MAC Forum

So, for over four years I have wrestled with this Rehberger Clipper. This was a salvage job that I repaired and had been overdue for new paint. The airplane has two attachment screws in the belly that allowed it to be originally bolted to an ashtray arm. Problem is, the ashtray was missing and is probably more rare than the airplane (which is rare enough!!). So in four years, no ashtray came close to the original style and I began designing a vintage style display to incorporate a metal globe similar in concept with those produced by Pan Am Airways in later years. I still wanted to find a large (and strong!) ashtray that could support the overall weight but nothing had come available. One of my clients has been wanting the airplane for sometime and surprisingly requested a display without an ashtray if that was possible? He also wanted me to add some "continental" styled assemblies to give it a vintage Art Deco look. He asked me to use the mahogany and aluminum system that I recently used on my Bronzart C-46 and B-377 Strato plus feature "lightening holes" as if the arm was repurposed from some structure on a full-scale airplane. This new design as shown here made the most sense as it allows a very strong assembly to securely support the heavy metal globe and the heavy airplane, It should also allow the display to be lifted and handled for such pedestrian chores such as dusting and cleaning without any issues.

The pictures show the unfinished display at least assembled for some pictures. Next on the docket will be a dark mahogany finish on the wood, silver painted metal parts and an airplane refinished with an inclusion of the international orange panel on the top of the wing. I will create a front "data plate" with Boeing and PAA logos sometime later in the week.

Tom (Sandman Overhaul)

Hi Tom- it looks very nice. One suggestion I might offer would be to machine an aluminum cap, rounded on the top (not unlike a propeller hub) to cover the exposed bolt on the top of the globe. By the way, did you see the original Rehburger clipper that recently sold on Ebay for 1K?

Yes, I did see that original Rehberger Clipper on eBay. Due a fateful scew-up by UPS who packed it to break during shipping, I now own it.

This means I temporarily own three Rehberger B-314 Clippers. The one in this thread and two ashtray models. All have been spoken for. I can give a progress report on this one. See the pictures below. The client wanted this to have a truly Art Deco, Norman Bel Geddes look without being an ashtray and something that may have been found sitting on a desk at the Marine Air Terminal (MAT) at Laguardia Airport in Queens, NY. The "tintype" photo will be positioned below the model when finished. The front plate has yet to be finalized and may actually be used to explain Rehberger's role as the PAA contractor producing these iconic models.

The model gets a few more details. It is being finished as the YANKEE CLIPPER, the first B-314 to leave the MAT in NY and fly to Foynes, Ireland in 1939.
I will take a look at that nut but my client has the last say on the design of this particular display. I will give one more update before it moves to Atlanta.

Tom

A little off topic, but this is the only flying boat piece in my collection- a copper pencil tablet printing block from the Big Chief Tablet company I'm told. I assume it is a Dornier.

That looks more like a Martin M-130. What a nice item!

Well that makes more sense, since it was an American company! Thanks Michael!