Update:
Kid-zilla applied the last of the rivets today. Here is the last one going in place followed by a picture of a happy naval architect.
Kid-zilla said the texture and shape evoked both Admiral Yi Sun-shin’s “turtle ships” and turtles in general, so this boat is now PCU (pre-commissioned unit) Turtle. This, of course, earned him an unasked for lecture on the original Turtle, which rebels employed against the Royal Navy early in the War of Independence.
Back to the project! Kid-zilla He offered the following shots to document the scope of his work:
He did let me know that the hot glue was not a perfect adhesive for this project and noted that he sometimes had to glue on the rivets twice.
Next, I will help him cut and mount the shaft column, prop, and control planes. This is really the only phase where I fear I may have to approve all proposals to ensure feasibility and durability. Once that is done (which will not be this weekend), we will give the whole thing a coat of grey primer. He is leaning towards a dark blue for the final coat, and he has discussed some exterior detail parts. I suspect the latter will become more fixed - and more numerous - as the boat goes from construction to fitting out!
With the boat’s size and shape now more readily apparent, he has started to mentally draft the shape of the train car(s) that will carry it, and he discussed plans for a cradle and tie-downs. I’ll see if I can get him to commit some of those ideas to paper.
Thanks for following along and for encouraging him to keep at it!
On Behalf of Kid-zilla,
Eric
P.S. I did put a rocket kit on his shelf and told him he cannot start until this project is finished! That has been a nice source of external motivation!
