Laird Super Solution

Roland Sachsenhofer
These pictures are the start of a model project that I had long shied away from with respect: the kit parts promised a lot of fun and a highly interesting aircraft as a result, but also a lot of 'toil and trouble'. On the other hand: the adventure simply beckons.... 🙂
Here you can see the parts in almost raw condition, I only started to detail a little with round and flat wire. The tricky question was how to treat the sensitive and already somewhat battered transparent part of the unusual cockpit glazing. I decided to cut off the two side parts, mask the inside and outside of the windows and only attach the central clear part at the very end. I like the pictures with the over-designed radial engine: what a power-to-weight ratio for these racing machines!
The last two pictures show the current state of construction and detailing.... Well, we'll see...

Robert Podkoński
Taking a first row seat!

Roland Sachsenhofer
Feel very welcome of course! 🙂

Roland Sachsenhofer
There she is now - at least on her own two feet, even if the appearance with engine and mighty cowling - not to mention the upper wing - will change a lot. The construction steps up to this point were accompanied by a lot of sanding, but the accuracy of fit turned out to be surprisingly good.

Skyhiker
Ok now that's one interesting plane. Certainly not a Laird a**. What a huge engine!

Roland Sachsenhofer
You're right!
A friend asked if I was building a flying washing machine - in fact, the empty mount for the huge motor still reminds me of it. All the more so now that everything is white: it went well with all the white that Martin Mars is currently applying and forms a good basis for the following 'lemon yellow'.

Skyhiker
Looks a bit like a cement mixer to me, but I can see a washing machine in there.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you Skyhiker, Cement mixer - I'm laughing my arse off, the Solution is obviously an inspiring sight: how apt!
It's probably time for the massive cowling with the mighty radial engine to go on the front end. One step towards this is the colour yellow, which will remain on the wings and tailplane. I would like to use Gunze's 'Emerald Green' for the fuselage colour.

Roland Sachsenhofer
From this morning with freshly applied decals: everything seems to shimmer and shine appropriately - but it turned out that the decals are absolute 'self-destructors'. The ones you can see here on the model fortunately went reasonably well, but the large markings on the wings and fuselage were beyond repair: just crumbs. Now I'm looking for someone who might be able to make me some painting masks on a PC. Luckily I scanned the decal sheet beforehand.

Skyhiker
Gosh that's lovely.

Lex Jassies
I always enjoy the surprise you reveal to us. Often with a type of aircraft that I had never seen before. Please keep it up! 👍

Robert Podkoński
The colours are just psychodelic... I love it!

Ben M
Beautiful paintwork!

I don't know if this helps but I've sent scans of decals to stsdecals before and they were able to make replacements for the ones that shattered.

Lex Jassies
By the way, I really like that "Skyways Inc." logo

Roland Sachsenhofer
Hi mates, I'm sure you can imagine how motivating your reactions are - thank you very much! I'll try that, Ben, thanks for that too!

Juergen Klinglhuber
Looking gorgeous !! let me know if you are succesful with stsdecals, I might have other contacts too.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you Jürgen! I've just returned from the 'Bavarian Modelling Days' in Erding - a most enjoyable modelling weekend! 🙂 STS really doesn't look bad, but I may have found a quicker way: A modelling colleague has taken on the task of creating adhesive masks for the outstanding identifiers on his PC. The way things are going, it should be possible to spray soon.
This morning I was able to brace the Super Solution using what I think is a good method: The flat wire is stapled into one hole with cyanoacrylate, the other end is drilled through so that the wire is fixed in place with a drop of super glue while one end is pulled hard. Once everything has hardened - with a spray from the 'activator' in seconds - you can let go - the wire tightens perfectly and all is well. Now all that remains to be done is to sand the excess wire and glue flat before applying a new coat of paint.

Ben M
Oh it's looking so good!

I use a similar approach to wires but I use fine rubber string. I learned from Elias K on here to drill the holes and then patch the finish like you're doing.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thanks Ben! That sounds very interesting with the rubber strings! Can you explain that in more detail? I would be interested!

Ben M
I use a product called "ez line" - maybe the best example is on my tiger moth or deperdussin builds. It is a very fine rubber string. This makes it easy to stretch tight. I drill holes and use a drop of super glue with accelerator as you do. I can do one end, stretch it tight, then do the other. The only drawback is the kind I use isn't perfectly round which is visible when it's twisted. Maybe some other modeler can comment on a better (round) brand of fine rubber line.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you very much for this explanation - it helps a lot and puts me on the right track: well, to my surprise, I'm already using the material! 🙂 I know it under a different name from "Uschi van der Rosten". Excellent when it comes to depicting round wire. You have already described the shortcoming of the material. Many thanks for this tip!

Roland Sachsenhofer
A couple of new pictures show the surfaces that have been sanded smooth again in the places where I fed the tensioning wire through the holes yesterday. Now it's time to paint and touch up again - then nothing stands in the way of applying the final markings!

Roland Sachsenhofer
There are also a few new features on the Laird Super Solution - especially the huge engine changes the appearance! But it looks good on the little thing, no more traces of 'egg-plane', but pure power!

Roland Sachsenhofer
Now it's almost done! I was able to paint the missing markings on the fuselage and the upper and lower wings after a friend generously created exact masks for me on his PC and cutting plotter - thank you very much!
I drilled out the headlights on the leading edge of the upper wing once, the pitot tube on the left strut is improvised from two pieces of silver wire and the peculiar cockpit canopy is mounted - now a few small touch-ups will follow, but the Super Solution is close to the finish line!

Ben M
It's looking great so far.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you Ben!

Roland Sachsenhofer
Well, now it's actually finished: it was actually a very entertaining build, which required a bit of initiative, but was also very informative. I'm really learning to love the kits from Williams Brothers - the choice of models, the research into the original and the approach to realising it in plastic - it's almost all great enjoyment and leaves plenty of room for personal creativity!

Skyhiker
Really nice addition to your collection. Top results as always. Congratulations.

Robert Podkoński
I can only echo the words of Skyhiker, Roland. Chapeau bas!

Alex K
What a beauty! 👍 👍

Rui S
A Beauty indeed 👍

Dave
That's Beautiful

Lex Jassies
A real gem that exudes speed. Congrats with this beautiful result!

Neuling
Colorful build, well enacted against the dark background. 👍

Juergen Klinglhuber
Great result Roland - I hope you will bring this one to the show next week?
👍

Roland Sachsenhofer
Now it's time for me to thank you all for your interest, fine observations and positive comments! It is all quite appreciated and very motivating! Thank you very much! Jürgen, the "Super Solution" will be part of my exhibition 🙂

Stefan Fraundorfer
Congratulations on this excellent model of the Super Solution, with which Jimmy Doolittle won the first Bendix race in 1931.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you very much, Stefan!