Official FMS 1500mm P-47D Razorback Thread

[davegee]

I took one of my P-51Ds and my "Ole Cock" P-47D out for some more tests on the P-47's prop blades with the scratchubilt prop cuffs on, and also Elbee's V2 design for the CE prop dome that I just finished painting last night. The prop dome worked beautifully and I think I can call it "operational" now. Great design work Elbee, and much appreciated! I did a lot of prep work for the spinner, using Tamiya spray primer/surfacer, a lot of sanding in between coats, and then sprayed some coats of gloss black Tamiya lacquer, topped by Alclad II polished aluminum paint with my airbrush. The result came out pretty well, I think.

The prop cuffs I had made weren't up to the task this time and popped off in the airstream of the propeller's spinning in fllight. I am waiting on some custom cuffs that should eliminate that problem. They will be 3D printed with a different material that has some give to it, and I think that might be the solution for the scale prop cuffs, going forward.

My P-51D Hun Hunter is still awaiting new 3D printed outer wheel halves with reinfiorced outer rims to hopefully eliminate damage to the wheels when the Robart tires sometimes cause damage to the wheels on landings, especially if the plane does a ground loop at lower speeds. But the Robarts have completely cured the early problem encountered with the hard rubber or plastic OEM tires that made for some very difficult and "interesting" landings. The Robarts help the plane "stick" the landings almost every time. So, I'll keep with those and the new wheels, once they are finished by my friend at Ace Hardware for this project. It's worth the money to me to even try and get a final soluton for this issue. Otherwise, the plane itself is one of the best warbird flyers I own.

Cheers

Davegee

[davegee]

Davegee,
Thank you. Stepbrothers' daughter, 37yrs. old. Freak golf cart accident. From her wishes 8 organ patients will receive hope for prolonging their lives and giving them a future. Been a rough week, our girls are same ages, and they all grew up together. Wife is headed to her sisters (Columbus, Ohio) today because her boyfriend, 79yrs. old, is in last stages of cancer (Hospice is helping). Just me and the dog batching for a couple of weeks so I hope to finish spinner and ship everything to you soon.
When it rains it pours, Rex

Hi Rex: I don't know if you heard this story or not, but within the past couple of months, former Broncos QB John Elway was playing golf with a good friend and using a golf cart. Somehow, his friend fell off the cart onto his head on concrete, and he died almost immediately. Another good friend of mine, USAFA graduate and F-15 pilot retired from the USAF, was doing some housework outside the home on a ladder. Somehow, he must have lost his balance and fell head first onto concrete, died a short time later.

I guess whatever we do in life, someday, somehow, somewhere, we will be taken from this life. My condolences to you for your family members who have passed or are in Hospice. Take care. Whenever the mood moves you to work on the spinner great, but certainly no rush with these latest developments that are far more important.

Best Regards,

Davegee

[Elbee]

jetfool

My condolences, Rex, to you and yours.

Steve

[f4u ausie]

Sorry rex freak accident.. horrible regards Craig

[jetfool]

Davegee,
Thank you. Stepbrothers' daughter, 37yrs. old. Freak golf cart accident. From her wishes 8 organ patients will receive hope for prolonging their lives and giving them a future. Been a rough week, our girls are same ages, and they all grew up together. Wife is headed to her sisters (Columbus, Ohio) today because her boyfriend, 79yrs. old, is in last stages of cancer (Hospice is helping). Just me and the dog batching for a couple of weeks so I hope to finish spinner and ship everything to you soon.
When it rains it pours, Rex

[davegee]

Battle damage but sounds like the rugged Thunderbolt brought the pilot home safely. #d spinner looks good. I have been a little slow on modeling, family funeral, but should make progress on Dave's spinner this week.
Rex

Hi Rex: sorry for the loss in your family. A lot of that going around lately, unfortunately. Whenever you get around to the spinner is fine. I am still testing these 3D printed prop domes and can use them indefinitely until the aluminum dome arrives for testing.

Take care.

Dave

[Grossman56]

I got out to the field today to break in the new radio. I got a new NX8 plus, great radio so far, don't let the '8' fool you, it's not like the old DX8, it has 20 channels!
So, it's like having to maiden every plane over again, but at least the signal problems should be solved. BTW, I finally found the video explaining how to do flap elevator mixing while in the air, have a look...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAveSSW0rUQ

Handy thing to know

Grossman56
(Dangerous Dan)

[jetfool]

Battle damage but sounds like the rugged Thunderbolt brought the pilot home safely. #d spinner looks good. I have been a little slow on modeling, family funeral, but should make progress on Dave's spinner this week.
Rex

[davegee]

I took my "Ole Cock" FMS P-47D up for some test flights of the new 3D printed Curtiss Electric prop dome that simply screws onto the propeler shaft. The latest version design is one courtesy of Elbee which really looks great. I've printed a couple of them on my machine and have been verifying the prop domes will be usable going forward, for my planes. On the flight I had with "Ole Cock" 2 weeks ago, even through I had tested the gear operation and everything else ad nausem, when I got it into the air, I noticed that one of the gear retracts had failed with the gear halfway up and down. Tried to recycle it several times, but eventually I had to make a partial gear landing. Upon inspection after the flight, it looks like that retract suffered a sudden and fatal coronary in flight . No saving that one.

Landing went pretty well for being a crippled aircraft, and it made a dramatic turn on the ground as it slid to a stop. Mostly minor damage, although it is a pain in the neck to replace things like gear servos on this airplane. Finally got it done with a spare I had in my parts box, and today I reflew it to check the gear was working properly. I should mention that most of the damage to the plane in that landing was to the prop hub and some of the propeller blades. So, I needed to send to Tallahassee to FMS for a new prop hub, which is supposed to arrive today, which was a pleasant surprise.

I'll attach a pic I took of the P-47 on the ground after doing 4 flights today. The V1 printed prop dome is in primer grey, and is being used for tests. Elbee made further improvements with a V2 version that has some detail additions at the base of the dome. Those are "in paint" now, and I'll take more pics when I get the final V2 painted and installed on the plane. I thnk it will look pretty good. I borrowed a prop from another of my planes, a Hamilton Standard prop.

Rex is working on a machined aluminum dome that will be the final version for this model, with the printed ones as backups should anything happen to the aluminum dome.

Davegee

[davegee]

You are very lucky to live where your view is breathtaking. Glad you are still exploring and able to do things you want. Hope we all have many years to do that.
Congratulation on your climb, Rex

Thanks, Rex. I did find that age has caught up with me as young 20-30 somethings passed me on the trails with little effort. I remembered when I used to do that so easily, but not any more, I guess. Still, I'm glad I did complete the trek and am happy the challenge worked out ok.

cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

You are very lucky to live where your view is breathtaking. Glad you are still exploring and able to do things you want. Hope we all have many years to do that.
Congratulation on your climb, Rex

[davegee]

I use the enclosed photo of my Penrod and Sam just for illustration in this post. Dan G. and I have the fortune of living in a beautiful area in northwest Wyoming, and the field we fly from always has the impressive Heart Mountain in the background. I have always had a plan to climb it someday since we moved up here 5 1/2 years ago, but yesterday, I actually did it! Trip was about 11.5 miles from the trailhead to the summit and back. Weather was beautiful, if a little windy in spots. The first half of the hike is in a clear meadow area, and then you get into dense forest (I mean Dense!) for the rest of the climb to the summit. It was so dense that in most areas you could not see out, and the trail was pretty steep with a lot of switchbacks. But then, all of a sudden, you're now above all the trees and at the summit! Summit height is 8100 feet MSL with about 3,500 feet vertical climb.

I have climbed a number of "fourteeners" in Colorado in my day, and to be sure, those were more difficult, some taking two days to summit. But this was satisfying making this one after a long absence from rock climbing and hiking. The view from on top was impressive!

Gives me a renewed appreciation for the things around me, and the beauty of spectacles like Heart Mountain. The grizzlies still live up there, but we didn't see any today, fortunately. But everyone who was climbing yesterday was aware of that possibility of an encounter and had bear spray just in case!

Happy trails to all!

Davegee

[davegee]

Thanx rex..... The tar is a newy 4 me.. will spread that one

You can meet us for a cold one at the Dewdropinn or the It'ldolounge anytime! Always enjoy your inputs and I remember well our working together on the bigger, more scale props from the FMS V3 Corsair to the FMS 1.5m P-47s which has been a great scale add-on for these models. To me, that was a huge improvement for making a more scale looking and flying P-47. Some of our work is just an extension with stuff you and I and others came up with a few years ago.

Best,

Davegee

[f4u ausie]

Thanx rex..... The tar is a newy 4 me.. will spread that one

[jetfool]

F4u ausie,
Just chime right in, Mate, your more than welcome to add your pro's and con's. The more friends the merrier time we have.
For a foamie we are probably taking it to far but this P-47 really comes alive with little details added. Not making museum scale but we are using the TAR theory (that's about right) and the measurements between us keeps us in-line to visually see what we are doing.
It's going on 3 yrs. since we all started sharing ideas and I think it's great that we are still at it. For not meeting anyone face to face it seems like we are old friends.
Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

You know you are among friends. Best, LB

[f4u ausie]

Hope U guys don't mind me butting in.... But what Yas r doing on one small part of an aicraft. Is awesome.. reminds me of my 80s schooling
an Ozzy 40 thou. Around 1 mm.. shows the accuracy Yas ar working with... Very cool
... My brother and I spoke of. D day.. we always remember those young men.. especially that black and white footage of Omaha. That's well seen.. hope not outa line their cya

[davegee]

Thanks, Dave, for measuring. Also, do you know the thickness of Elbee's back plate? I can cut that amount off the base end so the length will be the same. I'm planning on using .020-.030" styrene sheet for my back plate on the alum. spinner. Not any load bearing structure so I think this will do.
Best Regards, Rex

Hi Rex: I just measured the back plate for the spinner from one of Elbee's CE prop domes. It is about .040" thick (including some layers of primer.) So, if you could make the back plate .030" thick, that should work great.

Thanks!

davegee

[jetfool]

Thanks, Dave, for measuring. Also, do you know the thickness of Elbee's back plate? I can cut that amount off the base end so the length will be the same. I'm planning on using .020-.030" styrene sheet for my back plate on the alum. spinner. Not any load bearing structure so I think this will do.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Davegee,
I was thinking of D-Day last night while working on the spinner. My Dad had friends that landed on D-Day and I can remember stories they told as a child. Many sacrificed everything for our freedoms today.
The spinner in the pictures are of your spinner. I will drill the 4 holes in the base. Do you know the hole dia. that Elbee used on his spinners? The little safety wired bolts you will have to add. If you know the dia. of them I can drill them also.
Your Penrod and Sam looks great. I need to finish my cockpit and make an open canopy. This winter I want to add the better scale cockpit and P&W Eng. Not enough hours in the day!
Best Regards, Rex

Hi Rex: sounds great.We’ll wring ‘er out with your prop spinner when I get it.

Regarding your question on the hole diameter of the four small holes near the bottom of the printed CE domes, I come up with just under 5/64" diameter when I tried to put a drill bit through the holes. So something in that area would work fine, I would think.

cheers

davegee