A-Nother-Level: Pupil Creates Life-Size Dinosaur From Scrap Metal

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Entertainment
Tuesday, July 17, 2018

A FOSSIL-MAD teenager has stunned his teachers by creating a life-size dinosaur from scrap metal for an A-level project. William Wisson-Burton, 17, spent eight months creating the 27-foot-long, 15ft high allosaurus in his dad’s workshop. The giant model has taken 400 hours of work and was made using cast off metal and pieces of chain.

A FOSSIL-MAD teenager has stunned his teachers by creating a life-size dinosaur from scrap metal for an A-level project.

William Wisson-Burton, 17, spent eight months creating the 27-foot-long, 15ft high Allosaurus in his dad’s workshop.

The giant model has taken 400 hours of work and was made using cast off metal and pieces of chain.

Offcuts: William made the dinosaur from bits of scrap metal

Jaw-dropping: William works on the allosaurus’s head

The finished model is now proudly standing outside the teenager’s home and will be submitted as part of his A-level in paleontology — the study of fossils.

William from Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, said: ‘When I was given the extended project task in October, the only thing I had to think about was how big the structure was going to be.

‘I also thought it was a good idea to tie it in with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which came out in the cinemas last month.’

Links to the past: William was given the huge chain that makes up the dinosaur’s neck, spine and tail

The year 12 student, who has his eyes on paleontology courses at either Portsmouth and Birmingham University, was donated the large chain for the dinosaur’s spine by a company in Wisbech.

He also received expert guidance on putting together the huge metal skeleton from workers at his father’s civil engineering company in Godmanchester.

He said: ‘One of the engineers was happy to teach me the basic skills that go into making a sculpture like this.’

Pupil’s pet: William with his completed allosaurus

The size of William’s construction is practically the same as the allosaurus would have looked 150 million years ago, which averaged around 28 feet in length but could reach as much as 39 feet.

William said he chose to create an allosaurus rather than a T. rex because the latter’s 42ft length wouldn’t quite fit in his workshop.

The dinosaur fanatic will show off his hard work at a market place event at Hills Road Sixth Form College tomorrow.

Bone idol: William wants to pursue a career in paleontology PICTURES: SWNS

He said: ‘When it goes on display tomorrow, it will be the first time any of my friends have seen it — they’ve only seen photos so far.

‘It has got a big fan base, though.’

The Allosaurus was a top predator and featured in the film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Source: www.metro.news