The Gull Wing Project

     I intend to build a scale model of a Gull Wing (1955 - Mercedes Benz 300SL) out of 18k yellow & white gold, precious and semiprecious stones, and other unique materials. Not just a simple scale model, but an articulating model. I haven't determined what the scale will be yet, but I do have some definite ideas on what I want this model to do.

     My intention is that it will have several moving components; first, The model will sit within an ornate wooden box or pedestal with a polished granite top and it will be enclosed in a beveled glass container.

     The body of the car will be able to rise up off it's platform, thereby revealing the internal framework with the suspension, the wheels, the engine, the fuel tank, etc. After briefly rising, the body will lower back down on to the chassis, looking perfectly normal. A picture below shows the body in the regular as well and the lifted positions.

     With the body now in its normal position, slowly, the two doors will rise into the "up" position revealing the details of the interior. Once they have risen they will remain up as the hood slowly raises revealing the engine compartment. Once that has happened, the trunk lid will also slowly rise revealing the spare tire and the tire changing tools. After a short time all of them will slowly return to their closed positions, once again having the car look like a simple gold model; then the process will repeat again.

     All of these movements will be controlled by a complex set of cams, cogs, bell cranks and push rods neatly contained in the base of the pedestal. These components will be very ornate and animated and visible through a beveled glass window, and will likely draw as much attention as will the car itself. The driving power of this articulation will be either a wind-up music box mechanism or an electric motor housed within the pedestal.

     Pictured here is an example of the general appearance of the gears. This particular component is designed to raise and lower the body of the car off the chassis. The picture below shows some of the other parts involved in that action.

     The gears pictured here and in the close-up above are designed so that the two gears at the top are rotating in opposite directions. When the mechanism is shifted from left to right by a rod which is controlled by a cam, the two top gears will engage the smaller gear, causing it to change its rotation direction, in turn, causing the chain system to raise and lower the body of the car.

     The body of the cars is attached to two brass seamless tubes which in turn are riding on two stainless steal rods with teflon bushings which will allow the body to rise and lower smoothly.

     The chassis of the 300SL was constructed of steal tubes welded into a sturdy structure which allowed the overall weight of the car, which was originally designed as a racing vehicle, to be light weight.

     The chassis of the 300SL model will be constructed of 18k yellow gold wire soldered together with a few carved and cast pieces, such as the front and rear parts over the wheels, as well as the part in the bottom center of the frame as pictured above.

     Most of the component parts of both the car and the mechanism below the car which will articulate its parts, will be created digitally in a 3-D engineering computer program call Rhino. These parts will then be grown in a prototyping machine or milled and will then be cast and finished.

     Currently none of the parts or components of this project have been physically created, only digitally. I can not afford to proceed with this project beyond the point of spending my time creating the parts digitally as I lack funding to prototype or mill the waxes for casting or the metal for the car itself.

     At the present time, progress on the Gull Wing Project has been stopped. It isn't possible for me to spend time on it until I either become filthy rich, or I find someone willing to back the project financially. When the files are completed, milled or grown, cast and finished, the prototype will then be constructed and tested. Once the bugs are all worked out, there will be five of them constructed, signed and numbered. Because of the unique nature of this item, and the limited number to be produced, they would hopefully fetch a good price.

     So, if anyone out there who comes across this page of my web site is inclined to invest some time and money into this project, just let me know; I would love to continue with it.