Don Smith Cessna T-50
11-21-2021, 09:05 AM
#1426
..........I also decided to make a set of brass door hinges because the plastic I was using kept breaking at the hinge point......I tried to repair them rather than totally re-make them, which is a pain......but they broke also.......I should have made them of brass in the first place......but I was trying to save weight....anyway, I used two lengths of 3/16 brass angle rod and soldered them back to back to form a "T" shape beam.......as you can see by the photos they worked out very well and are a lot stronger.......
11-21-2021, 03:41 PM
#1428
.........They were purchased from "Modelers Central"....I think the are in the UK......look them up, they have quite a nice collection of parts for model ship builders.......
12-06-2021, 10:36 PM
#1430
Member
That Cessna is going to be (or already is) a museum quality piece of work. I've been absent for a while with full scale planes, but I thoroughly enjoy watching your progress. Can't wait to see your finished airplane!
12-07-2021, 05:57 PM
#1431
......Thank's for the complement, I remember your first post and you were talking with Tony and you were thinking about building the Champ.......
Have you decided on a project yet?......Glad you decided to log in, not much activity on this site any more........all the other builder's of the Bobcat have finished their projects, flew them and probably either crashed and retired them to the back shelf.......so, here I am, pluggin-along.....still building.
I did put it on the back burner when I got interested in antique cars and built a couple of them.........joined a club, went touring with them and even entered them in car shows.........got offers for both of them I could not pass up and went back to the models......I do have a lot of reference material that I have collected over the years, even actual 1/2 scale drawings from Cessna that I bought on E-Bay.......in fact just about all of what I have came from E-Bay.
I built the pilot seats from the actual drawings!.......the instrument panel was built using numerous close up photos.......and, I was able to find and purchase a AAF repair manual showing every detail of this plane, and a lot of the illustrations exploded so you see every single part.....so with all that info available, I just got carried away with the detail.......I fell in love this bird back in the 50"s watching "SKY KING" and Penny every Saturday morning on the tube, with Nabisco as the sponsor............those were thu-days...........well, I would just say, go out and find yourself a project so wen can exchange building tips, etc.
Have you decided on a project yet?......Glad you decided to log in, not much activity on this site any more........all the other builder's of the Bobcat have finished their projects, flew them and probably either crashed and retired them to the back shelf.......so, here I am, pluggin-along.....still building.
I did put it on the back burner when I got interested in antique cars and built a couple of them.........joined a club, went touring with them and even entered them in car shows.........got offers for both of them I could not pass up and went back to the models......I do have a lot of reference material that I have collected over the years, even actual 1/2 scale drawings from Cessna that I bought on E-Bay.......in fact just about all of what I have came from E-Bay.
I built the pilot seats from the actual drawings!.......the instrument panel was built using numerous close up photos.......and, I was able to find and purchase a AAF repair manual showing every detail of this plane, and a lot of the illustrations exploded so you see every single part.....so with all that info available, I just got carried away with the detail.......I fell in love this bird back in the 50"s watching "SKY KING" and Penny every Saturday morning on the tube, with Nabisco as the sponsor............those were thu-days...........well, I would just say, go out and find yourself a project so wen can exchange building tips, etc.
12-07-2021, 06:05 PM
#1432
..........Well, here is the green house canopy all finished with window panes, opening vent windows, tube
inner supports as per the real Bobcat......correct interior color, simulated rivets, upholstery side panels and the compass.........ready to install
inner supports as per the real Bobcat......correct interior color, simulated rivets, upholstery side panels and the compass.........ready to install
12-08-2021, 01:23 PM
#1436
.........The first illustration is of the door showing all the parts that make up the door, notice the outside and inside door handles and window frame.
The next illustration is a very detailed rendering of the instrument panel, notice all of the call-outs naming every item on the panel, that was a great help!
The next one shows the front and back of the instrument panel.......the back was helpful in regard to the fuse box and its depth.
The next is of the fire extinusher and it's location on the cabin floor....also, the ignition switches, and the rolled bottom edge of the panel, and the skit plates.
Next was a duplicate by mistake.........
.......finally, a really good illustration of all the radio gear on the rear package tray......I did my best to replicate every detail on all of that equipment..
The next illustration is a very detailed rendering of the instrument panel, notice all of the call-outs naming every item on the panel, that was a great help!
The next one shows the front and back of the instrument panel.......the back was helpful in regard to the fuse box and its depth.
The next is of the fire extinusher and it's location on the cabin floor....also, the ignition switches, and the rolled bottom edge of the panel, and the skit plates.
Next was a duplicate by mistake.........
.......finally, a really good illustration of all the radio gear on the rear package tray......I did my best to replicate every detail on all of that equipment..
12-08-2021, 04:18 PM
#1437
Keep up the great work.
12-08-2021, 06:47 PM
#1439
Member
Holy cow! That T-50 interior looks like you took pictures in a full size Cessna! That is awesome. You are going to have a better-than-museum quality model.
Tony, your Piper is one Ive thought about modeling some day. Sorry to hear about what happened with your original, always makes me sad. My12 year old daughter cried when we wrecked one, but we fixed it and she gave it the love only a little girl could do. Yes, please keep us posted on your build when you begin.
I still want to build the third scale Champ - the one where you even build the wing ribs. Good excuse to put inspection covers on. Hate to hide all that work! Currently, I've got an old Pica T-28 Trojan to finish and the third scale Spacewalker. I'm going to need a hangar for the models. My daughter is building a Sig Rascal and our son is building an old Ace 4-40 biplane.
Back to the T-50, the CAF up in Wichita has one which they fly a lot. Mind if I stop by one day and show them pictures of your work so far?
Tony, your Piper is one Ive thought about modeling some day. Sorry to hear about what happened with your original, always makes me sad. My12 year old daughter cried when we wrecked one, but we fixed it and she gave it the love only a little girl could do. Yes, please keep us posted on your build when you begin.
I still want to build the third scale Champ - the one where you even build the wing ribs. Good excuse to put inspection covers on. Hate to hide all that work! Currently, I've got an old Pica T-28 Trojan to finish and the third scale Spacewalker. I'm going to need a hangar for the models. My daughter is building a Sig Rascal and our son is building an old Ace 4-40 biplane.
Back to the T-50, the CAF up in Wichita has one which they fly a lot. Mind if I stop by one day and show them pictures of your work so far?
12-08-2021, 08:46 PM
#1440
..........That would be an Honor to have the CAF view my work, thanks so much......it is actually being modeled after Jon Larson's war time UC-78 that was stationed at Minter Field from 1942 until the end of the war, and will carry the original AAF no. and color scheme.which was all silver with Bronze Green anti-glare panel on the nose just in front of the wind screen, and on top of the engine cowlings. and it will have the red outline around the star and bars first introduced in 42........I think, not sure?.......so, you have your daughter and son interested in modeling!......that's great!, I remember when Top Flight first came out with the first Little Rascal, it was an all printed wood rubber band model......it flew very well and was very popular.......I think that was back in the 50's.
.......back to Jon Larson, his Bobcat has been restored to replicate the "Song Bird"......he is an avid collector of Sky King memorililia ......he is also the founder of the "Flying Bobcats" club.........I got to know him and even flew to Auburn Wa. to visit and talk about Cessna Bobcats.....after our visit he made me an honorary member of the club and even send's me the newsletter every three months......he has been the best source of information on my project than anything else.......Thanks to you and Tony, I now have friends to share stories.........
Rich........
.......back to Jon Larson, his Bobcat has been restored to replicate the "Song Bird"......he is an avid collector of Sky King memorililia ......he is also the founder of the "Flying Bobcats" club.........I got to know him and even flew to Auburn Wa. to visit and talk about Cessna Bobcats.....after our visit he made me an honorary member of the club and even send's me the newsletter every three months......he has been the best source of information on my project than anything else.......Thanks to you and Tony, I now have friends to share stories.........
Rich........
12-09-2021, 07:58 PM
#1442
Member
Cool deal! I will show the CAF what you've built so far. And the fact you're basing it on an actual historic airplane lends even more depth to an already impressive build. I like the antenna install too.
12-16-2021, 12:20 PM
#1445
........Thanks so much.........I may have mentioned it earlier in the thread that I worked for Vought Aircraft Company from 1968 and retired in 1998.....(31 years)
I was an Illustrator for a good part of my employment, then transfer'ed to Tool Design as an Auto-Cad operator for the remainder of my employment...............
as a retirement gift from my group they gave me a copy of Auto-Cad Mechanical.......It has been the best tool in my inventory when it comes to designing all of the details, especially the interior components........After I retired from Vought I joined the Retirement Club.......What we did was to locate abandon'ed Vought Aircraft, purchase them and bring them to our hanger and restore them as static display's for museums........Our first aircraft was an A-7E, a Navy carrier based aircraft, then the actual F-8 that set a record for the fasted time from coast to coast......set by John Glen.........Then, the only remaining Reg-2 in existence.........it was found in a field all intact.......the Regulis-2 was a Sub mounted missile and this was the first built with retractable landing gear. This missile was a radio controlled test vehicle that could be launched from a sub and return to land ...so hence, the retract landing gear.....the 12 missions made were still evident on the nose of the missile........Our next project was also very rare, it was a F-6 Pirate, also found in a field and was being used for target practice...........Then a perfect fuselage of a F-4U Corsair with wing center section including landing gear were donated to us by a group intending to restore it to flying condition......we located a set of outer wing panels from the Corsair that collided with a Bearcat at Oshcosh ......it now hangs from the celing at the WW-II Museum in Galveston Tx........Next, was the very first Aircraft built by Vought to be sold to the navy as the very first to fly off the deck of a converted Freighter.....and landed back on ground.......this plane did not survive time and there were no examples found anywhere, not in any Museum's........but, we did find the original plans and a few parts at Smithsoniem and they were glad to loan them to us once they learned of our plan to scratch build one for their Museum.........Now they are the proud recipents of the one and only VE-7 Bluebird..........Our most interesting project and also the only one in existance......this was the V-173 Flying Pancake.......built by Vought with their own money to demonstrate near VTOL capabilities.......it was found in one of the hangers where smithoneium stored aircraft for future restoration.......When asked by one of our members what their plans wer for restoration, their reply was .....oh, about 25 years from now.........so, we said if you let us ship it to our vacility in Dallas, we will get to work on it as soon as it get's there.........they agreed.........It is now fully restored with the original type of fabric, stitches and pinking tape as per the original as specified by the museum ........She is now displayed in her original Yellow on top and Silver on the bottom colors at Frontiers of Flight Museum Dallas Love Field.
We are now scratch building the first Corsair-1.......there were 3 Corsair series, the Corsair 1, a bipe....Corsair -2, WW_II bent wing and the Corsair -3, the Navy A-7A.........Our scratch built Corsair will be the only one in existance once complete.........before the King Fisher of WW-II the O3-U Bipe plane took off the fantail of a Destroyer or a heavy Cruiser......it was launched from a catapull.........our bird will also have the large center Pontoon and the out-rigor pontoons.........she will be all fabric covered, silver with a Yellow top wing and a big Red rudder.........She is 90% complete.
Most of our members of the club are up in age, some even in their 90's......so, we meet on tue and Thur from about 8 to 2........this may be our last project.
I was an Illustrator for a good part of my employment, then transfer'ed to Tool Design as an Auto-Cad operator for the remainder of my employment...............
as a retirement gift from my group they gave me a copy of Auto-Cad Mechanical.......It has been the best tool in my inventory when it comes to designing all of the details, especially the interior components........After I retired from Vought I joined the Retirement Club.......What we did was to locate abandon'ed Vought Aircraft, purchase them and bring them to our hanger and restore them as static display's for museums........Our first aircraft was an A-7E, a Navy carrier based aircraft, then the actual F-8 that set a record for the fasted time from coast to coast......set by John Glen.........Then, the only remaining Reg-2 in existence.........it was found in a field all intact.......the Regulis-2 was a Sub mounted missile and this was the first built with retractable landing gear. This missile was a radio controlled test vehicle that could be launched from a sub and return to land ...so hence, the retract landing gear.....the 12 missions made were still evident on the nose of the missile........Our next project was also very rare, it was a F-6 Pirate, also found in a field and was being used for target practice...........Then a perfect fuselage of a F-4U Corsair with wing center section including landing gear were donated to us by a group intending to restore it to flying condition......we located a set of outer wing panels from the Corsair that collided with a Bearcat at Oshcosh ......it now hangs from the celing at the WW-II Museum in Galveston Tx........Next, was the very first Aircraft built by Vought to be sold to the navy as the very first to fly off the deck of a converted Freighter.....and landed back on ground.......this plane did not survive time and there were no examples found anywhere, not in any Museum's........but, we did find the original plans and a few parts at Smithsoniem and they were glad to loan them to us once they learned of our plan to scratch build one for their Museum.........Now they are the proud recipents of the one and only VE-7 Bluebird..........Our most interesting project and also the only one in existance......this was the V-173 Flying Pancake.......built by Vought with their own money to demonstrate near VTOL capabilities.......it was found in one of the hangers where smithoneium stored aircraft for future restoration.......When asked by one of our members what their plans wer for restoration, their reply was .....oh, about 25 years from now.........so, we said if you let us ship it to our vacility in Dallas, we will get to work on it as soon as it get's there.........they agreed.........It is now fully restored with the original type of fabric, stitches and pinking tape as per the original as specified by the museum ........She is now displayed in her original Yellow on top and Silver on the bottom colors at Frontiers of Flight Museum Dallas Love Field.
We are now scratch building the first Corsair-1.......there were 3 Corsair series, the Corsair 1, a bipe....Corsair -2, WW_II bent wing and the Corsair -3, the Navy A-7A.........Our scratch built Corsair will be the only one in existance once complete.........before the King Fisher of WW-II the O3-U Bipe plane took off the fantail of a Destroyer or a heavy Cruiser......it was launched from a catapull.........our bird will also have the large center Pontoon and the out-rigor pontoons.........she will be all fabric covered, silver with a Yellow top wing and a big Red rudder.........She is 90% complete.
Most of our members of the club are up in age, some even in their 90's......so, we meet on tue and Thur from about 8 to 2........this may be our last project.
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Tony Hallo (12-16-2021)
01-08-2022, 02:15 PM
#1449
.........When I first started building this UC-78 I planned to have all of the switches hidden behind the baggage door.....a perfect place.....but I soon discovered that Military Aircraft were not equipped with one, only the civilian versions..........so, that left me with a problem........the only place left to hide the switches was behind the nose cap........so, off to the drawing board........so, the pic's show the results......a place to hide 16 miniature switches and a hinged nose cap with a magnet to keep it closed..........