Official FMS 1500mm P-47D Razorback Thread

[jetfool]

Davegee,
Your P-47 in Florida is beautiful. Not much room for an actuator in the fus. with full cockpit and electronics. Might be able to get one in if you cut into the forward hatch underneath for room, Ahla Elbee mod. Just have to sleep on the idea.
Lucky is already except for the graphics from Callie. Wife is allowing me to park it on the dining room table until Toledo.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Hi Rex: thanks for that info. That will be helpful to craft a plan for a sliding canopy. I did this on the Aerotech jugs and I think we had a servo-operated sliding canopy on the M model you saw in the VAC museum in Titusville. Don’t know if I need or want the motorized canopy, but will consider it.

[jetfool]

Davegee,
A couple of pics of my Jemco P-47 plans. And the dorsal fin Rex

[davegee]

Davegee,
You might consider using square plastic tubing for the sliding canopy. The rails could be square with a cut down the center and a piece of I-beam for the canopy. This holds together well but allows opening/closing with some friction. This is what Jim Meister designed on my 54" Jemco P-47. Just a thought.
Rex

Good possibility! I'm thinking of three points of travel in tracks. One on either side of the canopy at the front corners. Another one in the very back to slide back and forth on a rail over the turtle deck. Will take a lot of testing, but I think definitely doable.

Cheers

davegee

[davegee]

Yea i dont know since the material is epo foam and not exactly what you are use to like fiberglass on your big p47s . anything is possible with persistence and thought put into it. Maybe a aluminum rail track imbedded into the foam? super sharp exacto to go through the filler #1 . only one way to find out Dave

No sweat, James. I have some ideas in my head so I think I can make it work. When you get to final sizing, can you make me a couple of the clear canopies/windscreens? I might need one as a spare and to do my canopy opening work it might take another one to get it right. I can certainly pay you for extra canopies when you get that far. Just let me know.

Thanks

davegee

[jetfool]

Davegee,
You might consider using square plastic tubing for the sliding canopy. The rails could be square with a cut down the center and a piece of I-beam for the canopy. This holds together well but allows opening/closing with some friction. This is what Jim Meister designed on my 54" Jemco P-47. Just a thought.
Rex

[vrosi1963]

Looking Great, James! What do you think about a mechanism for sliding the canopy back and forth? It needs to be attached on each side near the front of the canopy to slide in a groove in the rails, and then needs some sort of scale mechanism on the turtle deck where the rear part of the canopy slides back and forth in a groove in the mechanism on the turtle deck ?

If you can come up with something to add to this, I'll pay you for your work and materials. Otherwise, no sweat, I can come up with something when I get the parts back.

Cheers

Davegee

Yea i dont know since the material is epo foam and not exactly what you are use to like fiberglass on your big p47s . anything is possible with persistence and thought put into it. Maybe a aluminum rail track imbedded into the foam? super sharp exacto to go through the filler #1 . only one way to find out Dave

[davegee]

Looking Great, James! What do you think about a mechanism for sliding the canopy back and forth? It needs to be attached on each side near the front of the canopy to slide in a groove in the rails, and then needs some sort of scale mechanism on the turtle deck where the rear part of the canopy slides back and forth in a groove in the mechanism on the turtle deck ?

If you can come up with something to add to this, I'll pay you for your work and materials. Otherwise, no sweat, I can come up with something when I get the parts back.

Cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

Awesome

[Elbee]

way more work than i planed on but looks very clean , the back fuse next . canopy plug print this weekend V1

That is some great work, Sir.

Bravo Zulu.

Best, LB

[vrosi1963]

way more work than i planed on but looks very clean , the back fuse next . canopy plug print this weekend V1

[davegee]

Yeah, the real Hairless Joe saw action over northern France on many occasions, so I guess it’s sorta fitting that I ended up buying the kit that comes out of that area.

In 2004, my wife and I flew to England along with my Aerotech 1/6 scale P-47 Hairless Joe in the cargo hold. We rented a large station wagon in London to drive up to Boxted, Essex for a big air show at the same field the original plane flew from in WWII. This foamie replica won’t do anything like that one, but I hope to fly it quite a bit later this year and beyond. Should be a fun project.

[jetfool]

Well Dave, when this plane is finished you can honestly say that it has been to Europe and back to good ole USA. Glad it arrived safe. Looking forward to the build.
Best Regards, Rex

[f4u ausie]

Good job dave. Gota say $100 us dollars from frenchy frenchy sound. EeXtreeemly fair:partying_face:

[davegee]

I'm relieved to say that my FMS 1.5M P-47D razorback model made it safely into my hands starting from Paris, France. It was the best price I could find for one, if you could even find one for sale! I had to pay $100 for FedEx to ship it to me, but in case thise embargo or backlog of models or whatever you call it from overseas becomes permanent or long lasting, at least I have my plane and parts to complete my Hairless Joe bubble top airplane at my pace.

I salute FMS for packing the plane so well for shipment. Even though a hole got punched through the entire boxing the size of a silver dollar, none of the contents was damaged. Probably had Ace Ventura handling the package...

Cheers

davegee

[davegee]

same pilot but 85% as a test to see if i can paint a while ago quick job, yes way better than most can. this to me represents a p47 bubble pilot with late version goggles either black or red Lense ski goggle type . never liked the early British spitfire goggles with metal frames , the pilot looks way better when you sand or scrape the face and the rest with a xacto and primer it several times prior to painting the final colors

Hi James: looks good. I agree with you on the later model issue goggles that resemble modern ski goggles. However, a great deal of latitude was allowed for pilot preference and comfort for flying gear, and many kept preferred items like RAF life vests, goggles, and helmets. I will be using a printed full body pilot similar to what Rex has, and will print up one of those pilots for mine to resemble Col. Dave Schilling who flew Hairless Joe which is the subject of my upcoming project that you are doing the bubbletop mod for.

I'll attach a photo of fellow 56th FG pilot Gabby Gabreski taken just prior to his last flight on July 20,1944 and subsequent capture by the Germans. Up until his final mission, he preferred to use the old style RAF boots, goggles, and helmet for flying his missions.In some photos, he also wore the RAF style life vest.

Cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

Pilot looks great. I have been practicing on some old pilots I have. Takes practice to learn how to make them look right, at least for me. I have learned a great deal from others on this forum.

[vrosi1963]

same pilot but 85% as a test to see if i can paint a while ago quick job, yes way better than most can. this to me represents a p47 bubble pilot with late version goggles either black or red Lense ski goggle type . never liked the early British spitfire goggles with metal frames , the pilot looks way better when you sand or scrape the face and the rest with a xacto and primer it several times prior to painting the final colors

[jetfool]

vrosi1963,
Pilots look great. I used Dave&Dans 3d/painted full body pilot in mine with a full cockpit.
Callie is shipping my graphics Friday, almost done. I have 3 flights on LUCKY. Flies like a dream. They were easy flights and didn't want to ding it so didn't wring it out.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Pilots pilot pilots , scaling samples for size 80% 77% 75 % the hatch is almost finalized , then on to the back turtle deck matching

Awesome! Great progress! I will be making a full cockpit and a full size pilot that I already printed. Should look great in the bubbletop!

Davegee