For those unfamiliar with the Voyager, it was a plane designed by the legendary Burt Rutan for the sole purpose of flying around the world, non-stop, on a single tank of fuel.
Circumnavigating the globe in an airplane had been done as far back as 1924, and a non-stop circumnavigation had been accomplished as early as 1949 using aerial refueling. But the feat of making a non-stop flight without assistance was truly an aviation milestone.
I followed the Voyagers flight as closely as possible, and as up-to-the-minute as 1980's technology allowed. The flight was a significant technological achievement, and proof that man has limitless potential. (And I don't think it's coincidental that a project this historic and revolutionary was funded entirely by private funds.) The impression the Voyager left on me is a big reason why I'm in aviation today.
As the Voyager was designed for a specific purpose, pilot comfort and safety were secondary, if not non-existent, priorities. The plane's poor handling and cramped space did not impress pilot Dick Rutan: "I got to really hate this airplane. I felt not only was it not going to work, but I would probably die in it."
This turned out to be exactly how I felt about building the model.
Frankly, even with my limited experience, I could tell this was a poorly manufactured kit. This accurate review posted by Fine Scale Modeler user EZSnapes sums it up:
"Overall the kit is crude. The parts are poorly molded with rough surfaces and poor fit. I have never spent so much time filling gaps and sanding a 1/72 model. The kit is also inaccurate in many ways. I corrected several small errors, most notably the front prop. Even though the fuselage is too flat, there is no mistaking the craft for what it is."
There's not much left to say. The model is a disaster with regards to just about everything. Check out the heavy flashing on the sprue (and take note of the cockpit piece on the right):
As you can see, you'll get a workout in the cutting and sanding department. Frankly, I don't think a single joint went together correctly on this model. That cockpit panel in the above pic was far too small to fit in the opening on the fuselage, so I had to get creative with the Window Maker:
The side windows had the opposite problem: The openings on the fuselage were much too small to fit the plastic windows. After many passes with the hobby knife, I gave up and filled them with the clear goop.
The instructions for this model are, uh, spartan.
This was my first attempt at using a filler and sanding, and I used white putty from Squadron Products. It seemed a little dry while spreading on, but it sanded easily. My technique improved on later models.
In the end, there was simply too much fuss and frustration on this model and I couldn't finish it fast enough. The decals were difficult to apply, and the stand was flimsy (I cut the post in half which seemed to stiffen it up). I was more than happy to stop fiddling with this kit, and my bad attitude shows up in the final result:
Fighting until the end, this thing wasn't even easy to photograph. Here's a close-up of the main body:
This model wasn't fun at all, especially for a beginner on their third project. But this is such an amazing aircraft with an amazing story that I feel compelled to do it justice in the future. I look forward to rebuilding this kit once I have more experience under my belt. I've seen other hobbyists successfully build beautiful versions, so I know it can be done. For me, my next attempt at Voyager will have to wait until I have a dedicated workshop, and vast amounts of free time available. But when that happens I'm looking forward to getting this one done right.
Happy building!
While the Glue is Drying:
Some may note that I built the model showing the winglets. In fact the tips didn't make the journey, as a result of damage during takeoff as the fuel-laden wings scraped along the runway. This video showing the event is well worth watching:
The moon landing and much planetary exploration was done using public funds, and indeed the Voyager team had GREAT trouble gaining enough private funds to make it possible, as well as risking their lives, damaging their relationships and almost working themselves to death. Maybe it would have gone smoother with public funds.
ReplyDelete(I apologize for the long delay in my response).
ReplyDeleteI think it's worth noting the moon landing had immeasurable political implications. There was immense value in sending a message to the Soviets when we went to the moon, so government funding was, perhaps, more justified. Further, it's a bit of a counterfactual exercise to determine how much private capital was crowded out by the governments heavy push to get into space.
Jeana Yeager's fundraising skills were arguably her most valuable contribution to the project. Also, contra the "space race," Voyager's mission had little apparent military or political value. That such a significant achievement was made by voluntary donations is inspiring. Further, the story of Voyager is rife with tales of ingenuity and resourcefulness. Neither of those traits are particularly necessary when drawing from the government's bottomless pit of other people's money.
I suspect any pilot would be risking their lives regardless of how the project was funded. It's true that their relationships were harmed by their efforts, but that probably would have happened anyway. Yeager's and Rutan's romance was already beyond repair before they even took off, and it had little to do with their source of funding. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Rutan in 2014, and even then he repeatedly referred to Jeana as "whatsername." It's unlikely a government subsidy would have changed their fate.
I stand by my comments. In any event, the *capitalism vs. collectivism* debate is beyond the scope of this blog.
I appreciate your comment and wish you easy builds in the future!
Regards,
Jeff