Official FMS 1500mm P-47D Razorback Thread

[davegee]

davegee

Beautiful work, Dave, Master Class.

Best, LB

Thanks, LB! Yesterday when we got back from a couple of days out of town, I looked through my reference photos and drawings, and came across one photo of Hairless Joe in 1944, which showed a slightly different lineup of the underwing invasion stripes. I did it as well as I could with photos and drawings that I had, but this period photo showed me that if I want to get it right, I have to respray and move the invasion stripes outward by the width of one stripe. At first I was thinking, "Nobody but me would ever catch this." But then, I rhought "Nobody but me would catch this, but I Have to get it right if I have accurate photos of it!" So, I started reordering and repainting some of the stripes, actually all of them. What was black has to be white, and vice versa.

I'll feel better with this change, even though I will probably never put it in a scale contest where someone could possibly catch my error. Like with consummate artists like you, Rex, Dan, and others, I know you guys would appreciate this change while others would think I'm a loon for doing it!

Cheers

davegee

[davegee]

Davegee,
Your research into the timeline details have really paid off. Excellent work.
Dave, I used the plastic Googlyeyes from Walmart to make my landing lite lens. Thay come in several sizes in one package . Found in the craft area or crayon aera, don't remember A perfect lens shape
Best Regards, Rex

Thanks, Rex. For some modelers, Hairless Joe is like playing detective for scale fidelity because it went through so many changes in a short time. Imagine, within the space of a couple of months, having to replace both wings, the tail, the engine and other parts. I'm sure Schilling had an affinity for this aircraft, although it was one of several that he flew during his long combat career in Europe in WWII.

Eventually, Hairless Joe came to grief with another pilot at the controls after Schilling was pulled out of active combat status for the remainder of the war. There was an M model Hairless Joe, but I don't think Schilling ever flew that one, or if he did, it wasn't very much or often. Sadly, all 130 M models were scrapped at the end of the war. It was probably the best P-47 to come out of WWII. But jets were already being designed and tested, and Schilling pioneered jet fighter aerial refueling after the war flying non-stop flights over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Thanks for the tip on the "googly eyes." I know what you're talking about and will look for some at our local Walmart.

[Elbee]

davegee

Beautiful work, Dave, Master Class.

Best, LB

[jetfool]

Davegee,
Your research into the timeline details have really paid off. Excellent work.
Dave, I used the plastic Googlyeyes from Walmart to make my landing lite lens. Thay come in several sizes in one package . Found in the craft area or crayon aera, don't remember A perfect lens shape
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

We were out of town for a couple of days and when we got back Callie's packet of vinyl transfers were in my mailbox. Although tired, I Had to put on at least a couple of them on the bottoms of the wings. My aircraft is very time specific and at the time I have "frozen" for the airplane's appearance, the left bottom wing was not painted but sported a big 55 inch diameter circle with the star inside. The right wing still had the standard 40 inch circle and star inside. There are invasion stripes on the bottom of the right wing, but none on the new, unpainted bottom of the left wing

Callie's work was again, beautiful! Lots more to do and then a LOT More to do once I get my converted bubbletop fuselage back from modifecation center in California.

Tomorrow I hope to reinstall the main landing gear and doors and start working on details like hydraulic lbrake lines and the shrinker bars that on the real airplane mechanically shortened the gear during retraction by 9 inches so it could fit in the wheel wells. Upon gear extension, the gear would increase by that same nine inches for prop clearance. Imagine, this technology was available over 80 years ago!

Cheers

davegee

[davegee]

Excellent idea Dave. You can get everything done and your time can be focused on the fuselage. Then just assemble all the finished parts together.
Sounds like you are the western FMS warehouse for P-47s. LOL
Rex

Sometimes I think I'm getting in a rut! Nonetheless, now I have the settings pretty much dialed in for this airplane, and can fine tune it when I get the fuselage finished. But it should be ready for a maiden this spring, I think. I think this will probably be the last jug I do, but I'm glad to finish on one of my favorites, Hairless Joe.

When I was thinking about getting into scale rc big time eventually settling on an Aerotech 50cc P-47 bubbletop), for me anyway about 2001, I looked at books on the P-47 showing all the different paint schemes. For some reason, in probably a hundred airplane drawings, I looked at Hairless Joe. Something just called to me to do this one. I researched the pilot, Dave Schilling.

There were some interesting coincidences between him and my dad somehow. My dad flew B-24 and B-17 bombers in Europe some of which got top cover from the 56th FG, specifically Dave Schilling on some missions when I cross referenced missions.
My dad and Schilling were born the same year, 1918, and died the same year 1956 within a few months of each other. My dad was killed in an aircraft accident, Schilling in a car accident.
Schilling originally came from Leavenworth Kansas, was born there. My dad is buried at Ft. Leavenworth National Cemetery. Made me ponder the coincidences.


Cheers

davegee

[jetfool]

Excellent idea Dave. You can get everything done and your time can be focused on the fuselage. Then just assemble all the finished parts together.
Sounds like you are the western FMS warehouse for P-47s. LOL
Rex

[davegee]

I decided to make myself useful during some down time as I wait for the new improved bubbletop fuselage mod from James. There was still lots of work I could be doing, so I got the idea to take the fuselage that came with the kit, the one that will be used as a testbed for other projects, but probably will never fly. It has all the "guts" in it that I will be transferring over the new bubbletop fuselage when it gets here. The wings and tail are painted although I still needed to get the gear extended some how to paint and detail those areas.

So, I put the fuselage in a Robart foam stand and added the wings and tail to the airplane. I had another "Hairless Joe" that crashed a couple of years ago, although I still have a lot of parts from it, being the same 1500mm P-47D razorback. I was able to use the settings for that airplane still in my DX18 radio and trim all the controls to what that crashed airplane was set at. I think the crash was some fluke of some sort on my part, as I had that airplane all dialed in, so I'm using the same settings for the new bubbletop Hairless Joe. Got the inner parts of the gear doors painted the correct yellow zinc chromate as well as the wheel wells.

I also changed out the hard OEM tires with 3.5 inch hollow Robarts that work so well for this plane and my E Flite 1.5M P-51Ds.

I'll attach a couple of pics of work done today. When the new bubbletop fuse comes, I'll have a LOT of work to condition and paint it and do a scale cockpit. Danger Dan is doing a splendid job painting up the pilot as Col. Dave Schilling who flew the real one in 1944.

Cheers

davegee

[Elbee]

vrosi1963

Once again, simply beautiful work, Sir.

Best, LB

[vrosi1963]

almost 100% done and ready to pack it up for the return trip to Dave G , the canopy plug is next weeks task to complete.

[jetfool]

Done. great reference. Thanks Elbee

[Elbee]

PWR2800Pix.zip

Gentlemen,

These images are also a great reference for a P&W R2800.

Color pics from all sides.

Click on the zip file then click extract all.

Downloading and saving to desktop is easiest, then you can put the file anywhere convenient.

Hope these are helpful to all.

Best, LB

[davegee]

Davegee,
Fantastic!
If I have time I will add the ignition harness to mine. What did you make it from?
Rex

Thanks, Rex. You can use copper, brass, gold, or black metal wire that is about 20 gauge at any craft store like Hobby Lobby. I've seen real engines using ignition wires in all those various colors, they made so many and there were a lot of subcontractors. For instance, did you know a lot of B-17 engines were built by Studebaker car company?

Not required but I have taken pictures of the plastic cylinders that are in the cowl of the model, fiddled with the size a bit on a printer, cut them out and glued them in the spaces behind the real cylinders on the cowl to make it appear like there is a second row of cylinders like the R2800 had. I have never had any cooling issues putting these paper "cylinders" in and it looks more realistic, in my view. Besides, you'll have a big prop in front of them so people just get a taste of what the real one might have looked like without getting to see them too well..

As you well know as a pilot. each cylinder has two plugs, one in front and one in back, for reliability and safety. I always try to put one in the front and then run a line going underneath the cylinders to imagine it going to the other spark plug that can't been seen.

But you can do what you want. Just dolling up the cowl a bit with some harness wires would attract the attention of the judges. Of course, in a little model like this you can only go so far, and the uppper cylinders meld into the mold of the cowl and you just can't do much there, but if you have the time, you can play with it a bit. I'll attach a pic of a real R2800 you can use as a guide if you want to add any details to your model.

For the actual round cylindrical wiring harness itself where all the ignition wires come from, you can make that out of plastic, wire,etc., of about 1/8 inch diameter and do your best to shape it around the engine as you see in the photo of the real one. It's the round, gold tube at the base of the crankcase cover in the photo.



Davegee

[jetfool]

Davegee,
Fantastic!
If I have time I will add the ignition harness to mine. What did you make it from?
Rex

[davegee]

Got finished with detailing the engine cwol for Hairless Joe today. This is the 4th one I've done for FMS 1500mm P-47s.

[davegee]

While I'm thinking of it, remember we talked about using doweling to attach the arms on the pilots that have separate arm STL's? (Or heads for that matter) I was thinking that rather than doweling, what about rare earth magnets. Then it should be really simple to angle the arms to whatever position you want temporarily.

Dan

I like that idea. The magnets could be positioned so that you can change the position of the arms, and they still would not fall off. Let's look into that, Dan!

Cheers

davegee

[Grossman56]

While I'm thinking of it, remember we talked about using doweling to attach the arms on the pilots that have separate arm STL's? (Or heads for that matter) I was thinking that rather than doweling, what about rare earth magnets. Then it should be really simple to angle the arms to whatever position you want temporarily.

Dan

[Grossman56]

I think the beer bottle thing is going to become a right of passage! I'll have to get a six pack from you and come up with a table. When a pilot is finished, I'll get a pic of him have one with the locals

Dan

[davegee]

Meanwhile, Bob Schilling is coming along. The face looks pretty good and the helmet color is roughed in, a couple of coats on the leather jacket as well.
Popped the head on and got some pics, time for the reveal, so far....



Looks pretty serious doesn't he?? Pics never seem to do them justice but hey, that's a good thing, the always look better in person!
Besides, looks like he needs a beer !

Grossman56
(Dangerous Dan)

He's really coming along, Dan! I think I wrote once that I did come up with a printed scale oxygen mask that I will use to hand down from the left side of the helmet. He often was caught looking at the camera when he was in the cockpit, so I'll tilt the head slightly left for the full effect. Excellent work, Dan, as usual!!!

I still have some extra printed beer bottles if he needs one, or two!

Cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

Grossman,
Another beautiful pilot coming from your studio. By the way Bob Johnson said to tell Bob Shilling to have a beer on him and he misses all the guys sitting around, drinking and BSing.
Great job Dan.
Best Regards, Rex