Geoff Reichelt..... Replica Aircraft and Models

You can contact me at reichelt1@gmail.com our sailing website

Bristol f2b Flight Simulator for QANTAS Founders Museum at Longreach

this is the centre section of a Bristol f2b Fighter, with Lockheed Martin Flight Simulator software, and working controls and instruments.

Lewis guns have simulated firing noise. The Simulator seems to be popular with museum patrons.

Fullsized DH50 for QANTAS Founders Museum in Longreach

This is the original

B24 Liberator for Tocumwal Historic Aerodrome Museum

Liberator on its pole in Tocumwal for dedication ceremony

Avro Baby Project for Bert Hinkler Commemorative Museum in Bundaberg

Another interactive replica

1/10 Empire Flying Boat Model in Pancho's Mexican Restaurant, Mudgeeraba, Queensland.

1/10 Solent for Air Raratonga

Completed 23rdApril 2009

DH61, now at QANTAS Founders Outback Museum in Longreach

This picture is property of Airliners.net

Compare with the real one, this picture taken at the same QANTAS Hangar at Longreach circa 1930

Photo courtesy of QANTAS Founders Outback Museum and Duraprints Australia

Some details on the DH61 replica:
Wingspan 15.85m (52 feet)
Length 11.89m (39 feet)
Weight approx 2 tonnes
The original had a 500hp Bristol Jupiter 9 cylinder radial engine which I have recreated in fibreglass for this replica.

The aircraft has seating for 7 passengers and a pilot.
Construction is mainly fibreglass over a welded steel tube framework.

Boeing 747 makes an interesting comparison with the DH61.

The DH61 project was kindly sponsored by Rob Tolmie.

Here we are, Trish and I (rt), with Rob and Caroline.

The following models have been made for the QANTAS Founders' Museum at Longreach. All are 1/5 scale.
They feature in a display called the "Plane Spotting Display" where the models move around a track in the ceiling with the propellers rotating.
Below are pictures of the models which are suspended on the moving track at the museum.
Avro 504 Dyak

RAF Be2e

Armstrong Whitworth FK8

DH50

Another model that is part of the 'Plane Spotting' Display at the QANTAS Founders' Museum is the DH 86 model made by Greg Hardcastle and Peter Reichts. This excellent model has actually flown, and was refurbished for this display.

Another display for the new museum is the Propeller Building Display , based on some very detailed large-format photographs from 1918 showing the process of making the big wooden propellers used on World War 1 aircraft.
A propeller being made in the jig.

The Avro 504 model with working controls which can be manipulated by a stick control outside the cabinet.
It has been a popular exhibit. \

This 1/12 scale C Class Empire Flying Boat is also on display at the Longreach QANTAS Founders Museum

Two Avro 504's

For the Lord Howe Island Historical Society I made a 1/10 Short Sandringham "Beachcomber"/"Pacific Chieftain" (painted as Beachcomber on one side and Pacific Chieftain on the other).

and a 1/10 scale PB2b2 Catalina,

as part of their celebration of their long history with flying boats.

Go to top

Short S23 C Class Empire Flying Boats

A picture of every Empire Boat!

.Quicktime movie of Sunderland taking off.
With a video camera inside the model looking out under the wing through the float and under the engines. To view this movie you need to have Quicktime Player. It's a free download.

Click here to see more photos.

SHORT SUNDERLAND 1/10 model

Sunderland model at rest on Hinze Dam

Geoff (r) with David Boddington, magazine editor legend.

Jan Hermkens drew the plans for this Sunderland.

I built a plywood Sunderland from his plan, and made moulds from that.

Jan, from Netherlands, is one of the great scale model builders and fliers of our time. You can visit his website at http://www.janhermkens.nl/ .

His Sunderland won scale model competitions in its day, flying from the land with its beaching gear.

Here are some of his other winning models.

My Sunderland model flying past (picture by Bruce Virtue)

banking

Sunderland on final with full flap

takeoff

Sunderland flaring for landing

taxying at Lord Howe Island.

Landing on the lagoon at Lord Howe

Peter Phillips,Abbey, and myself at Lord Howe

At Lord Howe we flew the Sunderland for the local residents and schoolkids who were allowed out of school to watch.

The details of the model are:


Scale:	1:10
Wingspan:	3.45m (11 ft 2 ins)
Weight:	23.5 kg (50 lbs)
Engines:	4 x A.S.P. .46 two stroke with Bolly 3-blade 11 x 4.25 props
Radio:	JR X3810 8 channel with 11 servos with control to the following: Rudder, Elevator, Ailerons, Rudder, Throttles, Flaps, Bomb drop. The rudder is mixed with port or starboard throttles for taxiing on the water via a mixing switch.

The static models of the Sunderland, (four to date), are on display in four "Trader Duke's" restaurants in Southern Queensland, at Maroochydore, Caboolture, Coomera, and Southport.
Sunderland in Action
Sunderland model depth charging a huge Submarine Model "Surcouf" by Patrick Drake. The powerful plume from the Depth Charge has destroyed the portside tailplane of the Sunderland.

(Pics by the late Bruce Virtue)
Note the tailplane blown off by the depth carge. The model continued to fly and landed normally.
Considering that the model is flying at approximately 50 knots, the photographer did rather well to capture the moment that the tailplane was deflected.
Another shot of the Sunderland at speed, Depth Charging "Surcouf".