P-39 Airacobra Group Build

Yeah... I have always liked Toronto's uniform.

 These are the markings...

The bule topside and gray belly is the artist trying to vary the NMF in the drawing.  Too bad... that would have been a cool looking scheme.

wing_nut wrote:

Charles, yup she will be as nekkid as a bluejay.

Whooaaa! Wait one minute there, sir....I've watched plenty a baseball game and Toronto is always one of the best uniforemd teams in the Majors....I may be dumb...but I'm slow!

Which markings are going on that shiny Airacobra?

Thanks guys...

Charles, yup she will be as nekkid as a bluejay.

Oh thanks Dave.... no... no pressure at all

Jaypack... careful learning Metallica tunes.  Every time someone gives you something for nothing you may start to scream.. "COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT... ALL THE MONEY I AHVE JUST ISN'T ENOUGH!"

wing_nut wrote:

Sprayed the Alclad tonight.  Masked off a few panels for a little variation. Glued the LG just after the photo was taken.  Decals soon.. YIPPIE!

OOOHHHH!! Shinny !!  I think I might like this one better than the last P 39 you did. And its the one that made me want to build one. No presure or anything. You just have to exceed the build and finish quality of the last one now that I have gone out on a limb and deemed it a better build than the last one. Hope this helps.

Marc:

Help jog my memory...which scheme are you going with? NMF? If so, that'll be a beauty judging from the pics. Looks like she's put together well.

I sprayed the underside Neutral grey tonight...no pics, though. After drying over night, I should be able to spray the topside green tomorrow, and with any luck I'll have the red tail and nose section a nice shade of red over the weekend. One step at a time...

Sprayed the Alclad tonight.  Masked off a few panels for a little variation. Glued the LG just after the photo was taken.  Decals soon.. YIPPIE!

davew6003 wrote:

I like it, the interior looks great. What did you use for the seat cushion?

 It came with the Blackbox update, I always thought that pilots used their chutes as seat cushions, but it looks nice anyways...

mucker wrote:

Off top an excellent start, Scott. Looking forward to more pics. Nice looking color, too. What dod you use for the "Bell Green"? I really like how it looks.

 I used Aeromaster Acrylic Interior Green (they sell two different colors, mine is Stock# 6120, can get it from Squadron)...from what I've read on IPMS Stockholm site about US Cockpit interior colors, Airacobras where painted in Interior Green or Bronze Green. My P-39D is from late 43, only a couple months after Interior Green was implemented, so i deducted that mine would have been an earlier model that would be painted in Bronze Green that was in used since the mid 1930s..

excellent work Scott.

Barry

Looking GOOD Scott

Bud

Looks like a nice cockpit set.  I have an extra 4 blade prop and spinner if you are doing that version.  Its from the Eduard kit but it may fit.  All yours if you want it.

finally got some progress to show on here. This stupid kit is fighting me from the get go...I managed to lose some parts for the interior and went out and got the Blackbox interior update set for the P-34/400 for my Hasagawa kit. Here are two shots with the interior built up and painted, but I still need to start weathering.

I changed the photos...here are the updated ones with some weathering and white background

On the 1st Eduard P-39 I did some months back...the gap I had was perfectly even on both side.  When dry fitting the upper wing to the root, the parts mated perfect and no adjustment to either side was needed.  When everything was being glued up I took some tape from one wing tip to the other to close the gaps to get glued.  It did not require any filler at all.  There is a bit more dihedral than really should be but it looks ok.  This one was a little twisted as I said previously.  I think if strip styrene were glued to either side of the wing root parts, it should closed the gap just nicely.

mucker wrote:

wing_nut wrote: And I am not intentionally snubbing my nose at the progress dogs... just charging the camera.  I hope that's OK?  No?  Alabama, West Coast and newlyadded Kentucky office will have to rememebr... I am in the JERSEY offcie!  I don't want to get my cousin Pauly "The Sanding Stick" Boombats from the "waste management" busines to have to pay anyone a visit... FAGEDABOUDIT! I hereby nominate the Jersey office (and relatives) to be be in charge of Security... A little progress here...folloing Marc's footsteps and nearing readiness for the paint shop. I need to lighty weather the doors and then I should be ready. Ity's hard to see in the pictures, but I used an idea from Dave (I think it was Dave). Those makeup sponges work well at paint masks in recessed areas. Just take the wife or a female friend/relative when you buy them...you'll avoid stares that way. My first cote of primer will tell how I did patching up seams. Speaking of seams, the only realy compaint I have about fit so far is the wing-to-fuselage fit. Seems me seams are wider than expected. Anyone else have issues with the Eduard/Acc-Min kit?

Well you will notice organized cri....I mean waste management never took off down here. There is a reason for that. We have lots of back woods, swamps etc...and we all have a deer rifle a shotgun and any number of handguns. We like to keep security in the family as well, we just use methods that draw less attention. You can get lost down here you know.

Ok on the sponge method you speak of, I do believe that was one of my ideas so I will gladly take credit for it. My wings did not fit well either, I guess I could post some pics. Anyway Looking good so far keep up the pics.

Speaking of seams, the only realy compaint I have about fit so far is the wing-to-fuselage fit. Seems me seams are wider than expected. Anyone else have issues with the Eduard/Acc-Min kit?

That, and the canopy not fitting well. I had gaps about 1/16 wide at the wing fuselage joint. 

No progress this weekend for me. I ended up working on my F-8 Crusader for the Monogram/Revell group build.

Charlie 

wing_nut wrote:

And I am not intentionally snubbing my nose at the progress dogs... just charging the camera.  I hope that's OK?  No?  Alabama, West Coast and newlyadded Kentucky office will have to rememebr... I am in the JERSEY offcie!  I don't want to get my cousin Pauly "The Sanding Stick" Boombats from the "waste management" busines to have to pay anyone a visit... FAGEDABOUDIT!

I hereby nominate the Jersey office (and relatives) to be be in charge of Security...

A little progress here...folloing Marc's footsteps and nearing readiness for the paint shop. I need to lighty weather the doors and then I should be ready. Ity's hard to see in the pictures, but I used an idea from Dave (I think it was Dave). Those makeup sponges work well at paint masks in recessed areas. Just take the wife or a female friend/relative when you buy them...you'll avoid stares that way.

My first cote of primer will tell how I did patching up seams. Speaking of seams, the only realy compaint I have about fit so far is the wing-to-fuselage fit. Seems me seams are wider than expected. Anyone else have issues with the Eduard/Acc-Min kit?

Ready for paint.  What ever I did that twisted the fuselage to get the cockpit to fit.. that led to sanding and filing to get the canopy to fit... did wonders for the door.  These are notorious for bad fit... but it dropped right in without a hitch.

That should have done it Dave.  I don't recall having to trim the bulkhead but that some time back... and I barely recall what I had for breakfast.

Charles, those color pe sets are great.  hey rallyhave anice look.  Sometimes a lttle 2 dimensional but sometimes that can be impvoed too.

I have the canopy trimmed and fitting pretty good and dipped in Future curing as we speak... err.. type..., LG together and detailed, all the filling and sanding done and about to do a fianl surface prep for the NMF.

And I am not intentionally snubbing my nose at the progress dogs... just charging the camera.  I hope that's OK?  No?  Alabama, West Coast and newlyadded Kentucky office will have to rememebr... I am in the JERSEY offcie!  I don't want to get my cousin Pauly "The Sanding Stick" Boombats from the "waste management" busines to have to pay anyone a visit... FAGEDABOUDIT!

davew6003 wrote:

Mucker its looking good , Pe belts look great, once you start using them you wont want to use anything else. IMHO

I have a feeling you're right. At least belts. I really like the color zoom sets offered by Eduard. They have done a great job with a wide lineup from Big Ed for the pros, and zoom kits for weekend "Legends of the Basement" like me.

wing_nut wrote:

Dave, on the Eduard kits you have to pinch the sides of the fuselage in and glue them secuurely to the sides of the bulkhead behind the seat.  That should take care of it.

I remember you posting this pic before, I did just that but the canopy is still not as wide as the fusealage??

Dave, on the Eduard kits you have to pinch the sides of the fuselage in and glue them secuurely to the sides of the bulkhead behind the seat.  That should take care of it.

Mucker its looking good , Pe belts look great, once you start using them you wont want to use anything else. IMHO

Marc I see the flaps are comming along nicely, and the engine seems to fit in well.

As it turns out one of my top wings was longer than the other? Anyone else had that problem? Also my canopy is not as wide as the fusealage? I glued the sides to the seat like you sugested? I guess I should post some pics .

Feels good to get back to the bench... even though it was nowhere near as long as Charles'.  And a fine job on the belts too C.

Force fitting the resin pit made the fuselage a bit out of kilter so there were some massive gaps at the wings roots. About 1/16" at the front of the left and same at the bank of the right.  So, do you think the fuselage was twisted or what?  Wish I had remembered to take a photo of that.  Glued bottom wing 1^st as even as possible then sanded each upper wing root until it fit. The lower wing tip on one side ended up 1/16 longer then the upper but after rounding it off I was pleased with the results.

I don't even want to think about what I may have to do to get the canopy to fit

davew6003 wrote:

mucker wrote:  davew6003 wrote:  mucker wrote: Dave, may I suggest some gimmicks to jump start the newsletter subscriptions again? For example 1/32 scale sandpaper or low tack superglue? Something to let them know we're all about integrity. Heck, maybe you can even promote the Bluegrass Office by letting me handle the marketing form now on. Nerf sprue cutters? Paint brush shakers?...something's going to catch on. Well if the west coast office dose not object I would like to recomend that the Bluegrass office officialy take over promotion and publication of the "Progress Dogs News Letter." Mucker will now be in charge of all aspects of the news letter, so all Emails concerning this should be sent to him. The Gulf Coast and west coast office will retain veto power and control over final content and any special offers. Ok mucker its all yours, ohh and by the way your franchise fees are due by the 7th. Thanks. Woo-Hoo! Promtion, baby! Marchin' right up that corporate ladder! By the way, I'm using the coupon for fromt the October '06 issue for 50% off my franchise fee, and I'd like to have a word with you offline about those gaudy "mandatory" uniforms. I do not look good in '80's parachute pants, but I will grow the mullet back to keep the job.  On a side note, PE belts (Big thanks to Marc) are going on tonihgt and pics should be ready shortly Sorry about the uniform that was all Eds idea (west coast go figure) so any issues with the pants or mullet should be taken up with him. Did I forget to mention the company truck? You are required to own and maintain your own truck for deliveries etc.....and its not tax deducable either.(IRS go figure.) Thanks.

A truck? I don;t need no stinkin' truck! 

My luck floweth over. I ran into Santa, of all people, in a bar last night. Boy did he look frazzled. I mean, his beard was all over the place. Anyways, I worked out a deal to pick up one of his older sleds he doesn't use anymore. I fronted him the $15K (which I knivingly whittled down from his $1 Billion asking price, which I sligthly considered. I mean come on...how often do you run into Santa?), bought him a bottle of whiskey for the road and plan to meet him near the docks at midnight tomorrow for delivery. He must be having it sent via freightliner from the Pole. My crowning achievement was that he'll give me limited use of one of his elves to help out with delivery. All I need to do is contact him at his "private" 1-900 number.

He also mentioned he knows a few ways to get around the IRS

Progress Dawgs has found their marketing man!

Finally progress! I'm finally back at the bench after almost 3 weeks. This is my second time to use PE belts, and I did a much better job with these ones. Makes me want to go back and add belts to all of my OOB builds. It's amazing how much "feel" a simple set of belts brings out.

Mr. Surfacer is curing on the fuselage seams as we speak. I sanded down a fishing weight for the nose weight...nice snug fit.

With any luck, I'll have her ready for the paint shop over the weekend.

mucker wrote:

davew6003 wrote:  mucker wrote: Dave, may I suggest some gimmicks to jump start the newsletter subscriptions again? For example 1/32 scale sandpaper or low tack superglue? Something to let them know we're all about integrity. Heck, maybe you can even promote the Bluegrass Office by letting me handle the marketing form now on. Nerf sprue cutters? Paint brush shakers?...something's going to catch on. Well if the west coast office dose not object I would like to recomend that the Bluegrass office officialy take over promotion and publication of the "Progress Dogs News Letter." Mucker will now be in charge of all aspects of the news letter, so all Emails concerning this should be sent to him. The Gulf Coast and west coast office will retain veto power and control over final content and any special offers. Ok mucker its all yours, ohh and by the way your franchise fees are due by the 7th. Thanks. Woo-Hoo! Promtion, baby! Marchin' right up that corporate ladder! By the way, I'm using the coupon for fromt the October '06 issue for 50% off my franchise fee, and I'd like to have a word with you offline about those gaudy "mandatory" uniforms. I do not look good in '80's parachute pants, but I will grow the mullet back to keep the job.  On a side note, PE belts (Big thanks to Marc) are going on tonihgt and pics should be ready shortly

Sorry about the uniform that was all Eds idea (west coast go figure) so any issues with the pants or mullet should be taken up with him. Did I forget to mention the company truck? You are required to own and maintain your own truck for deliveries etc.....and its not tax deducable either.(IRS go figure.) Thanks.