ram3500-RCU

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Basic paint base. first coat, black. Then I used several different shades of aluminum for the different panels.

ram3500-RCU

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More painting. The Tornado goes on then the weathering.

ram3500-RCU

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Repairing the exhaust trim where the waste gates were. Graham did a wonderful job on this.

DrScoles

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ram3500-RCU

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Thanks Mike. Actually, I have been working on it, just need to get caught up with postings. Takes time.

BTW, looks a wonderful vacation!

IFLYBVM2

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Excited to see her coming back together-nice work Gary..

ram3500-RCU

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Nose art restoration.

f4u1 pilot

Nice work Gary! who's paint masks are you using? I like the clear mask and index markings.Looks like it won't be long before it's flying again!

ram3500-RCU

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Graham in the UK did the original build. I was provided the masks and graphics from the company he uses so they matched. Flightline does an outstanding job.

ram3500-RCU

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Having said all that, although the index holes are very nice and would no doubt make it easy on a flat surface, they didn't help much on this compound surface. After the first mask, I had to cut the rest apart to get good alignment. No big deal, just very tiedious. Overall I love the Flightline material and craftsmanship. I highly recommend them. They also supply lots of support information for location.

DrScoles

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IFLYBVM2

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What he said-Nigel is the MAN....His attention to detail is fantastic.

ram3500-RCU

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I'd like to share a very interesting thing I learned about his dry transfers. In the past, I have found them to become increasingly difficult to transfer as they age, so these, being what, 2 years old, I was skeptical about there worth. Fact is, they transfer as good as the day they were printed. His non-stick backing, and the adhesive he uses is far superior to what I have used in the past. Others I have used were good quality is appearance, but they had to be used in a few weeks or they became very hard to work with. Not so with Flightline products.

ram3500-RCU

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ram3500-RCU

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IFLYBVM2

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Happy to report that KT2 is now back in my hangar after a (not so brief) 20 hour round trip to Ohio to retrieve her. A big thanks to Gary and Brian for doing an awesome job on the repair work for me. She looks as good as she ever did, maybe even better now with the addition of fully functional cowl flaps. Not an easy task to accomplish on an already finished airplane. If you have ever added cowl flaps to a warbird, you know it is a painstaking, exacting task that takes many, many hours. Well, take that task and do it on an already painted airplane, and you can begin to understand what an undertaking this would be time wise. (The cowling area did not require any repairs) And Gary knocked it out of the park-the finished result is just perfect. A nice addition to an already unbelievable aircraft.
Final rigging and systems re-installation remain for me, and she will be ready for a re-maiden.

DrScoles

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Mike, lets talk before you fly it. Here's a little tease to motivate you....

IFLYBVM2

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For sure, Mike-sounds like a plan. With 2 stores, a new pawn shop I just opened in one of my stores, family, and a wife with some health issues, things in my hobby room happen a bit more slowly than I would like these days. Having said that, I am sure it will take me a 'minute', as my step kids say, to get her across the finish line.
Thanks for the teaser-she sounds AWESOME on that low pass !
Cheers-Mike

DrScoles

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Best sounding motor/prop combo I have heard.... It does not fly well with the scale prop, but its worth it.... sound is intoxicating and you can tell the four blade is going in flight..... I am not 100% sure I have the pitch right on that prop, so I suggest you really run it in and check rpm. Lots of theories on what the rpm should be... I am not a moki expert. I have got adept at adjusting the valves, but not sure on where the rpm and pitch should be on the solo props.

"If you want something done, give it to the busiest person..." You'll get it squared away!

ram3500-RCU

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My initial thought on the prop, when I saw it, was that it was set a little low on pitch. The three blade 32" is typically about 18 to 20 inches. The four blade would be a little less but not much given the smaller diameter, but after hearing the video, I am sure it is too shallow. The engine is torque bound with a shallow pitch. I set the pitch for about 37 to 3800 on the ground. They then unload just right in the air.

ram3500-RCU

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Mike, as I have already told you in private, I will state again here that Brian and I are very appreciative of the opportunity to work on this particular aircraft. It has been both a challenge and a joy to work on her. I especially enjoyed being able to see first hand and in depth Graham's outstanding artwork with surface detail. So glad to have a hand in bringing KT2 back to the flightline. Hope to see her in person at an event in the near future. Some more pictures.

ram3500-RCU

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This hatch was very fragile where it would be pulled open after unlocking. I used some aluminum and Hy-Sol to strengthen it.

ram3500-RCU

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ram3500-RCU

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Engine goes back on.

ram3500-RCU

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