to be positioned quite a bit like a socket joint inside the scarf. I decided to go with the “puttees” or leg wraps that were in vogue during the Great War. They are more intricate to sculpt, but will look oh-so-cool! Check out that fur on the collar! It isn’t very hard to do, but does take some patience to get right.
Posted on: 12/13/2011 9:40 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10857493

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
When sculpting from a few photos, you have to translate what you see in 2-d and make it 3-d. The more photos I have from all angles of the subject, the better. It seems like there weren’t any photos available of Lothar that were true profiles until I happened across the films by Anthony Fokker that happened to show Lothar. I caught a couple of frames with him in profile and was completely surprised by the side view of his nose. Instead of a nose with a hump, it was more ski-slope shaped! It doesn’t look like it in the 3/4 quarter views because the nose is also wide at the bridge, due to the high contrast of old photos and reproductions, it looked like a hump. When I resculpted the nose, it all “clicked”. I love it when doing this and I discover something. Really neat. For some reason, the new nose makes Lothar look younger, which is good. I also took a whole day to pretty much finish up the head, goggles, and flying helmet. Lots of leather and fur to apply textures to! This texture should really be awesome to paint and I can’t wait to see how realistic this leather and fur will look.
Posted on: 12/4/2011 7:13 PM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10843491

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
I chose the coat and flight gear from the original photo below. One can’t argue it isn’t authentic clothing, when he is photographed getting out of the airplane wearing it! I like the overcoat with shoulder boards (epaulettes) and what looks like metallic buttons. Those will look very good on the finished painted pilot figure. Now, were they just FLAT buttons or ornate? After Googling “Imperial German Military Buttons”, (the Internet is an infinite resource for this stuff), and discovered there are people that collect buttons! I found a photo of what a standard issue button would look like if you were in the Prussian service, as Lothar was. Can’t tell if it is exactly like what is on the coat from the photo, but it can’t be far off. After checking it out, the size of the 1/4 scale buttons looks to be around 3/16 of an inch. Now I need to draw a crown within a 3/16” circle and create about 8 of these buttons. Hmmmm. So now you guys are really getting to see how anal I am about this stuff. I got out my finest needle and inscribed a crown within a “dimple” in clay. I then poured resin in that. That created a master. The master was then pressed repeatedly in the clay to make multiple moulds of this little button. After casting these, the results were then punched out and I think I got a pretty good 1/4 Imperial Prussian Army button. As good as my hand and eyes could create them. This is some DINKY stuff!
Posted on: 11/29/2011 9:01 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10834519

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Thanks guys! Vertical Grimace, it would be an honor to have Lothar in your Fokker D-7, which is the best looking one I've ever seen. And you fly it very well.
Posted on: 11/29/2011 5:27 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10834243

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
A good friend of mine let me borrow a Balsa USA 1/4 Fokker Dr1 fuselage so as to check the fit of Lothar. (Yep, his triplane took-off more times than it landed, hate it when that happens!) Anyway, Lothar fits perfectly! I snapped a quick picture with my phone, with the resulting poor picture quality. Thought it might make a good "aged" photo and here are the results. I think Lothar is going to look very good in these Balsa USA models!
Posted on: 11/28/2011 7:11 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10832647

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Hey Donny, You know, going to RC events and meeting good people like yourself, is just "icing on the cake" in this hobby. Best Pilots WILL have a Tuskeegee airman some day. I just have to complete a couple more projects and it would really help if I could grow at least two more arms! Ha. All the best to you and your wife.
Posted on: 11/28/2011 5:59 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10832562

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Right back at you David. Your commitment to authenticity and detail is fantastic. Guys, if you want a feast for the eyes, check out David's work. davidbathe.com
Posted on: 11/23/2011 4:55 PM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10826211

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
With your painting skills BobH, he will definitely be a chick magnet! Funny story along those lines.... At the flying field last summer, I was sitting next to the "full-scale" Bob Sweeney. I had a friend bring a female pilot figure he had sculpted and asked me to paint it for him. I said I would and placed the painted female figure in my duffle bag full of Bob Sweeney pilots. I looked at the real Bob, and then yelled in the bag, "Now all you little Bobs behave with that lady in there!" The real Bob got a chuckle out of that.
Posted on: 11/23/2011 10:10 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10825622

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
The last week has been busy filling orders. Thanks out there to all the Best Pilots customers! I’ve found I really have to discipline myself on time allotment when working on Lothar. When I start sculpting, I find it very hard to stop. It is liking reading a great “page-turner” novel that you just can’t put down. I want to see HOW IT ENDS!! “UNSEXY” WORK - There isn’t much difference in what you see here because a lot of the work has been on the “unsexy” part of the project. Mixing clay and determining how the parts will fit together. Lothar will be, as all Best Pilot figures, cast in a couple of parts. This is done for ease of casting and it also makes it so the head can be positionable on the torso. I’ve also been going back and forth on what kind of coat LvR is going to wear. I’ve decided on the older style woolen type coat with the fur collar turned up. It should definitely be more visually exciting than the one piece combination suite worn later in the war. Of course, I go back and refine and fuss over some of the detials, so you might see some slight changes here and there. SCARF? - As I was describing this set up to a friend, he was disappointed that Lothar won’t have a flowing white silk scarf trailing behind him. I know that is the image of a WWI fighter pilot but it seems that really was more of a Hollywood invention than reality. The Germans did wear scarves, but it looks like they were woolen and bundled/tied around the neck than left trailing in the breeze. I read somewhere that the scarf trailing in the slipstream is actually uncomfortable since it is constantly tugging violently at the pilots neck! One use of the scarf I’ve read about was to clean the oil coming off of the engine from the goggles. In my research I’ve seen several pilots with a handkerchief tied through a button hole in their coat for this purpose. Hmmm. Might be a neat detail to add on LvR.
Posted on: 11/23/2011 9:36 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10825572

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
It amazes me the different varieties of goggles that have been used in aviation. Even within the same air force, there are different ones used. The Imperial German Air Force of WWI was no exception. I have photos of even Lothar wearing different types. I decided to settle on the round ones that he is wearing in the Spring of 1918 photo shoot. I've found a nice photo reference for ones similare to what he is wearing. See below. Nothing is quite as hard to sculpt and keep its shape as a flat plane. The second hardest thing to sculpt and have it keep its shape is a small tube. These goggles incorporate both shapes! Well, I’m not a purist in materials. I’ll use whatever works to arrive at the final shape! In this case I’m using aluminum to make the lenses and wire to make the rims. I made a little wooden form to shape the lenses around to keep them consistent and then CAed them to the aluminum lens. These should not get dinged during the sculpting process. I’ll sculpt the “barrels” and fur of the goggles in clay. So far I’m really digging the results.
Posted on: 11/17/2011 10:12 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10816582

RE: Sculpting a 1/4 scale WWI Lothar Von Richthofen
Awesome acceptance speech Transatlantic! Veltro - I use rubber-tipped sculpting tools, in various sizes, and they really help smooth out the clay.
Posted on: 11/15/2011 5:34 AM by Author "Fly4Real" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10812910