MaximumPC 2007 01

96 MAXIMUMPC JANUARY 2007

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BRIAN CARTER’S

UAL 737

I

t must do a dad proud to sit before a PC that

honors his 35-year career as a United Airlines

mechanic and know it’s the product of his son’s

devotion and hard work. Brian Carter modeled

this rig after the Boeing 737s his father primar-

ily worked on, although he did give the plane’s

proportions a pudgy, cartoonish quality in order

to keep the size small yet still fi t in all the parts.

Details are nonetheless authentic, from navi-

gational lights on the wings and tail, to the

old-school blue and gray United color

scheme, to Otto—the friendly pilot

waving from the cockpit—whom

you might recognize from the

movie Airplane.

ririgg of the month ADVENTURES IN PC MODIFICATION Sponsored by

For his winning entry, Brian Carter wins a $500 gift certifi cate for TigerDirect to fund his modding madness!

See all the hardware deals at http://www.tigerdirect.com, and turn to page 92 for contest rules.

Carter made only half a plane so

the rig could sit against a wall or be

hung—at a tilt, as though taking off, is

how he imagined it. After taping off the

“United” brand, Carter frosted the 1/4-

inch Plexiglas for a peek-a-boo effect.

The wing conceals a slot-fed DVD/CD

drive, as well as the receiver for the

cordless mouse and keyboard. The

Coolermaster Jet-7 underneath the wing

serves as an intake fan.

Carter fi rst created a cast for the body out of fi ber

board, wire mesh, and plaster. Then, using a vacuum-

forming table that he made himself, he was able to

heat and manipulate Plexiglas into the exact shape.

to keep the size small yet still fi t in all the parts.

Details are nonetheless authentic, from navi-

gational lights on the wings and tail, to the

old-school blue and gray United color

scheme, to Otto—the friendly pilot

waving from the cockpit—whom

you might recognize from the

movie Airplane.

It was relatively easy for

Carter to create a bank of

windows in the plane’s

side—he simply taped

off squares of the clear

acrylic before applying

the body paint.