Ziroli Panther Lovers! (Pictures and Video!)
12-09-2015, 05:45 PM
#27
Hi this is my panther 1:4 scale started by Joe Vladimir and other guys .The plan is to make 5 of them so far only two maiden to the sky the all totally scratch built .The rivets on my are hand made one by one only 5500 for each wing and no idea how much for the fuselage .
Joes panther flying like spot jet my have only one flight will try more next year. 
12-26-2015, 12:01 PM
#28
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi,
Very nice build. The Ziroli Panther is definitely a very nice flier and worth the time spent to build. When I built mine I built a plug based on the Ziroli plans and a glass/carbon fuse. Wings and horizontal stabs are built as per the plans. Pics attached. Mine has an own built turbine (80N) and flies great. Just sharing some pics.
Very nice build. The Ziroli Panther is definitely a very nice flier and worth the time spent to build. When I built mine I built a plug based on the Ziroli plans and a glass/carbon fuse. Wings and horizontal stabs are built as per the plans. Pics attached. Mine has an own built turbine (80N) and flies great. Just sharing some pics.
12-26-2015, 12:32 PM
#29
Thanks Tom, the Jet Mafia was quite an inspiration for me! Now I'm the only one regularly flying turbines at the AUX. Rainer does when he is stateside and Bob gets out a few times a year. Glad to see you managed to keep flying turbines, hope you get a Skymaster F-4!
Sysiek, I like your Panther, very nice size as well, easy to see and probably flies even better than the smaller original version!
Revilo13, nice work, and as you say after flying it, definitely worth it! Thanks for posting your work, very cool!
My Panther now has 36 flights on it, managed to get 3 more flights Christmas morning!
12-26-2015, 06:15 PM
#31
I wanted to show how I got my pilot figure and cockpit. Very rarely do you see a correct helmet on a RC Panther pilot, in fact I don't think I ever have. I decided to sculpt my own head and place it on a WWW.WARBIRDPILOTS.COM 1/7 ~ 1/8 10" tall British RAF Pilot Figure. The Ziroli Panther is not quite 1/6 scale, so the pilot had to be a bit smaller, but the head that came on the figure was way to small, I was not going to use it anyway. I also cut the boots down to just shoes, used the goggles and oxygen mask. I think the uniforms were either green or tan, not sure, I've seen both. I think Warbirdpilots has a green uniform on the jet pilots, maybe that one would be better.
Here I show the silicone mold, resin head, finished pilot and the mold for vacuum forming the instrument panel.
I am still not done with the cockpit, but here is what I have so far:
Here you can see that the entire cockpit is easily removed, ejection seat is held in with magnets and the floor with two small screws.
One thing I think I mentioned before, but I want to touch on again, is that the Ziroli canopy as drawn on the plans and the one they send you is WAY over sized. When I first stuck it on my framed up fuselage my first thought was, oh god, it's an observation plane!
Here you can see a red line, use this as a reference when viewing any three view or any picture of a full scale Panther, you can clearly see where the rear glass ends very close to the lip of the intake.
It is hard to show, but you can see the stock canopy next to mine, it extends a considerable distance past the intake, in doing so it has to be much taller also.
I used the stock canopy to make a plaster mold, sanded the plaster smooth and pulled a clear canopy. From that I made a fiberglass layup and cut it down as needed to make the frames in the correct spot and get the correct length and height.
Here I show the silicone mold, resin head, finished pilot and the mold for vacuum forming the instrument panel.
I am still not done with the cockpit, but here is what I have so far:
Here you can see that the entire cockpit is easily removed, ejection seat is held in with magnets and the floor with two small screws.
One thing I think I mentioned before, but I want to touch on again, is that the Ziroli canopy as drawn on the plans and the one they send you is WAY over sized. When I first stuck it on my framed up fuselage my first thought was, oh god, it's an observation plane!
Here you can see a red line, use this as a reference when viewing any three view or any picture of a full scale Panther, you can clearly see where the rear glass ends very close to the lip of the intake.
It is hard to show, but you can see the stock canopy next to mine, it extends a considerable distance past the intake, in doing so it has to be much taller also.
I used the stock canopy to make a plaster mold, sanded the plaster smooth and pulled a clear canopy. From that I made a fiberglass layup and cut it down as needed to make the frames in the correct spot and get the correct length and height.
12-26-2015, 06:26 PM
#32
sysiek, I love the look of your Panther, you have some good lines on that bird. I'd love to have a larger version, I just have to many other projects right now!
I have access to a full scale Panther slated for restoration, it's a dash 5 also! The guy that owns it also owns the 3 T-33's, he liked my Panther and invited me up to his hangar any time to take pictures! Pretty cool, he also flies the B-25 for the Rod Lewis Collection here in San Antonio. http://www.lewisairlegends.com/
I have access to a full scale Panther slated for restoration, it's a dash 5 also! The guy that owns it also owns the 3 T-33's, he liked my Panther and invited me up to his hangar any time to take pictures! Pretty cool, he also flies the B-25 for the Rod Lewis Collection here in San Antonio. http://www.lewisairlegends.com/
12-26-2015, 06:51 PM
#35
Yes he installed his turbine in the back of the jet there no pipe just aluminum heat protector and about 5lbs in the nose ,but this configuration works actually very good much better than center installed turbine with the pipe like my Panther less balance in front but I thin I lose some thrust power with the long pipe longer take off we are using same turbine k-170 37lbs thrust and the jets are about 50-55 lbs dry.
12-27-2015, 04:03 PM
#39
flyme2moon, nice start on the panther. I see that it is basically stock, meaning you will probably want to go with a smaller turbine. I upgraded mine in key areas for the extra weight of the added details and higher thrust of my K80. I added spruce spars to the stab, extended the aluminum wing tube out one more rib and added a ply piece to that rib, used spruce for the main spars instead of balsa. I also added strips of carbon fiber to the vertical fin under and up to the stab, about 4 strips on each side. On former F-9 where your CG is marked you will need to add a cross brace. I would also make sure the original builder added the proper washout on the wings, something I always check when I take over another person project. I also cut off the fiberglass intakes and mounted the turbine as far forward as possible, this saves a lot in nose ballast. I have the fiberglass intakes on mine just to give it a clean look when looking at the intake, in reality it does not need the smooth fiberglass intakes at all. Good luck and feel free to post here if you like!
12-28-2015, 06:35 PM
#43
Nice Panthers! Amazing to think how many of these have been built, still lots of builders out there!
Mirce, your Panther lives on and is in very good hands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY0HvKmJWig I definitely recommend the Mirce Detail & Finish Sets!
Mirce, your Panther lives on and is in very good hands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY0HvKmJWig I definitely recommend the Mirce Detail & Finish Sets!
12-29-2015, 03:07 AM
#44
Thanks for video... Yes, my Panther is now in Germany...
More about building and "face lift" I made before I sold it, you can see on my web site: www.nsmodelers.rs
Regards from Senta, Serbia
Mirce
More about building and "face lift" I made before I sold it, you can see on my web site: www.nsmodelers.rs
Regards from Senta, Serbia
Mirce
01-01-2016, 07:08 PM
#45
Senior Member
My Feedback: (8)
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Saugus,
CA
Posts: 1,471
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Luke, you are a god among the folks in this hobby who can not assemble even a swing set! Thanks for posting your detailed info. I really like what you have done with the pilot and your Panther. I have a Ziroli Panther stacked away for the near future. I have a vintage JetCat P-60 that it will fly with. And I do not care if it needs 500 feet to get airborne and only goes 130MPH! Now back to crawl under my rock..........
01-02-2016, 07:37 PM
#46
I may appear that way to some, but for me I see myself as finding a few sticks of balsa and glue to content myself with compared to many in this hobby!
I appreciate the compliments though and you are very welcome! You will have no problem flying yours on a P60, you will just have to build it stock, don't use spruce spars as I did and that sort of thing.
Please, keep us posted on your Z Panther!
I appreciate the compliments though and you are very welcome! You will have no problem flying yours on a P60, you will just have to build it stock, don't use spruce spars as I did and that sort of thing.
Please, keep us posted on your Z Panther!
