RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Red,

Thanks a lot for the info......it will be very very helpful to me and thanks for the quick response........really appreciate it.

Best Regards,
Andy

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Bill,

Thanks for the instructions.........I'll print them off and save them in my P47 file. You and Red have been a big help.

Cheers,
Andy

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Andy,
Glad we could help. Post some pics of your progress when you get time.
I know the angle and shape isn't dead on scale but it works for me. Some may prefer to spend a little more time getting a more scale look but for me, I don't want to spend a week on such a small detail. It's easy to get bogged down on something like this and pretty soon 2 years have past and your only half done with a build and burned-out on top of it. JMO
Gary.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Subscribed:D I just love the Jug:D There's some good detail tips in this thread http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_28...tm.htm#2856415 I know it's only the 60 size but it will give you some ideas. I set up the hidden control horns and retractable tail wheel on mine. If you do it on a 60 size you can easy do it on the big bird.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

A few more.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Nice work,
Just curious, how are you to make sure the torque tube doesn't ever come loose from inside either one of the elevators?
Gary

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

The tube will be epoxied into the elevator halves, and then drilled and pinned much like it would be if you used the elevator joiner wire. Just rough up the cf tube with some 80 grit.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

One more thing, I'm using Robart hinges with the hinge pockets so I can remove the control surfaces if needed.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Made some more progress this weekend. Rudder is ready to cut away and hinge. I bought a Revell P-47D plastic model for reference purposes, should make details a little easier to figure out.
Almost time to start on the fuse.[sm=thumbs_up.gif]
Gary.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

More Progress,

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

I'm contemplating not gluing the horizontal and vertical stab on until I get the forward fuse sheeted and the bottom framed up and sheeted as it will be less awkward to work with. I can see me beating the crap out of them if I glue them now.
Maybe I should just follow the instructions though.
Any thoughts.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Gary, I would recommend that you follow the instructions. It will be much easier to get the tail feathers true and square if you follow the steps as outlined in the instructions. BTW I substituted hardwood stringers from the aft section of the wing saddle forward to the firewall, including the fuselage bubble on the bottom of the wing. Not much heavier, but quite a bit stronger. I even added extra stringers to the wing bubble just in case there is ever a need for a gear up landing!http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f.../sad_smile.gif

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Your right, I will just go ahead and glue them now before I proceed.
Gary

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

I just got back from vacation and I had a wonderful time visiting the Lonestar Flight Museum in Galveston. They had some of the BEST planes there on display. After talking to Richard Dixon, one of the volunteer mechanic's, he allowed me to get some close up photos of Tarheel Hal. Thanks to everyone at Lonestar Flight Museum for their dedication and hard work bringing these beauties back to flight status and preserving their great heritage.
If you are ever in the Galveston area I highly recommend stopping by.
Gary.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

and more.....

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

and more of the Jug.....

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

One interesting note is Tarheel Hal no longer has the massive supercharger system with all the ducting that the P47 fuse was designed around. Upon restoration they new that it would no longer need it since the service ceiling would be much lower than WWII missions of that era.
Gary.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Gary,

Thanks for sharing the pictures. I have not made it to the Lone Star Flight museum yet. But it is surely on my list.


Are you still planning to come to Monaville next month?

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

I am sure planning on being there Rick. I hope some cooler temperatures are in store for us around that time. Not sure if I will bring my Waco, but I am looking forward to the swap meet for sure. Hope to meet up with you there.
Gary.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Well, Our Labor Day weekend turned into a disaster, Literally!
I was planning on a good weekend of construction but we had to evacuate due to the fires. With luck our whole neighborhood was spared from the flames of the Union Chapel fire. It came within 250 yards of our home. We were finally able to come back home this morning.
Our hearts go out to all of our friends in Bastrop that were not as lucky. They are saying now that the number of homes lost could go as high a 1000.
One never knows how fast you can go from a cup of coffee in the morning thinking of airplanes to loading up as much as you can and getting the hell outta dodge.
Gary.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Gary,

Sorry to hear of your misfortune this past weekend. I hope you and all those affected by the fires find yourselfs in better circumstances in the future. Every year here in Central Florida we seem to get morethan our fair share of devastating fires that eat up huge numbers of acres of land and homes. I sympathize with you completely.

Good luck in the future,
Bill

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Thanks, Bill

We certainly faired much better than a lot of the residences near to us. We are truly blessed.
Also thank god for the firefighters who are working tirelessly to contain these fires.
Gary.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

OK, I have been working on the Jug, but our camera stopped working. We just bought one today at Wally-World, so here is where I am at as of now.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Also picked up an engine for her. Decided to try a DLE55. Couldn't resist the price, and they do come with a Walbro carb instead of the Chinese knock-off junk that comes with a DLE30.
It all fits in the cowl too, so that's a bonus!

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Gary,

Lookin' good brother! I wish I could say the same thing, but alas since I last posted I seemed to have been bitten by the ARF bug a little. In September I participated in a local swap meet where I sold a couple of my air frames for enough to purchase a Top Flight GS Giant P-40 ARF from the fellow sitting next to me at the meet. The very next week I gutted my P-47 to assemble the P-40. Ten days start to finish. I must admit that I was impressed with how quickly it went together and how easy it was to accomplish the build in that short time. I am not impressed with the covering, but at 100 feet and 100 mph no one will noticehttp://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...sn/biggrin.gif.

I suppose I will need to get back to working on the finishing of my P-47 while I am saving the funds for the hardware I need to replace. Or maybe I could take the P-40 out and wreck it and then recover the hardware (knock on woodhttp://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...sn/biggrin.gif). I am just kidding of course, but I kind of like the idea of flying the P-40 for practice before I put my self built P-47 in the air and therefore in harms way.

Bill

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Nice Bill, 10 days is pretty fast. I have seen a couple of those at our club, and for plastic film covering, I thought it looked pretty good. Nothing beats a glass job though.

I am working on the right wing sheeting now, will get some pics loaded up later.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

What engine did you put in the P-40?

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Gary,

The OS GT 55 that I had in the P-47.

Bill

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Little more progress. I'm really taking my time cutting the sheeting so I won't have much filling to do, saves a lot of time in the long run.

I am on vacation all week, so more to come.....

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

I finished up the right wing yesterday and got as far as I could with it. Now I'm working on the left wing panel. Nothing out of the ordinary, all the parts fit like a glove.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 9pt">I've been researching my next build, and a TF GS P-47 is at the top of the list because of its reputation for easy flying and the very low price of the kit.I&rsquo;d like to ask why you picked Top Flight over something like the Meister Scale?The Meister has a very good reputation for easy flying and is more scale.Was it the cost?</span>

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Hi Scratchie,

It was the cost, I hope to someday build the Meister but for now this will do. As far as a kit goes, you can't get a more complete one than the Top Flite IMO.
The associated costs that would go with the Meister was just a bit more than I could swing at this point. I don't plan to enter into any scale competitions, so not being exact scale doesn't bother me.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Thta's exactly the same reason why I'm looking into the Top Flite. After the retracts and engine, it's still expensive.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Hi Gary, Tony here. What finish are you planing on doing. I'm going to try aluminum tape finish. I see your still in the framing stages, still time to do the scale hinge line!!! ;) nice work and I'm looking forward to seeing this bird soon.

TB

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Scratchie,

Bill herein Orlando, Fl. Just did some bean counting and came up with nearly $2800 invested to this point. I have the fuselage to glass yet, and then comes the finish work. The wing is already glassed and waiting for paint. By the time I am finished I expect to break the $3000 mark by a few dollars. So far, well worth the investment IMHO. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...ular_smile.gif

Bill

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 9pt">What did he put into it - how did it get that expensive? I realize retracts and engine are costly, but I was figuring on about $1,500 for the build (looking into building my own rear wheel retract, maybe make my own cockpit interior).</span></div>

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

I have about $850.00 into it at this point. All the retracts and wheels have been bought, valve control, engine and fuel tank. I figure I have another $600.00 or so to go on radio rx, servos, batteries, switches and paint. $1,500.00 dollars was what I was figuring at the start, should be close to that, maybe a few more/less, probably a little more!:)

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

Hey Tony,

I am really considering the No Guts, No Glory jug, I am up to the challenge of painting those checkers, Already thinking whats the best way to do that.:)

See ya at the field, if this wind ever lays down.

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

how are you going to do the aluminum finish?

RE: Top Flite Giant P-47 Build
 

I'm gonna go with automotive base coat/clear coat. I've been doing a lot of research on this and have seen some great results. The full scale looks like it would be pretty easy to match the paint. Almost looks like it is painted and not polished aluminum anyway. Maybe someone out there can chime in.
Still thinking on that one too.:D