dionysusbacchus

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I thought I'd post my progress on a vacuum formed 1/8 scale F4U-1D Cockpit. I really believe that a realistic cockpit can be made using vacuum forming. I think that vacuum forming has a bad rap because of what is offered commercially. They have to make parts a certain way for several reasons that in the end really hurt accuracy and quality. 1/8 scale is small for a lot of detail, and the bigger the cockpit the easier it would be to make better parts. But I like a challenge! Here are my goals for this project:

1. It has to be LIGHT!! Vacuum forming is the best way to achieve this, I am making the parts out of .015 styrene. When the parts are pulled over the plug they get even thinner!

2. Lowest parts count possible with as much detail molded in a single part that I can. So far the instrument panel and dash are just 2 parts and the gun sight has only 3 parts (not counting the clear lenses).

3. Be able to reproduce all the parts I could want (I am always going to be building a Corsair!). Vacuum forming is the only way to go here also.

Here are some pictures of what I have done so far. First I'll show the prototype, this is the complete assembly as if installed in a model. One nice thing is the gages, they are printed out on one sheet, they line up perfectly when installed. Also I have all of the cockpit placards and things.

dionysusbacchus

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Here you can see the vacuum formed parts next to the finished one. I am going to do the whole cockpit, and I'll post here as I go.

Dion

Peter_OZ

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Dion,
one word - surperb!!

When are you doing a set to fit in the TF GS Corsair. I have the TF kit but it is crap compared to yours.

Soon as you do a set for the giant scale let me know!

cheers
Peter

Florian Kuehni

Luke
...speechless....

Now I know why your F2G thread is progressing sooo slow

Keep it up
Flo

Griffin_NC

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That's absolutely amazing. You should go into business selling Corsair parts, I know I would be on your customer list.

dionysusbacchus

My Feedback: (25)

Thank you Peter, Flo and Griffin, glad some people like my idea! I'm not a company but you can bet that they will be for sale to my friends! Making the instrument panel was not that hard, I just took the full scale one and shrunk it in my computer! So I have to give that to Vought!

I think I'll have to make two different floors, one scale and one that sucks. That way the average Joe can put a cockpit in his plane that for the most part looks great (just have to cut his pilots legs off to fit!), but I'll do one that really looks cool for the scale fanatic! The problem is in the depth of the cockpit, it really wasn't that far to the bottom of the fuselage. I use snakes for the control surfaces, so getting by a deep cockpit on the Corsair is not a problem, my cockpit isn't going to be all the way to the bottom but just deep enough. Notice in the picture how low the rudder pedals and heel troughs are in relation to the right console. Most cockpit kits put the floor at the bottom of the console, that throws everything off. The only thing in the way is the wing trailing edge, but to get a good looking floor I don't think I'll have to make it that much deeper, have to use some deception in my moldings!

Thanks again,

Dion

Peter_OZ

My Feedback: (1)

so the one that "sucks" is the pilot going to be Douglas Bader?

Seriously - hang on that an oxymoron where I'm concerned most of time hehe ok back to topic I was going to say you have done some wonderful work on that F2G thread. I'm tempted to think about doing scale hinging when I build my GS TF Corsair - after finishing the P40, the P47 and getting my 92" Spit and 85" P51 into the air.

Man why don't we have 40 hr days!!!!

cheer s
Peter

ShaneUSMC

My Feedback: (1)

DUDE!! Your killin' me! LOL.

Man you make that look awesome. I wish I could do work that good. Maybe one of these days I'll get around to building another Corsair. [8D]

Griffin_NC

My Feedback: (3)

Can't wait to see how your Flooring turns out. That's going to be a amazing bird when your done. Let me know when if you decide to part with a cockpit kit. I'm collecting my parts now for a TF Gold Series that is occupying shelf space and I really think I need that shelf space back..


PS: What did you use for your chromed switches across the top?

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

Great looking work, Luke! No, AWESOME is more appropriate. And I agree, you need to offer a floor 'that sucks' so we can stuff a pilot into the cockpit.

Those who build the 1/32 & 1/48 scale plastic display models have some pretty good choices these days for accurate, very detailed kits. The Tamiyas, among others, are so much more detailed that the Monogram ones that I used to build when I was a kid. Despite this, there are after-market compaines that sell even more details and/ or decals sets for these kits, making extremely accurate cockpit kits and other details which are meant to be incorporated into the original kits.

What the world needs now is simular add on kits, which are for our R/C models. A 1/8 scale Corsair detail hop-up kit ( which could work with Royal, Top Flite, or ANY 1/8 scale Corsair with some mods) could be a real hit. In addition to the Cockpit, maybe a good scale sliding F4U-1D canopy would be nice. Maybe even various other Corsair canopies could be offered, such as an F4U-1 ('birdcage') and F4U-4 (flat windshield). A good set of wing inlet/ oil coolers (this would be hard, because it is difficult to get them appear to look deep, while maintaining a strong leading edge), and machine gun openings, cowl mount straps, bomb pylons, rocket launcher pylons, etc.
The straps that I sent to you are really too thin, and maybe not the most accurate, but they should be able to give an illusion of authenticity. Maybe you could improve on the idea.

I know, it sounds like a lot of work, but if you become interested in offering a complete hop up kit, I would be willing to help out. Maybe with some help (possibly from others too), we could put together a complete hop up kit. If the cost for such a kit was $50, it sure wouldn't be too much (IMO). Those of us that are into warbirds know that building one right cannot be done cheaply, and $50 or so to make the plane really right would be a small expense in the overall cost of the project.

In the mean time, those gun sights sure would look great / dress up ANY Corsair, and should be a relatively easy 'drop in'. If you decide to offer them separately, I'll take at least half a dozen.

Thank, Luke, for offering the world a truely great looking, scale accuate (and light weight) cockpit kit for our Corsairs.

John in Boston

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No lie:

When I first opened this new thread, and immediately saw those "thumbnail" images of Luke's cockpit prototypes, I thought I was looking at COLORIZED PHOTOS FROM A VOUGHT TECH MANUAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dionysusbacchus

My Feedback: (25)

Thanks Jim, and some great ideas, we just have to find someone to do the work! I might, maybe, thinking about it...make this cockpit kit available in limited quantities to fanatics, I'm just finishing the mods to the airframe and am getting ready to poor the plug for the floor. I know that just the dash, instrument panel and a good seat would do a lot to improve any Corsairs looks. If I do offer them for consumption by the masses I'll offer it in 2 forms, conservative and hard core! Let me finish this thing and see if I like it or not, then we can go from there. You have some goodies coming your way, check the box on Thursday.

Hi John, thanks for that compliment! I did copy the manual so I guess I got it pretty close!

I'll get back to work now, finishing the huge floor for this thing! When I was thinking about how to do this, it hit me... I asked myself, what would Houdini do? False bottom box of course, it's an old magic trick! I'll let you know how it goes, but here are some pictures of the design process so you can get an idea. This is just the paper pattern in it's early stages for the floor.

Dion

Peter_OZ

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xxx is always the way to go hehehehe

voyager_663rd

Great work as always Luke. Hope my pic works.

dionysusbacchus

My Feedback: (25)

I don't think Douglas flew a Corsair, but lots of little rubber pilots would look like him!

Try the scale hinging, it works so smooth, you have to see it to believe it! That would be nice, 40 hours in a day. I have so much I want to do, I'd like to hire 40 people to do all the stuff I need to do!

You CAN do work this good now! I've done all the hard stuff! Get another Corsair, I'll provide the cockpit... and maybe some other details....?

Great! Another Corsair! Yes I'll get you a cockpit kit. For the switches I just used pins, just put the placard on and push the pin in the designated spot and snip it off! Very simple and they look great to for how small this thing is.

?

Thanks voyager, yes... than you, thank you!

OK! Listen UP! Who would like to assemble one of my cockpits? I need someone who is building a Corsair that can use one. You need to take pictures as you go and post them here in this thread. I don't care if you can't build anything! All you pay for is shipping. PM me with your request, then after a few days I'll pick a builder. If you don't have any time then don't apply! The cockpit will be assembled by you, it doesn't have to be installed in a plane now, but if you have a Corsair ready that would be nice. I'll be done with the basic cockpit in a week or so I hope. Anyone interested???

Dion

Griffin_NC

My Feedback: (3)

Pins! Now I would have never thought about a cut off T-Pin. Mcuh stiffer then solder that I have seen used before too.

I wish I could build one of your cockpits right now, but work is a bit crazy for the next month or so. Hopefully when work calms down in October I can get one from you.

JohnMcGowan

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Hi Luke,..I'm doing 2 1/8th size corsairs,, the 1st one a Jamara ARF thats about ready to fly and the 2nd one is a Jack Devine 1/8 scale (you just gotta love Jack's kits!!!)
Let me know where to send you some money cause I'll get 2 cockpits from you and see how they do.
Thanks Luke!!!
John McGowan from Birmingham, Ala

dionysusbacchus

My Feedback: (25)

John, I appreciate your enthusiasm for my work, but I'm not allowed to offer products for sale and take orders in this forum. All inquiries should be made via private message. I'm starting to get some requests for the review on my cockpit, if you would like to contribute to the thread and build one of these things and be the first one to have one! Send me a PM. It doesn't matter what kit you have as long as it's 1/8 scale.

Thanks,

Dion

RickVB

My Feedback: (24)

Golly, Luke, I hope that someday you work your way up to 1/5 scale.

Rick Vera-Burgos
Novi, Michigan
Who doesn't own anything with one wing that's less than 80"...

OBDOC

My Feedback: (73)

I've been lurking and watching your amazing work. Simply oustanding cockpit and fuselage detailing BTW! I echo the statement made by RickVB. I sure could use one of these for my Ziroli Corsair. Keep up the good work. That warm air behind you is all of us watching closely from behind.
Tim

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

I have the H9 corsair all done , i can easliy retro fit this in aand cut the floor out , plenty of room . Let me know how to purchase on , I know you cant sell on this site but I am asking, your not selling .

dionysusbacchus

My Feedback: (25)

I am going to do a cockpit for an 82" Corsair (1/6), that's all I have planned so far. Isn't it fun though to blow people away with a small model?

Thanks much Tim! Again the other Z man's Corsair comes up again! I'll never make anything for the Ziroli Corsair because it's to far off in scale outline, in fact it doesn't have one scale outline. When it was designed in the 70's it had a belted .60 engine, the basic construction and outline have never been changed from this primitive beginning! The formers at the cockpit are to close to fit anything but a pilot bust, sorry!

LDM, I'll keep your request in mind.

Well I quit working for a while to show all of those watching this thread what I have been up to! I’m getting close; just have the side panels to do now and a few other small parts like the rudder pedals.

First I’ll show a rare shot from behind the scenes! The first picture shows my clay sculpture for the pilot seat.

Now for some finished parts. The next picture shows the rear cockpit armor plate and headrest. This part is complete right out of the box; all that is needed is paint!

Here is the floor, not to pretty but if you all want it this way then here it is! The seat bottom is part of the floor.

Now here is something you don’t see in a lot of Corsair cockpits, the seat support bars. These are even vacuum formed!

dionysusbacchus

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This is a shot of some of the new parts and your first look at the seat.

I am building a mockup, so I am sanding all the new parts, making sure they fit and getting them ready for paint. Notice all the rivet detail in the rear cockpit armor.

Here are the parts assembled, everything worked pretty good!

I put the whole mess together for some pictures.

dionysusbacchus

My Feedback: (25)

In the last picture notice how nice the rear seat support bars line up with the rear headrest panel. I also opened up the holes in the seat for a more realistic look when the pilot is out!

Can’t wait to try Tom’s (AKA Neo) painting techniques on this baby! How does he say it? Bring out the 3D relief?

Dion

Griffin_NC

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Your killing me here man. The detail on that cockpit is really amazing. I'm really wish I had my workspace put back together and a bit more time to work on one of these.