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P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Old 12-12-2007, 11:42 AM
  #1  
full rudder
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Default P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Hello all! I love the P-39 and was thinking it would be nice to see more pictures, links, info, stories
and everything else you can think of that is related to this great plane not seen often enough.
I'm in the process of finishing an old red box top flite P-39 and after a few searches realised that
there's not much out there, so have a ball and put it all here, I'll start with a few color schemes and pics.
Feel free to add anything you want!

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Old 12-12-2007, 11:47 AM
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Evil_Merlin
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Not bad for an old redbox! I have a gold box here too... I'll start on it someday!
Old 12-12-2007, 12:00 PM
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full rudder
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Thanks, it was fiberglassed, the paint is krylon olive drab on top and grey bottom, the panel lines and
rivets I'm doing with a permanent marker, wish I had a Gold edition NIB but I'm happy with this one!

Old 12-12-2007, 06:46 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Hi full rudder
if you want a "real" and up-to-date subject try this link - great read anyway, about a Russian one they dredged out of the silt in a lake - amazing condition after 60 years in the water. Make a great subject - one with that "personal touch![8D]
http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/englis.../p39/index.htm

BTW - scuse the ignorance - what's the difference between the Red and Gold editions? Would like to do a P-39 so would be useful to know in-case I am faced with one or the other one day!

cheers - happy reading.

Rick
Old 12-12-2007, 10:22 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Hello Spad, The "red box" version was produced in the mid seventies till the early eighties by Top Flite. These kits were sold in yellow or red boxes. Simple construction with the engine being mounted upright, 60" wingspan. Stand off scale. The "gold edition" was produced in the late ninties, updated construction, and engine mounted sideways. Designed for the Robart retracts with a larger 63" wingspan and scale flaps. A little more scale. The price of both kits are going up on ebay!
Old 12-12-2007, 10:30 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

I also like this plane , however it is scarce . I am watching quite a few on ebay , even bid on an old 70" version from Sterling but the reserve was way high , so bought a Pica Fw -rare kit
Old 12-13-2007, 01:10 AM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

full rudder,

I have a book recommedation for you. "Nannette" by Edwards Park. I got my copy off of amazon.com for under $5 brand new and it's a great read.

Park flew the P-39 in New Guinea early in the war and relates his experiences with a lot of humor and facts. For anyone wanting to know what it was like to fly the Airacobra, this is a good place to start.

Al

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Old 12-13-2007, 07:42 AM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Hey!

Spad - thanks for the link, I've seen it before but I think I'll go read it again. It would be a really
cool subject to do!
Rruddytoo - Thanks pal I'm getting that book for sure. You can never have too much reference material!
Tigertooth - Hey buddy, now people that is one hell of a nice guy, gave me a ton of material on the old
P-39 red box and his models look real nice!

OK so Top Flite stopped production of the P-39 kit but I wonder how come basically nobody else is doing
a kit of this plane? Seems to me the interest is there, the price of the kits on flea bay is going up all the
time, maybe the gold edition is due for a comeback. I'll leave you with a few more pictures.
Anybody out there with P-39 flyings post your stuff here!
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Old 12-13-2007, 05:15 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

The P-39 is one of my favorites. Looks like Meister is not going to do a plan anytime soon so I've started on my own. It's designed at 1/4 scale for a 102" wingspan. As I don't want a big engine cylinder sticking out I am looking at a prop drive from Warbirds but it doesn't look like they will have a unit available anytime soon if at all. Also I want to spin a near scale Solo prop so some sort of gear reduction will be needed. An interesting possibility would be an 58cc MVVS water cooled engine in the scale position. Anyway I've choose a good three view, ordered out alot of books and have started drawing.

I won't start on it untill my A-26 has flown..... at least once.

Dave
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Old 12-13-2007, 09:32 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Thanks full rudder for starting this thread, and it is off to a good start! Here's a picture of my old red box P-39 from a few years back that I restored. I'm going to start building a new one after first of the year (New Years resolution you know!) with a lot of new modifications. Keep building the Airacobra fellas!!!
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Old 12-14-2007, 10:38 AM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Here's the one I hope to get started on late next year if the engine drive system can be worked out.

Dave
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Old 12-14-2007, 12:55 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Dave,

If you scale it down a little you could go electric and have a nice clean cowl. If you can keep the AUW around 15 lbs. electric would be easy. That's what I am looking for I would like a P39 with a glass fuze around 80" wingspan with and AUW below 20 lbs. Any ideas?
Old 12-14-2007, 01:22 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

No P-39 thread would be complete without:
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Old 12-14-2007, 04:17 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

I have a gold edition that I'm painting now. I went electric on it and test flew it this fall in primer. Flew great! I'll post some pics when it's a bit further along.

Old 12-14-2007, 04:48 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Jmohn;

I kind of like the noisy engines in them. I want to hide the engine and the bigger scale is easier to do that. I looked at electric power and did find a motor that would fly it but it was rather costly. But then again, water cooled engine, drive system isn't cheep either.

Dave
Old 12-14-2007, 06:22 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Wish I could remember where I saw a post about a guy who took a 72" P-39 and built it with a 91 mounted behind the cockpit.
He mounted a reduction gear off the prop shaft and ran the main shaft down the fuse length. I do remember the builder explaining how he made two or three carrier bearings along the shaft for stabillity. Seems like he had to use a special home made starter for it too. I can't find the info for you not that you'd want to go that far on a scale project. It would be a lot of work. Talk about vibrations. [sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

I did find this P-63 KingCobra from the Chino show in my pic stash. The P-39 I'm talking about looked much like it. (Same paint scheme.) Wish I could remember where I saw that thread. You would have like it.
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Old 12-14-2007, 06:31 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

I had an old World Model P39 for a long time but lost it this year because of a receiver failure. It didn't look super scale, but flew great. I miss that old plane and would love to get another, but I want a glass fuze. American Eagle Aircraft Company has a large one (96") one that weighs 32 lbs. It looks awsome, but would be too heavy for electric. Here's the link:

http://www.flyrcmodels.com/p39.htm
Old 12-15-2007, 12:50 AM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

don't forget the other side as well

Edit: well, I wastrying to quote this posting (i.e. referring to the post that P-51B made). theres another stunning beauty on the right side of that bird as well.
Old 12-15-2007, 02:25 AM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Right about now the only 'Cobra offering in a larger scale that I know of is from Palmer Plans.............a P-63 in 1/5th scale. There are good points and not-so-good points with this: Good.............Robart has gear available for this as are the canopy and fiberglass parts; Not-so-good..............Palmer has a less than great reputation for his plans and grossly optimistic weight figures and engine requirements. Sigh.

I have thought about buying a Top Flite Gold Edition kit from eBay, enlarging the plans to 1/5th scale and scanning the individual parts then enlarging their images to the same scale and cut my own kit. In theory, I'd have a Top Flite 1/5th scale Airacobra. That's a lot of work but may be worth it. And I'd just have to at least try to stuff a Moki in the mid-engine position. As Moki's run with no nitro, heat won't be as big of an issue. Maybe a cogged belt turning a supported driveshaft with reduced gearing..............hmmmmmm.

Hey, if any one from Top Flite is reading this, there is a market for a giant scale P-39. Please!!!!!!

Al
Old 12-15-2007, 09:15 AM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Pepino has plans for a 1/5th scale P-39.
[link=http://www.fly-imaa.org/imaa/IMAAads/pepino/pepinoplans.html]Plans service[/link]

My father built one a few years ago, powered by a Moki 1.8. Flys pretty well. It can be tough to find retracts for it. Robart has a few nose gear that would work (this was a few years ago... things might have changed). The main struts are short, but we had century jst make a pair for us.
Old 12-15-2007, 09:52 AM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

The main problem with a shaft drive is that a single single cylinder engine sets up some really bad "harmonics" in a long shaft. It tends to twist as the engine fires, and unload afterwards. Soon the shaft fails.
There is a large P-39 kit produced by American Eagle; http://www.flyrcmodels.com/p39.htm
It's a glass fuse/foam wing semi-kit.
Old 12-15-2007, 10:15 AM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

Your right about the shaft problems with a single cylinder engine but if you install a damper which is basiclly a flywheel at the engine this problem is greatly reduced.

Dave
Old 12-15-2007, 11:28 AM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

I've thought about the vibration effect on the shaft and that's why I mentioned the cogged belt linking the drive pulley on the engine to the driven pulley on the prop shaft. This belt would be a reinforced rubber that "should" absorb some, if not all, of the engine's harmonics. The shaft itself would be precision ground High Speed Steel drill rod so I doubt if fatigue would be a factor. That said, all is hypothetical and probably more trouble than what it would be worth.

With regards to the Jim Pepino design, would the Robart gear for the Palmer Plans P-63 work? The only difference between the P-39 and P-63 gear is the direction the nose gear scissors face. Big deal! Is there a commercially available canopy our there? It was my impression that this would have to be made by the builder and I've never seen one of these completed nor flown.

Let's keep this P-39 thread going and hopefully we can get a kit cutter interested in providing something for those of us who desire one of these fabulous designs.

Al
Old 12-15-2007, 12:48 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

ORIGINAL: rrudytoo


With regards to the Jim Pepino design, would the Robart gear for the Palmer Plans P-63 work? The only difference between the P-39 and P-63 gear is the direction the nose gear scissors face. Big deal! Is there a commercially available canopy our there? It was my impression that this would have to be made by the builder and I've never seen one of these completed nor flown.


Al
The gear for the Pepino was discussed in an earlier thread. It looks like the Robart's gear for the Midwest AT-6 would be just about right. It is swept forward for the AT-6, but by reversing it you can get the correct rearward sweep for a P-39. I laid my gear on a set of Pepino plans and here is how it looks.
Also, see this thread: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_37..._1/key_/tm.htm
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Old 12-15-2007, 12:53 PM
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Default RE: P-39 Airacobra anything thread!

If anyone is interested, I did large Bert Baker P-39 earlier this year. There is a build thread hear: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_51...tm.htm#5189410

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