SpitfireMKI

My Feedback: (2)

I bet you will find it's cheaper just to give Carolyn the $$$$$ to go fly then to build that monster !

S1

nmacwarbirds

Well done S1
You have just taken us to our one hundreth post on this thread.
May there be many more.
Would it be OK, if I posted the building progress of my P47 and Spitfire
on this thread, as I don'y really want to get involved in a full blown build thread.

Other people might like to do it this way also, just occasionally post progress reports.
This might help the longevity of the thread, the odd build pics. The finished model
shots, the flying shots. Plus all the war stories, historical picture's etc.
Hopefully this will keep us going to our 1000th post.

Just a thought.
Regards Phil G.

Ron Daniels

I have built a few WWII warbirds.

I love the crisp handling, and the authority with which they fly.

Typhoons






Tempest Mk Vs





Tempest Mk II



Sea Fury



Full scale I patterned it after



Hellcat





Ron Daniels

nmacwarbirds

Dear Ron
Thanks for sharing you warbird pics with us.
Do you have a wbsite, for your kits.
REgards Phil Goff.

valkommen

I noticed the P-47 picture in your photos. I'm looking for a 1/5th scale full body military pilot for the cockpit of my Top Flite Gold Edition P-47. Top Flite no longer sells this item. Any thoughts??

bosssman

My Feedback: (35)

Phil,

I think the "glory" of war is only in the minds of those that have not actually participated in combat. The shear terror of being in an airplane that is being shot at is undescribeable. While not of WW II vintage, I flew an RC-135 intelligence gathering plane during the 1971-72 timeframe in Vietnam. As such, we had grown accustomed to flying over "denied" air space (ie that airspace claimed by another country). During one of our many missions, 4 Chinese Mig-19s were scrambled from Hainan Island and vectored towards our plane. Being an intell bird, we knew exactly what was happening and took immediate evasive action. Even so, without any armed escort (ie fighters) and over Chinese airspace, our chances of escaping seemed slim. At an altitude of approximately 32,000 feet, our pilot allowed the aircraft to "fall" to around 5,000 feet in an attempt to shake the fighters. At around 3,000 feet, he regained control of the plane and headed away from the target area. The plane was buffeting badly and we all knew there was something terribly wrong. At this point, we picked up F-4 fighter CAP (combat air patrol) until we were well in sight of our landing strip. Due to the extensive damage to the plane (unknown to us in the backend of the plane), we ended up doing a gear-up landing on a foamed runway in Clark AB, Phillippines. Upon exiting the aircraft, I remember seeing a large portion of the vertical fin had been shot away. Evidently, the Mig-19s sent up after us were gun equiped only and had no missles. Less than 48 hours, most of us were back up (in a different plane of course) flying a similar mission in another RC-135.....

I was 19 at the time and believe me, I found nothing glorious in the terror experienced by myself or those around me. I think that most adjectives that glorify war and combat are made up by those that have not experienced it first hand. I am glad you weren't 20 in 1940 and experienced your 5 minutes in air combat only to be shot down - pity the poor commander that would have had to written to your mother and father explaining why they would never see you again....

randy

prop wash

Your right on the money Boss,I thank God you are hear today to set people straight.I was in the Marines and it is not fun being shot at.I've been shot at in civilian life too and you never get over it.I'll stick with just dreaming about flying a WWll war bird[P51]and leave it at that.Tom [ps.I still like your avatar]Tom

Flak

My Feedback: (1)

Gents,
I don't believe any of us are war mongors. However, being a 21 year U.S. Army veteran and a Police Officer with a total to 32 years
of law enforcement under my belt I'm glad to have lived so long. True, hunting for Glory will often get your behind bit off. I never hunted for glory. I merely wear my ribbons and medals as a tribute to what I achieved and overcame. I also remember those I fought beside and those who were not lucky enough to make it back. I do love the Warbirds though. They remind me of the great human endeavor to make good triumph over evil. It's an age old dilemna. I have flown real airplanes, but I find modeling more fun. I can have my models at home with me to work on and admire as I wish. A real airplane has to stay in the hangar at some airport. Bummer! I will admit, I would own a real Warbird if my income allowed for it. There is something in a model that seems to trigger our imaginations and cause our hearts to pound to prompt us to follow our dreams. My oldest son has followed his dreams and is a F-16 Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Air Force. He still flies his R/C Warbirds too. I'm checking out some digital cameras.

"Keep 'Em Flying!"
Flak

Ron Daniels

I don't think that you need to be a war-monger to appreciate the WWII fighters.

They were the first of the very high performance airplanes, and, as such had imperfections and varying approaches to the technical challenges of going such speeds. A formula for success had not yet been arrived at. As such, even within the same role (ie interceptor), they have a great deal of diversity of design, within the basic parameters of their type.

In addition, as "mission" airplanes, they carried a wide range of armaments and equipment that is not needed on a civilian airplane. Sometimes this equipment was even retro-fitted to the airframe. This makes for a lot of neat little details for us to enjoy copying on our models.

The huge array of paint schemes, the propensity for paint chipping and peeling, and the dirt that accumulated on these outdoor-stored, heavily used airplanes gives the opportunity for some more detailing that opens the door to making the model truly emulate a particular full-scale in a particular state of repair.

Finally, the limited roll-rates and climb rates, as compared to contemporary fighters give a grace to their movement that they would not have, if they were capable of 400º/second roll-rates. As many of our WWII models are capable of the latter rate (I know mine are set up for between 0.5 and 1 second/roll - for use in emergencies, and for control at low speeds), there is a challenge to flying them in a prototypical manner. It is not a challenge of reflexes, but rather a challenge of patience, timing and subtle movement.

Interestingly, if you look at the roll data of WWII airplanes, it is usually quoted at a given stick force, and varied greatly with speed and altitude (as the stick force required varied). Our servos have enough power to give full movement at any speed. This is the basis of our ability to out-roll the full-scale at high speeds. Their aileron throw was dependent on speed, air density, and the upper body strength of the pilot!

Hopefully, building and flying these airplanes will allow the remaining pilots of the full-scale airplanes to remember the power, grace and pleasure of peacefully flying the originals, without having to re-live the terror and risk of combat.





Ron Daniels

nmacwarbirds

Dear Bossman
Perhaps a bad choice of words on my part.
What I was trying to imply, was that if I had have been there I would have been prepared
to have done what was necessary. Nobody likes war and the pain and suffering that it brings.
Our homeland was being seriously threatend by Adolf and his mates. The young men of the
Royle Air Force held the fate of the World in their hands, and they did not let it fall.

Many nationalities fought in the Battle of Britain.
I will try and findout, which ones and how many.

I have tremendous respect for anybody who has seen combat.
And served their Country.

It is a very interesting piece, that you have written here.
Coming from a perspective of someone who has seen combat.
I am glad that this thread is bringing forth posts like this, so we get to hear
what it is really like, to be shot at and the fear it brings with it.

WE know more than most, in this Country what pain and suffering war's bring.
WE see on our TV's, our dead service men being brought back from Iraq on C17's
on a to regular basis.
So I am glad you pointed out to me my bad choice of words.
In no way was I trying to glorify war.
Thank you once again for your very candid post.

Regards Phil Goff.

bosssman

My Feedback: (35)

Phil,

Not really a bad choice of words as I think deep down in most, if not all of us, is this desire to "do the right thing". I know that is what drove me to enlist in the Air Force at the height of the Vietnam war rather than evade the draft or run to Canada. ANYONE that has the courage to don a uniform to protect others, whether military, police, fire, etc should be admired and respected. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case as history has proven. As far as warbirds are concerned, my father was a career Air Force man as was I (22 years) and I have always LOVED military aircraft. Realizing that warbirds are machines of death is taking a harsh point of view. War IS a part of human nature and will exist as long as there are two individuals left on this planet who disagree - disagree to the point of taking up arms against one another. I have friends who are avid military weapons collectors, yet they have no desire to fire one at another human being. Like us, they admire the design, functionality and the HISTORY that surrounds any given piece. I think in the R/C hobby, we can "safely" separate the "death machine" aspect of the plane from the things that attract us most about a given aircraft. I, for example, admire the P-40 as it represents the courage of a small cadre of men that attempted to fight off the Japanese invasion of China before America's formal committment to the war. At the same time, I can also admire the Japanese figher pilot piloting a Zero who, acting as a warrior under orders, did the best job he was trained to do. When you become a soldier, your main focus becomes "completing the mission" - NOT the politics that surround the decision to implementing the mission.....

I think WW II represents the pinacle of military aviation from the standpoint that we will probably never see missions on the scope and size as was seen over Europe and the Pacific. Technological advancements have made war very "surgical" and a single plane can now accomplish the mission better than a group of WW II bombers and fighters could combined. Wars will no longer be drawn out in months or years, but rather in hours or weeks (at most). Even so, R/C modeling will live on through the next generation of young modelers who are attracted to "older" F-16s, 15s, etc.....

randy

SpitfireMKI

My Feedback: (2)

Read "The Last Enemy" by Richard Hillary, you'll find a very interesting story as to why he fought.......and died.

No glory, just admiration.

It would have been nice if they could have competed in an aerobatic competition rather than duels to the death.

S1

PeterDays

This is a picture of an event held in Valencia, Venezuela called "Aves de Guerra" or Warbirds. It is not limited to WWII fighters. Any Warbird from any era can participate. I"ll try to upload more pictures. It doesn´t allow me more

Pedro

PeterDays

Here is a couple more...

PeterDays

And more...

nmacwarbirds

Dear Randy
I agree with every thing you have to say there.
I think why I am so interested in the aerial warfare of World War Two, like you so
rightly point out it was the end of the piston era in mass battles that is. Jet engines
to me all sounds virtually the same. The piston engines of WW2 to me sound great.
A Merlin for instance installed in a Spitfire, Hurricane and Mustang they will all sound
slightly different. Perhaps I am biased but the Merlin, to me sounds like the sweetest running
engine ever. ( Hope I have not stirred a hornets nest there.) The big radials of Pratt and whitney and the Wright cyclone are music to my ears.

The quantum leap from the aircraft of World War one, to that of World WAr Two is absolutely
astounding. Each side vieing for supremacy, constantly upgrading their aircraft in an effort
to give their pilots that slight edge. The Spitfire for instance, doubled in weight and engine
horsepower from the first to the last.

The story behind the P51 Mustang, which I am sure you people on the other side of the pond
already know, but I will tell it for people who don't.

The British Government approached the North American company, during 1940
and asked would they be interested in building under license the Curtis P40 we were desperate for fighters. North American said they could produce a better fighter than the P40.
The British agreed, under the proviso that the new fighter must be rolled out in something like
120 days. Can you believe that, the Eurofighter has been something like twenty years.

North American to their credit had the new fighter ready by the alloted time scale.
The project was delayed by the Alison Engine this engine was to became the fighters unduing. The new fighter showed great potential, at low level but performance decayed badly at higher levels. Then someone had the bright idea, why don't we try it with a Rolls Royce Merlin.
This transformed the P51 into a true throughbreed. A very advanced aeroplane for it's time
with it's laminar flow wings. The only single engined fighter that could escort the heavy bombers, to Berlin and back from England. Argueably the finest all round fighter of World War two. I for one would not disagree with that.

Thanks Randy, once again for your thought provoking posts.
If you have any more service stories to tell.
I for one would like to hear them.

Regards Phil Goff.

valkommen

Hello Dave Gee. I've built a Top Flite P-47 Gold Edition, 85" wingspan, 1/5th scale and am now looking for a scale military pilot to place in it. All the mfrs seem to have dropped these from their inventories. Any thoughts on a source for this?? Thanks.

nmacwarbirds

Dear Peter
I am glad to see you have a thriving warbird scene in VENEZUELA.
In one of your pics, it looks as if the Dak is going to crash.
Please tell that did not happen.
Regards Phil G.

Ram-bro

My Feedback: (101)

Valkommen, go to the thread on the Wildcat. I listed soome manufacturers and their web sites for those of us looking for pilot figures

PeterDays

Dear Phil


No the Dakota didnt crash, the pilot was just doing some very low fly byes at the slowest speed posible. There was not much wind so he put the flaps down to achive this. On the other hand the pictured B-24 did not make the end of that weekend after an engine went out at low altitude one of the wings caved in and there was no posibility of saving it. Here is a couple more of the C-47

Pedro

nmacwarbirds

Dear Pedro
That is extremely low.
Thanks for the pics.
Regards Phil G.

SpitfireMKI

My Feedback: (2)

I bet that tigercat wouldn't outroll the bearcat !

S1

IronCross

More pics guys Some beautiful planes... Unbelievable detal in some of them
Thanks
Roger

nmacwarbirds

Dear S1
I can't answer that one, but what I can say is that you can not use full aileron deflection
on the Bearcat above 350 mph. It will twist the wing and throw you back the other way.

When you were at Duxford did you see the Wildcat, Hellcat, Bearcat and Tigercat formation.
If you didn't this is how it goes. The all roar past in a box four formation, with the Tigercat leading.
As they go by they break into two elements, the Wildcat and Hellcat in one element and the Tigercat and Bearcat in the other.

The Tigercat and Bearcat perform a fantastic aerial ballet, with huge barrel rolls etc in close formation. It makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, an awesome display of WW2
heavymetal.

Regards Phil G.
PS. Wouldn't it be great to have this formation in model form, all at the same scale.
All these aircraft and some more are owned by the same Person.

nmacwarbirds

Dear All
Talking of cat's, we have several of the four legged variety in our house.
Here are some pics of a partially built Wildcat. The model is built from
the Tony Wright Plans. Has W/s of 76 inches 1/6th scale.
The retracts are homemade. After all of this work the owner sold it,
at this stage.
Bad move in my opinion.

Regards Phil G.