The Fat Angry Farmer and his Bell47 being used as a plough, True Story :)

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Choppa Nutta

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Posted 1485977296 · Edited	Reply with quote #1

On the 9 of September in 1980 on Barmby Moor in Yorkshire a Bell47G crashed whilst crop spraying at 50 knots and 4 feet of altitude due to a collapsed intake pipe from the airbox to the carburettor causing the "donkey" to stop. Shortly afterwards Geoff Mason, the farmer and owner of the helicopter whose fields were being sprayed, waddled over as fast as he could angrily shouting at my father as he pulled himself out of the mangled wreckage with only minor bruises and scratches only to be received by the words - "I told you to farking spray it, not plough it !" In the photo are a couple of mementos from the wreckage, the registration tail fin and a section of the rotor blade. This project will be an ode to that day in plastic, either in 1/35th or 1/48th scale as shown. I have yet to decide which Also, other parts of the wreckage got turned into a garden seat and a land yacht of all things, which worked pretty well I also have a photo of the crash which I'll dig out soon, I just need to root through a few boxes etc. etc. etc. anyhow, this is an idea I've been playing with for a few years now (not 37 years but maybe a 3 or 4 years) I'll be doing this one as a diorama depicting the moment when the fat angry farmer issued the unkind words. __________________ May The Farce Be With You ! Paul... Gallery http://genessis-models.websitetoolbox.com/post/a-gallery-of-my-art-other-endeavours-with-video-links-8037830?&trail=15
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Gnarkill1984

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Posted 1485977988	Reply with quote #2

Hahahaha. Cracking story and cracking idea! __________________
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Alba83

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Posted 1485978167	Reply with quote #3

Hahaha oh man i had a laugh at that... Look forward to it. __________________ Steven Glasgow, Scotland
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Gadjung

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Posted 1485980642	Reply with quote #4

Another cool thing. Actually, im a littel tired of russian models! This GB i will be watching with great interest!
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vdbo76

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Posted 1485982075	Reply with quote #5

Sounds like a real Choppa build - have fun :-) __________________ Fabian Amsterdam, The Netherlands https://www.instagram.com/vdbo76/
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Choppa Nutta

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Posted 1485986323 · Edited	Reply with quote #6

hehe, what could be more British than an angry farmer ? and yeah, the story still amuses me after all these years, which is great because now I get to do a build that is both funny and serious all in one go I'm not going to do what I did last time though and start multiple projects, I shall stick with this one until it is finished before starting anymore etc. etc. haha, Gadjung, I kinda feel for you from one Russian build straight onto another Russian build. Mind you, the Russians do have a lot of variety in their back catalogue of designs so plenty to choose from like the Ekranoplans and propellered ski mobiles etc. plus you could do ex Soviet Union countries as well I guess ? __________________ May The Farce Be With You ! Paul... Gallery http://genessis-models.websitetoolbox.com/post/a-gallery-of-my-art-other-endeavours-with-video-links-8037830?&trail=15
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Choppa Nutta

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Posted 1485994591	Reply with quote #7

an after thought the registration of this Bell47, G-BENG is kind of a cross between the words BENT and BANG ! appropriately enough __________________ May The Farce Be With You ! Paul... Gallery http://genessis-models.websitetoolbox.com/post/a-gallery-of-my-art-other-endeavours-with-video-links-8037830?&trail=15
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ddoc666

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Posted 1486060334	Reply with quote #8

With a backstory like that you can't go wrong! Love it __________________ Daniel
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Choppa Nutta

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Posted 1486694820 · Edited	Reply with quote #9

After some digging around I found some photos, one on line in its old army days before it was G-BENG aka XT-831 I also discovered that XT-831/G-BENG was made the same year I was born.. XT831 Army Air Corps AAC Sioux AH.1 alt c/n was193, 1967 to 05apr77 to G-BENG G-BENG Reg to Geoff Mason, GSM Helicopters Ltd, Ripon, Yorkshire, w/o 24jun83 Crashed 9/9/1980 Barmby Moor whilst spraying pesticides on crops due to blocked carburetor. Beginning - sometime between 1967 and 1977 note the XT-831 on the tail fin Middle - G-BENG in flight selling pleasure rides at local fetes in North Yorkshire. End - Note the cigarette in his right hand whilst standing next to a freshly crashed heli, health safety wasn't a thing back then I may have to use a little artistic license as this is the only photo of the crash that I know of. Anyhow, nice to discover a bit more info on the heli such as its Army beginnings, lucky to have stumbled across a photo of it in the Army. I note the Italeri 1/48 kit includes decal options for a British Army with a reg. of XT 131, which is very close innit ? tempting to do a double model for this __________________ May The Farce Be With You ! Paul... Gallery http://genessis-models.websitetoolbox.com/post/a-gallery-of-my-art-other-endeavours-with-video-links-8037830?&trail=15
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Gnarkill1984

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Posted 1486707075	Reply with quote #10

That's just awesome. Really looking forward to this one coming together __________________
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M.Brindos

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Posted 1486715217	Reply with quote #11

Ooo! One before and one after? A beginning/ end build. Or some such lol. I like it!
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Alba83

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Posted 1486823510	Reply with quote #12

yeah before and after immediately came to my mind too __________________ Steven Glasgow, Scotland
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Choppa Nutta

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Posted 1501542130	Reply with quote #13

Well after a frenetic weekend of modelling I've managed to make a start and I'm almost finished, ALMOST !! Got the heli built and finished just need a couple more minutes to put the scene together Talk about last minute .. one chaotic year so far but largely in a good way __________________ May The Farce Be With You ! Paul... Gallery http://genessis-models.websitetoolbox.com/post/a-gallery-of-my-art-other-endeavours-with-video-links-8037830?&trail=15
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Gnarkill1984

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Posted 1501569896	Reply with quote #14

Wow! And up from the rear comes choopanut! Looking fantastic buddy, got to be happy with that __________________
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Choppa Nutta

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Posted 1501614541	Reply with quote #15

Cheers Mr G frustratingly I've had camera issues and had to resort to my phone for the final reveals argghhh ! ah well, it's never gone win anyway given what everyone else has been up to but, always nice to join in even if it is the very last minute weekend crazy sleep deprived manic modelling mayhem session ... frustrating about the camera, would have been nice to have had some decent photos together andI could have done without the delay etc. anyhow, the money shot, but I need to take it again as the quality is low, plus this Photoshop filter needs another attempt __________________ May The Farce Be With You ! Paul... Gallery http://genessis-models.websitetoolbox.com/post/a-gallery-of-my-art-other-endeavours-with-video-links-8037830?&trail=15
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