Official FMS 1500mm P-47D Razorback Thread

[davegee]

Davegee,
If I shaded the backside of the cowl, would it look like the clearance of the real one? That foam flange is an eyesore to me. Thought of a dark flat grey or flat black with a thin cowling line showing. Your thoughts?
Best Regards, Rex

Hi Rex: good question. This is another one of the little annoying things about a foam aircraft. The cowl flaps were pretty thin pieces of aluminum, but I don't think that they were ever brought down to be exactly flush with the fuselage behind them when completely closed on the ground. There looks to be a little gap when the cowl flaps are completely closed to allow a little bit of cooling air to get through.

So, I think the chosen closed position of the model is fairly close to what the planes looked like when the cowl flaps were fully closed. In other words, the flaps are not completely shutting off cooling air coming into the engine compartment but there is a slight gap. And, the firewall that the engine is attached to curves down right where the aft edge of the cowl flaps are, and there is a little gap even with the cowl flaps fully closed. Unless the model was molded with scale plastic cowl flaps that were the same scale thickness of the real ones, with foam, you really have to make the cowl flaps thicker than scale for model strength, handling, etc.

You can use some shading paints or chalks to try to reduce the thick cowl flaps that were molded that way at the factory for strength so that it looks more like a shadow underneath instead of a hard structure that the model has. I haven't done that on any of my FMS foamie airplanes, but I think you can use your "artist's discretion" to modify the look of it if that bugs you.

Let me know how it comes out. I would want something subtle, looking more like shadows with chalks than to amplify the thick molding of the cowl flaps. If it comes out well, I might do the same thing on mine!

That's my take on it, anyway.

Cheers

Davegee

[davegee]

.There is this one designed by Tom Hunt , i think it needs a post to be glued into the canopy https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:176286/files

Chronicles of Courage: P-47 and the Double Wasp Engine

I like the way those mirrors came out. I printed one at 100% and a second just a little larger to see the difference. I will keep them as spares for now, as it is Very easy to accidentally knock these things off the airplane, usually during handling in the truck to/from the field!

dg

[Grossman56]

Grossman56,
I'm practicing on a German WW1 pilot and his coat is black leather. Do you use the same colors as you do on the brown leather to bring out different shades and shadows. Each pilot is getting better following your methods.
Best Regards, Rex


The beer bottle sounds good. Might have to have a beer myself. lol

Hmm, My thought would be that the coat would be well worn, so a leather color would be showing through. If you want to shade black, use a bit of blue, make the paint thin and apply, then dab off with like a paper towel. To do the leather on my pilots, I start with a black base and use this method using a leather brown or mahogany and build up layers.

You can see the results of doing this a couple of times on your guy:



The end result being this:


Using a sealer between layers is a life saver

I've picked up a lot of tips from this fellow and use the same Krylon clear sealer he does, Wally World:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheCreativeCollector/featured

Check him out.

Grossman56
(Dangerous Dan)

[Grossman56]

Here's a video where he's painting a black figure, Like I say, he's a really good go to guy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo6f6WxiT30

[Grossman56]

Well, Dave was over and picked up the little guybye Bob, safe landings!
So the plan is to get everything in the mail tomorrow, Rex gets a late Christmas present.


Grossman56
(Dangerous Dan)

[davegee]

Well, Dave was over and picked up the little guybye Bob, safe landings!
So the plan is to get everything in the mail tomorrow, Rex gets a late Christmas present.


Grossman56
(Dangerous Dan)

Hey Dan: The beer is flowing in the O Club! I printed off two sizes of bottles of beer for the boys. still need to be painted.

[Grossman56]

Loving it!
Maybe we'll have to ship a 'bottle of beer' with each pilot!
The big marine pilot' arms can go up to look like he's drinking. Got thinking about what we were talking about as regards the doweling on the neck, it would work equally well on the arms, allowing them to be positioned where ever.
BTW, love the bottles in the background, looks like he's been at it a while.

Diane's results came back and she doesn't need radiation or chemo!!!! Best news of the bunch!
Hey, why don't you use the pic as you Hobbysquawk icon?

Grossman56
(Dangerous Dan)

[jetfool]

Grossman.
Best news of the day finding out your better half doesn't have to face those treatments.
Liking the beer bottles, must have been a rough mission for him to drink them so fast. Rex

[davegee]

Loving it!
Maybe we'll have to ship a 'bottle of beer' with each pilot!
The big marine pilot' arms can go up to look like he's drinking. Got thinking about what we were talking about as regards the doweling on the neck, it would work equally well on the arms, allowing them to be positioned where ever.
BTW, love the bottles in the background, looks like he's been at it a while.

Diane's results came back and she doesn't need radiation or chemo!!!! Best news of the bunch!
Hey, why don't you use the pic as you Hobbysquawk icon?

Grossman56
(Dangerous Dan)

Hi Dan: first of all, congrats and blessings to both of you for the good medical news on Diane! T\hat is truly wonderful!

I had not thought of a dowel for the arms of the marine pilot, but that is a very plausible idea. That and the dowel for the neck should really add options for having a movable head with a servo, or waving an arm with the marine pilot.

The package to Rex moves out tomorrow! Hopefully this will be all he needs but I told him let us know if he needs anything else. I actually did put the 4th bottle in his hand so Rex should have a funny surprise when he opens it up!

I have three beer bottles for you and you can paint them to look more like an English ale when you get them.

I think I'd like to have the beer bottles painted first for a little more authenticity. But definitely a fun possiblity.

Cheers

dave

[jetfool]

Davegee,
Do you think when Bob arrives the bottle will be full or empty? Dan has made him look so authentic I am not sure.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Davegee,
Do you think when Bob arrives the bottle will be full or empty? Dan has made him look so authentic I am not sure.
Best Regards, Rex

You'll have to wait and see! I'm mailing him with a full bottle in his hand, so you'll have to see how much is left when you receive the package in a few days!🤣🤣

Shipping out today via UPS.

Cheers

dave

[davegee]

You'll have to wait and see! I'm mailing him with a full bottle in his hand, so you'll have to see how much is left when you receive the package in a few days!🤣🤣

Shipping out today via UPS.

Cheers

dave

Package is shipped! Should be there Tuesday, January 20, via UPS. I did print up a scale Spitfire rearview mirror with the bracket in case you want to use that one. Your decision using that or the one that comes from Flightline.

Cheers

dave

[jetfool]

[jetfool]

Davegee,
Great news. Looking forward to the package. Please send an e-mail of the cost for you and Dan.
I gutted the cockpit of the OEM panels and cut the floor out, added the 1/2" sq. balsa extensions Will wait for parts before adding new floor.
May use your printed mirror. How long did you make the mirror post from the canopy?
Ready to cut the canopy apart. Need to find some small flat strip steel for the sliding canopy.

Phantom is getting attention also just on a smaller bench. 2 1/2 months till Toledo! May have some sleepless nights coming.

Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

That's good. That should allow the full figure pilot to be able to fit in the cockpit properly without surgery to remove his lower legs! You can adjust the height of the cockpit seat glued onto the back wall of the cockpit to adjust the pilot's proper height in the cockpit.

Regarding the OEM headrest on the back wall of the cockpit, no jug had anything like that. I would recommend taking a exacto knifeor razor saw and remove it from the back wall, patch it with whatever you use for foam, and replace it with a much smaller square head rest per photos you can find of actual cockpits or pilots sitting in the cockpits with the head rest visible. They were usually painted black. I usually use a small piece of balsa or bass wood, round the corners slightly, prime and paint.

Cheers

davegee

[jetfool]

Davegee,
Head rest is exactly what I am doing, also adding the 2 angled structural braces on the former.
Rex

[davegee]

Davegee,
Great news. Looking forward to the package. Please send an e-mail of the cost for you and Dan.
I gutted the cockpit of the OEM panels and cut the floor out, added the 1/2" sq. balsa extensions Will wait for parts before adding new floor.
May use your printed mirror. How long did you make the mirror post from the canopy?
Ready to cut the canopy apart. Need to find some small flat strip steel for the sliding canopy.

Phantom is getting attention also just on a smaller bench. 2 1/2 months till Toledo! May have some sleepless nights coming.

Best Regards, Rex

You can probably remove some of the parts from the OEM cockpit to repaint and glue onto the new sidewalls of the cockpit. They aren't totally bad, but can be improved upon over the OEM parts.

Take a look at the printed rearview mirror when you get it. It looks pretty scale, is already painted and can easily glue onto the top of the windscreen glass. If you use the OEM Spitfire rear view mirror, I cut the mirror post to about 3/8 inch long, or so, beveled at the base for the mirror to angle down to look like photos of it in books. If you use the mirror I am sending, you can simply glue it onto the top of the windscreen, as it is already angled properly.

[davegee]

Davegee,
Head rest is exactly what I am doing, also adding the 2 angled structural braces on the former.
Rex

cool!

d

[vrosi1963]

Correct headrest is a rounder rectangle Dakota Territory Air Museum’s P-47 Update – June/July, 2022

[davegee]

cool!

d

vrosi1963 gives a good point. From pictures he shows, the razorback jug headrest is more rectangular, rounded edges, with the long edge up and down on the back wall of the cockpit. I've seen period pics of several minor variations of that, with thousands of P-47s manufactured by three plants (Republic, NY, Republic Evansville, and some Curtiss in NY) but you can see the basic idea. Most of the headrest will be covered by the pilot's head, but it is still important to get one in there of the basic shape.

davegee