Minifig-scale Martin M-130 flying boat
About this creation
I've just posted some photos of a minfig-scale, Really Big Flying
Boat that I finished yesterday.
I've been working on a variety of Golden Age flying boat MOC projects and this
one is easily the largest I've attempted. Once again, it's based on the Martin
M-130, better known as the "China Clipper," that Pan Am flew on its transpacific
routes in the late 1930s.
The smaller model I finished last month served as a prototype where I worked out
a number of design ideas, and some of those made it into the larger boat. I
learned that three seats side-by-side don't really hold three minifigs, as their
arms take up more space than one seat offers. So the aircraft is not nearly as
wide as it should be for six-across seating, and each of the five passenger
compartments has 8 seats instead of 12.
The standard airplane windows are a little small for scale, and I didn't have
enough of the single windows to try SNOT techniques...so I used double windows,
and this plane has a lot more windows than an M-130. Artistic license, anyone?
The real M-130 had a plain metal exterior with orange on top of its wings. I
went with a red/white/grey color scheme because I thought plain grey would be
dull, and I have a lot more red slopes (for the nose) than blue ones!
My ultimate goal is to try a minifig-scale Boeing 314 flying boat, but I'm
certain that I need a lot more parts for that project. But as my 6-year-old son
said last week, "Lego isn't about worrying, it's about building!" So maybe I'll
give it a go with what we have on hand.
Constructive comments are welcome. If anyone has some ideas for creating more
convincing dihedral in a 40"-48" span wing made from large bricks and plates,
I'm all ears!
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Passenger compartment without table. Each compartment has 8 seats, and you have to leave room between the seats for minifig arms!
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Flight deck. Just below and to the right of center is the ladder leading to the main deck.
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View from portside aft of the wing. The rather plain sponson is visible below the main wing.
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Closeup of the nose. The main entry hatch is just beyond the small blue window in the center.
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Overhead showing the wing shape. The wing is actually built in eight sections, strapped together with 1x2 grille plates.
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Comments
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I like it |
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March 2, 2012 |
wow amazing |
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I like it |
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October 23, 2009 |
Great plane and great detail i like it ! |
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I like it |
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September 4, 2008 |
i wish i could build something like that! |
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I like it |
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August 2, 2008 |
Great! The China Clipper is awesome. only four were built, and all of them crashed. I hope yours doesn't meet the same fate. |
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I like it |
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December 30, 2006 |
at First glance i thought it was randomly coloured, but when i saw the closeups... great Colourshcheme! i love the little cabin areas :)i wouldnt mind taking a ride on this plane! |
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I like it |
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February 2, 2006 |
I'm amazed at how big it is, how audacious the nose and tail designs are, and how nicely the interior is furnished. Also, I never would have thought to use 1x2 jumper plates like that to mount chais I've used two at a time to get the back of the chair away from an adjacent wall, and two at a time to get the sides away from a wall, but I didn't think of putting one in the middle to solve both problems at once! |
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I like it |
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Oscar and Joakim January 14, 2005 |
i would give this more then 5 stars but it's not possible :( |
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I like it |
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December 29, 2004 |
Wow! It's so big!!! I like how you effectively tapered the fuselage at the nose and tail. That's quite a feat. This makes your MOC more than just a big tube with wings. While the interior of your MOC is exquisitely detailed, the engines are simple (and, it would seem, too small) in comparison. For improved accuracy on future models (especially on larger scale), I would suggest using LEGO pistons for engine components. |
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