Archive for April, 2012
You are currently browsing the Draw Jerel Draw blog archives for April, 2012.
25
Apr
2012
Weekly Whirly
This week: The Jalopicopter
A jolipicopter is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s what happens when you’ve got an old frame from an old junker, a crankshaft from another, some landing gear salvaged from a junk heap, a prop whittled out of an old park bench, some fishing line, and a whole lot of scrap metal. Add it up with a little know-how, a lot of elbow grease and a dream, and pretty much anything can take to the skies.
18
Apr
2012
Weekly Whirly
This week: The Chiroptercopter
These copters are usually found in flocks. They are small, light-weight, and extremely maneuverable, capable of changing direction at full speed almost instantaneously. The typical Chiroptercopter will only seat one, and doesn’t have a significan lift capability, but it is frequently used by couriers to move small packages in and around populated areas. However, this copter is most popular among folks who want to get themselves in and around populated areas. It is very small, has a low lift capacity, and a low top speed, all of which has the added benefit of making it rather inexpensive. So for the average man or woman on a limited budget in need of good transportation the Chiroptercopter is a solid choice. Did I mention it’s also a lot of a fun. So much so there are almost always clubs of enthusiasts cruising around in flocks enjoying the freedom of airborne locomotion. The record for most Chiroptercopters in one flock together is 156.
17
Apr
2012
We <3 Monsters!
An art show with an awesome concept, and an awesome list of contributors! From what I’ve seen so far it’s going to be a fantastic event! And did I mention… monsters… lots and lots of monsters!
Andromeda Gallery
14
Apr
2012
One Android meets Megabotcopter, Megabotcopter is pleased.
So I’ve got some new artwork that is going to be appearing in an mini-comic style art book being put together by my friend Jesse Lonergan. The book is all about robots robots and more robots. How cool is that! I don’t have a list of contributors or links to give you yet, but I will pass along that information when it get’s closer to the release date. When Jesse told me about the project he referenced my One Android character and all the copters I’ve been drawing lately so I thought hey, why not do both. This is the result. The original image was inked in pen and colored in photoshop. The book is printed in greyscale so I stuck with tonal grays when “coloring” the image. But I decided to spice it up with a limited color palette here. It’s likely that I’ll be doing a limited edition digital printing of this piece. 12″ x 16″. So keep your eyes out for that update if you are interested.
11
Apr
2012
Weekly Whirly
This week: The Helioracer
When something new comes along it always just a matter of time before folks start racing it. Whirlies are of course no exception. There is casual racing, mini-racing, endurance racing, drag racing, kart racing, vert racing, and on an on. Arguably the Helioracer is at the center of it all. It is the ultimate in whirly speed, a the greatest test for any helicopter speed freak. Helioraces draw the largest crowds of any racing events and the teams and pilots are always household names. The sport and the copters have been tuned year after year for decades upon decades. Each season the birds get a little bit faster, a little bit louder, and a the racing a little more intense. These copters are built within strict guidelines of performance to ensure an equal playing field across a wide range of speed classes. The racing and the fans put a heavy emphasis on the pilots, but it’s often the pit captain and crew that make up the difference, and a good team needs to have good people in all it’s roles. If you are a young pilot eager to get your name out there, or a young mechanic eager to build up your chops, joining a Helioracer team is one of the best things you can do.
4
Apr
2012
Weekly Whirly
This week: The Quercucopter
This versatile little copter is popular among wealthier hobbyists and travels from all over. It tri-motor dual-rotor design makes it very maneuverable and quite fast. It’s six landing legs have the dual purpose of landing gear and grasping capabilities, though it’s carrying capacity is a little too low for hauling items of significant weight. It was actually originally commissioned as a freight work copter, for loading and unloading of material onto and off of larger copters and delivery zones. It’s small size made it an ideal addition to any large craft cargo. However, in recent years most freight companies have opted for larger copters of this type, also due to the Quercucopter’s main flaw being the low lifting power of it’s grasping legs, which were prone to breaking. But that hasn’t stopped enthusiasts from snatching up older models of the Quercucopter and refurbishing them as cruising and vacationing whirlies.
