Yellow P-40 (under construction)
10-14-2012, 02:10 PM
#601
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Join Date: Oct 2002
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RE: Yellow P-40 (under construction)
The top wings panel-lining is done. After the rivets, it still needs to be smooth down with 600 grit.
The rest are photos of the work in progress of the bottom wings. I just finished panel-lining the bottom wings today. Next week, after the primer harden, I'll start on the rivets.
Yesterday, I went to see my friend maiden his Y/A P-40. His bird has a 3W-55 with 3-blade. I can tell you that taking off with 3-blader is quite different than a 2-blader on short fuse warbird. 3-blader torques left like crazy on this bird; especially when there is no right thrust. You have to start off really slow and let it build up speed as you hold full right rudder and just enough elevator to keep the tail on pavement. We had to keep in on the runway for a good 400 feet before let it lift off. However, it still wants to torque left just before take off. Luckily we have a paved runway and the other side of the runway is filled with dirt that had been levelled up evenly with the runway surface. So, left torque into the solid dirt is no issue. Previously this same friend lost a Y/A P-47 with 4-blader when taking off the other direction where torque left would take the airplane right into the pit area protection fence. We learned our lesson and "always maiden warbird in the direction that left torque would not take it into the pit". If you gun it down the runway like you would with aerobatic bird, it would torque-left off the runway in less than 10 feet. Taking off warbird with 3 or more blades is like taking off Cub; the more blades with bigger engine, the harder it will left torque. If you get use to it, you don't need a gyro. If you use a 2-blade, you don't need a gyro. 3-blade with big engine like my ZDZ Super 80, I got to have a gyro. No problem, I still have one Futaba GY-401 left from my helicopter days.
The rest are photos of the work in progress of the bottom wings. I just finished panel-lining the bottom wings today. Next week, after the primer harden, I'll start on the rivets.
Yesterday, I went to see my friend maiden his Y/A P-40. His bird has a 3W-55 with 3-blade. I can tell you that taking off with 3-blader is quite different than a 2-blader on short fuse warbird. 3-blader torques left like crazy on this bird; especially when there is no right thrust. You have to start off really slow and let it build up speed as you hold full right rudder and just enough elevator to keep the tail on pavement. We had to keep in on the runway for a good 400 feet before let it lift off. However, it still wants to torque left just before take off. Luckily we have a paved runway and the other side of the runway is filled with dirt that had been levelled up evenly with the runway surface. So, left torque into the solid dirt is no issue. Previously this same friend lost a Y/A P-47 with 4-blader when taking off the other direction where torque left would take the airplane right into the pit area protection fence. We learned our lesson and "always maiden warbird in the direction that left torque would not take it into the pit". If you gun it down the runway like you would with aerobatic bird, it would torque-left off the runway in less than 10 feet. Taking off warbird with 3 or more blades is like taking off Cub; the more blades with bigger engine, the harder it will left torque. If you get use to it, you don't need a gyro. If you use a 2-blade, you don't need a gyro. 3-blade with big engine like my ZDZ Super 80, I got to have a gyro. No problem, I still have one Futaba GY-401 left from my helicopter days.
