Great Planes .40 P51 kit build...
#827
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: oakbank,
MB, CANADA
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Wow ozo that is a beauty. I've finally decided on what I'm kit bashing mine to. The only RAF A36 Apache which was called the mustang mk 1( dive bomber)and had the RAF serial number EW998. The issue with that is that it was a modified A model so it is a razorback and used a Allison engine as opposed to the later Packard Merlin . I will have to make a new cockpit, cowling, air vent, and I am putting functional air brakes on it. Unfortunately I'm working on a project for somebody else at the moment so it will be a little while till I can re-commence work on it.
JM
JM
#828
My Feedback: (8)
Coming back in after a L-O-N-G time gone. Decided to work some more on my 1:7 scale Great Planes P-51 Mustang. Pulled it down off the shelf and I think I found all the hardware I used in this build (we'll see!). Started this time on finishing up the drop tank installation. I already have 4 (I think...) servos in the wing now, 1. Landing gear, 2. Ailerons, 3. Flaps and 4. Inner doors. I could possibly squeeze in a micro servo for drop tank release, but I think to expedite the completion of the build I will plumb the wing for drop tank release cabling, but I'll attach an external release for each tank just so I can get them on and off the plane.
Wonder how many original posters are following this thread....
Wonder how many original posters are following this thread....
#830
My Feedback: (8)
Last night I 'painted' the drop tank mounts with epoxy after filling glue holes and re-sanding smooth. This will seal the balsa and plywood for painting. I may plumb the release cable tubing to the center of the wing but I am not all that enamored to install yet another micro servo just for tank jettison purposes. Trying to decide whether to screw mount them or just epoxy to the wing.
The damn thing has such high wing loading now that I am afraid it will NEVER fly. Already has a servo each for landing gear, flaps, ailerons and inner doors.
Can you say 'Hanger Queen'?
#832
My Feedback: (8)
Drop tank installation 99% complete. Screwed the pylons onto the wing instead of gluing so that in case of crash, damage to wings would be minimal. I cut small access holes under pylon 'footprint' so that I could glue plywood blocks under the wing skin for screw retention. I slipped the predrilled plywood blocks into the hole after applying glue (Thin CA which is several years old and is now a 'medium' CA...) using a thin ply stick. Then I screwed a self tapping screw with a couple washers down through the wing mount hole and tightened the block up against the underside of the wing skin. Waited till it was dry, snapped off the thin ply stick and removed the self tapping sheet metal screw. Ta-daaaa. Mount point complete. Did this on all four mount points then glued the removed access hole pieces back into the access holes.
Probably will repaint tanks but used some Model Master #1452 Metalizer Lacquer (Stainless Steel Buffing Metalizer) that I had laying around. I did a slight buff on the tanks and stuck the red thumb take the kit provided for the fuel tank cap. Not very scale but gives some perspective I guess.
Extremely thin piano wire comes out the back to provide release of the tanks.
Probably will repaint tanks but used some Model Master #1452 Metalizer Lacquer (Stainless Steel Buffing Metalizer) that I had laying around. I did a slight buff on the tanks and stuck the red thumb take the kit provided for the fuel tank cap. Not very scale but gives some perspective I guess.
Extremely thin piano wire comes out the back to provide release of the tanks.
#833
My Feedback: (8)
Today I worked a little more on the cockpit. I am building a Late model P-51D (has the dorsal fin in front of the vertical stabilizer), I am creating a battery and SCR-552 VHF Transmitter that will be behind the rear armor plate/headrest. The cockpit shroud is glued in place. The cockpit is not a full model, and is pretty shallow. Overall details will be sparse.
I also epoxied with fiberglass the cockpit interior, which will be painted later.
I also worked on the exhaust. I think I will cut into the fuselage to create the shrouded exhaust stacks coming out of the fuse. I wanted to use Pacific Scaled Aircraft manifold and fresh air intake kits, but they were just too large for this scale fuselage. I may cut and form my own shrouded exhaust out of pieces of hardwood and brass tubing.
I also epoxied with fiberglass the cockpit interior, which will be painted later.
I also worked on the exhaust. I think I will cut into the fuselage to create the shrouded exhaust stacks coming out of the fuse. I wanted to use Pacific Scaled Aircraft manifold and fresh air intake kits, but they were just too large for this scale fuselage. I may cut and form my own shrouded exhaust out of pieces of hardwood and brass tubing.
#834
My Feedback: (8)
P-51 scale exhaust dilemma
So I am trying to decide on how to complete my Great Planes P-51 exhaust so it looks OK at scale. The actual scale of this build is 1:7.75 as close as I can figure. The plane came with preformed exhaust and gun pieces. I was not too crazy about the exhaust stack pieces supplied and a couple years ago or so, I purchased what was supposed to be a 1:7 scale exhaust kit from Pacific Scaled Aircraft (see previous post), but they just seem too large overall for this plane, and the plastic pieces that came with the kit seem blase to say the least. The manifold pieces are going to be difficult to cut and shape properly, and they need to be symmetrical.
If the Pacific Scaled Aircraft manifolds were 20%-30% smaller, they would be just right. Maybe I could find someone out there (here?) that has a 3D printer that could scan the manifolds, reduce the image and 'print' a pair out for me? HHHhmmmmmm......
Here are pictures of the two types against the plane.
What do you think??
So I am trying to decide on how to complete my Great Planes P-51 exhaust so it looks OK at scale. The actual scale of this build is 1:7.75 as close as I can figure. The plane came with preformed exhaust and gun pieces. I was not too crazy about the exhaust stack pieces supplied and a couple years ago or so, I purchased what was supposed to be a 1:7 scale exhaust kit from Pacific Scaled Aircraft (see previous post), but they just seem too large overall for this plane, and the plastic pieces that came with the kit seem blase to say the least. The manifold pieces are going to be difficult to cut and shape properly, and they need to be symmetrical.
If the Pacific Scaled Aircraft manifolds were 20%-30% smaller, they would be just right. Maybe I could find someone out there (here?) that has a 3D printer that could scan the manifolds, reduce the image and 'print' a pair out for me? HHHhmmmmmm......
Here are pictures of the two types against the plane.
What do you think??
#835
My Feedback: (8)
Today we routed out the area on each wing for the gun blisters. These are the preformed guns for this model provided with the model. I had created the gun barrels some years ago but never installed them. So, I decided to use the plastic gun pieces that came with the plane, and after I have them glued in place, then I will drill them out at an appropriate size to take a more scaled gun barrel.
Added a little micro-balloons mixed with polyester resin around the gun blisters. Will wait until tomorrow to sand down smooth and may add some fiberglass for strength.
Added a little micro-balloons mixed with polyester resin around the gun blisters. Will wait until tomorrow to sand down smooth and may add some fiberglass for strength.
Last edited by Fragmentum; 01-25-2015 at 06:48 PM.
#836
My Feedback: (8)
I decided to rebuild the .50 Cal. machine guns going into this build. maybe too detailed for this 'stand off' scale machine, but I feel better for the exercise. So I just hope I can drill the ports correctly to install these!
I haven't quite decided how to get the rounds into the wings though...
Also a shot of my messy work area...
Guns glued into wing
I haven't quite decided how to get the rounds into the wings though...
Also a shot of my messy work area...
Guns glued into wing
Last edited by Fragmentum; 01-31-2015 at 08:23 AM.
#837
My Feedback: (8)
Now working on a scale propeller for this build. The scale for the prop turns out to be 16-15/16 inch diameter. My LHS did not have any 17 inch props to work with and the 18 inch props were just too bulky to work with, so I chose a couple of Master Airscrew 16x4 K series props to build the 4-blade model. I haven't decided between cuffed or uncuffed display, but with the base width of these props I may just go with cuffed version.
Last edited by Fragmentum; 01-31-2015 at 01:25 PM.
#839
My Feedback: (8)
The color scheme I chose was influenced by my wife, Geraldine, so that is the color scheme I finally chose for this build.
Flown by Retired Lieutenant Colonel Charles Roscoe "Chuck" Cummins who flew Mustangs with the 361st Fighter Group, 375th fighter Squadron - Yellowjackets and named his Mustang "Geraldine" after his wife.
My model will be a replica of the one owned by Chuck Greenhill, Owner and operator of this beautiful North American P-51D Mustang "Geraldine" (S/N 44-74543), which is available for airshows, flybys and film.
Last edited by Fragmentum; 01-31-2015 at 04:41 PM.
#841
My Feedback: (8)
Yes, cool! 'Sweet Thing IV',
Named "Sweet Thing IV" (B7-M)
P-51D-5-NA Mustang
Serial number 44-13626
374th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group, 8th Air Force.
Flown by Lt.Col. Roy A. Webb,Jr.
and 'Geraldine',
"Geraldine" 361st Fighter Group, 375 Fighter Squadron
I only fly her now in Microsoft Flight Simulator X.
Say, who's BMW in the back ground of your picture?
Named "Sweet Thing IV" (B7-M)
P-51D-5-NA Mustang
Serial number 44-13626
374th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group, 8th Air Force.
Flown by Lt.Col. Roy A. Webb,Jr.
and 'Geraldine',
"Geraldine" 361st Fighter Group, 375 Fighter Squadron
I only fly her now in Microsoft Flight Simulator X.
Say, who's BMW in the back ground of your picture?
#843
My Feedback: (8)
Prop work continues. Only thing I got accomplished yesterday was to fit the current semi-scale Tru-turn spinner thru the prop blades so it would mate to the spinner base. Kind of sloppy fit but when the cuffs are finished, it will look OK. Problem is that the spinner is NOT scale and does not fit scale with a scale inner and outer spinner shell. I guess it looks OK as a 'stand off scale' look, bit I am going further than that.
The spinner shown I bought several years ago. It is a TruTurn TT-2704-B which is supposed to be a 4-blade P-51 spinner with 2-34 inch profile.
The OEM blade image is one I captured and printed, also several years ago, and simply taped to one blade with 2-sided tape.
The spinner shown I bought several years ago. It is a TruTurn TT-2704-B which is supposed to be a 4-blade P-51 spinner with 2-34 inch profile.
The OEM blade image is one I captured and printed, also several years ago, and simply taped to one blade with 2-sided tape.
#844
My Feedback: (8)
Prop to scale finishing is done. I decided not to apply the ' cuff' detail. I printed Hamilton Standard and the spec data on Testers decal white background media and applied to each blade. I then ground each blade tip round and painted yellow. I think the illusion came out reasonably well. Looks better than the rest of the entire plane....
Last edited by Fragmentum; 02-07-2015 at 06:59 PM.
#849
My Feedback: (8)
Canopy completed and also made a canopy stiffer brace. I chose to screw the canopy to the plane as the contour of the fuse where the canopy meets it are not really to scale, and I wanted to be able to remove this from time-to-time. I reinforced the mount holes with 2-56 plastic washers, and the holes in the fuse are tapped to 2-56 and reinforced with CA glue, then retapped again. Using 2-56 plastic screws to hold it all together.