dionysusbacchus

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Finally back from the storm, hurricane Jeanne! Only some wind and water damage, nothing I can’t fix!

I am going to design and build a 1/6 scale Corsair cockpit. This project is mainly for my own blown up 1/8 Royal Corsair that I am going to build, but with the much appreciated help of rcamp for sending me formers and plans for the Giant Top Flite Corsair, I will make sure that it fits this kit as well. I have no worries about it fitting in the Byron, that one has a fiberglass fuselage, so you can put the cockpit floor wherever you want!

First I wanted to make sure my pilot is as he will be, ready for flight! That included putting him on a good diet! I hate spending $35 on a pilot and then cutting him up, so I wanted to keep him as original as possible. I ordered 2 of the Blue Box Toys WWII Pearl Harbor Lt. “Doc” Miller pilots. Very realistic but the face looks like a Spitfire pilot, so I’m not going to use the head, I will attempt to sculpt my own in the likeness of Pappy Boyington! (More on that later) The figure is very easy to pose and very lifelike, I wanted to preserve this but the plastic is too heavy.

Here he is all taken apart, I just sliced into the seems with an exacto knife and popped them apart.

I don’t have a scale at the moment but by vacuum forming the main parts in .020 styrene he is much lighter. I just stuck the parts on the vacuum former and pulled the plastic over them.

Notice how it formed on the internal parts! This was a good thing; I used those areas to tell me where to put the internal 1/16” ply.

You can see the 1/16” ply in the lower neck area, notice how the part formed with the internal structure!

dionysusbacchus

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All parts were done the same way: 1/16” balsa on both halves then 1/16” ply for the turning joints. Notice on the knee I have a balsa block for a heavy duty Robart hinge point.

Here he is with all his fat parts and showing his slim light self! Notice the knee caps, just some small bits of pine. The arms have such great movement I didn’t want to bother with them, but now they almost weigh more than the rest of the body! Some holes drilled in them will probably have to do. When I get a scale I’ll weigh him so that you can see the weight savings.

Now I can start on the cockpit!

Dion

dionysusbacchus

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Starting the initial design work on the 1/6 cockpit, so this is your opportunity to speak up and maybe have an influence in the design decisions that I have to make. I personally don’t care if it fits the TF kit or not so that’s where you come in! All I really care about is that it fits the Royal and the BBI action figure.

As I said I am going to build the cockpit around the BBI Toys action figure, so first I have to come up with the basic dimensions. The Top Flite Corsair has some problems; notice the position of the stock cockpit floor for their cockpit kit. I was thinking of using the Main Fuse Rail for the cockpit floor, anyone have some experience with this model please give me your ideas. I was wondering if the servo tray could be lowered so that some of F-5 could be cut away for his feet? This would also allow the servo pushrods to go under the cockpit floor, seems easy to me but then again I have never built one of these.

I had my 1/8 Royal Corsair plans blown up 133% for a wingspan of 82” or exactly 1/6 scale. The only changes I am going to make is to move former F-6 forward so the instrument panel will be at the right place, also lower the cockpit floor 7 ½” measuring from the top of F-7. That will put it at the bottom of side stringer F-12. If you have the Giant TF Corsair you can measure 7 ½” from the top of F-6 to see how it will fit.

If anyone has any input I would appreciate it, once I start changes will be harder for me to do.

Dion

Harpoon

Here is a picture of ”Doc” as a wannabee Corsair pilot on a Brian Taylor 1/6 scale drawing. This Corsair is a bit down the road for me as I’m going to finish a TF and a Royal Corsair first, but since this model is going to be a FAA F4C model it’s wise to start planning.

The “floor” on a F4U-1x is not present so the bottom of the cockpit is the bottom of the wing in a full size. This could be a little bit of a problem if the rudder and elevator servo is placed in front of the cockpit. I have no solution to this problem at the moment other than put the servos behind the pilot


Cheers
Harpoon

WhoDaMan

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Hi Harboon:
Excellent idea. If nice enough I would jerk my Byrons out and go with yours.

Dave

dionysusbacchus

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I know about absence of a floor, I'm adding one for the regular crowd not the perfectionist. You can't see the wing from inside the cockpit. I use snakes for the controls so hiding them is not a problem, just run them through the consoles along the side. I would never mount the servo behind the pilot!

Dion

Peter_OZ

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Hey Dion,

how did you go carving the head to look like pappy? Dont forget his bottle of booze too! Sorryu just having fun.

Anyway I'm very interested in a really good cockpit to fit the TF Giant scale corsair. I have TFs version of the cockpit but it is pretty ordinary.

keeps us posted

cheers
Peter

dionysusbacchus

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How is ya old buddy! Yes, I have a scale size can of beer! Got a place for it in the cockpit too! I have a roughed out Boyington head I did sitting in front of the TV one evening. I'll make a silicone split glove mold of it and then slush cast it in resin. When that dries it will be very thin, then I fill it with the spray foam, very light. I'll keep you updated, probably some work to show next week some time. Here is a picture of Pappy with the other dude, who looks like a Corsair pilot? (just imagine the can of beer) As far as color goes, he will look better painted, just imagine him with a light green pale hangover look!

Dion

Peter_OZ

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mate that head is amazing. Looks just like the ugly SOB. As we say here he sure has a rough head! Must have been a riveting show on TV hehehe

mmm beer ok as long as it is not Fosters, that is crap beer. Now good Queensland XXXX is another story!

yeah the other dude looks too pretty to be a fighter pilot - looks like he should be on a catwalk somewhere or in a poof bar!!


I sort of thought he looked hungover anyway with that nice pale colouring. anyway would he know the difference? As they say avoid hangover - stay pissed!

Anyway I'm off to look through the rest of the posts.

You really do crack me up - sure your not an Aussie?

cheers
Peter

t_burley

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nice work Luke. you always come up with something very kewl!

rcamp

Dion,
My opinion on your comments about the TopFlite;
"The Top Flite Corsair has some problems; notice the position of the stock cockpit floor for their cockpit kit. I was thinking of using the Main Fuse Rail for the cockpit floor, anyone have some experience with this model please give me your ideas. I was wondering if the servo tray could be lowered so that some of F-5 could be cut away for his feet? "

I too have the BBI pilot (along with his Japanese counterpart, I'll have to do a Zero for him sometime), and realized looking at the plans that the floor would have to be lowered. I would say it has to go to the bottom of the Main Fuse Rail to lower the pilot just a little more. And I recognized that the servo tray (possibly the air tank also) would have to be repositioned, also meaning changes to F5. In my opinion, you should assume the floor is at the bottom of the Main Fuse Rail and then those of us cursed with the TopFlite design will have to make some appropriate fixes. I don't have the answers yet, but go ahead with these assumptions, I'm sure it's workable. It always is with motivated builders.

Robert Camp

dionysusbacchus

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Cheers Peter! Glad you like Pappy, I have made more changes. I noticed his cheeks were a little flat on that profile, now he looks much better. I don't watch much TV, but it was a way to spend time with the wife and do modeling at the same time... yes dear!



I'm not an Aussie but I drove on the wrong side of the road once, must have been that Aussie beer I drank?
Thank you bural, I just like doing kewl stuff!
Thanks again Robert for you help with this project, the fuse plan was a great idea and I did need it! I thought 71/2" would be enough, but if you think we could go below the fuse rail then I'll look at it. I'm doing the dash and instrument panel now, those are easy. I'll have to make the decision about how deep to go when I make the back panel and head rest piece. Thanks for your input!

Dion

John in Boston

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Now, if any of you guys are wondering where Dionysus-Bacchus really gets his sculpture groove (and particularly his accurate sculpting of rough-hewn pilots of Bent-Wing Birds), look no further for his inner source:

http://www.beloit.edu/~classics/main/courses/classics150/museum150/Dionysus_Bacchus/Dion_(Sicilian_Naxos_c_430_420).htm

And if that's not enough, check out some further background, and in the belissimo lingua fraca d' Italiano no less!

http://www.sullacrestadellonda.it/mitologia/dioniso.htm



John
p.s. Awesome new work, Luke !!!

ShaneUSMC

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Dion,
Is there no limit to your imagination?!? Man, I would never have thought of doing that. Your work is awesome as usual.

rcamp

Dion,

Have you ever looked at these instruments for the IP? I don't know how you come up with your instruments, but I ran across these and wonder if they might be applicable here.

http://www.hobby-lobby.com/instruments.htm

Robert

dionysusbacchus

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John you kill me! Thanks buddy!

Hi Shane, I don't know! I hope not! I still have tons of stuff to do on this next Corsair so I'm going to need it! Lighten up one of those jet pilots!

Thanks!

Hi Robert, I have not seen those instruments, but I don't need them for this project anyway. The Corsair has a very flat instrument panel, all of the instruments are mounted behind the panel. So all that detail would be of no use to us. Look at the first picture. Thanks for the link anyway, cool stuff!

I made the mold for my Pappy and it turned out pretty good. I made a quick cast to check it and then painted it. I don't have the proper paints for flesh tones, this one was just a test. Bubbles are a big problem without pressure pots, might just have to spend the money on them though if I want to do anymore of this kind of thing.

I'll have updates some time next week.

Dion

MANFRED

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Dion,
Great info on painting at Aces of Iron website. I thought I painted a decent pilot until I tried their methods. Awesome results.

dionysusbacchus

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Thanks Manfred, I remember reading that tutorial once. I'll have to try it, I'll post my results! [link=http://www.acesofiron.com/paint_face.htm]Aces of Iron face painting[/link]

kakem

Dion,
There are a couple of things you can try before investing in a pressure pot.

If the air bubbles are in your silicone mold:
(1) To reduce the air in the silicone, mix it by hand (rather than by paint mixing drill or wifes cake mixer) to limit the amount of air in the mix then....
(2) Use a long pour: pour the silicone from a greater height over the sculpture and keep the pour stream very small, this will pop the air bubbles in the stream before they get to the sculpture.
alternately:
(3) You could use a thinning agent in the silicone. Add 5% Naptha (by weight) to your mixture. The thin silicone will settle better into the details of your sculpture. The down side is the Naptha will evaporate out of the cureing silicone and shrink the mold proportionally....but 5% shrinkage is indestinguishable.

If the air is in your resin:
(1) Use baby powder as a mold release agent. The powder will draw resin into the details.
or
(2) Fill the cavity with resin, cover and shake like a martini, then pour out most of the resin and continue slush casting the rest. Downside, wastes lots of resin

dionysusbacchus

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kakem, great post! I did what you suggested and it worked flawlessly, thank you!

Manfred, I did try to paint like them but it didn't work![:@] I don't recommend oils for anyone but the artists in the crowd. My figure turned out to dark and the wrong color and the stuff never dries, or it takes to long! I just used Model Masters paints and I think it will pass. For his shadows and beard I used black chalk powder applied with a small brush. Then I hit is with Model Master flat clear enamel.

I WILL get going on the 1/6 cockpit, I just had some other projects that needed finishing.

Dion

John in Boston

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Hey there to Luke and all you guys,

Just as an interesting foray alongside Luke's work with making pilot figures, here's a recent article. It's on Large Scale Planes, a site primarly to do with plastic aeromodeling in the neighborhood of 1/32 and 1/24th scales:

http://www.largescaleplanes.com/arti.../PilotDown.htm

Note that the subject for this modeler's attention is none other than our man Joe Foss !!!

John in Boston