Aeronca Champ '85 kit# 301LC

[heywooood]

Current project is the Aeronca from Guillow.
As usual I'm building it as an infilled, static display model. I'll be adding the Guillow floats to it and detailing the interior as well as scratch building a basic Continental 65HP motor.
Here you can see I've left the upper fuselage stringers and cabin sides off while I work on the interior - the seats are being prepped for paint. The engine block has been shaped.
As soon as the fuselage is done, infilled, and ready for paint, I'll build up the floats and then mock it up so I can measure the float struts. Then the wings and tail surfaces can be fabricated.
I thought this kit came with a pilot figure..seems it used to when it was die crushed - but not with the new laser cut kit. I'll have to source an aviator for it..

[edbecky]

Heywooood, with your talent you could probably carve a pilot from a block of balsa.

[heywooood]

Lol - no not quite...fortunately parkflyerplastics.com has civilian and military pilot busts that are cheap and can
fit the bill. I use them all the time. But I appreciate your opinion nonetheless.

[heywooood]

update - interior work is ongoing..

[cliffm]

My dear old dad used to rebuild these old air knockers as they were affectionately called and he had a replacement set of original seat covers for a 57 chevy that my mom fitted to the seats that turned out just beautiful. The guillows model was a great build and I put a set of skis on mine to replicate dad's old fox hunting machine, it was still legal in the Dakotas to hunt fox into the early 60's, what a rush!!!!

[heywooood]

Thank you Cliff, I hope to do a good job on this iconic and vital civil aircraft. A working man's airplane and a stick n rudder beauty.

check out youtube channel 'Heywood Planes' to see this build and the YPT-9 Cloudboy in living color

[heywooood]

update on the Aeronca project..

[heywooood]

still working away at the Aeronca..

[heywooood]

a lot of work has been done - but not many pictures taken..
this is the current state of the build

[heywooood]

here is the Aeronca standing on her floats.
I still have two more struts to make (rear float struts) and then it will need some rigging applied.

Lots to do yet

[heywooood]

work continues on the Champ..

[heywooood]

The Guillow Aeronca Champ '85 is complete..

[heywooood]

final images with a proper backdrop and lighting -

[edbecky]

Love the detail. Great job!

[heywooood]

Thank you, Ed - I put a lot of effort into this one.
The best part of the build for me was figuring out a better way to handle the windscreen / glazing and getting rid of the seam down the middle of windscreen.