I use quick connect , after adjustments I solder them in place , no problem

Although I have made it through about half of the pages on this thread I have yet spotted the actual retract number for the century retracts? Is this the correct set 36688 Hangar 9 F-6F Hellcat

also has there been a general concensus on the best wheel side and strut length combination ?

I didn't see anything there listed as cmp hellcat? thanks for any help...

Foodstick they are part #36699. They call them the GSP Hellcat. Being that Giant Scale Planes was the first to import them. Here is a link.

http://www.centuryjet.com/webstore/m...TOKEN=22823881

Thanks alot! although this thread is good reading .......52 pages was wearing me out! Now to get them ordered without the wife catching on !

Hi, Hookie
Nice to hear from you again. I realized already earlier that you are a veteran aviator, just didn't know how "seasoned" you really were. How is your P6-E Hawk doing? Hope still alive, like mine. Still enjoy flying it, even with my little FPE, which, BTW, will go in my Hellcat project. Yes, I am building that Hellcat, too. I may not go overboard as much in scale enhancing as some fellas here, but I am putting in quite some extra efforts, too. Are you building one, as well? I only can imagine, as a real former Hellcat pilot, you want to bring back some memories. This thing flies just great, even as a model. I have attached a picture of my wing after I glassed it yesterday. Now I can apply the panel lines and the thousands of rivets.

Oops, my picture didn't attach,
hope this time it will.

Back to the retracts...

I couldn't find any 1/8" or 1/4" carbon fiber so I decided to use some carbon fiber cloth and aircraft ply I had.

First I cut away the little tabs that extend into the wheel area.

I cut a piece of 5 ply aircraft plywood to fit the space between the ribs on either side of the retract bay. I then cut 3 pieces of the cloth the same size. I thinned some 30 minute epoxy and painted it on the spar, coated each side of the cloth as I put them in place. Then mixed some un-thinned epoxy and painted on a thin coat on the ply and clamped them together.

With that and the retract it should be strong enough.[&:]

bigbird, it will, rest assure. Besides those mods you added, you gonna glass the wings like I did, don't you? And with tight fitting retracts you gain even more strength.

Yes, I'm glassing the wing also. And of course beef up the gluing around the servo mount.

Luke

have you flown your Cat yet? Just curious as to how it flys with the shorter wing. Can you tell us what it weighs.
Thanks
Ron

Hi Virginian,
It is grand to meet you again! I admire your re-build of the CMP model-the as-delivered covering was a total mess as time went by. Well, my P6-E venture with the FPE 1.3 did not go well, my buddies and I felt that it was too underpowered for enjoyable flying. I retrofitted it with an older YS-120 and it is now alive and very active.
I built one of the CMP Hellcats and put an OS-1.08 in it. Flew ok, but had a horizontal stab problem that lead to the plane's nose-in on takeoff. I seem to recall that there has been some comments of a like nature on this thread.
FYI, the 98 page Summer 2006 Special Issue of FLIGHT JOURNAL is totally dedicated to the Hellcat! Scads of great pics and details. Their particulars are:
www.flightjournal.com
Editorial Offices: (203) 431-9000; customer services 800-442-1871
My current venture is a Great Planes Giant Chipmunk, powered with another trusty Zenoah G-26. Flies simply great and lands like a feather. I'm thinking about a Typhoon for next year-the fuse lines would hide the G-26 head.
I will follow your progress here, it is very informative, particularily since I know that you will fly yours well.
Many best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving,
hookem

Hookie,
thanks for your kind words. I really appreciate the website of the FLIGHT JOURNAL with all that Hellcat stuff in it. I only can imagine that you are happy with this GP Chipmunk. GP has really "Great Planes". This coming weekend I will fly my P6-E Hawk with the FPE for the last time. After that I will strip it of its motor and put it in the Hellcat. I know it will be enough motor. I have seen this Hellcat fly extremly well with a heavier Zenoah-20 on a three bladed 14x7 MasterAirscrew. For the Hawk I have planned to equip it with one of those new Brillelli 26. I want to stick to gassers, if I can. I will post my progress in here, but do not want to go overboard with detailed, lengthy reports and tons of pics. Yes, I am very excited about this airplane, since I have seen how good it looks in the air. As my next project I still have my "slightly" damaged H9 P-47 to repair and convert to fiberglass. This one is one of the best flying airplanes I ever owned. I might do a report on that one, we'll see.
Anyway, it is always a joy to hear from you and I hope to have many more chances to read your posts and hear about your future projects.
I also wish you very Happy Holidays ahead and many more safe landings. This hobby is what keeps us young and our spirit fresh, don't you think?
thevirginian

Morning everyone, I'm getting ready to start on Luke's cockpit. I have been back through the thread and can't find any mention of the paint color for the cockpit. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks again Luke. And by the way my wife would like to have a few words with you..
Gary

ModelMasters green zinc chromate. Good luck.

bigbird

Hi Hookemut,

In your experience were the wheel wells on the Hellcat painted the same color as the plane? Overall deep sea blue, or white in the 3 color scheme?

Thanks
bigbird

Hi bigbird . . .

In all my references for the Hellcat including those I sent you for panel markings on the aircraft previously, the wheel wells on all Hellcats were done in the color of the bottom of the aircraft, i.e. light grey for the two tone scheme, white for the tri color scheme, and insignia blue for the final overall blue scheme.

Only the restoration aircraft seem to have shot the wells in the green chromate color.

Ernie

Thanks Ernie, You in the Mt Ranier club?

To the best of my recollection, Hellcats were delivered with zinc chromate protective paint over all exposed aluminum surfaces-wheel wells, etc. since upon receipt the delivered Hellcats would receive one of at least 5 different paint schemes involving Blue, Deep Blue,Gray, white, and Black-all peculiar to Navy commanding authority. It was not at all uncommon to see Hellcats in combat with the appropriate Fuse/wing color schemes and still have zinc chromate painted wheel well and wing butt surfaces, but white was the predominate paint applied to the wheel well, wing butt surfaces.
hookem

Thanks Hookem,

Sounds like I have lots of choices and can still be more or less scale. I don't know why but I've always liked the green chromate.

bigbird

I know what you mean, bigbird. I, kinda feel the same way. I guess it's because the green stands out, somewhat and gives it a more distinctive appearance. Since I picked the tri-color paint scheme I am going to paint my wheel wells all white just like the bottom of the wings. I have snapped a shot for you, bigbird, in case you have not clued the belly pan onto the wing yet. I epoxied 1/2" graphite tubings in so I would not lose my wing bolts inside the belly pan. I guess you could even use cardboard tubing instead if you don't have graphite.

Good idea, I don't like metal wing bolts but the same idea works for plastic. I still have to get my retracts mounted and plumbed before I glue the wing together and fiberglass it, so I'm a ways from the belly pan. I'm also going to set up the belly pan for the drop tank. It sits so low to the ground that it probably won't be flown much but that's OK, it's supposed to be easily removable.

At least I have a belly pan now, thanks NitroPlanes!

Hi Virginan,
Decided to post my venture with this model, as you are doing. Mine was powered with a very lively OS 1.08. Flew like a dream, but watch out for horizontal failure!
hookem

Hi Hookem,

Could you elaborate on "horizontal failure"? Horizontal stab failure????

Thanks

Bigbird

Does anyone know of a good flat clear you can airbrush? There have been a lot of them mentioned here but nobody mentioned airbrushing it on. The guys at the hobby shop aren't much help on this subject.

Hi there again bigbird . . .

I was looking into the Mt Raineer club before I had to leave WA. It hurt me so much to leave up there and come back to CA. Trying to plan out things so I can come back up there soon. The Raineer field is outside of Roy and it is just beautiful. The club owns the land and everything around it. No shortage of runway or sky.

In the club down here in Fremont CA, south of SF about 35 miles, almost everyone in the club uses either Krylon satin spray or the Ultracoat Flat spray to overcoat their airplanes. Neither will attack decals and are fuelproof. By the way, hope you are happy up there in Shelton . . . maybe you'll have a neighbor soon. . . also, I'm still waiting for you to get me one of those cockpit interiors and a pilot to dress everything up. No respectable Hellcat would go out without a pilot eh?

Take care ol buddy, and check six . . . always.

Ernie

Hi Ernie,

I'd really like to use the airbrush, I don't have much luck with rattle cans...

I can't get a cockpit kit for you, Ernie. You need to go to http://www.zollnermodels.com/ and look on that page under Auctions. If Luke has any left they would be there.

We're really getting drowned up here in WA. So far this month we've had over 30" of rain. A record, and no sign of a let up.