NE0

My Feedback: (9)

Thanks Joe,

That's my intention. My best friend has the new Hangar 9 giant scale P51 Mustang ARF with a twin Saito 180 in it... flaps, retracts, etc. He wants to sell it to me and I think that would be a good practice ship. It's just a matter of coming up with the money to buy it, which could take me a while right now. Hopefully I can do so before he sells it to someone else.

Tom

pittsdriver

My Feedback: (7)

Tom, How about the Top Flite ARF Mustang. You can use the engine from the SBD and get it broken in and running good. ARF Mustang kit and Robart mains about $550 from Chief Aircraft. Plus its the same wingspan as the SBD and about the same wingloading. Just throw it together and don't do any scale detailing on it and you can have it ready to fly in a week. I have one for a practice airplane and they are a lot nicer than the Hanger 9, much sturdier construction. I havn't flown mine yet because of our bad winter but should be able to fly it soon. Don

Nickrc3

My Feedback: (6)

Tom,
followed your thread from the start. Absolutely stunning craftsmanship!

The prior suggestions on test flying are good.

Here's my two-cents...

1) Forget purchasing the Hangar- 51. Yes, good flyer and will provide limited exposure to retracts, engine torque, etc.

2) Spend the money on a quality R/C Flight Simulator. Program in all the parameters of your Dauntless and then some. Devote a month to practicing every flight procedure and possible scenario that could develop.

3) Take Tmoth4 and bla-bla's advice. Locate the experienced warbird guy. Not the "yank and bank" hotshot or the guy with the paralyzed left thumb that thinks his World Models P-51 is typical of all warbird flight characteristics. If not available locally, drive whatever distance necessary to meet up with the Top Gun quality pilot. Let this individual test fly the plane. once it has been completely "gone-over" by him. We all have our pride in making that first flight, but let your intelligence overcome your temptations. I have seen so many beautiful models completely destroyed on first flight because of pilot pride or basic stubbornness. The trainer cord idea is outstanding and highly recommended, once the plane is trimmed and adjustments made (CG, degree of flaps, elev.-flap mixing, etc.).

Keep us posted.... and thanks for what you have provided us scale modeling community with!

Nick

SDCrashmaster

Tom,
What's your plan for lightening the pilots? Batting-wrapped over wire for spine and extremities?
I built a DGA pilot that is basically a sewn body stitched and stuffed. Thin latex head. Came out very light.
I would mold the the heads and re-cast them in latex, especially since, knowing you, they will be repainted anyway. Very easy to do with Alumilite casting RTV rubber.
Moulds cure in 4 hours. Plus it's fun. All the parts on the attached pic are resin cast using Alumilite rubber and resins.
Paul

NE0

My Feedback: (9)

Nick,

Thanks for the advice, I'll give that some thought. I've spent a lot of hours on the G2 Sim, which I credit for my quick progress in learning to fly and move quickly through Acro planes. I spent a few months on it last summer flying the warbirds until I was landing consistently with gear/flaps. I think it helped, but is no replacement for flying a real plane.

I found it to be way too easy on the sim for many reasons. For starters, there is NO pressure/nerves. You can't duplicate that on a sim. Secondly, I've never had the problem with torque pull taking off on a sim that I experience on real planes. Third, is that I think that the flaps on the sims are unrealistic. They seem to have little effect on the plane' speed, and simply make it baloon. I found landing without flaps to be much easier, which I know would not be the case on the real plane. Another example... I can torque roll all day long on the sim, but can't do it on a real plane. The sims are just too forgiving.

I think I may have located a Top Gun champion within 30 miles of me. I haven't yet approached him about flying my maiden flight, but probably will when I get to that point. You're right, I can't let my ego risk the plane.


Paul,

I plan to just remove the torso and limbs and reuse the head, hands and feet. The entire figure only weighs 7.5 ounces now, and I would guess the head, hands, feet and clothes to make up only about 2-3 ounces of that max. I'm going to make the body out of styrofoam with twisty wire joints. I don't want to use batting, because it has too much of a "rag doll" effect on them. I want the body to be "shaped" as closely as possible to the original and maintain rigidity for posing them outside the plane.

I think I can get them down to 3+ ounces each when completed that way. I really like the heads and can repaint them easily enough. I've use the resins before and I'm sure that a solid resin head would be as heavy or heavier than the existing hollow plastic one... so I don't plan to remold them. Besides, I've already got $60 in them, and it's not worth a one or two ounce savings if that to spend another $50 (and hours) to by Alumilite, resin, make mold boxes, etc.. Maybe down the road when I'm bored, but I just want to be done with it for now.

Tom

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Neo, I have a pilot for my P-47 that was close to 1 lb. He is 1/6 scale and has all the clothes etc. too heavy though! Here's what I did to lighten him up. I cut off most of his chest, legs and arms and replaced them with blue foam. That can be carved to shape and put back inside the clothes. I cut his weight in half. He's now a lean 7 oz. lol..and still looks the same! Just an FYI..

NE0

My Feedback: (9)

Thanks Bob. That's what I plan to do too. Since my figures are 7.5 oz each, if I cut their weight in half that should get me close to 3oz each. Now for the latest...

Got the guns done tonight and my site is updated. I started my static prop, but still got a few days work on it to go. Then I still have the bomb and all 3 scale antenna (radio & yagi radar). I think I can finish all that in 2-3 weeks, which leaves me 2 weeks to work on some docs for Toledo. Maybe work on the crew too if I'm lucky.

Gun and ammo fabrication steps start here...
http://www.renderwurx.com/rc/SBD/htm...ce/twin30s.htm

Here's some pics, visit my new pages for more details.

Tom

foxx

My Feedback: (2)

Tom this gun absolutely unreal, are sure it can not squeeze off few rounds . Good job, I hope I see it in Toledo

NE0

My Feedback: (9)

LOL Thanks Foxx... No worries mate... I had the firing pins removed.

Tom

bsherrill

Tom, after watching this build from the outset, I am still continually amazed by what I'm seeing! Lest we forget, this is not a static model that sits on a shelf looking pretty, it's being built also to fly in the air. To watch your thought process in developing parts for this creation, and still keep it light enough to fly adds a totally new dimension to your creativity. This is the part I enjoy the most.

Also, building, taking pictures and posting on your website takes a lot of time and effort, and I eagerly await each new post. Here's hoping that once this one is finished (and you've rested a bit), you'll start another one and document it the same way. I'll follow each post of that one also. Thanks for allowing us to follow along, it's been a real treat!

Ben

Lord

Incredible Tom, the amount of time you are investing in this thing, must be love! I wondered how you made such nice hex head nuts, seeing how you work with plastic has helped me out a lot. One question, where do you get all of your plastic materials? Most hobby shops have a small display with the basics, but where do I get the hex shaped rod? Can't wait to see what you do with the pilots, I have two BBI toys pilots to make flight ready! I was going to use Robart hinge points for the joints, on the knees it would be an easy task to use some plastic sheet off of the femur to make a knee cap so the leg would not bend forward. You can also stiffen the hinges with a little CA, just keep moving the joints until the glue dries.

Thanks,

Bill

NE0

My Feedback: (9)

Thanks guys, glad you like the new guns. They were much harder than expected and took much longer, but the end result was worth the time and effort. They were the single most enticing feature that drew me to this model, so I really wanted to do them up right.

I'm fortunate enough to have two local hobby shops that both carry a substantial selection of styrene. One carries mostly Evergreen brand but the other carries Plastistruct, and has every single thing they make. They sell a lot of model railroad supplies, which is primarily what Plastistruct is designed for. I would search for a hobby shop that carries model trains, and you're likely to find a better selection there. If not, search the web and you may find a distributor. If worse comes to worse, you can order what you need directly from my LHS, he has a web site that focuses mainly on slot cars...

[link=http://www.cyberslot.com]Fastrak Hobbies[/link]

The owner's name is Mike, tell him I sent you. The problem will be that he doesn't list his selection of styrene online, so you'd have to know what you want and give him a call.

Tom

Old Mill

NEO,

I think you suffer from some sort of autism, you are like the Rain Man of detailing, I have never seen anything like it. Keep up the good work, and gods I hope that plane flies nice.

Absolutely incredible.

Mill

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

NEO, I'll drive to Toledo from Chicago to see this plane, if only for that reason. Hope that it flies as good as it looks. Probably some shaking fingers the first time on the sticks with this baby eh?

NE0

My Feedback: (9)

LOL [sm=lol.gif] Thanks Mill! "Rain Man"... I love it.

Nope, just a lot more experience with details than with RC/building. I spent a lot of years when I was younger competing in IPMS plastic model events, mostly with dioramas. Those require a lot of scratch-fabrication to produce complete environments and ancillary details.

Plus, you're working at 1/35 scale, so you get used to extremely fine/small fabrication challenges. That makes 1/5 - 1/6 scale details seem huge. Plus, I've been a professional artist and graphic designer for almost 30 years, so I'm right at home with a paint brush in my hand!

Thanks again,

Tom

YAT-28E

....AMAZING........



as Forrest Gump says,"That all I got to say about that".

You will have to provide the accent!

NE0

My Feedback: (9)

Thanks! You gotta get a babysitter and get your butt over to see it soon!

Tom

YAT-28E

I know...I know..

BigRetracts

My Feedback: (1)

I think that someone is a shoe in for the Toledo Best Of Show first prize.

If the rest of the plane looks anything like the Guns and Canopy , it already has my vote.

Can't wait to have a look in person. Keep up the great work.

foxx

My Feedback: (2)

My suggestion , Tom to be barred from any sanctioned contest and competition to make it fair to others

Jimmbbo

Or a special category be set up - "Real Airplanes Shrunk to Model Size by Some Unknown Process"

World class work!!

Cheers!

Jim

KatManDEW

My Feedback: (6)

Tom - I was hoping you would bring the guns or some of the cockpit pieces to the club meeting last night so we could cast a cataract on it. Prolly all premanently installed now though I suppose. We'll get to look at her soon enough.

Great work! The dictionary doesn't contain enough explatives to describe it.......

Mustang51

My Feedback: (25)

Tom,

Just got back from vacation and tuned in. Your 30s turned out absolutely FANTASTIC. The feed belts you made look great too. BUT, given the level of detail you have achieved, and the hours you have put into your SBD, I have to tell you. The 30 cal. rounds? For the coin you spent on them? I don't think they look so good. I was going to use them in my B17, but after seeing them, I'm not so sure.
AGAIN... being is that you have gone to great lengths in detailing. I think what bothers me about those rounds is that there is no apparent mark separating the bullet from the casing, it "looks" wrong. Seems to me that the guy who made them (and I understand he's a gunsmith) went to the trouble of making the cartridge rim, but no projectile. Some guys here may call me too picky, but I think you and your great "eye" will agree.

I have a suggestion that may work, and being an artist, I'm sure you have already thought of it.
If you (and your fine hand) would "AIRBRUSH",a bullets "length" on the front of the rounds. Not with a bristle brush as that would lay down too much paint ,(as you know)and look "bulky", a "copper color" (as that is the color of a jacketed bullet), then airbrush the tips of each bullet with black (for armor piercing), and every 3rd with red (for tracer), I think you would be able to fix the flaw of those rounds, and from what I can see in your pictures, the only flaw of your beautiful airplane.

Looking GREAT,

-Dave

NE0

My Feedback: (9)

Thanks guys glad you like it!

Thanks Don, sorry I didn't make it Wednesday... working hard on the prop right now. I'll have the whole plane at the next meeting![sm=thumbup.gif]

Dave,

Sorry you're not happy with my ammo... apparently you are the only one. Everyone else (including me) is happy with it. I think it looks 10 times better than ANYTHING out there on the market. I doubt you'll find many ammo belts with the detail you speak of, but if you do, then their not real brass. So, you're just trading one scale aspect for another.

Besides, the thickness of the shell casing would be about .015" thick... scale that down by 1/6 and you get .002 - .003" thick. Static judging is done at distances ranging from 4 to 15 feet. If you are standing close enough to see .002" thick relief on a tiny .1" diameter bullet... you are standing too d***n close to my plane! Remember, you only noticed it because I gave you a close up macro shot to inspect. The scale judges don't get that privelege.

Your point is well taken however, and one day I may do as you mentioned... but it's certainly not enough for me to worry about now. I've got bigger fish to fry to get this thing done in time for Toledo. All I can tell you is go look for something else that makes you happy. If you think you can find something that looks more real than my belts... go for it. I looked high and low and found nothing that comes even close in my opinion. That's the great thing about opinions... everyone gets to have one.

Tom

kram51

My Feedback: (3)

Wow! I guess I should have figured somebody would have the "brass" to post a critique finding fault with this masterpiece. I wonder does Mustang51's work even approach the level of artistry that Tom has acheived here? I'll be the first to say that my own does not!!!
Easy to come in, spend a couple minutes looking over Tom's 1700+ hours of labor and find fault. NO, let me rephrase that. Its NOT easy to come in and spend two minutes finding fault!!! Amazing. That takes nerve!

Tom you've shown greater restraint than many, including myself, would have with such a post. I don't beat the band for many on threads like these but Tom has shared his talents, techniques and insights with all of us without any chest pounding that many other otherwise talented individuals have done in the past. FOR THAT I APPLAUD YOU!!! For every moronic statement like the above there are 20 that show the level of awe and inspiration most everyone following your journey feels.

Best Regards,

Mark