Model training, building, finishing, designing

Something I haven't found is a place to go to learn more about model building.  I'm not talking about on the web, I'm talking somewhere local to me to attend in person.  Wouldn't that be cool to go get more instruction from professional model builders.  That would make a cool small business.

Any ideas from all of you readers would be beneficial to all of us.  Does anyone want to send me stuff to post?

Another cool model site

I am always amazed at the sites that pop up on the net.  This makes modeling a lot more fun.
Check it out.

And yet I keep finding more sites with tons of fun stuff

Check out this site for more planes.
http://www.2dogrc.com/ecommerce/os/catalog/electric-planes-axon-micro-plane-series-c-90_186.html?gclid=CJvso-HDtJwCFRBbagodDny0mw

Try this site for Submarine fun

This is a cool Flight sim site for your pc and its FREE!!!!!

Download this and have fun. Its really designed well.


The Flying-Model-Simulator (FMS) is freeware! The FMS is free available for download in the hope that it may be profitable for many users, but without any warranty, not even the warranty for functioning at all.

This software and accompanying written materials are provided "as is", without warranty of any kind. Further, the authors do not warrant, guarantee, or take any representations regarding the use, or the results of use, of the software or written materials in terms of correctness, accuracy, reliability, currentness or otherwise. The entire risk as to the results and performance of the software and hardware is assumed by you. Neither the authors, nor anyone else who has been involved in the creation, production or delivery of this product, shall be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential or incidental damages (including damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information and/or other data, damaged hardware, etc.) arising out of the use or inability to use the product even if the authors have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

The copyright remains with the authors Roman and Michael Möller.

You can make as many copies as you wish and distribute it to anyone, provided that all files are left intact and you do not charge any money for it. You may not sell it or make any other commercial profit with the FMS. One exception could be made if the FMS is been shipped with some other product; this may be allowed, if you have the written permission of the authors first. The condition remains that it is evident to the authors, that you do not make any profit from it, and it has to be obvious to the customers as well that the FMS is freely available.

Modifications of the software and/or the redistribution of modificated or incomplete packages is prohibited.

Click on the title to go to the site....

I decided to start listing all the aero clubs in America and around the world

If you have an aero club url, send it this way and I'll list it for all to read.

Nitro Planes Jet website

This site is excellent for R/C Jet Planes. I went through it and want several planes including the SR-71 and Stealth jets. Very cool stuff, terribly affordable also.
Check out this site and buy something. We need to keep the modeling sites in business.
Here are some examples.

Professional Scale Model Site

One can only wish to attain these skills.

Great modeling advice

This site is worth a read and follow up visits. The advice is very worthwhile and sometimes hard to find. You can read expert reviews of model building, painting and other tips that are useful for us builders.

Old Model Kits

This site has lots of great information for building models. It is put together very well. A great source for commentary and articles. Try the blog for excellent go to information and go to the website http://www.oldmodelkits.com/ to purchase hard to find models.

Its people like these experts that help the rest of us out. You can learn a lot from them.

Great blog for Modelers

Take a look at this Valkyrie on http://plasticlegions.blogspot.com/. Excellent work and very realistic.

Tammies Hobbies Beaverton Oregon

I live next to one of the best hobby shops in the world. If there was one complaint about them it would be the prices. They jack their prices on models. I can't speak about the trains, and R/C stuff because I haven't researched it yet. But I have looked into the models they sell and I can get them cheaper from other websites I have listed on my blog. Disappointing because they are so close and handy.

E-Hobbyland

Good site for buying and building models.

http://www.e-hobbyland.com/woscmoboki.html?gclid=CLeX7MbqspoCFRFWagodclkUcw

Good site for aircraft plans

http://www.aviationshoppe.com/airplane-plans/index.php?category=9

Good site for model airplanes. I love the C-130, and the Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican, but its hard to find plans. If anyone has link for these I would be greatful.

Happy Flying!

Model Shipways

This website is top notch when it comes to ship models.
http://www.modelexpo-online.com/

If your into hovercrafts

hovercraft site


http://www.hovercraftmodels.com/

Mega Hobby website

Found another model website. If anyone has links, please post them so I can add them.
Happy Modelling!
http://www.megahobby.com/

The largest train set in the world

These guys have way too much time on their hands. I wish I were them.

click on the title to view the news report about them. This is very impressive.

Here are some good Submarine Simulation game sites

http://www.subsim.com/index.php Check this out, its an excellent site for addons, and other scenarios for your SH III game. GWX 3.0 Gold is out now.
This site also offers Naval news and Intel articles.

Pick up a copy of Dangerous Waters here and at other sites. I just didn't want to name them all.
http://www.strategyfirst.com/en/games/DangerousWaters/
This game will be part of my inventory pretty soon. It looks like a ton of fun.

Home built CNC machine for under $200

This is a great article on building your own CNC machine. Plenty of instructions and you tubes to watch. Its pretty cool.

China is on board with the Mag lev system

http://www.gluckman.com/Maglev.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Maglev_Train

http://www.slate.com/id/2115114/

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200108/14/eng20010814_77299.html

German Maglev in Iran?

Heres an older article on Iran exploring a Mag lev built by a German firm. More and more countries are getting on board. When will it be the US's time?
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,485422,00.html

Maglev explained

Maglevs (Magnetically levitated trains)

Introduction

The principal of a Magnet train is that floats on a magnetic field and is propelled by a linear induction motor. They follow guidance tracks with magnets. These trains are often refered to as Magnetically Levitated trains which is abbreviated to MagLev. Although maglevs don't use steel wheel on steel rail usually associated with trains, the dictionary definition of a train is a long line of vehicles travelling in the same direction - it is a train.

How it works

A maglev train floats about 10mm above the guidway on a magnetic field. It is propelled by the guidway itself rather than an onboard engine by changing magnetic fields (see right). Once the train is pulled into the next section the magnetism switches so that the train is pulled on again. The Electro-magnets run the length of the guideway.

What is the advantage of Maglev?

Well it sounds high-tech, a floating train, they do offer certain benefits over conventional steel rail on steel wheel railways. The primary advantage is maintanance. Because the train floats along there is no contact with the ground and therefore no need for any moving parts. As a result there are no components that would wear out. This means in theory trains and track would need no maintanence at all. The second advantage is that because maglev trains float, there is no friction. Note that there will still be air resistance. A third advantage is less noise, because there are no wheels running along there is no wheel noise. However noise due to air disturbance still occurs. The final advantage is speed, as a result of the three previous listed it is more viable for maglev trains to travel extremely fast, ie 500km/h or 300mph. Although this is possible with conventional rail it is not economically viable. Another advantage is that the guidway can be made a lot thicker in places, eg after stations and going uphill, which would mean a maglev could get up to 300km/h (186mph) in only 5km where currently takes 18km. Also greater gradients would be applicable.

What is the disadvantages with Maglev

There are several disadvantages with maglev trains. Maglev guide paths are bound to be more costly than conventional steel railways. The other main disadvantage is lack with existing infrastructure. For example if a high speed line between two cities it built, then high speed trains can serve both cities but more importantly they can serve other nearby cities by running on normal railways that branch off the high speed line. The high speed trains could go for a fast run on the high speed line, then come off it for the rest of the journey. Maglev trains wouldn't be able to do that, they would be limited to where maglev lines run. This would mean it would be very difficult to make construction of maglev lines commercially viable unless there were two very large destinations being connected. Of the 5000km that TGV trains serve in France, only about 1200km is high speed line, meaning 75% of TGV services run on existing track. The fact that a maglev train will not be able to continue beyond its track may seriously hinder its usefulness.

A possible solution

Although I haven't seen anywhere a solution could be to put normal steel wheels onto the bottom of a maglev train, which would allow it to run on normal railway once it was off the floating guideway.

500 KPH maglev for Japan

AMSC helps speed Japanese maglev train to 500kph

American Superconductor Corp. of Westborough, a maker of alternative electricity systems, reports that Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central) successfully ran its magnetically levitated train system for the first time using high temperature superconductor (HTS) electromagnetic coils powered by American Superconductor's HTS wire.

The maglev train attained speeds as high as 500 kilometers per hour (approximately 311 miles per hour), while it levitated about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above its "track." Superconductor electromagnets are used as the lifting component in JR Central's maglev train system. Data on the vibration and temperature characteristics of the HTS electromagnet will be collected and analyzed to provide a basis for further improvements.

The maglev train is being considered for Japan's Chuo Shinkansen, a main transportation route connecting Tokyo to Osaka, according to the company. JR Central has been running its maglev trains since 1997 utilizing low temperature superconductor (LTS) electromagnets. HTS electromagnets offer several advantages over LTS electromagnets including a much less complex cooling system allowing simpler designs, lower costs and more reliability, according to AMSC officials.

Additional testing and analysis are required in order for HTS electromagnets to be chosen as the preferred solution for maglev trains. AMSC estimates that the total potential HTS wire requirement for a full, commercial maglev train system for the Tokyo-Osaka run exceeds 100 million meters (62,137 miles).

High Speed Rail

I'm glad more people are talking about high speed rail. I have been interested in Mag levs and Mono Rails for quite some time. It is said that we can't build a line for under $50 Million a mile. Probably right since companies want too much money to do anything now a days. We have spiraled out of control with the cost of things in this world. There is no reason for if out side of greed.

We need to get ahead on technology and start producing things again. MIT had a contest for a modeller to build an 8ft working model of a Mag Lev. Whether it be out of Neodymium magnets or coil controlled electrics. It was worth $20,000 to the winner. I don't know what came of it. That would have been fun to try and build. We have a reseller of Neo mags here in Portland. They are very expensive when you need a couple hundred. I wonder if the mini race car motors that are at http://www.tammieshobbies.com/ would work as a controller to push and pull the train along the track?

Maybe we could start a discussion on how to make a model with the least cost and the best technology. Is that possible?

Brand new blog about Modelling, Building, CAD Design, and Inventions

I am starting this blog to allow anyone to join in on the fun of designing building and using models. Looking at the craftsmanship you put into a static model is just as enjoyable as arriving at the finished product. Starting from store bought plans, or your own drawings to using some of the best software out there. I use Solidworks but love to use Blender. Because its free at http://www.blender.org/. Enjoy the site and help me make it better by adding some content for all to see. Happy Modelling!