Official Black Horse 2350mm Gilmore Red Lion

[djmoose]

I am 95% sure I'm going to leave the cowl as it is...the blister pockets will hopefully create a blister illusion from afar and not look to weird. We'll see! If I don't like how it looks, I can always add them later.

The obvious thought is that if they WANTED the blisters on the model...why aren't they part of the mold...easy peazy.

<my opinion/educated guess>
However, this really seems like rabbit hole time/effort/money design decision. I bet they just blew up cowl mold plans for a smaller version that didn't have the blisters....and it was easier to modify it to have the blisters added afterwards, rather than adding them to the mold.

Black Horse quickly realized (after the first batch) it was not worth the man hours to have them applied in the factory.

My guess is that's a decision they look back on and wish they would have gone the slightly more expensive up front route to create a REALLY nice looking cowl.

This also makes me feel that the designers really only looked at the modern museum pictures of the Red Lion.
</my opinion/educated guess>

However, I have not completed my research to confirm when the blisters were added in real life. Twowingtj I appreciate your quote about them not having blisters in Red Lion livery. Do you mind sharing your source on that?

(this is almost as fun as flying the model)

[djmoose]

Check out the blisters on the replica Gilmore at the Wedell-Williams Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum in LA. Looks similar to Twowingtj 's cowl! (looks like the blisters are added afterwards) Pretty neat to find this!

[djmoose]

<is finished and satisfied with his research at this point>
I have substantiated Twowingtj 's statement about the blisters not being there IRL with the Gilmore scheme:
from http://all-aero.com/index.php/56-planes-v-w/11766-wedell-williams-model-44-i: (however I don't see any citations or even the author of that write up)

"In 1934 Turner upgraded the engine to a R-1690 Hornet, for which 61Y had a smooth NACA cowl, as well as a bumped cowl for another Pratt & Whitney, and another sponsor change, the Heinz pickle works logo and race #57 on the sides. 61Y had turned all-gold by then only because Don Young found time to finish painting after building a new engine mount and cowlings."

Here is a pic of the real N61Y being moved in Cleveland where it is today. (Blisters for the P&W)
and another of it on display....funny thing is...it appears THESE blisters are very smooth and part of the cowl mold? (not added) However, that could have well been sanded, primer, painted to look nice and smooth. (funny how they didn't do that on the replica if that's the case)

[RCBobP]

Without the blisters, how bad does it look? Is it obvious something is missing? This is my first go at a vintage scale, so I plan to put in some extra time making it look right. I may even go the extra expense and have a professional work on the blisters to try to make them look like they were part of the mold, and not an afterthought.

[djmoose]

Without the blisters, how bad does it look? Is it obvious something is missing? This is my first go at a vintage scale, so I plan to put in some extra time making it look right. I may even go the extra expense and have a professional work on the blisters to try to make them look like they were part of the mold, and not an afterthought.

My decision for mine is that it is "right" without the blisters. I am biased, though....(I will be fully transparent that I also don't want to go through the work to add them...and ending up looking WORSE than the bare pockets. Now...how it will look at the field...in the air...I'll find out this summer. I also have not opened my box yet.)

Check out mechwhizz's post (109) for what the cowl looks like out of the box of the latest batch.

[Twowingtj]

djmoose The pic of the race #25 is the only "original" Wedell-William Modell 44 surviving. It's in the Crawford museum in Ohio. It is supposed to be the NR-61Y that Turner originall flew as the Gilmore. There are other replicas. I haven't been able to find references that Roscoe's Model 44 didn't have the cowl blisters in the Red Lion livery. I may have just deduced it based on not locating any evidence that it did, other than on replicas.

Some interesting history links, for those interested.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedell-Williams_Model_44

https://airandspace.si.edu/collectio...-3-air-express

https://www.wrhs.org/blog/tag/roscoe-turner/

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...l_44_NR61Y.jpg
http://all-aero.com/index.php/56-pla...ams-model-44-i
http://ww.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeD...?Serial=228177

https://theclio.com/entry/927

Here are several clips of actual race footage from the Golden Age timeframe. https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/s...zH4C9uhXW-N-yc

[RCBobP]

I'm sure it would take some time and extra work, but what if you used bondo or some other filler and then smooth out the seam between the blister and cowl, then paint?

[CitabriaDriver]

Hi all, I’ve been tracking this thread since I bought my BH Gilmore, which is now fully assembled and balanced as per the post flight recommendations on here. It’s powered by a Saito FG61 TS, which I hope is good.

since I’ve been assembling it, I’ve punctured the printed covering on the wings. It seemed there is no chance of getting some replacement printed covering from BH. Has anyone found a very close replacement. I was thinking cream or antique coloured Matt, possibly solartex (if I can find any left) or oratex.

has anyone repaired the covering and got any recommendations.?

I have been tempted to completely recover the wings and detail to match.

[RCBobP]

FedEx showed up yesterday and I was not home. My wife called to say the box was so big she could barely get it in the door! Got someone to help me carry the box downstairs to the workroom. Today I unboxed and started on assembly. Very impressed with the all-around quality of this model. The packing was excellent. Thanks to @twowingstj for his build thread.

I did laugh at one of the items in the manual. The safety instructions included a reminder to extend the antenna before flying! 🤣

[Twowingtj]

CitabriaDriver Welcome to Hobby Squawk! I too wish that Motion RC would have some "repair covering" available for the different Black Horse models. If you look at the material on the inside edge of the fuselage equipment bay opening, it appears to be a gloss tan. The multi later printing, including matt finish, seems to be applied over top. It would seem that a flat or matt cream would come closer.

RCBobP Let the fun begin. Looking forward to following your progress as well.

[RCBobP]

Could anyone who went with a gas engine, especially the Saito 90FG post a photo of their radio setup? I'm curious to see how far back the batteries would need to go to keep the plane from being nose heavy.

Thanks.

[CitabriaDriver]

I have a FG61 TS twin fitted, which is fairly heavy. With all electronics in the forward bay around the tank, I’ve had to add a fair amount of lead to the firewall to get it to balance as per to post flight recommendations on here 112mm on a Vanessa Rig. I could do with even more weight. The manual CG is too far back and I’d rather start nose heavy and work back than control a tiger on its maiden!

[CitabriaDriver]

Or maybe I could do with a bigger radial engine😂

[RCBobP]

That helps, since I'm going with the Saito 90FG. Per Horizon's spec's that's 40 oz heavier than the 61 twin.

[djmoose]

Alpha For the guys at motionRC, you might want to fix the product page. It claims you need 7 servos...you only need 6. (5 if going electric)

[RCBobP]

or 7 if you want to put the choke on a servo

[djmoose]

or 7 if you want to put the choke on a servo

Fair point!

[Twowingtj]

It's going to get up to 46 degF today. But, there's still a foot of snow on the field. Spring is just around the corner. Looking forward to getting this round cowled beast back in the air.

How are all of the the other Red Lion builds going?

[David5211]

Just ordered my Black Horse 2350mm Gilmore today!
Finally. And excited, awaiting arrival. I want to go gas radial with this bad boy.

[DaleD]

Just ordered my Black Horse 2350mm Gilmore today!
Finally. And excited, awaiting arrival. I want to go gas radial with this bad boy.

That’s the ticket!!! A radial should be perfect for this baby. What motor are you considering? I’m looking at the UMS 5 cylinder 75.

DaleD