p 40

the cobra would be nice to build mid-engined like the truth. Chad only with his talent would be capable of designing[sm=thumbup.gif][sm=thumbup.gif]

BradSD

My Feedback: (9)

Im finishing up a TF-P-39 this week. I just laid down the paint and will mount the engine and take some pics to post soon. Here is one before the paint was put on.

BradSD

My Feedback: (9)

sorry wrong pic, I wish that one was mine

Kram Noskcire

Dry transfers and stencils;

I just got my set of dry  transfers/decals for my P-39 Cobra I from GetStencils, Vikie DeLuyck at 2735 25th Street NE, Hickory, NC, 28601. Had to use my Accurate Minatures 1:48 decals as well a a set of 1:32 aftermarket decals that had the anti-glear shield as well as the nose pointed things, (don't know what else to call them). The 1:32 set came from Red Pagasus Decals which had some serious historical errors on the decal sheet. So it was necesary to use both sets of decals, to get a acceptial set.  Vikie was pleasent and professional to work with and the end product is as close to the real thing that i have seen. I will highly recomend her to do fill your needs for up-scalled art work.

Mark(Kram)

Capt. Winters

My Feedback: (8)

Hi Chad, Thank you for the kind words. I have not finished the P-39, I tend to pull a couple of planes off the shelf and work on 2 or more at a time. Its not the best way to get a plane finished in a timely manner but it is fun. I am also working on a CMP Hellcat at this time, and slowly posting my progress in that thread. I would like to see you do a P-39. I am sure you would do well with sales at that size. Its just a great looking and flying plane. I am wanting to get one of your Hellcat kits and for sure the P-39 if you decide to produce one. The Topflite P-39 flys like a trainer. I had one go down several years ago to a bad receiver, just my luck. You have done a great job on your Hellcat build, I watch that thread closely. Take care, Capt. Winters

drifter

My Feedback: (53)

Any of you P-39 fans seen this? Lots of walk around photos in addition to the building article.

drifter

My Feedback: (53)

Don't have the plans, but here is a scan from the original American Modeler

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

I tend to work the same way Capt., with several projects going back and forth all the time. Seems like none of them is ever going to get done and then all of a sudden I have 3 or 4 airplanes all done at nearly the same time. I've seen your Hellcat in the CMP thread and it looks great too. I'd love to see you take a crack at one of mine, I'm sure you could do it justice. Not sure what will be next for me but a P-39 is certainly one of the top contenders.

Dean rcu

My Feedback: (5)

When I learn more about electrics i'm going to finish this Pippeno design P-39. Right now I'm in the middle of a 1/4 scale Mark Frankel T-34 build.

BradSD

My Feedback: (9)

Im almost done with mine guys, here are a few pics. Not my greatest build, lots of imperfections but im kewl with it. I still lack some touch up, balancing, break in of engine, and final radio adjustments, also have to get a spinner that fits. I have a pin up girl ordered for the left side nose but not there yet. My decals where so old they just wouldn't hardly stick for some reason. I tried putting lustercote flat clear over them, I hope it helps them stick down.

jymster

My Feedback: (9)

Dean, that's one awesome looking Cobra! Can you please share some more of your building techniques? Or more specifically your alloy finishing techniques? How accurate did you find Jim's plans to be? Were there any modifications that needed to be made to match your 3-views?

Regards,

James.

Dean rcu

My Feedback: (5)

Hi James, Thanks ! The aluminum covering is done over a glassed surface. I use .003 aluminum shim stock that comes in rolls from McMaster Carr in some areas but most is covered with Flite-Metal which is an aluminum tape. The plans match my three view. The wing fillets cannot be installed the way the plans show. They have to be formed in three sections. Other than that it was a fun project.

Dean

BradSD

My Feedback: (9)

That cockpit interior is amazing, im ashamed to have mine pictured anywhere near your airplane. Id love to have the skills and time to build like that but I just dont see it happening. Congrats on a amazing job, one of the best I have ever seen. Oh and I love how you're door opens up,, wow that is so cool!!

jymster

My Feedback: (9)

Dean,

What retracts have you used? Are they your own design?

James.

Iron Dog

A couple years ago, I visited Fairbanks, Alaska. While there, I saw a WWII Lend-Lease Alaska-Siberia Airways Memorial. I will attempt to attach some photos, in case anyone is interested. (Note: this is my first time trying to post pictures and am guessing at the procedure, so please be patient with me if it doesn't work.)

Iron Dog

Oh, I forgot to mention that is a P-39 propeller and spinner represented in the memorial statue.

Dean rcu

My Feedback: (5)

Thanks Brad, I'm retired so I have lots of time to devote to building. I built my first scale model back in the mid 1960s when proportional radios first came out.

Dean

Dean rcu

My Feedback: (5)

Hi James, The retracts are Robart Midwest AT 6 bodies which have a 9 degree angle built into them and are mounted backward which gives them a backward sweep like the Cobra has.

Dean

Iron Dog

OK guys, now that it appears I've successfully figured out how to post pictures, allow me to begin to share some things that you might hopefully find a little more interesting:

This is one of my favorite pictures of the P-39. It is the wallpaper currently on my laptop, showing Duxeford's "Brooklyn Bum" flying in-formation with their Aleutian Tiger P-40.



On to some models of the beautiful P-39:

Although I generally have little time for either, I prefer building much more than flying. But my primary passion, when flying, is scale warbird racing. Several years ago, I kit bashed a Bridi Vagabond into a P-39. I covered it in Solartex, painted it with Chevron Perfect Paint in the two-toned British camo colors of the Shark-mouthed P-400 operated by the Americans stationed in New Guinea. Used primarily in the ground support role, I decided my model needed to reflect this, so I even installed a bomb drop. My fitting of the main gear doors was bizarre and was only intended for static purposes, so I later removed them and just installed struts. It flew so well, I contemplated entering it into a warbird race. While practicing for my first warbird race, my father-in-law sliced my P-39's entire tail section off from the rest of the fuse with his prop as we rounded a pylon together too closely. (He always said, "Ahhhh, don't worry, you can't hardly mid-air these things if you try!" . . . Yeeaaahhhhh, right![:@])



The wing was salvageable, so I designed and built a new fuselage, and attempted to make it a little closer to scale. This became my very successful initial entry into warbird racing. I repainted it Olive Drab, with a white tail. These markings are seen in several of the museum examples (such as Chino, Duxeford, etc.). As a Bronze-class racer, it helped me win the High-points Championship my first 3 out of 4 racing seasons (I got way to overconfident and aggressive in my third season a valuable lesson learned.). I always felt I had a little bit of an advantage because of this design's consistency. Everyone always commented on what an exceptionally smooth flyer it was. Add to that the improved ground handling due to the tricycle gear and the reliability of not having to constantly fart around with retracts, and it was truly an exceptional racer for the Bronze class. After 4 years of racing fuel leaks, occasional hard landings (due to my dumb thumbs), and vibration from running that little YS 53 on 45% nitro, began began taking their toll I felt the plane's structural integrity had diminished to the point that it would be necessary to retire the airframe in order to ensure everyone's safety. It was a sad day for me, but he demands of racing are hard on airframes! I've attempted to build new airframes a Spitfire, a P-47, and a P-51 and have flown in both Bronze and Silver classes with them, but none have ever given me the confidence and consistency needed to win again, that my old, trusty P-39 always provided me.

Iron Dog

Knowing I needed to retire my sport-scale(ish)Bronze racer, I decided todesign a new, verynearly scale P-39, from scratch. I decided to make it a composite fuselage so that I could make multiples, thus hopefullyhaving a back-up. My design started with Paul Matt 3-view drawings, but I extended the tail moment by 1". The idea was not only to help slightly offset the weight of my 4-stroke being so far in front of the CG (Man, that it a long nose!), but to also to helpit suffer less from otherwise being such a short-coupled design, while still appearing scale toaverage modelers, such as myself. The attached pictures show my progress as I worked on this project while on vacation (about the only time I ever have to model). The initial plug was made from foam. In what I hope will end up as the first picture (I'm stillvery new at this, and theeditor is not letting me view my attachments), the plug is sanded and ready for fiberglassing. Behind and to the left, on theplane rack, is another picture of my older, retired P-39 (named "Bad Temper"), as well asthe prototype of my scratch-built,composite P-47 ("Arkansas Traveller"), underneath. These pictures were taken on 12/1/06. The last picture should show the already completed cowl plug, mold, and the first FG cowl pulled from this mold.

Iron Dog

On Dec. 2nd, I started fiberglassing the fuse. Now that it is fiberglassed, you can clearly seedark linesthatshow thevarious former sections where I used the cross-section patterns from Paul Matt's drawings to keepit scale.

On 12/3/2006, I began trimming the excessFG and started the lengthy process of sand, fill, wait to dry, sand, fill some more, wait to dry, sand some more, . . . etc., etc. This is the part I hate most about this process! It seems like it will never end! Perfectionism sucks someimes!

Iron Dog

Sorry, 2nd pic didn't upload. I may have to do these in smaller batches/more separate posts? I'll figure this out eventually. Any tips?

Let's try 12/3/06 again:

Iron Dog

12/14/2006. After 11 days of sand, fill, wait, sand . . . , the plug is finally ready to be primed. The first picture should show the plugmounted onmy painting stand, before painting. The second, the plug after theinitial primer coats. The last (if all 3 will load) shows the hatch plugs after priming.

Iron Dog

12/19/06: Timeto makewing fillets:

I set the fuse on the unfinished prototype of my new wing design and began the process of gluing 1/64" ply and tri-stock down to fit the wing contour.Then,of course Ihad to waste timefantasizing what it mightlook like when it is done soI put the cowl, canopy and air intake plug on the fuse and wing. I waste way to much timejust lookin', instead ofbuildin'!

p39

My Feedback: (5)

Nice job Iron dog..... lots o work!