Official FMS 1500mm P-47D Razorback Thread

[jetfool]

Davegee,

Most guys don't go this far but I've always enjoyed learning about the aircraft and trying to add the details to make it look better IMHO. Trying to decide if I want to detail the landing well bay with scale rib stringers but the way the foam is structured, I don't know if it would look right.
Need to finish fitting the vs3 prop and balancing. It's pretty heavy. Will check balance on stock prop also.

Rex

[davegee]

Hi Rex: I think the main gear wheel wells are somewhat of a problem for detailing. They’re not totally scale, however you can do some detailing if you are motivated to do so. I do put some scale hydraulic piping to give it some more realism. Dealer’s choice, there.

The correct color for the wheel wells as you probably know is zinc chromate yellow for the main gear and tail gear. All insides of gear doors should also be yellow zinc chromate too.

There is a simple fix to make the tail wheel doors work realistically. For some reason, FMS came up with a very stupid, in my view, way to retract the gear doors. Ask me about it when you get to that point.

davegee

[jetfool]

Davegee,

Thanks, and yes,

I will have plenty of questions.

While the primer dries, I moved on to working on the cockpit inst. panel. I removed the inst. (they used several of the same inst. 4-5 times), painted with inst. black then detailed some of the switches. Took the liberty of using some brighter colors on the dials to stand out against a black panel. I will install some instruments from my pile of stash.

From an old Scale r/c International mag. I will make the early gunsight used on the P-47.

Back to my Cave, Rex

[jetfool]

[davegee]

Looking good, Rex! You can do what you wish on the gunsight of course, it is the basic type used on the P-47s at that point in the war. For what it’s worth, that’s the type used by the Navy and Marine Corps. The only change for the P-47s is that they didn’t have the curved piece on the front of the gunsight and an oval reflector glass on top of it. Instead, that was removed and a square or slightly rectangular glass is mounted on top of the round gunsight glass at an angle and attached with a couple of small connectors to keep it in place.

A small detail, take it for what it’s worth.

Here's a link to what the actual gunsights in Europe witth the USAAF on the early P-47s looked like: https://images.app.goo.gl/Y5XNn7X6yFEtZX4GA

They are very similar to the Navy one that you showed in a previous update.

The "ring and bead" was installed as a back up as seen in your photo. If you can make a small crosshairs ring and attach it to the left of the other gunsight, then ou would add a small piece of metal rod that sticks out in line with that crosshairs forward of the windscreen several inches ahead on the cowling of your model. That way, if the advanced gunsight craps out, they can still try for an old fashioned sight to shoot the enemy!

cheers

davegee

[jetfool]

Davegee, Will follow your advice on gunsight.

Sprayed some filler primer where stencils were removed and filler on mold cavities. Will sand tomorrow then re prime.

Worked on a few things while waiting on primer to dry

[jetfool]

Davegee,

I have been studying pictures of your OLE Cock, Whoops, I mean your P-47 OLE COCK and I need to add the tail bumper behind the TW. If you get a chance, could you send pictures of the top view and bottom view. I'm studying your weathering details, so I get a better picture in my mind how to do it.

Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Davegee,

I have been studying pictures of your OLE Cock, Whoops, I mean your P-47 OLE COCK and I need to add the tail bumper behind the TW. If you get a chance, could you send pictures of the top view and bottom view. I'm studying your weathering details, so I get a better picture in my mind how to do it.

Best Regards, Rex

will do, Rex. Funny, the "Ole Cock" is a completely innocent old saying from England in WWII, and before. What it is, is a colloquial greeting British gentlemen used to address each other. It had nothing to do about the "nether regions" of men! The Brits also called the American Yanks "Ole Cock" as well, as a term of endearment. The pilot of this plane, Donavan Smith, was a standout amongst the original 56th FG pilots, from the very beginning when they assembled in Connecticut in 1941. They were the test team for the new P-47. Donavan later became a 3-star general and had a distinguished career in the USAF. Unfortunately, it was cut short by brain cancer and he died much too early at age 51. He is buried at the USAFA cemetery in Colorado Springs. I had a good friend who was an AFA grad '76. amd f;ew F-15Cs for most of his career until he retired. He suffered a fatal fall working around the house last year and is also buried at the Academy cemetery. It was a real shock and loss. Great guy. Next time I get in the Colorado Springs area I plan to visit my friend, Gen. Smith, and so many more stalwarts and legends of the USAF who are buried there.

The rooster, or cockerel that is painted on the nose of his aircraft came from his upbringing in Niles, Michigan where that was the high school team mascot. He had a copy painted on his aircraft.

I'll get some pics to you of closeups of "Ole' Cock" and weathering details.

The drop tank came out very well! You can take that black feed line and attach it to the plane loosely if you wish. What I did was figure out where the line would attach to the fuselage and glued a small aluminun tube into the fuse so I could just shove the line into the tube a bit. Looks realistic and believable.

Cheers

Davegee

[davegee]

Hi Rex: I tried taking some pics of Ole Cock P-47. Unfortunately, a lot of the weathering details that you can see clearly with are lost with my I Phone camera. For what it's worth, I'll post as many as I can as they take up a lot of file space.

We can talk about details that you might want to add for realistic weathering. Unlike the birds in the Pacific Theater, these in England were well taken care of, within reason. The other thing is they were still pretty new so most of them were cleaned up by the ground crew as much as possible for their pilots.

Hope this helps some. Too bad we couldn't be in the same room or field to see them better with the naked eye. I have 30 lfights on this one so far, so some parts have been "dinged" up a bit.

[Grossman56]

Hmmm. I smell a road trip...
Don't tell the wives

Grossman56
(Dangerous Dan)

[jetfool]

Davegee,

Yes, Yes Just what I was looking for. Will add the fuel tank stabilizers, Tail jack, mirror, drop tank hose to fuselage. Need to get darker int paint for cockpit.
I enjoy hearing the history of the 56th fighter group

Today before sanding I spackled some aera's that needed more filler. While waiting for this to dry my wife called me to the door. A large box was on the doorstep. Noticed she was smiling and taking photos. This is what she surprised me with.







This was a big surprise to me. Overall, the plane is in very good shape. There are a few foam issues but planning on adding new paint and details so these will be taken care of. tested the electronics and everything works. I have read on many of the modifications to make this fly well. There are many STL for cockpit, nose gunner, bomb bay etc. Enough things after the P-47 is finished to keep me busy until spring. Going to keep the HS class 3-d printing all semester.

I f not for my wonderful wife I wouldn't have all these scale planes. She supports my hobby


A very Happy New Year to All, Rex

[Grossman56]

Hey Rex is like a kid in a candy shop!
Airplane overload! I had that disease once and it's great!!

[davegee]

Davegee,

Yes, Yes Just what I was looking for. Will add the fuel tank stabilizers, Tail jack, mirror, drop tank hose to fuselage. Need to get darker int paint for cockpit.
I enjoy hearing the history of the 56th fighter group

Today before sanding I spackled some aera's that needed more filler. While waiting for this to dry my wife called me to the door. A large box was on the doorstep. Noticed she was smiling and taking photos. This is what she surprised me with.







This was a big surprise to me. Overall, the plane is in very good shape. There are a few foam issues but planning on adding new paint and details so these will be taken care of. tested the electronics and everything works. I have read on many of the modifications to make this fly well. There are many STL for cockpit, nose gunner, bomb bay etc. Enough things after the P-47 is finished to keep me busy until spring. Going to keep the HS class 3-d printing all semester.

I f not for my wonderful wife I wouldn't have all these scale planes. She supports my hobby


A very Happy New Year to All, Rex

As they say, you got a "keeper"with your lovely wife! That B-26 is going to be very cool with all the add-pns your school kids can print for you!

I think my wife Gail has been well immersed in WWII history, with her dad having been a B-17 pilot with the 351st Bomb Group our of Polebrook England in WWII. Funny though, after he got back from the war, he got to fly a bunch of airplanes like the B-29, and the Consolidated B-32 Dominator. The only flight it went on though was from the factory in Ft. Worth to a field in Arkansas where its one and only flight ended up with the ground people harvesting some parts and chopping and blowing up the rest for scrap! What a pity! After service flying in Korea, he left the air force and never thought about all these experiences again until I showed up dating and then marrying his daughter. We have had great times and got to meet with several of his crew members from the B-17 days. They have all passed away since, and Fred is the "last of the Mohicans" of his crew hanging in there at 102 years old!

Cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

Dan,

5 years ago, I didn't own a foam airplane. Now I have 10!
You and Dave need to attend the Nationals for a week, maybe get Elbee to come. Wife said your all welcome to stay with us. Muncie, In. is 1 1/2 hr. drive from our house and I usually rough it for those days. Boy Scout memories of camping.

Guy's, There REALLY is a SANTA CLAUS, Rex

[f4u ausie]

Happy new year all rex i had the dynam b26 early in the peice,, dynam got me into it all(good 4 entry level) it flew very well , had great presence,, put around 70 flights b4 it went to foam heavan,,, anyway i painted as flack bait ,, luved it,,hand painted nose art.. it was an early silver color,, looks like yours is an upgrade,,, so with the silver base, a bunch of rock salt , and green paint job done,, u goina b busy... have fun b safe,,, oh p47 lookin awsome only trouble i had on grass ,, breaking props on landing

[davegee]

Happy New Year, f4u Ausie! In the USA we’re still a few hours away from ringing in the new year 2025!

I like your B-26 Flak Bait and how you painted it up. Too bad it went to foamie heaven, but you still had some good times with it. The real Flak Bait is being restored at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy center in the Washington DC area. I got to see it with the wings in storage cradles years ago. It Still had mud and grime on the underneath of the wings decades later!

[f4u ausie]

Thanx dave ye it had a great story,, i believe it had 3 crews,, and the first pilot, named it after his dog,(flee bait)

[jetfool]

f4uausie,
Happy New Year

Your Flak Bait looks great. Sorry to hear it went down. At least she got 21/2 tours of duty before her final flight. Those pesky Messerschmitt's!
Did you put the 1/8" wedge in the tail on yours? I have read that the wedge helps the flying aspect greatly. Making a list of settings, mods everyone has made on this model from the B-26 forum.
Yeah, it looks like I will have plenty to do this winter instead of Honey-do's

Best Regards, Rex

[f4u ausie]

Did not put the wedge.. but was about /mm uptrim,, from memory

[f4u ausie]

Sorry 4 mm