AIR RACER GROUP BUILD BECAUSE WE FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED

Jonny Roscoe I think I have an idea for ya PM inbound to you

With the push on to get Witchcraft finished, it's been a couple weeks since I've spent much time at this thread. But, I have been keeping track of goings on and I see some great work.

Borg R3-MC0  Very nice work! I like the stance of the landing gear. Looks right.

I also agree that rigging can be a pain at times , but one of those details that can make a difference. You pulled it off wonderfully.

Jonny Roscoe  Love the IP work. That is going to be one beautiful Fury. Having spent a number of years growing up in Ft.Worth TX, the aircraft has much appeal to me .  The paint scheme on Spirit of Texas is awesome and may influence the paint scheme on my F-82 when I get to that stage. 

 BTW , try to stay safe and bring your can back in one piece. My thoughts and prayers go with you . I may be old Air Force ,but for you, Hoorahh,Semper Fi!!!

 The rest of you guys, some of you have been following my Lib build and are aware I'm in the closing stages of that project. The twin Mustang hasn't  been entirely on hold. I have started fitting the cockpit floor and bulkheads , started cutting down an F-16 seat , and have the base IP  cut to shape.

 It's just, with the Lib being so big at this point , it really fills the work desk. Another reason to get it finished in the next few weeks. After that I'll be able to focus on getting the F-82 into full swing again as well as start on Little Miss Magic.

 The F-82 will being a one seater , won't take very long to work up the pit . The only real challenge I think will be the NACA scoops for the radiators , the radiators, and underbellies. The T-6 will be OOB except for ignition wires and I may raid the my car parts box for something I can use as a chrome prop spinner.

 Heck, after the Lib and F-82 , I'll be ready for a few OOB  models.

Randy-  Without looking at any pics of Miss America , my memory  seems to recall she had Mustang shaped wing tips. If that's the case, you could try taking  the proper sized section out after gluing the wing halves together .Keep your cuts straight, first where the tip meets the aileron ,then at an appropriate amount from the aileron side. Then reattach the wing tip. Line up the leading edge of the tip and wing and trim the trailing edge to match up, or you may be able to split the difference between leading and trailing edges. Something to think about.

 Have a Merry Christmas fellow winged speed seekers.

Howard

Daddy1 I gotta tell you I have been following your Lib build and its amazing, cant wait to see it finished.

The pictures I have of Miss America are from 2005, and they do show the trick wingtips. I cant tell thought for sure bit it looks like to me the wing tips are wider than stock in cord. I do have a few eariler  pictures but they dont show the wingtips, I do like the older paint job on the tail also. Anyway here are 2 of the pictures I do have, maybe you can let me know what you think, I do wanna get this build right.

Randy 

 The top image has wing tips very similar to what I've done on the twin 'Stang , but the top edge stays flush till towards the trailing edge . I think I sketched the shape in my 'how to' where the top line of the tip runs flush with the crown of the wing profile ,then straight back to the trailing tip.

It looks as if the spinner is a little pointier in the top image.

The bottom image shows tips that are undercut some ,then a slight concave end cap over the wing tip. It also appears the top edge of the wing tip has a bit of a curved line while the bottom is straight. Use the top surface to establish your wingspan . Make an undercut when clipping the wings then sand the correct profile to the top edge, wrap sandpaper around  a paint brush handle or similar to help sand a concave  curve to the undercut. Using thin plastic sheet, glue a slightly oversized piece to the open tip pressing down into the undercut. Trim flush when dry. The Taichi drawings have some nice four views that may be of help.

 Miss America has always been my fave at Reno. The paint scheme and the one on Spirit of Texas are both going to have an influence on the scheme I choose for the '82 and the Texan. Maybe not in the colors but definitely in the graphics .

Howard

 P.S. Just checked the Taichi drawings at the begining of this GB. They will be of great help in shaping the tips , especially the 92 bird.

vetteman42

Thought about the steps involved to create the 92 wingtips , realized I had a couple steps in the wrong order. After cutting the wingtips with an undercut, sand or grind the concave shape in the open end ,then contour the upper edge into the curved shape. Then glue the end cap and trim flush.

 I do believe the Miss America from the early 70s had stock wingtips but can't say for sure. She's been around for awhile. I had a Cox control line flying Miss America back then. I would get to dizzy trying to fly one of those now.

Howard

Jonny Roscoe Sorry it took so long to get back to you with my idea, silly season strikes again. Anyway heres the simpliest idea I could come up with for ya. I am not the best when it comes to making a sketch but here it is for ya hope it helps. Any questions you may have feel free to ask them or laff your tail off at me Hopefully some of the other guys will chime in with a better idea for you.

Daddy1 Thanks for the advise, I had forgotten about the sketch site and will check them there too. I do think the wingtips are very close to what you did on the F82 and was planning on using your how too to make them. I hope they are the same on the older version of Miss America as I do like the older art on the tail. I am about to the point of clipping the wings so I had better figure out what I am going to do.

Whew...long time since I been here, but I'm still game! 

Great work, everyone!  This will be some tough competition...

In absence of a working camera (new sofware giving me trouble), I'll just give a written update on the shop's progress on the P-47R Mod.1. 

-Finished building prop spinner from bomb casings. 

-Cockpit painted and installed, with scratchbuilt left side. 

-Injector fairings (for Alcohol/ water boost system) installed on upper cowling.

-Modified NACA-tip wings mated to fuselage along with tail planes. 

-Main fuselage assembly complete.  The turbo outlets were minimized and streamlined (no parasitic drag- the turbo was also replaced by a newer, smaller, more efficient model).

-First coat of white primer applied to fuselage. 

-Restoring of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 (modified for race) continues. 

Cheers, and see you all in the air!

-Chris Thulien 

Chris she sounds GREAT!!!! Can't wait to see some pics soon, Hope you get your software issues sorted!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!

The shop made more progress today. 

-First coat of white primer dry, and decorative metallic red markings applied to fuselage, wings, and tail. 

-R-2800, now fully tested and run-in (with modifications in place, it almost destroyed the test stand in the shop- the stand not built to handle anything over roughly 2500 hp ), was installed in the fuselage, and the cowling installed over it.  Work continues on the prop and spinner- they are awating paint and polish. 

-Landing Gear replacements progress- the originals are being replaced by a carbon fiber alloy/compound that is stronger and lighter than the originals.

-Canopy in the works. 

My kudos to the guys in the shop who are helping me and my crew get this birdy ready for Reno.

Cheers,

-Chris Thulien

ok so my camera has seen its last day due to ill health and A LOT of abuse and countless times of dropoing her. So I decided to give you a txt/drawing update. This is the plan I drew up of what she looks like right now.

1. Here I scribed the area where I wanted to cut out a little. After I scribed off the outline I then started to use my #16 X-acto blade to scrape off little by little the resin to the correct shape and depth. I then added a sheet of styrene in there for the door vent thing a ma jig.

2. This area I widened and used a sheet of styrene to cover the hole. I then applied a S*** load of putty over and over and over and over again , so I can make it the same shape and height as the resin piece.

3. this area is where I was bogged down. I tried several ways to go about making the NACA type scoop. This was my final idea and worked out fairely good. I used milliput to cover the bottom area. I then let it dry and after it dried I made a template to draw out the area I was going to cut out. After I drew my line I again took my #16 X-acto blade and carved/scraped the shape of the scoop and started to take out the excess clay. After I got the shape down after one dry thank goodness, I applied putty and sanded it down to a smooth finish.

4. I haven't done these next two step but they will be coming shortly after all the scratches are out and primered. Im going to drill a hole here and put in a small a** tube.

5. Last but not least I will be scribing this access panel after it is primered.

So this is where I am at right now. The wings are down and ready to be primered, then pit will be getting installed 2mmarrow along with the wings I hope. then primered later 2marrow night I hope. If all goes right and no more DAMN sanding UGH then it will all be primered and then by the 31st it should have its first coat of paint on it . Not to mention I still have the scoop and canopy to vacuform!!!!

Bret

Jonny Roscoe Hey looks like you beat that detail into submission there, cant wait for the finished pics. After looking at this picture though I have to ask how you got the putty, milliput and the resin model parts all the same shade of white. And how hard was it to mask that dotted line in red or is that a decal. Seriously though I hope you can beg, borrow, or steal a camera for your finished pictures, sorry to read about the demise of your camera, mine is on its last leg too I am afraid.

Johnny can't wait to see some pics when you are able!!!!!!! Sounds intuhlestink!!!!!!

Hey Guys!

I just wanted to check in because I haven't been around much lately. I haven't forgotten about my little Howard Pete. It will get built, I'm sure.  

Hope you all have a happy and safe New Year and hopefully I can get another racer done in 2010.

Looking forward to seeing it progress Jeremy!!!!! You have a Happy and safe New Year as well!! That goes to all!!!! Happy and Safe new year!!!

A friendly little bump and I hope to get started on Miss America again in the next couple of weeks.

Hey guys... me again.

I've decided to finally crack open the next project for Randy's fine group build. You may remember it. The Pegaso 1/48 Howard "Pete".

Somehow, I would like to make her look like this...

And this is what I have to work with...

Oh joy! I need to make a simple cockpit and an opening on the starboard side for the engine (hopefully). I'll be working on it between other builds but I'll keep you updated when there is progress.

Wish me luck!

Looking forward to seeing the progress Jeremy!!!!!! You have a canvas to make a masterpiece!!!

what simpilot34 said. I have been waiting for this build.

That is a slick little racer,for sure. Should make for a nice build with a little challenge thrown in for good measure.

 Getting close to finishing Witchcraft in the next couple weeks and I'll be able to get cookin' on the twin 'Stang again. We need to get this thread back up to speed ,if you'll pardon the pun.

daddy1

That is a slick little racer,for sure. Should make for a nice build with a little challenge thrown in for good measure.

 Getting close to finishing Witchcraft in the next couple weeks and I'll be able to get cookin' on the twin 'Stang again. We need to get this thread back up to speed ,if you'll pardon the pun.

Coming in late, but I feel like doing something different, Vetteman... Put me down for a "Tenentive" 1/48th Monogram, err...  I mean REVELL,  SNJ/T-6... Aircraft owner/pilot/racing number TBD ( I need to do a little research first and determine whose to build) just to hold a slot here... 

C'mon Hammer... let's see some sprue fly in here!

Got some progress on ol' Pete.

Started by opening up the molded over cockpit one side at a time...

Looking at this picture, I had to do something with the complete lack of opening in the front for the engine...

Slice away...

Now, examine these next two photos closely... notice the opening for the engine and what looks to be an intake manifold and also a carb at the lower front of the opening...

I have this to work with...

So, first we make a hole... a little off but close enough for me...

Next we add some sheet styrene to represent the engine and throw in some bits and bobbles for the intake and carb. In the front we put in a hunk of sprue so it looks like an engine in there and all done...

Nothing fantastic but it sure looks more like Pete than it did before. Need a seat for the tiny cockpit and I'll call the interior done. Then comes trying to fit her together.

Jeremy, she's er.. he's looking great!!! Nice work in the engine area!!

Hans von Hammer your slot is on hold there buddy. I will list your build as TBA on the front page. Hope to see a cool SNJ/T-6 from your bench soon and welcome to the group.

Jmabx very nice work on the scratch building, these old kits just scream for help in that department. I have to get to a point where I can start another old Hawk kit for the group soon.

Thanks Richie!  It's not fantastic work but it adds alot that wasn't there before. 

Randy - Which old Hawk kit are ya gonna start? Huh, huh, huh? I pulled out my Testors Travel Air Mystery Ship to have a look the other day and it has a Hawk stamping right inside the wing. 1965... not quite as old as you sir!

A little progress on ol' Pete here. Main bits are together and the fit was actually much better than I had expected.

The propeller was a mojor problem. Here's the random prop-shaped blob I cut from the sprue...

A lot of sanding, filling, sanding, filling, etc and here's what we end up with. Still needs a little more work...

Thanks for lookin' in!

jmabx

Randy - Which old Hawk kit are ya gonna start? Huh, huh, huh? I pulled out my Testors Travel Air Mystery Ship to have a look the other day and it has a Hawk stamping right inside the wing. 1965... not quite as old as you sir!

 

Hummm what are you tryin to say there Jmabx ???? Sumpthin bout bein old maybe LOL.

I have the same Mystery Ship a Hawk from 1965 in the orignal box no less, and also the Hawk Gee Bee R1 from 1960. A bit closer to my age wouldnt you say ? I will more than likely do the Gee Bee first,  the plastic on the Mystery Ship has a powdery look to it I am not sure if the plastic is bad now or what.

I want to finish Miss America before I start the Gee Bee and did some work on it today, got the wing clipped and the new wingtips on. Now for some shapping and filling to get them looking as they should, I should have a few pictures for the group next week.

Your Pete is looking great you really added to it with the extra work you did on the engine. Nice work on that prop too, man that started out a mess, but you made it look like it should look.

The Gee Bee is a cool little plane. I have yet to pick up that kit. If you think the plastic is no good on the Mystery Ship, pick up a new Testors kit of the plane. It can be had for pretty cheap and the box contents are amazing. My kit is nice and crisp and well molded with absolutely no flash. It might have the typical fit issues of those kits but at least there's no cleanup involved.

Can't wait to see some more Miss America... keep us posted!

Picked up that same (Testor's) Travelair a few years back for a couple bucks in the clearance bin... Actually, it was closer to 15 years ago.. Still have it around here somewhere... Gotta love the old HAWK molded-in scallops!

Question:

Regarding Rule 1:

1) Any piston driven aircraft that was or could have been raced from the Golden Age of air racing to present day air racing.

Does that mean that I can do "my" T-6 or do I have to limit it to an existing or historical T-6 racer?

Hans von Hammer

Question:

Regarding Rule 1:

1) Any piston driven aircraft that was or could have been raced from the Golden Age of air racing to present day air racing.

Does that mean that I can do "my" T-6 or do I have to limit it to an existing or historical T-6 racer?

Hans von Hammer yes it can be your own racer as long as it was one that could have been raced, it does not have to be a historical racer. I am going to try and build a P-51 Randy's Dream Racer if I can make the time. I am interested to see what you come up with for your own Hammer Racer.