OK here we go again! Another Winter another Fairground Model to be built.  It has been two years since i started my 1/24th scale Waltzer finishing it 6 months later.  The time has come to create another scratch built model.  This time i wanted to do something that was visually exciting as well as different.  There are too many Waltzers, Arks and Gallopers so why not a Lifting Paratrooper?

There are no plans for this ride so its scratch built all the way.

First point of order is to get a good piece of flat wood and mark it up:

Flat piece of Plywood marked up and ready 01/11/2003

A Paratrooper depends like many rides on a solid construction of the centre and the drive.  It has taken me a while to find the right motor at the right price.  Slow speed with good torque.  The centre for the trooper has also got to support most of the ride and therefore i have had the centre custom made.

RS motor driving through some meccano bevel gears to a centre  23/11/2003

The arm has also got to be fairly strong to support the ride, motor and drive and the lifting mechanism.
The arm is made out of two sections of Aluminum which are bolted to the motor and to each other.  The arms have been cut part way through and bent to give the arm its correct look and feel.

Paratrooper main lifting arm fixed to the board 30/11/2003

Next stage is to get the lifting process sorted out and also to start the electric's for the motors and the current to drive the lights.

Spent most of December 2003 sorting out the  slew ring on the centre, as well as experimenting with the lifting drive.  The lift  will be achieved by a motor turning a threaded shaft which will move a threaded brass piece forwards / backwards which is connected to the main support arm achieving lift on the centre. 

I have also made good progress in building the main principles that will support the paratrooper hoods and cars.  These are made from 1/8th box brass with 1/16th box brass for the lattice work.  These are soldered together which gives a weld like strength and look.  The arms also have the two locating sockets at the end for the  brackets that will hold the car and hoods.

Seven principles made (to be pained later) with temporary spacers to keep them apart  31/12/2003

The rest of the principles (5) are still to be made they take about 90 minutes each. Once all are made they will be adjusted to ensure they are all the same height above the ground at the outer end and the brackets that hold the hoods and cars can be made. 

Close up of the principles and you can just make out the electric pick up in the middle (05/01/2004)

At last all the arms complete:

All the arms complete ready for levelling 11/01/2004

I have also experimented with the first light batten that will fit to the tops of the arms.  There will be 18 LED's per arm. 

The canopy brackets are next.  These are made from brass tubing which has been bent to 90 degrees to give a good rounded shape.  6BA bolts with the heads removed have been soldered into the ends to provide a realistic securing fit.  I have also added a number of stays to keep the structure rigid and in shape. 

All canopy brackets in place and stays 26/01/2004

Close up of the canopy bracket and securing bolts in the end of the arms 26/01/2004

Next stage is to fit the actual swivel sections that will hold the canopy (umbrella) and of course make the canopies themselves. 
In the next picture you can see the hangers and bananas made up ready to take the cars and the canopies.

The hangers and bananas allin place 02/02/2004

Close up of the hangers and bananas 02/02/2004 

The next stepis to do the canopies (umbrellas).  I have made a shape out of plaster and will then use 2 sheets of fiberglass to fit the shape.  These will be light but very strong.  They will be oversized but this is to also allow lights to be fitted to the outside.

The canopies production line 16/02/2004 

The canopies are made from fiberglass and resin which are set in a mould (ice cream tub) which has plaster shaped to the right size.  The plaster is coated in vaseline first before the glass fibre and resin is bonded together.  When the resin sets the fiberglass is pulled out and looks like the ones at the top of the photo.  These are then cut down to size and sanded smooth with an edge put on the outside (2 on left).  Next up is to drill the holes for the lights there will be 24 on each canopy.  Then the smoothing and painting begins.

Next up will be to fit the canopies to the hangers....

The first canopy off the production line has been painted and the led lights fitted and the 1st car has been made also with lights in it.  The arms have all been painted yellow and the canopy brackets, hangers and bananas are in red.

The first canopy and car attached 29/02/2004

The slow process of finishing all the canopies and cars begins.  Also the first light batten for the arms has been made.  These each have 18 red led lights on the.  All the lights will be driven from a running light controller installed inside an illuminated star that whilst in the center.

Slow progress has been made completing all the wiring on the Hoods but they are now being fitted.

The hoods start to go on 15/03/2004

The rest of the hoods are being finished as well as building all the cars. 

All the hoods are on and the lifting mechanism is fitted 28/03/2004

Now that the hoods are finished it is time to complete the cars which are in various stages and fix all the lights into the bottomsof all the cars. 

All the cars are now fitted though the riders are unpainted at the moment. 06/04/2004

With the cars finished (except the punters) the need to bring the top of the ride to a close so that the bottom can be built is needed.  To complete the top the lights have to be fitted to the arms and connected to a giant star that sits in the centre.  The star also houses the running light controller.

All lit up (hard to see with flash photo) 12/04/2004

Now the bottom of the ride can be built.  The bottom will be made of wood using a standard 24 section pattern running off a square.  First job though is to build the super structure of the truck.  This has been done using plasticraft I sections and covered with chquerplate.  The truck is just for effect and therefore can be made in plastic.

The artic truck unit is now in place and the 24 sleepers laid out 18/04/2004

The next job is to build the gates.  These will be made from wood for ease but would have been steel on later rides.  The first 2 gates can be seen in the picture above.

Gates made and painted along with the sleepers, also note the short uprights 25/04/2004

Now the gates are made the next job is the shutters which will be made out of plywood.

shutters made to fit the ridethe ones at the front of the picture are where the steps will be 01/05/2004

Now the shutters are made they willneed to be decorated but first job is to make the gratings.  These will also be made from ply wood.

Gratings have been made also the standalone paybox is begining to take shape 09/05/2004

Note the shutters have also been promed ready for decoration in the above picture.  The following jobs will now take place; the shutters will be decorated, the gratings need to be painted, the lights need to go into the paybox and the steps need to be started.

Gratings have been painted and decoration added tothe shutters 14/05/2004 

Steps and handrails are next you can see the first step brackets being made on the right of the above picture.

Steps on, Handrails on, Uprights painted and Paybox wired up 21/05/2004 

Last job is to fit it all back to the top and test it!!

Top is on 28/05/2004 

View from up above  28/05/2004

On display at Rothwell Model Show  06/06/2004 GO TO ROTHWELL MODEL SHOW AND FAIR

Watch the ride in full flight on UTUBE Click this LINK.