LUKE'57 Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Jairus, just wait until I get you a shot of the prototype P-40Q. It was raced (well, IIRC it didn't qualify but they started it anyway and it was destroyed in a crash in the railyards near the race course) and was a sleek bubble canopied speedster. In the meantime, for all you sir racng "newbies" let me tell you that after the clipping of wings, cutting down of turtledeck and engine swaps started, these racers had about as much in common with your basic olive drab war surplus fighter as Aunt Hattie's beige Pontiac Catalina in the driveway had with Smokey Yunicks black and gold thunder wagon at Daytona. This is gonna be SO much fun and one of the most creative contests ya'll have ever undertaken. BYW here's the P-63 King Cobra (the P-39's big brother) in race trim, complete with clipped wings and a hot red paint job. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffs396 Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Here's a good site with kit reviews of probably any plane that would be used in this CBP... Warbirds kit reviews Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LUKE'57 Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 And while the Mustangs were beginning to compare to the factory planes like your Galaxie in the driveway compared to a Holman Moody Darlington winner, you ain't seen nothing yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LUKE'57 Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Matching a USAF P-51 Mustang about as closely as Junior Johnson's "Yellow Bananna" '66 Atlanta entry matched a Ford Galaxie 500 on the dealer's lot, an early version of the Red Baron Race Team's Mustang put the fear in everybody with its slick bodywork, clipped wings and Rolls Royce Griffon engine with counter rotating props. The huge sigh of releave when they pulled pilot Steve Hinton, gravely injured but largely intact, from its smoking wreckage after wreaking havoc in the unlimitied division for several races, wasn't all just for Steve's survival. Here it is early in its career when it was still all red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LUKE'57 Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Now here's the ultimate in "grey area" of the rules. The Grummn Bearcat didn't see service in WW2 but was a regular competitor in Unlimited air racing with several iconic planes competing in the races. The British Sea Fury has a similar problem so maybe ya'll should make a ruling on these now for the contest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountaindewd Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Is there an official start date for this distraction if not already started? How about a deadline? I haven't built a plane since that Harrier got modified when I was about 12, but this sounds like fun! Pearl Harbor was attacked in December 1940 Jairus, FYI, December 7, 1941 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LUKE'57 Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 I haven't forgotten you "bent wing bird" fans. Like all the rest, the Corsairs started out with just a paint job and some numbers to join the fun. But like the rest, there came clipped wings and DC-6 engine tranplants and before you knew it the Super Corsairs were bending around the pylons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Les, noted and changed. Start date is already passed and end date is the official end of summer about Sept 22. Final pics (no more than 3) will be submitted to a voting thread and the members of MCM forums will decide. If participants want to post build progress here that is cool or they can start their own thread. But seeing as how there are NO sections for "Non-automotive" models on this forum (hint, hint) it seems logical to keep it all on this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDO Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 (edited) Hey Jairus- Something I just thought of: that gear up and gear down requirement will make things really tough. Most airplane kits are designed to display gear down only. It often takes a lot of work just to put the kit landing gear cover over the gear well. People will end up re-engineering a model to meet this requirement. It could end up in a lot of people not finishing their entry. Is there a limit on number of entries? Edited July 5, 2010 by LDO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Not a requirement Lee simply a suggestion. No limit on the number of entries but I do want to limit the photos to three unless you think we need more? I have three major shots in mind for me... one on the pad with engine running... one turning the corner at the pylon and one last show showing a high speed run. And yeah... I plan to have gear up and gear down options for my entry.... AND an electric motor inside to spin the prop for the photos. Of course anyone can clip the blades and smooth over the spinner for a "at full power" look but I want to see what effects I can get with a spinning prop. Right now I will admit to using photoshop to wipe out any suspension wires for in-flight shots. But it is not necessary if one is careful how one does the setup for the pic's J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDO Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 Electric motor? Wow, that sounds cool. Too bad I already glued the fuselage together. I may have to build two entries. I'll go for a gear-up photo, but I'm thinking of a banking turn where gear will not be visible. (So I won't have to make the covers fit ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1320wayne Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Pager motors are one of the best options for creating a spinning prop. on a plane kit. They are single speed but are usually the perfect size to conceal in the fuselage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Hey Wayne, long time dude! Actually I have torn down quite a few disc drives and tape players so I have a good collection of motors of all sizes. The plan is to get the motor wired in place in center line of the fuselage with two fine wires appearing from somewhere that I can clip a variable power source to. That way I can work out the speed of the prop with the camara speed and come up with a good compromise regarding the spinning prop. I am afraid that todays digital cameras are way to quick a shutter speed so may have to fudge it in photoshop but I am getting way ahead of myself. Got to get the model and build it first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Gibbons Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 (edited) Ok, sorry to get a little off topic here, but it does relate to the project. I had stated here earlier that I have a Monogram Corsair that could apply. The one I have that I thought I'd sacrifice was the SSP version that came out around '99-2000. I got it mail order, only to find that one of the upper inner wing sections was a short shot. This version was molded in navy blue. Does anyone have that version that would be willing to trade or sell? The method to my madness is that I wanted to build that for my brother. More years ago than I care to remember, I built that kit after saving my allowance, as I was into the "working parts" Monogram WW2 aircraft at the time. I finished it on a Friday night at the kitchen table, bought it up to my bedroom, where it had one good night unmolested. The following morning, I was looking at it, playing with the working landing gear, folding wings, etc., and left it on my bed. A few minutes later, my brother accidentally sat on it (I can still hear the crunch and snapping sound of breaking plastic to this day!) and pretty much wiped out all the working features. Needless to say, he got a good pounding from me, and after nearly 40 years, I still regret it! The reason I want the blue molded version, is that I want to build it for him as closely as I originally did it, which included not painting the colored plastic. Fortunately, my modeling skills have improved enough to make it look decent that way. (Maybe a coat of Future after decaling, etc.) I eventually repaired it enough as a gear up model, glued the outer wings back on, and motorized it. The Visible V8 model I had built worked for a while, and even though I had lubricated the bearings with vegetable oil as the instructions told, the crankshaft eventually snapped, and I took the electric motor and adapted it to the Corsair. A cob job, but I guess I was ahead of my time! I bought another release of the Corsair a couple of years ago, but it's now molded in gray. Not a big problem, as it can be painted, but I would like to do a "nostalgia" style build for my brother. If anyone can help, PM me. If I can get a blue one, the newer gray one gets the project go-ahead. Edited July 5, 2010 by Jim Gibbons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDO Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share Posted July 6, 2010 More work on smoothing out the P-51. Cockpit opening faired over. All the bumps and holes on the wing have been filled. For the gun ports I used stretch sprue. For shell ejection ports and bomb rack it was Evergreen styrene. Wing tips have been clipped, and yes, one got clipped a little bit too much so it got a thicker "end cap" of Evergreen. The grey stuff is Mr. Surfacer brushed on. I'll be making a small teardrop canopy + fairing like in Luke 57's post with the natural metal P-51. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 Looking good Lee! Here are some neat graphics of real planes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droogie Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 Here is another option for a spinning prop: http://www.propblur.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDO Posted July 7, 2010 Author Share Posted July 7, 2010 That Do-335 idea is going to happen. I know because I gave the guy a kit of it. It's getting a new, more aerodynamic nose and he'll be using my machine tools to make a new spinner. He's also moving the exhaust stacks up to represent a pair of Griffon engines. (the original DB engines are inverted V-12s) I can't wait to see what he comes up with for a paint job. Grrroovy, baby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I finally won my kit. Took a few days waiting for it to close, not to mention the number of poor souls who kept bidding the darned thing up! But, it is now, finally on the way to the bunker where I shall ditch the decals and weapons - slap it together and shoot a bit of color. Updates to follow soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDO Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 Cool, Jairus. Any ideas on what you'll do for paint? What about modifications to the airframe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDO Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 (edited) A little bit more work: Vertical stabilizer enlarged. Began work on streamlined canopy/fairing. I laid down some Bare Metal Foil, (BMF is like a release agent. It will allow me to pop off the whole assembly) then glued a "footprint" made of .010" styrene over that. The grey part at the front of it is part of a drop tank from Airfix's 1/48 Seafire 46/47 kit. The white stuff is Milliput epoxy putty. When it hardens, I'll pop the whole thing off and sand it smooth, then vacuum-form a canopy & fairing over it. Edited July 8, 2010 by LDO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffs396 Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 Very cool so far Lee! I got started on my P-39...what a nice little kit! Lots of mods coming, getting the fuselage halves ready to join by building the cockpit & installing...it's supposed to go in almost last, but I want this thing smooooth & slippery! So in it goes now, then on with the mods! Just to get an idea of what she looks like in stock form...won't be this way for long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDO Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 Very cool so far Lee! I got started on my P-39...what a nice little kit! Lots of mods coming, getting the fuselage halves ready to join by building the cockpit & installing...it's supposed to go in almost last, but I want this thing smooooth & slippery! So in it goes now, then on with the mods! Yeah, building these things with the intent of polishing the paint does require some planning ahead. The P-51 gets the exhaust stacks glued on before the fuselage halves get glued together. If I do that, polishing around the exhaust would be tough at best. What I did was cut the nose open. That way I can use tweezers to install the exhausts through the nose. The hole will then be covered by the prop spinner. I'm glad to see someone else getting started on this build. I was beginning to think Jairus and I would be the only ones building a race plane. Others have expressed interest here and in the Chat room, but have not started building. Any ideas on what you'll do for paint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 (edited) Jeff, better cut off that gun! No unfair advantages regarding removal of the competition! My kit is on it's way. Should be cutting plastic by Saturday morning, pictures to follow. Lee, you asked me what modifications I will be doing and what colors... I don't know for certain. The FW 190 canopy is already cut down a bunch so all I might do is bring up the surrounding sheet metal to close off the view a bit and make it look more "racy". Been thinking about your idea of a bigger spinner so will have a go at vac-forming a new one. Other than that... probably remove and smooth like you and Jeff and then lay out some paint similar to what I have seen running at the Reno air races but.... BETTER, with more fades! Something like this one but different... Edited July 8, 2010 by Jairus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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