I started to paint my 0-1 sanding the whole airframe to even out the rough seams and provide a surface for the paint to go on. The paint I use is Createx Auto Air. It is the acrylic based designed for automobile/sign application. This paint is easy to spray on and dries lightning fast via heat gun application. The airbrush is a cheap Badger model 250 spray gun. In the pictures you can see my plane after recovering and sitting on my bench after painting. The wing will be next!

Dai,

Where are the pics? You got my attention...

I somehow can't post them after many tries !!! I keep getting the message that the web is unavailable! Please HELP!!! Dai

Oooh yes! What color scheme are you painting it? camaflouge? Love this plane. Got a ride once at an airshow, first tamdem seater for me. Flies low and slow. Almost like a cub.

Are you going for a clearcote on top of the paint or is it fuelproof.

Lets see some pictures soon! Good luck!

Hello,

I will post pictures ASAP when I can work out the bug. When I click on uploading images, nothing happens. Any ideas? Dai Phan

Hello,

You can see my O-1 on my driveway before painting. The last picture shows the body already painted. The paint that I use is Createx Auto Air. It is acrylic based and dries very fast via some heat application to a silky smooth finish. It can be applied with Lustercoat as an overall coat. The paint can withstand temperature up to 400 degrees F so there is no fear to using your iron or heat gun. Infact, you should use your heat gun after spraying to make the paint dry immediatetly. I believe that this paint is superior to any acrylic household paint out there. Once you try this paint, you will NEVER go to anything else. The only drawback is that you need to mix if you need custom colors. I use 90% white and 10% black to get to the light gray that VNAF uses. Remember AUTO AIR, not the other types as Createx has a while range. You can get this paint at any better art stores. I use a Badger model 250 Basic Spray Gun bought at Hoby Lobby for 20 bucks and it works great! I will paint the wiing tonight and will start to detail the plane this wek. Dai Phan

Updating progress,

I have painted the cowl and installed it. Completely painted the base color and yellow band added. Next will be checkerboard painting and application of custom made decals. On the right is the craft that I am duplicating. I have heard that this a/c was shoot down on April 30, 1975 in Cho Lon ( a Chinese market district in Sai Gon). I have seen a picture of it ( wing is torn but body is intact inverted in a busy intersection) but cannot locate ait anymore. Any body have seen one? Dai Phan

Make sure you wing center section is solid. I know of one that the wing broke in flight, and I think I read of one on RCU several months back, that also broke.

Hello,

Do you mean the joint between the center and outer panels or the center piece from the fulselage? Can you locate the thread? I would hate to crash it after so many hours of work on this bird!!! Thank you. Dai Phan

More progress...

I have masked and painted the VNAF Squadron 112 with checkerboards markings. It appears much easier than appears. The whole process took me about 1 hour. BTW, I have not recieved any input from this thread. Perhaps not many people are interested in this project? Dai Phan

Dai,

Looks good. I'm following, just don't have much to say as I know nothing about this plane! Its looking good, keep posting!

I had this plane a couple of years ago when they first came out. Overall quality was ok. I did like the scale fuse and outline, although I did not think it was worth the $279.00 that GSP was asking for it at the time. I completley stripped my wing and added flaps. I did not like the outer wing joint. It was too abrupt, so I took filler and filled in the upper gap area to make it look more smooth and cessna like.
It was a fairley nice looking dog, but I evevutally lost interest in it and sold it. I think GSP is asking something like $199.00 for it now?
BTW, yours is going to be beautiful when you are finished with it. I would definatley strengthen the area where the front former comes up to meet the wing dowel area, Looked mighty weak to me, although you have the newer version and it might have been changed by now.

Good Luck

Scott

Hello,

Finally some inputs!!! I moments before felt like no one loves me... even my fellow RCers...
SJ3cub, you are right about the wing dihedral. Next time if I build it again, I would do some surgery to make the wing look like a Cessna rather an SBD. Interestingly, the 96" vesion has NO dihedral! It's like a Mustang with flat wing! I could not understand why the wing is designed with dihedral starting in mid chord rather than from the body... It is quite perculiar when the body is so scale! You know, if my bird turns out well, I will modify the wing so it looks more scale although not many people would know the difference. Keep your inputs coming please...

Dai Phan

So when you going to bring it out to the field?

Hello,

I am planning to finish in couple weeks since I am waiting for the helmet I ordered yesterday to arrive. My F-15 pilot will be "demoted" to fly the Bird Dog. He will be stripped of his G-suit and don on a 1967 helmet without oxygen mask. I understand that you belong to Maloof club? I fly at ALBQ Ballon Park and I recently converted to electrics on most of my scale planes. I have heard from many fellow flyers that your club does not welcome guys (who fly electrics) who come and fly at Maloof Air Park. I could be wrong but I felt some resentments and an "unwelcome" air when I am with my friends who fly electrics at Maloof. There were times I was invited to bring my planes to your meeting but I do not want to impose to your club. What go you think? Dai Phan

Tell you what I think Dai, A model is a model no matter if it powered by glow, gas or electrons. Anybody or any club that looks down on people who fly electric are in the stone age. This is whats this hobby is about, friendships, aircraft, fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It dont make a rats tail how its powered. Dont you just love being in a club with a bunch of know it alls.? I would like to buy them for what they are worth then sell them for what they think they are worth. I would never have to work another day in my life.

Scott

I have also been following along with this string. I have no experience with fiberglass aircraft so I have been just watching and listening. I would guess that there are quite a few others that are doing the same thing. Your plane looks great!
"sj3cub" The last sentence in your last post is worth it's weight in gold. I don't know if you made that up or not but I'm definitely going to remember it for future use.
Chris

Hello RCers,

Here you can see my weathering and application of custom made decals. If you wonder, the font type for USAF a/c is called Amarillo. I downloaded the font on the Net. Tonight, I will apply the decals and then engine installation. Note how subtle weathering really brings out the life of a model. Remember that for it to be effective, keep the weatheing light. Don't make it into a unattended/neglected gate guard! Hope you like my bird so far...

Dai Phan-- the 'Dog is looking great. This is a color scheme that I have considered fo mine, but I think I'm gonna do a camo version. It's interesting what you said about the other version of your plane not having any dihedral. Cessna experimented with taking the dihedral out to see if it improved roll rate, but it didn't, so they left it in, only changed one plane by shortening the wing struts, but changed it back. I'm surprised to see the dihedral in yours starts way out on the wing; it should start at the wing root, but it's no matter. I only hope mine looks half that good.

I looked up the tail number that you have the decals for. That plane was built May 14, 1952. It started "life" as an "A" model for the National Guard, but was later modified to a "G" model in August 1966 and its last known location was in Vietnam. It may well have been destroyed, but there was no note of it in the book; however, the book says that such records are incomplete, and many that were destroyed have since been salvaged and rebuilt or restored.

The difference between an "A" and a "G" model is that G models were rebuilt from A models, modernized and beefed up. The A model had a max gross takeoff weight of 2100 pounds, the G model had ratings of 2400 or 2800 pounds, and were identical to "E" models which were built initially to the 2400 gross wt. All had the same engine and look alike, but have subtle differences, such as closer rivet spacing in the wings of the heavier planes, the flaps on A models were mechanical, all others have electrically operated flaps. You get the picture. I don't think anybody is going to count the rivets on yours, it's gorgeous. BTW, all the info I got out of the book I told you about earlier. Keep the posts coming!

Hello,

Very nice historical input on the Dog. The L-19 started its life in Korea and turned into a O-1 designation as of 1962. The color schemes for these planes I found to be limited in term of its fanciness. In Korea, they were olive drab, then in Viet Nam, they were mostly painted light gray. I found the VNAF to be the more colorful due to the big checkerboard band and colorful VNAF star and bar. Boy, when I put the decals on with the big VN National flag on the tail, it brought back so much memories when I was in Da Nang in 1968. It reminds me of a long and forgotten legacy... I plan to add details to the max without degrading the flight performance. The details will include the VHF attenna's bumps on the body, whip attennas on wings Zuni rockets (made out of foam) , full pilot figure and possibly onboard camera. I try to keep the weight under 8 lbs. I will use Lipo and brusless motor. The plane should be ready to fly next weekend. I will have my good friend Dr. Schultz who was a 0-1 pilot in Korea autograph my plane. Keep your eyes peeled for more good stuff coming..... Dai

Dai Phan - its a labour of love. Good stuff.

Hello,

It may appear like there is lots of hard work involved but actually not. I spend about about 1-2 hour couple times a week on this bird. Even the drawing of the VNAF star is easy and painting checkerboard band is even easier! The hardest part is getting the right color of yellow/blue on these insignias! Since it has a long tail, I plan to counterweight with onboard video. Keep checking back!!! Dai Phan

There were other VNAF schemes, mostly similar to yours. The checkerboard pattern is specific to the 112th Observation Squadron, VNAF, based at Bien Hoa. I have pictures of several of the planes from this squadron, but none with your tail number. A lot of the planes are Olive Drab instead of gray. The USAF used the dove gray, the Army used O.D. green. There were a few Air Force birds in green, and a few had several different camo patterns. The Army had a couple of camo patterns but mostly the green. The problem with camoflage paint was that the fast-moving jets that were being directed by the Birddogs could not see them against the foliage. The Air Force added a bright orange stripe across the top of the wing from tip to tip, and a panel behind the rear window to the vertical tail, but eventually changed them back to gray. Here's a picture I found, that might interest you, from just after Korea. The 82nd Airborne experimented with this. I say you'd have to be bona fide crazy to do it, but imagine the ride!

Hello,

I have finished applying decals and installed my brushless motor and speed controller. I will add some small details like the attennas tonight. Hopefully it will be ready to fly this Saturday! Dai Phan

More progress...

I have painted the whole A/C and you can see the body and the whole A/C. I still need to screw in the cowl and apply the cabin window decals. Note the yellow tapes on the panel line used for weathering process. Note the large detachment of paint on the left wing leading edge (as seen on the original). These planes operated in the hot and humid SE weather so they all appeared "rusty" and "worn out".