Trailer Sailer Yachts
Ross 780 , Airwave 9.9m
Land Yachts
.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.
Movie of Sunderland model crashing.
This is a 15 second movie of the Sunderland model stalling and from about
70 feet altitude.
This is a Quicktime Movie. To play itThis movie is very low quality, as
it was taken from a TV with my digital camera
Introduction
My name is Geoff Reichelt. I live at Mudgeeraba on the Gold Coast of Queensland,
Australia.
I make fibreglass model aircraft using composite fibreglass with vacuum
bagging techniques.
A spinoff from this has been the construction of a number of static
model and full sized displays for Museums and Restaurants.
My most rewarding model so far has been the giant Short Sunderland that
I have flown regularly at the Hinze dam on the Gold Coast for the last
four years.This model has finished its' flying career and has now been
donated to 10 Squadron RAAF at Edinburgh near Adelaide in South Australia.
Geoff (r) with David Boddington, magazine editor legend. What are the
chances of 2 guys having a bad hair day on the same day!
TThe Sunderland model flying past (picture by Bruce Virtue)
Sunderland on final with full flap
Sunderland flaring for landing
The details of the model are:
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Scale:
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1:10 |
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Wingspan:
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3.45m (11 ft 2 ins) |
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Weight:
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23.5 kg (50 lbs) |
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Engines:
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4 x A.S.P. .46 two stroke with Bolly 3-blade 11 x 4.25
props |
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Radio:
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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".
And another, this time bombing Patrick's U-Boat .
Fighting back! Surcouf fires its' guns!
This is EK594, the Sunderland of 10 squadron RAAF that the model was
based on: My father F.W.(Bill) Reichelt flew this aircraft:
This is Ross McMurtry talking to Dad at a Sunderlanders
meeting. Ross and Dad were crew together on the same Sunderland in the last
months of the war.
Dad in 1945
My workshop looked like Shorts factory at Rochester for a while
New Project:
Empire Flying Boat Model:
Our next model project is to make a flying 1/10 scale model of the
Empire Flying Boat, using the moulds we have made from the excellent drawings
of the Empire Boat from Brian
Cassidy .
I have already made a static model from these moulds, which is presently
hanging in Pancho's Restaurant on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
Future Project:
Preliminary talks have been started on construction of a
fullsized Empire Flying Boat replica in fibreglass over a steel frame, for the
QANTAS Founders Museum, at Longreach in outback Queensland. If it goes ahead,
regular progress pictures will be shown on this website.
Update: Looks like we won't do this due to financial and other restraints.
The main "other restraint" is that we hope to make a fullsized DH50, Be2E,
FK8 and DH86 for the museum, and I'm 60 now(2008) so time simply won't permit, I
think.
As stated above I'm also dead keen to make an electric flying Empire Boat
from that mould.
Museum Replicas and Models
In addition, for the QANTAS Founders' Outback Museum at Longreach, Queensland,
I have made the following:-
A full sized DH61 "Giant Moth" non-flying Replica.This replica was installed
in the original QANTAS hangar at Longreach at Easter, 2002.
This picture was taken in April 2002 when the DH61 replica was finally
installed in the original hangar
where it will now be permanently located.
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.
747
The QANTAS Founders Outback Museum has recently been given a Boeing
747 by QANTAS for permanent display at Longreach. It makes an interesting
comparison with the DH61.
Here are a few more pictures of the DH61 "Giant Moth" replica
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 original propeller beside the first propeller from 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
Contact Me
My email address is: reichelt@airwaveyachts.com.au
The Sunderland model, after five years flying, was donated to 10 Squadron
at Edinburgh RAAF base in S.A.
It now hangs in the Briefing room.
New
Projects:
Avro Baby Project for Bert Hinkler
Commemorative Museum in Bundaberg
.
Another interactive replica
For the Bert Hinkler Hall of Aviation also, this
refurbished replica of Hinkler's Avro Avian with ADC Cirrus engine.
Now that the Avian is finished I've
started the 1/4 Scale B24 Liberator
for the Tocumwal Historic Aerodrome
Museum.
Pictures to follow soon.
cheers
Geoff Reichelt
Last updated 26thAugust
2008