The Wicked Baron

[Psychographic]

I need an easy project to get the juices flowing. I'm hoping this will be easy as there are no doors or trunk to open and hinge, and hopefully I will only have to modify the suspension a little.

Obviously it's a Red Baron, I just don't know if I want it chrome and showy, or maybe dark and evil, one thing I do know, it will be shiny (I have to keep CrazyJim happy!).

 

My plan was to use a nose from a WW2 fighter plane. I did a cartoon car that was a cross of a t bucket and airplane a few years back and it worked out well. For this I'm using the nose from a 1/48 P-40. I needed to raise the cowl to fit the nose and make a filler to widen the fuselage to fit the cowl. The raised cowl gives it a bit of a chopped look.

 

Once I had it where I liked it, it was time to cement it in place and start filling it with SB.

 

Edited April 4, 2018 by Psychographic

[Day 2 Muscle]

Kool........................ But whats that in the background??? Lets see it.

 

 

Robert

[Psychographic]

2 minutes ago, Day 2 Muscle said:

Kool........................ But whats that in the background??? Lets see it.

 

 

Robert

I've got a couple pics of it here.

 

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/131904-reposting-some-finished-projects/

[Pat Minarick]

Dark and evil!

[Psychographic]

44 minutes ago, Pat Minarick said:

Dark and evil!

I like how you think! Dark and Evil it is!

[Foxer]

Nice fit on that nose ...

[bobthehobbyguy]

Nice start. I also vote dark and evil.

[Psychographic]

Now that I have a basic body shape it's time to put the plane where it doesn't belong, on the ground!

 

I tried to notch the fuselage for the motor mounts, but it sat too high, I want to crush cockroaches with this thing. I narrowed the frame and made motor mounts to let the engine sit high enough to clear the oil pan. The thin crossmembers are just temporary until I have the drivetrain figured out. I looked for the smallest transmission I had. I stole one from an old Beatnik Bandit and cheated a little by cutting most of the bellhousing section out.

 

 

Next, I made a tunnel for the frame to fit in out of .030 sheet.

 

 

Then I started on the floor which I made in two pieces.  Doing it this way was much easier to get a good fit.

 

 

I traced the outline of the tranny into the tunnel, then roughly traced that to the interior floor. Once the cover is made, I'll clean up the cutout area from below. There's not much room for seats. Luckily I plan to use small bomber seats.

 

Edited April 4, 2018 by Psychographic

[Pat Minarick]

23 minutes ago, Psychographic said:

I like how you think! Dark and Evil it is!

[Psychographic]

I really like that Pat. I think I'll go black and red where the white is.

[Pat Minarick]

31 minutes ago, Psychographic said:

I really like that Pat. I think I'll go black and red where the white is.

 Saw some cool dark green and brown paint schemes too. Maybe a red nose!

[misterNNL]

Is that plane made from Legos ? Very cool indeed.

[Modelbuilder Mark]

A very interesting take,  really curious where this one goes

[afx]

Looks like a great project David.

[Psychographic]

I stripped the chrome last night, it looks a bit meaner already.

 

[Psychographic]

11 hours ago, bobthehobbyguy said:

Nice start. I also vote dark and evil.

Thanks Bob, dark and evil it will be!

[heyjohnxx]

With it painted black, and with a dark windshield, I can almost hear the Imperial March from Star Wars.

[geemoney]

love it!

GO GO GO

[Psychographic]

I built this cartoon a few years back, it is the inspiration for this build.

 

 

 

[geemoney]

So VERY nice, is dave deal in there piloting?

[Psychographic]

I decided it looked meaner with some rake, this is about how I think it should sit. I also found some bigger back tires and some bomber seats for it.

 

 

I had to rethink the drivetrain, Even with the smallest tranny I could find and cheating on the bellhousing, there was no room for pedals. I'm now going with a transaxle. The bellhousing and gear drive to lower the driveshaft.

 

 

The start of the transaxle using a Hydrostick which will mate to the quickchange, Again a gear drive to get the differential back to a normal height. I also added fins to the pans.

 

 

 

 

 

[Brizio]

Great project!

[Psychographic]

I've been taking steps forward and back. First I mounted the head (?) and cover to the engine and it doesn't fit. I lowered the mounts and now it just fits. Then it was time to give the power somewhere to go.

 

Getting a drivetrain to fit under this has been a bit of a project. I had to scrap the Hydrostick as the tunnel needed to cover it left no room for the drivers feet to go. I decided to see if I could do a transaxle. I tried one from a prowler kit, then scatchbuilt one. They both wound up being too big. Now I had to fill in notches made to the frame to try to get them to fit. I got one done last night that fits.

 

 

I think the rear wheels are where I want them. the body sits too high, but I'mgoing to be using 2 of the kits driveshafts as axles which are at a decent angle and should drop it about 3/16".

 

 

Edited April 8, 2018 by Psychographic

[bobthehobbyguy]

Coming along nicely. Like the fact that even though its a show car you are working to make it looks like it would be functional. Keep up the good work.

[TooOld]

Looks like another winner in the works !