Sapphira the Dragon

Sapphira was installed in October 2018 after her design and construction took approximately 16 months and over a thousand working hours. Today, she lives at 2333 Crow Road in Joplin, Missouri where she guards the entrance to Drachenmoor.

Her articulated wing is based on a vertical pivot style gate and spans about 15 feet across the drive when lowered. The jaw also hinges open and closed with a pneumatic cylinder when triggered. During the Halloween season, a Fogjet is installed, which allows her to breath 'smoke and fire' down onto her adoring fans.

The drive system was re-engineered from a heavy-duty swing gate operator onto a custom frame. Wing sections were plasma cut from 11ga steel plate. The wing is counterbalanced with carefully calibrated extension springs.

After perfecting the wing geometry so that it opened smoothly a body was constructed that sets on top of and around the wing operator assembly. The base is made of carved layers of polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam with additional steel support for the neck and head.

Next, multiple layers of fiberglass matte and resin composite were applied to create uniform strength throughout the body. After the fiberglass layer was smoothed, she was ready for scales.

The body is covered in crushed recycled glass chips. The glass was chosen as a colorfast surface that will hopefully last many years without fading. The glass is embedded in clear surfboard epoxy with a premium UV blocking clear coat to extend its lifespan.

Natural amethyst and quartz crystal accents were added to her snout, brow and back spines. Sapphira's eyes are made from 4" glass hemispheres painted on the backside.

The paint applied to wings and horns is an automotive finish known a 'Chameleon' from House of Color. The color shifts to five distinct colors dependent on the angle of viewing. A hand-hammered copper sheet was used to form the dozens of belly scales under her long neck.