The first step of fabrication was building the cabinet. The shape of the plane was CNC machined from aluminum and matched to a structure built from aluminium angle. The returns were hand-wrapped out of aluminium and everything was sanded down to a smooth finish for paint. Meanwhile, inside the plane, mounting brackets for all the neon transformers and components were installed to allow for easy servicing should it be required in future.
Paint was an exercise in building up layers with seven different colours being used in the project including black with a variety of yellows and greys. Each layer was sprayed using the Matthews Paint system, and the outline of the plane came to life with each successive application of paint mask and paint.
Next, the glass neon tube was bent and pumped. EGL Noviol Gold was used for the plane outline and EGL Snowhite for the propeller. Traditional glass neon boots were used instead of the modern plastic ones in order to pay homage to the historic nature of the piece.
On the jobsite, the three sets of laminated sleeper boards were installed to the existing roof structure, sealed with torch-on, roofing and capped with flashing. All the necessary electrical connections were placed in advance.
The Golden Eagle takes flight
It is often the case that people expect installation to take a long time, but with all the preparation and advance work, time at jobsites can be minimized. The art was loaded on a Hiab crane truck at the TDH shop, driven to site, and lifted into place (something that attracted the attention of many passersby with the plane finally “taking flight”). Bolts to the sleepers were installed and the final electrical connection was made. The artwork installation process was completed in about 60 minutes.
Tristan Allan is the president at TDH Experiential Fabricators, a design-build signage, display, and art fabricator servicing Vancouver and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. More information can be found at www.tdhsigns.com or on Instagram @tdhxfab.
