Official FMS 1500mm P-47D Razorback Thread

[jetfool]

Davegee,
The cockpit parts are all fitting well but my extra 3/4" depth is almost too much. I am going today to get the height correct so there is more room below the cockpit. Now it is less than 1/8" and wiring underneath has to be correct so I want more clearance so moving the seat/. pilot a little will need to be done.
The instruments fit fairly well and look great. I will use some of my wifes clear craft epoxy for the glass. Dries crystal clear.
When I have side depth, pilot/seat height all set I will give all my dim. on here for others. There is plenty of room just need more clearance.
Elbee is our resident GOO-ROO!
I really enjoy the snow and cold weather. I do most of my building and if I lived in Florida or another warm state I'd never get any building done.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Found a good image of the instrument panel. Enlarged to 270% and. printed on photo paper. Used sharpened brass tubing to cut instruments out and glued to OEM instrument panel. Looks pretty good. I cut the rudder pedal arms off and will make longer arms to fit the pilot's feet.
4-12" snow expected this weekend so hope to have cockpit finished by Monday
Primed the propellor cuffs
Best Regards, Rex

Excellent idea, Rex. I had not heard of that before, but it is excellent! I also put a drop of resin or epoxy on each instrument face to simulate glass. Makes for a finished and credible look.

Tip 'o the hat to Elbee. He redesigned the cuffs for a better fit than I had. With my V1 paper or plastic cuffs, they were not sealed at the ends, just glued on in the middle. That sorta worked, but then when I was flying it, you would hear a "POP!" and you knew one of the cuffs had popped off when stresses and air got in there underneath and popped off the cuffs. These V2 or V3 printed cuffs are much better, although I would recommend glueing them at the cap end onto the prop, and at the narrower end with CA to the prop, making a little bead all around the joint so that they cannot come off in flight. I then touch up the black and where the bead of glue was, put on the decals, and you're all set! I have flown with the V3 Elbee design several times and they work perfectly each time. I have found when the earlier version popped off occasionally, there was ZERO effect on flyability of the aircraft in any way.

I'll look forward to seeing how you do the rudder pedals. On mine, the pilot's feet didn't line up very well, so I just left them out of the cockpit. But if you come up with a workable plan, I might add them back in again.

Right now we are + 2 degrees F in Cody, but a slow "warmup" if you can call it that is on the way next week. At least we don't have a lot of wind, which really makes it tough combined with the low temps. But even a few days in the 40s or even low 50s is like Miami Beach here!

Cheers

Davegee

[davegee]

Davegee,
Thanks for your comments. The floorboard came out nice, .020"styrene primer, silver, int. green. I rubbed the paint with a 3m pad to let the silver show thru. looks good in person put most people won't see it with pilot in. I spot glued him in the seat and can remove if needed.
Working on getting the headrest, seat height and pilot looking correct per photos of pilots sitting ready to fly. Chewing gum comes in handy to hold things when measuring in the small area.
Shoulder harness/ seat belt really looks great. Trying to decide if I want them fastened or in an unhooked position as if he is exiting.

I guess that is up to you to have the shoulder hanresses fastened or not. Myself, I always have them attached so he looks like he is ready to fly and do battle!

Cheers

davegee

[jetfool]

Found a good image of the instrument panel. Enlarged to 270% and. printed on photo paper. Used sharpened brass tubing to cut instruments out and glued to OEM instrument panel. Looks pretty good. I cut the rudder pedal arms off and will make longer arms to fit the pilot's feet.
4-12" snow expected this weekend so hope to have cockpit finished by Monday
Primed the propellor cuffs
Best Regards, Rex

[jetfool]

Davegee,
Thanks for your comments. The floorboard came out nice, .020"styrene primer, silver, int. green. I rubbed the paint with a 3m pad to let the silver show thru. looks good in person put most people won't see it with pilot in. I spot glued him in the seat and can remove if needed.
Working on getting the headrest, seat height and pilot looking correct per photos of pilots sitting ready to fly. Chewing gum comes in handy to hold things when measuring in the small area.
Shoulder harness/ seat belt really looks great. Trying to decide if I want them fastened or in an unhooked position as if he is exiting.

[davegee]

those are great pics, Rex. Glad you got the pilot seat position figured out. He looks super! Thanks for the heads up on lengthing the control stick on the bubbletop. I'll do that.
I really like the currougated floor with the wear marks on it. The shoulder harness looks great. I have been adding those for most of my fighter cockpits for many years. With the 1/5 to 1/6 scale warbirds, I was able to find material and fittings made for hobby things that looked right and were functional. They came out great and actually kent the pilots locked in place in their seats. I rpobably glued down these smaller printed pilots but the effect of the shoulder harnesses/seat belts is a plus, and hopefully not lost on the judges.

Cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

Still working on Bob sitting in the correct position per my documentation. Getting Bob and seat position to floorboard. I added 3/4" more to the sidewall depth and cut a 1/4"X1 1/4" wood dowel rod that sits underneath the seat to floorboard to align to back former. Bob now clears everything underneath floorboard, and he gets to keep his feet. I added a 5/16X5/8" square balsa spacer to get the control stick positioned.
Dave when you print your stick for the bubble top add 5/16" length to it.
Cut out the harness/ seat belt and started on the harness, not in the correct position yet but getting things figured out before install. I think these details will look pretty good.

6 degrees out so a good day in the shop.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Bob finally came back from R&R and is trying out the cockpit as the mechanics are assembling plane back together.
I think the headrest is to long so will re size
seat needs to be higher in my real photos
need an another 7/8" of legroom so Bobs feet will fit, test fit will allow room underneath with 1/4" clearance
Dan, Bob said to tell his buddies he will be back on flightline soon, looking forward to hearing their stories
Best Regards, Rex

Looks good, Rex. I concur on the headrest. The way you made it is great, just too large. You probably have a photo of a pilot in the real cockpit that shows the headrest, too. You can scale it down from there. Let me know if you need a photo of that, I probably have one I can email you. If you need to move the seat and frame up some, when you reduce the size of the headrest and maybe move it up some on the back wall, that should help to get the clearance that you need. Worst case, you could "surgically" remove his feet, but I hope we don't have to do that. I didn't on my pilot who is the same size and print. He seems to fit in there fine after I lowered the floor 1/2 inch like you did on yours.

Regarding the fit of the pilot, you can play around with the chair angle some to get him to fit. I think I also angled my pilot forward in the seat to have enough room for his feet to fit. In other words, slid his butt forward some so it helped with the legroom and footroom in the cockpit.

If need be, you can raise Bob up on a small block of wood to make him sit higher in the cockpit. After all, they were sitting on a parachure and liferaft which would have raised them up in the bucket seat some.

The photos are publicity shots of the pilots in their seat and they have the seat jacked up as high as possible for hte pic. They would not have flown this way, but some pics I'm looking at the pilot's head is pretty high, almost touching the canopy when the canopy is closed. So, you have some leeway to get him to fit properly in the seat. There are lots of possibilities to getting 'ol Bob in the seat again!

Looks splendid, though, really coming along!

Davegee

[jetfool]

Bob finally came back from R&R and is trying out the cockpit as the mechanics are assembling plane back together.
I think the headrest is to long so will re size
seat needs to be higher in my real photos
need an another 7/8" of legroom so Bobs feet will fit, test fit will allow room underneath with 1/4" clearance
Dan, Bob said to tell his buddies he will be back on flightline soon, looking forward to hearing their stories
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Davegee,
The phantom is coming a long tho slowly. Elbees 3d scale parts are almost all added and the HS kids are printing the centerline fuel tank/ladders. I have my FS # latex paint waiting. Need to get Callies graphics/ stencils ordered. I have been filing/ sanding non scale manf. lines and will add some more scale panel lines before paint Going to order another cockpit/canopy from Motion to try an open static display. I think end of Jan. the Phantom will be on the big bench and all the prep work I have been doing the process will proceed quickly. The scale cockpit is almost all painted. Since Feb. is always the longest month for me (cold,dweary out) I will spend most hours on this. Wife understands and is encouraging on my addiction with my hobby.
I miss real flying, only private license. Your adventures in your career must have been thrilling to fly those large/heavy aircraft.
Best Regards, Rex

Sounds like you are methodically getting the work done to have the models completed with a margin of extra time if something unplanned happens that you need to do a last minute repair or something. Hopefully that won't happen and you can breathe easier as you await the time you'll head out to Toledo for the show.

Cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

Davegee,
The phantom is coming a long tho slowly. Elbees 3d scale parts are almost all added and the HS kids are printing the centerline fuel tank/ladders. I have my FS # latex paint waiting. Need to get Callies graphics/ stencils ordered. I have been filing/ sanding non scale manf. lines and will add some more scale panel lines before paint Going to order another cockpit/canopy from Motion to try an open static display. I think end of Jan. the Phantom will be on the big bench and all the prep work I have been doing the process will proceed quickly. The scale cockpit is almost all painted. Since Feb. is always the longest month for me (cold,dweary out) I will spend most hours on this. Wife understands and is encouraging on my addiction with my hobby.
I miss real flying, only private license. Your adventures in your career must have been thrilling to fly those large/heavy aircraft.
Best Regards, Rex

[jetfool]

Davegee,
The phantom is coming a long tho slowly. Elbees 3d scale parts are almost all added and the HS kids are printing the centerline fuel tank/ladders. I have my FS # latex paint waiting. Need to get Callies graphics/ stencils ordered. I have been filing/ sanding non scale manf. lines and will add some more scale panel lines before paint Going to order another cockpit/canopy from Motion to try an open static display. I think end of Jan. the Phantom will be on the big bench and all the prep work I have been doing the process will proceed quickly. The scale cockpit is almost all painted. Since Feb. is always the longest month for me (cold,dweary out) I will spend most hours on this. Wife understands and is encouraging on my addiction with my hobby.
I miss real flying, only private license. Your adventures in your career must have been thrilling to fly those large/heavy aircraft.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

deleted by author

[davegee]

Davegee,
I am planning to add harness and seat belts. I copied your seat belts/harness on photo paper to see the difference. Both look good. My wife wants to try making some cloth ones, she has some fine material that has the real look of the real ones. Time will tell which ones I use.
Glad you scored a new kit. I can't wait to see your creation.
Trying to finish the P-47 so I can concentrate on the Phantom.
Tried the baby powder/tape on touching up some dents in the belly tank. Works like a charm. Smells good too.
Best Regards, Rex

Sounds good, Rex. I heartily endorse the detail of scale seat belts and shoulder harnesses. I think anything you add that looks scale will be a helpful scale addition.

How far along are you on the Phantom? April will be here before you know it, but I think you have adequate time at this point to get everything finished without rushing it, and the time to think through details that might need some time to arrive at a successful conclusion.

I am looking forward to hearing of the trip to Toledo and the swap meet and show. I remember Toledo fondly. It was at the Toledo Express airport in early 1979 that a bunch of us flew from Detroit Ypsilanti airport to Toledo in a DC-8 freighter and did a ton of takeoffs and landings as part of our checkout. It was quite a thrill for a low-time pilot like me to get into the seat of a 300K pound capable aircraft and driving it around the sky! I'll never forget that day. At a low gross weight like what we were that day, it was like a Rocket!

Cheers

davegee

[jetfool]

Davegee,
I am planning to add harness and seat belts. I copied your seat belts/harness on photo paper to see the difference. Both look good. My wife wants to try making some cloth ones, she has some fine material that has the real look of the real ones. Time will tell which ones I use.
Glad you scored a new kit. I can't wait to see your creation.
Trying to finish the P-47 so I can concentrate on the Phantom.
Tried the baby powder/tape on touching up some dents in the belly tank. Works like a charm. Smells good too.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

There's a 1500 p 47 FM's here but likely shipping to be drugmoney

Thanks, Craig. I just scored one that comes out of France somewhere. It is on its way. I have to pay $100 FedEX shipping to my house in Wyoming, but well worth it, to me. I found very few for sale online, and those that were available were more than I wanted to pay. So, for now, I have it covered. I can continue my project to completion, hopefully.

Cheers

davegee

[davegee]

Guys,
It's sad to see these planes disappear. Seems the current world situation has put a damper on new kits/parts. Hopefully Motion, FMS, HH will keep their R&D going and surprise us with many new improved warbirds in 1500-1600 size. Glad I have many 60 size BT plans and cowls, canopies in storage. With electric and scale props these models make great flying models.
Dave will have the only 1500 P-47D bubbletop in the world when he finishes it.
Dave, for the instrument gages did you scan the internet or are the gages available for sale somewhere? I have some installed but still looking for a full set. I will look on the net and can scan to use if I find a good photo.

I hear there is a new company starting, catering to the scale modelers- D&D Inc.

Got a few more things done today. Painted the seat and weathered, added the rubber canopy seal in front canopy, armor glass and frame painted. New throttle controls installed on side panel etc. Command put Bob on temp. R&R so he hasn;t done much except drink to calm his nerves and watching mechanics put his plane back together
Best Regards, Rex

Hi Rex: It is disturbing that some of these models like this FMS P-47 are getting to be extremely rare to find now. I took about 45 minutes trying to find one, as I plan on using the "guts" out of a new kit and put it into the bubbletop fuselage that Jim is working on. Worst case scenario, I could have cannibalized one of my other P-47s, but I really didn't want to do that; each one is special to me. So, I finally found one online a kit in Europe and it is on its way to me now. They don't pay shipping, but at least I'll have one I can count on to continue this project uninterrupted.

Regarding the cockpit instrumentation, I'm at a loss at the moment where I came up with those. It could be that the ones that came with the kit were good enough and I repainted the green instrument panel black after masking off the instruments and then putting a drop of clear resin epoxy over each one to simulate glass. They look to be period-type instruments of that era and were close enough detail for me. Callie also offers instrument faces that can be glued onto the back of the instrument board. They don't have one specifically for the P-47, but her flight instruments (those used for flying the aircraft) are close enough to the P-47 that her P-51 instruments are. I just looked at the cockpit of my Penrod and Sam, my most recent P-47 now 3 years old, and they look pretty acceptable to me.

You might find some on the internet and reduce them to the proper size. That might be a good alternative to the stock decals that come with the airplane. I might do the same thing with mine when I get to that point with Hairless Joe.

All the cockpit details are looking great. I am (we all are) enjoying following your progress on your model. The paper seat belt/shoulder harnesses that I included in your package are your choice to add them or not, but I really like the finished look of my cockpits with the pilots looking like they are really "strapped in" for combat! There might be some vendors that make like 1/8 scale seat belts and shoulder hanresses in cloth or stamped metal that can be painted to look real.

Nice surgery on the canopy/windscreen! Pays to have a steady hand and a sharp razor saw! I'll be doing the same with my bubble top canopy when it comes back to me some day. I'm still convinced that having a slidable and open canopy for the judges will score points when they see all the detials you are adding, not to mention a very lifelike Bob Johnson at the controls!

Press On, my man!

Cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

A few more

[jetfool]

More photos

[jetfool]

Guys,
It's sad to see these planes disappear. Seems the current world situation has put a damper on new kits/parts. Hopefully Motion, FMS, HH will keep their R&D going and surprise us with many new improved warbirds in 1500-1600 size. Glad I have many 60 size BT plans and cowls, canopies in storage. With electric and scale props these models make great flying models.
Dave will have the only 1500 P-47D bubbletop in the world when he finishes it.
Dave, for the instrument gages did you scan the internet or are the gages available for sale somewhere? I have some installed but still looking for a full set. I will look on the net and can scan to use if I find a good photo.

I hear there is a new company starting, catering to the scale modelers- D&D Inc.

Got a few more things done today. Painted the seat and weathered, added the rubber canopy seal in front canopy, armor glass and frame painted. New throttle controls installed on side panel etc. Command put Bob on temp. R&R so he hasn;t done much except drink to calm his nerves and watching mechanics put his plane back together
Best Regards, Rex