I don’t know where I got the idea for a dirigible cicada miniature model but here we are. Falling asleep with my YouTube queue probably with videos on the recent 17 year cicada cycle followed by the use of airships during WW1 must have blended together in my subconscious. I enjoyed creating the last insect - the custom bee - I had to do another but this was too large for a piece of jewellery.
So I worked on each separate section, hoping it would all fit together in the end. That’s always the scary part - will the wings fit on the body? Will the scale of everything maintain the illusion of an actual, albeit fantastical, airship once joined? Unlike very clever model scene makers I don’t work with a scale ruler. As I don’t fabricate or cast metal there is no real point - I’ll still have to adjust a part in my collection to fit.
I started with the wings - they bring everything together and set the scale. Like the last piece - the body is a brass screw electrical terminal. The abdomen has two main parts - the high copper piece with a grill and a lower section made from a cut out earing drop I filled in with resin. The wings are also filled with resin and a very light dusting of green and gold mica.
I’ve been making miniature nebulas lately so that is where the glass “hot air balloon” came from. It is fitted with a vintage brass bead cap, chains, tiny brass drops and internal details. While I was searching for pieces I came across the hand blown green glass bead with a swirl pattern. I had to incorporate it but it was difficult to do so. Adding a piece to one side of a symmetrical design alters the way it hangs. The swirl on the bead is matched with the black swirled disk hanging under the balloon.
She has wrapped wire legs with metal crimps, two brass and steel “propellers” affixed to the front, one large rear flag and bunting on the secondary “balloon” tether. Everything attached is done so using screws and very rarely, glue. I have no idea how many separate components I used but it would be well over 100. I’ve been working on and off for a week - probably about 40 hours not including the time sourcing parts, taking photos and writing this. The rigging was a nightmare. The chain at the back, connected to a “U” shape piece is the ship’s anchor.
A friend who is a genius wood worker turned some gorgeous wood bases for me. I think it’s Jarrah. It has four brass legs on the bottom. The hanging mechanism consists of a filigree disk, a vintage brass corrugated bead and assortment of brass rods, copper and brass tubing and beads. The top section pulls out so it can be packed for shipping.
One final surprise. I left a hole in the body for a tiny green LED light. It is difficult to use - turning on by pushing the light into a battery. But it could be used on special occasions to show her off. The battery type is a bit exotic but available online.
I’m thinking about entering her in a local art competition before putting her up for sale. I hope you like her.
I tried a different approach to colour this one. So far I like it but it takes a bit more time than usual. It also doesn’t help that I’m right now learning how to crochet and grew a bit addicted to it XD
A questionable transport airship, with 3 crew characters and 4 interesting, varied passengers.
The crew of the Vagrant Nimbus airship is preparing for their next voyage. They load their conspicuous cargo, patch the most visible holes in the hull, and accept payments of gold from those seeking passage without the hassle of questioning. While the Nimbus may not boast the same comforts or assurances that other ships do, it offers tantalizingly competitive prices and is one of few that risks the most direct path. This makes it particularly popular for bands of adventurers and anyone looking for swift relocation.
Does your world not feature magical airships? Never fear, this can be easily adapted into a water-faring sailing ship! You are also quite welcome just to loot our tokens and NPC outlines – it’s all made in the hopes that it will be enjoyed. :)
Strife in the Skies, Part 2: The Skyscourge Pirates
It’s the blight of the eight skies, the Skyscourge Pirates! Troy’s got a team of aerial goblins for you this week complete with tokens and airships – read more on our website:
An aerial encounter with a goblin airship, its captain, and crew, with stat blocks.
The Vagrant Nimbus’s journey, while direct, is not short. Days stretch on uneventfully, broken up by only conversations, card games, and occasional rough weather. That is until one overcast day, as the Nimbus’s path takes it through perilous mountain peaks, when a crewmember calls out a shadow moving within nearby clouds. Carthis and his crew scramble to the main deck and take positions, waiting to see what appears and whether it threatens the Nimbus.
When the clouds do break, they reveal a crude but well-equipped airship, surrounded by small wyverns. The ship is manned by goblins, who also ride atop many of their dragons. It is moving in the direction of the Nimbus. Rallying cries ring out from its decks and ballistae are aimed over the railing. Their intentions are clear. Captain Carthis confirms this as his crew mans their own weapons and he looks to the party, his expression requesting their aid before announcing with a mighty roar, “Pirates!”
A mysterious craft emerged from the late night fog. Those that caught a glimpse referred to it as an unidentified flying object. #artoftheday #art #artist #sketch #sketchbook #sketchofday #dailysketch #aircraft #airship #ship #vehicledesign #conceptdesign #conceptart #scifi #scifiart #traditionalart #instaartist #instaart #drawingoftheday #imagination
So today, I have played my few last matches of Gigantic ever.
I’ve never thought that a game could make me sad so much but I think it just because the Gigantic world was so close to my ideal, so inspiring, It was absolutely like “my game”.
I will never forget my time on the airship and hope to meet it again someday.
This picture prompted a question - ”Why would someone paint this particular airship?”
And as a result I’ve discovered that R34wasfamousin1919 as the second aircraft in history to make a nonstop transatlantic flight as well as being the first to do it East-to-West against the prevailing winds.
(Charles Lindbergh wasn’t the first person by a long chalk; he was 67th, or indeed 97th if counting R34′s crew on each leg of their out-and-back round trip. His fame came from doing it solo.)
R34′s complement included two stowaways, Aircraftman William Ballantyne and ship’s cat & mascot “Whoopsie”.
Never one to miss a PR opportunity, the Edison Company presented R34′s crew with a gramophone and some records. From the look of things, Whoopsie is already considering the most effective way to leap onto its moving parts…
The airship was 643 ft / 196 m long.
So of course the crew nicknamed her “Tiny”.
Specifically, her historic transatlantic flight went from East Fortune near Edinburgh (now the site of the National Museum of Flight; they have a little exhibit about the ship) to Mineola in Long Island. For anyone interested in further reading, Flight of the Titan by George Rosie is a very detailed account of the voyage. It was, apparently, very much not smooth sailing; they hit some pretty awful weather on the way and the engines kept breaking down.
