Cuddly Airplanes (ENG)

'Cuddly Airplanes' is one of the two major projects of mine which is the main thing I currently work on almost on a daily basis.

It begun in 2013 when, having already been into aviation for some time, I created Junior Delta - a cuddly miniature of a Boeing 787 belonging to LOT Polish Airlines, registration marks SP-LRD. Junior was recognized by LOT itself and has played a huge role in bringing me even deeper into the world of aviation ever since.

It was not until 2014 when I first boarded an airplane. It was a 2-hour flight from Poland to Italy. Since then, I've been flying only occasionally, and once in a while a particular airplane would inspire me to sew a cuddly miniature of it. That's why the first airplanes I've been sewing were passenger airliners, particularly the ones I've flown myself or have liked for any other reason. They included a Boeing 787, an Airbus A330, a Bombardier Q400, or a Boeing 747 Air Force One, which has once visited my hometown, Warsaw.

After couple years, in 2017, I joined the world of general aviation, which I like to call 'the little aviation,' and begun to take flight lessons myself. Having a direct and very close contact with gliders and two-to-four-seat small airplanes, I punctiliously studied their look and structure, getting inspired to reflect them in my creations.

Also, I have met a bunch of people associated with aviation who enjoyed my sewings and who've been interested in getting a miniature of their favorite plane or glider for themselves.

By the end of 2017, I've made at least seven passenger airlines (including a turboprop and three Dreamliners of LOT), four gliders and two small airplanes (a motorglider and a plane, to be precise).

Technique

What makes my airplanes unique among all plushie airplanes that can be found worldwide, is that I make them looking as close to the original as possible. They all keep shape and proportions, as well as colors, details, and, in some cases, even moving parts.

My main idea is to create an alternative form of airplane model building. Having just a little bit of experience with classic models, I truly enjoy them for their great accuracy of detail, but the thing that's been bothering me is that their only appliance is to stand on a shelf or hang from a ceiling and just look nice.

Cuddly miniatures, on the other hand, maybe are not that much accurate, but they are way more proof for mechanical damages such as breaking. Plushies do not break at all, what makes them convenient to be transported, squeezed, thrown, cuddled etc.

I still care of all detail punctiliously. Proportions such as the ratio of wingspan to length always follows the original. In airliners, even the number of windows is real. Yes, I do count them and I do embroider their actual number.

I'm discovering materials and inventing techniques which make all parts of an airplane as soft as possible without losing the original shape. For example, I never use metal or plastic wires to make the wings stay leveled, but instead I use stiff fabric which can be squeezed or folded, but always comes back to the original shape.

Airplanes and gliders in different stages of completion.

Here are some of the inventions and technical solutions I have introduced to my airplane creations:

Aerofoil (the aerodynamic profile resembling of the real one, so the wing is slightly thicker in its front part and thinner in the back).
Wing and stabilizer mechanization, including ailerons, rudders, elevators, and, in case of airliners, flaps, slots, spoilers etc. They do not move, only their line is drawn by a stitch.
Landing gear – I do not make the landing gear at all in case of airplanes with extended landing gear, as the leading idea of mine is to present an aircraft in its in-flight configuration. In case of airships with a fixed gear, I do include the gear. A wire or any other stiff material inside the gear makes it stable, and the aircraft can actually stand on its own when on ground.
All aircraft have original (or in any other way relating) registration marks, logos, writings, and other details. They are all hand-embroidered.

Experimental/in progress/planned:

Rotating blade – this one is still in an experimental phase. So far I have made only one aircraft with a rotating blade. It works, but loosens after some time.
Navigation lights – I am going to introduce lights that can be found on the aircraft, such as navigation lights on the fuselage and tips of the wings.
Extended landing gear of airliners. To be honest, however, I'm not sure if that would make any sense at all except for simply doing an experiment.