Winter Projects

[Grossman56]

So with October on our doorstep and the days getting shorter, time to start thinking about winter projects, I have a couple of mine laid out and ready. My poor P-51B augured in again, looked like the aileron servos locked up and she spun right in. So, rebuild number two is underway. Don't know whether she'll fly again, but at least she'll look pretty. Project number two is the P-40B that's going to get covered in Flight Metal. I had some difficulty getting her to leave the ground with the result of the aluminum tape getting wrinkled and looking poor. Fortunately, it absorbed most of the stress and is fully recoverable. I have sanded her down with 220 grit and she's as smooth as a babies bottom and ready for covering. Also, I want to paint the black and white checkering on the wingtips of Big Beautiful Doll and give her a good going over. I have a Tigercat to dismantle and save what is salvageable and if Spring isn't here by then, a Pandora that could use a repaint as well. I may have a line on a Tigercat, but we'll see.


Grossman56

[davegee]

Those projects should keep you busy!😁👍

[OV10]

What happened to Patrona Dan

[Twowingtj]

Looking forward to seeing the finished project Grossman!

My winter projects are:

Finish a 1/4 scale Bucker Jungmiester
Assemble and outfit a Nexa F-82
Frame up a Balsa USA Taube 90 with electric conversion

[quitcherbitchen]

How did your P-51 retracts stay in the wing with that crash? Mine always pop off and now the last crash the pockets are pretty beat up.

[davegee]

So with October on our doorstep and the days getting shorter, time to start thinking about winter projects, I have a couple of mine laid out and ready. My poor P-51B augured in again, looked like the aileron servos locked up and she spun right in. So, rebuild number two is underway. Don't know whether she'll fly again, but at least she'll look pretty. Project number two is the P-40B that's going to get covered in Flight Metal. I had some difficulty getting her to leave the ground with the result of the aluminum tape getting wrinkled and looking poor. Fortunately, it absorbed most of the stress and is fully recoverable. I have sanded her down with 220 grit and she's as smooth as a babies bottom and ready for covering. Also, I want to paint the black and white checkering on the wingtips of Big Beautiful Doll and give her a good going over. I have a Tigercat to dismantle and save what is salvageable and if Spring isn't here by then, a Pandora that could use a repaint as well. I may have a line on a Tigercat, but we'll see.


Grossman56

Dan, what is your paint scheme and markings you're going to use for the P-40 after you get the flight metal on it?

[Grossman56]

This was the inspiration:

This is where I was with the aluminum colored Duc Tape:

Representative of no one but everyone at the same time.

Grossman56

[Grossman56]

There was little damage to the plane, most of it around the carb intake/machine gun area of the upper fuse. I cut that piece out to find that they have a weight installed on the underside of it. So when I go to CG it again, I'll leave that piece loose in case I have to add or subtract any weight, its the ideal place!
She'll be pretty again!
As For The P-51B, I'm thinking of doing a full rebuild to scale on it, fill in the panel lines, prime and sand. Following RC Geek's example with his F 14. It may or may not fly again, I'm missing the attachment point in the fuse for the wing, I'm sure its around here somewhere or I might have to rig something up. If that's the case, she'll just look pretty. I am planning on replacing every servo on her now that I suddenly have a bunch of good servos from La Patrona. They'll all be tested before installation of course.
At any rate, a couple of good Winter projects as well as some other odds and ends.

Grossman56

[OV10]

What happened to Patrona Dan

Grossman56 So an ol bud still wants to know what happed to your prized twin since ya missed the first time I inquired.

[Grossman56]

Hey CB!
I ran through the checks before even taking her to the field and I always check to make sure that the motor mount wasn't backing off again, all was good. She ran up fine, all control surfaces functioning properly, taxied out, took off as normal, gear and flaps up, left turn. About three quarters of the way down the base, BANG! and she folded like a cheap suit. The pile in Ron's trailer is basically how she hit the ground, we just scooped it up. The port side nacelle looks like it cracked at the inside 3 o'clock seam, canting the motor over and the prop sawed the fuse up, The hatch cover was cut in three. Lots of witnesses as it was at our Fall Fly In.

As you can see, the nacelle (this is the nacelle I never had any problems with. The other one in the background is the one I had to cut the plastic ring off and epoxy the motor mount into place. Also, just in front of it is part of the battery hatch) was a write off and the motor was ripped off it's ESC wires. We found it buried in the rubble. I tried like hell to recover it but once the nose was off and the batteries were thrown, there wasn't much chance. Of course a lot of the damage was from impact but she wasn't more than 30 feet off the ground. Still the basic shape of the airplane isn't conducive to contact with the ground. Hate to lose her but what can you do??
The bright side is that I may have a line on another at a cheap price. One of the guys in the club who probably has in excess of 1000 planes bought one and flew it maybe twice and he's willing to part with it so we'll see.

Grossman56

[OV10]

Grossman56 Dan, so sorry to see that. As it is said, Patrona's expiration date came to fruition.

[Grossman56]

Well, I used to get upset at losing a plane until I adopted a 'fly or die' mentality before I lost my mind. She was fun while she lasted and had a huge fan base. Everyone loved to watch her fly in the various fly ins we attended. She was a great flying airplane, I used to love to say to people, "Look at that gyro work" to which they'd ask if I had a gyro in it and I'd reply "No"
So onward and upward.

Grossman56

[Grossman56]

So, I'm digging into the projects, started applying Flite Metal to the P-40B and started in on the Mustang. The Mustang is Project Make A Mustang Great Again, Again!
I decided to completely refinish her using the methods that RC Geek demonstrated with his D model and the F14
. Filled in the panel lines and my buddy Ron built me some new pins for the landing gear.
Filled in the panel lines and removed the decals
A trial fit to see what I was dealing with. and Below I was reattaching the flap using stir sticks held together with rubber bands to make a great set of clamps, the velcro strips to help hold it against the wing.
picture one is where we're at right now. I plan to fill in all the panels lines on the wings and fuse, sand and primer then repaint to stock colors. then add panel lines with a mechanical pencil and clear coat, add new decals, clear coat again then start the weathering process. I'm also filling in the gap between the battery hatch and the fuse. She always had one and now is the time to fix that as well. Haven't decided whether she'll fly again, but I am going to run every electrical connection and servo through testing to try to figure out what the heck is going on. Let's face it the FMS 'B' model is an endangered species and deserves to be preserved on way or another. She's starting to sound like her full sized sister.

Grossman56

[Grossman56]

The top of the wings are ready for primer, the bottoms have just been spackled. The fuse is in one solid piece and the panel lines are all filled in she's partly sanded, stopped to let everything dry up again.

The hatch/ cockpit area may look a bit funny, but its all part of getting rid of the gap between them.

Grossman56

[Grossman56]

Fill and sand fill and sand. I think 'm almost there now, the last of the filling and then wet sand in preparation for paint

I'm living by the old adage that it must get ugly before it gets pretty again.
I'm looking forward to the day....

Grossman56

[OV10]

Dan, What are you using for the fill ?

[Grossman56]

Walmart light weight spackle. Did another pass with it for little spot touch ups. I've watered it down a bit to help the flow on the smaller indentations. Tomorrow it will get wet sanded then I'll try some paint on her.