Arambourgiania philadelphiae: giant wings in small halls

Abstract

A life-sized model skeleton of the giant pterosaur Arambourgiania philadelphiae, with an 11.5 metre wingspan, was designed and constructed in just 11 weeks. Arambourgiania was reconstructed on the basis of better-known but related pterosaurs. The postcranial skeleton was modelled in clay, moulded in silicone rubber and cast in epoxy resin. The skull was modelled from plastic sheeting, epoxy putty and polyurethane foam. The finished model appeared on the BBC's children's programme "Blue Peter", before being displayed at Portsmouth City Museum and Records Office as part of an exhibition entitled "Giant Wings over Dinosaur World" from 28th September to 10th November 1996. The exhibition has since appeared in Leicester and Germany.