Official FMS 1500mm P-47D Razorback Thread

[jetfool]

Some more


German WW1 won BEST of SHOW

[davegee]

Guys here are some more pictures from the Toledo show




My Buddys Jenny a Joy Products, 66" ws. Kit bought in 1967.

Hi Rex: thanks for sending those pics. The Jenny in the picture is gorgeous. I helped a friend with some painting and engine detailing of his Jenny painted up as The Great Waldo Pepper. I was later told that the actual airplane in the movie was not a Jenny, but a derivative of it. But it still looked great. All the controls used pulleys and bell cranks like the real one. The Jenny in the picture you took is very similar to a full sized plane now hung in the terminal at DIA in Denver. That plane was used as a trainer in the 1920s and has survived all this time to present day. Gorgeous restoration. I remember staring at this airplane as a little kid when we had the old Stapleton Field closer into town before it got moved in 1995 to where it is today. Lots of great memories when I see that model airplane Jenny.

Cheers

Davegee

[Elbee]

F106DeltaDart

Acknowledged and Agreed.

Best, LB

[jetfool]

more-




William had a very good display. His craftsmanship beat out a nice but factory finished big CARF MIG 15




A Sterling 59" Tri-Pacer nicely done. My dad gave me my first R/C scale model kit of this p;ane. I built it in my dorm room my freshman year of college. I still have the metal cowl and landinging gear wires plus the plans, 51 yrs. later.

As you can see this year there were more entryies and I didn
t get pics of a lot of them.

Dave, My Buddies Jenny has a closed loop aileron operating cables and pullys as the full scale. he made all the turnbuckles also.


I will try again next year Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

more-




William had a very good display. His craftsmanship beat out a nice but factory finished big CARF MIG 15




A Sterling 59" Tri-Pacer nicely done. My dad gave me my first R/C scale model kit of this p;ane. I built it in my dorm room my freshman year of college. I still have the metal cowl and landinging gear wires plus the plans, 51 yrs. later.

As you can see this year there were more entryies and I didn
t get pics of a lot of them.

Dave, My Buddies Jenny has a closed loop aileron operating cables and pullys as the full scale. he made all the turnbuckles also.


I will try again next year Best Regards, Rex

Thanks for all the pics! Who's Albatross was that??
If I lived closer I would probably attend every year with some new project. In some divisions of competitive warbird scale rc planes, it was pretty cutthroat, I am told. I was only in team scale WWII, so it was a very friendly environment before, during, and after the competitions ended for the day. Everyone was happy to help out if someone needed a tool, or a guess on why the engine was cutting out, etc. I'm glad I did it even if it was just for a few years.

[davegee]

Although stormy, I took my P-47 Penrod and Sam out to the field for a brief test of the EFlite bomb/tank drop mechanism. I had close to 10 kts of crosswind but I took off anyway, a non event. Flew several passes back and forth my position including a couple aileron rolls to be sure the drop tank would stay in place, and it did. Then I dropped it as it passed my position at about 100 feet altitude. It cleared immediately from the airplane and did a rapid end over end tumble, and into the dirt/sagebrush. No damage.

I think we're supposed to have some winds that might make me pause my final test of the bomb drop system using my other P-47D "Ole Cock." Once I do one or two tests next week with that one, I'll call it good and next time I get to fly Hairless Joe when it gets completed, I can feel comfortable that this drop tank mechanism will work just fine on it, too.

A pic after the test flight today with Penrod and Sam.

[jetfool]

Davegee,
Penrod and Sam really looks good. Nice to know the tank drops in a realistic manner and leaves the aircraft cleanly. Plan to add the drop on LUCKY this month.
I don't remember his name but his plane was beautiful. 1/3 scale I believe. He deserved the win.
The competition was tough but everyone was helpful in answering questions on how they did things and giving advice on improving your next entry. J Boyko was after me to enter the Nationals this year and thought as a first-time entrant my LUCKY would do well in Fun Scale. Really need a bigger plane to do well in the upper classes. I attend every year as a spectator but haven't had the guts to enter, this might be the year. I'm having fun being around these guys and learning by them allowing me to be their caller at some scale meets I attend. They are very competitive but approachable and fun to be around.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Davegee,
Penrod and Sam really looks good. Nice to know the tank drops in a realistic manner and leaves the aircraft cleanly. Plan to add the drop on LUCKY this month.
I don't remember his name but his plane was beautiful. 1/3 scale I believe. He deserved the win.
The competition was tough but everyone was helpful in answering questions on how they did things and giving advice on improving your next entry. J Boyko was after me to enter the Nationals this year and thought as a first-time entrant my LUCKY would do well in Fun Scale. Really need a bigger plane to do well in the upper classes. I attend every year as a spectator but haven't had the guts to enter, this might be the year. I'm having fun being around these guys and learning by them allowing me to be their caller at some scale meets I attend. They are very competitive but approachable and fun to be around.
Best Regards, Rex

Hi Rex: Thanks for the info on the builder of that beautiful Albatross. He deserved to win. It just stood out in the photo and I'm sure it did to the judges, too.

You will have no problem mounting and using the E Flite bomb/tank drop in Lucky. You can probably install it in 10 minutes of work. Let me know how it goes and if you have any questions. There are several LED lights of different colors to signify delay in dropping your tank. They are in milliseconds apart and for us probably not really necessary. You won't need to worry about selecting one of the modes for a single-drop like ours. It will release normally even if you ignore selecting those lights.

Tell me more about the Nationals, when it is, that kind of thing. I don't think it is too bold a move to enter Lucky in Fun Scale, you never know how they might react to it, in a favorable way. Yes, Lucky is small compared to most who enter these big scale races. But the amount of detail on your airplane is extraordinary, the engine, the cockpit, painting, etc.. It truly is as our buddy Craig from "down unduh" says, a large airplane shrunk to smaller proportions!

I think you should give some thought into tossing your hat in the ring if you want to give it a go. As the sweepstakes sayings on tv from the past used to say: "Remember, you can't win if you don't Enter!"

Well done, entering Lucky for consideration in this year's competition!

Cheers

dave

[davegee]

Had a beautiful morning to fly today. Light winds, brilliant sunshine, and a decent temp for early morning. I took a third P-47 for testing the EFlite bomb/tank drop mechanism. The only complication was lining up the hole in the receiver on the tank with the pin on the fuselage that keeps it in place until release is commanded using the "I" button on my transmitter. Again, I performed a couple of aerobatic maneuvers to be sure that there is a good connection with the tank and airplane, and then released the tank as it passed by my position at about 100 feet or less. I actually did a second flight with a tank release and got similar good results. Again, no damage to the tank, from release or contact with the ground. And, it makes a very realistic departure from the belly of the plane and tumbles end over end until ground contact. I hope to get a few pics with someone else taking pics while I fly past the runway in the future. Would make for a neat pic, I think.

So, I would say my little test program with the EFlite release mechanism is concluded, with solid results. When I get Hairless Joe finished someday, I'll take some good inflight shots of the tank drop, too.

Here's a pic of "Ole Cock" after the second flight and tank drop. This project done in memory of Lt. Gen. Donavan "Don" Smith, 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, 8th USAAF in WWII. "Ole Cock" was a term of endearment from local Brits to their American Cousins in WWII. The Rooster on the nose was taken from Smith's high school mascot in Niles, MI.

Cheers

davegee

[jetfool]

Great news on your results.
I passed up a FMS P-47 fuselage at Toledo, guy wanted $40 obo. Didn't have the rudder, cowling or cockpit hatch. It also had some foam damage so I passed. Just the foam main fus. FMS wants $89 for a complete fuselage.
Dave, do you think using a piece of thick foam that the bubble top/hatch can be formed using the templets that may be offered? Just thinking out loud.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Great news on your results.
I passed up a FMS P-47 fuselage at Toledo, guy wanted $40 obo. Didn't have the rudder, cowling or cockpit hatch. It also had some foam damage so I passed. Just the foam main fus. FMS wants $89 for a complete fuselage.
Dave, do you think using a piece of thick foam that the bubble top/hatch can be formed using the templets that may be offered? Just thinking out loud.
Best Regards, Rex

Hi Rex: thanks for the suggestions. I didn't quite follow your points, could you rephrase that so I better understand what you were saying? Always open to and appreciate suggestions!

The fuselage I am using for Hairless Joe was actually bought back in 2023 for about $100 from FMS. It was bare bones, but I think it came with a rudder, and I needed that badly for another project. It has sat idle until this January when I sent it to California to have the fuselage modified by James. I then transferred the innards from my brand new FMS P-47 kit. With the exception of the cockpit/canopy area to be done and figured out, the rest of it is basically done and ready for a test flight. I hope to do that before summer.

Cheers

Dave

[Eagle15]

I’ve said this before, but I think there are a lot of factors here. The openness (or lack of) in some clubs doesn’t do them any favors. They are usually the same clubs where guys grumble that no one new is joining the hobby, than they give the death stare the second someone under 50 walks through the gate. Especially if they aren’t carrying the “preferred aircraft”. I know some clubs are fantastic and not like this at all, but I’ve seen it happen a lot throughout the country.

I remember a friend and I bringing 2 or 3 guests to a local field field here, and the second we got out of the car we were all met with “I want to see everyone’s AMA”. Even after showing that and explaining that 2 flyers were guests, they were regarded with suspicion. We ended up going across the street and flying in an empty park instead. Not exactly a welcoming event.

I’ve been poorly received because I showed up to a club with a heli, or a foam electric plane. I’ve seen people interested in joining up, or getting their kids into the hobby being lectured about how their Flite Test foamboard plane, that was this kids pride and joy, wasn’t a “real airplane”. Surprise, surprise, even after me talking to them and assuring that this guy was just a vocal minority, and helping them, I never saw them again.

Sorry, I got. A bit off the rails, but this is something that really bugs me. Some of what has been said here is valid. There are other hobbies/distractions that are easier and cheaper now. But if you want kids and younger membership to show up, you have to provide a welcoming environment. And it only takes one bad apple to screw that up.

Also, great photos Rex, and a beautiful model!

As a young person myself, still in my first year of high school, I can confirm that I am the only person in my high school that I know of that is in this hobby. I’ve tried getting some friends into RC planes, but they’ve all declined for various reasons. I do have one old friend that I got into the hobby that has an fms ranger and we used to fly together at our local park, but our schedules haven’t aligned in quite some time now and I haven’t been able to fly with him. Unfortunately he’s not the greatest pilot and I think his ranger is more tape than foam at this point, but that’s all part of the fun. Just like my old durafly tundra that I recently painted like an l4, similar to the one that won the competition.

I have also reached out to the nearest flying field to my house, around a 30 minute drive, and so far the emails I have received were very welcoming and I am looking forward to going there this summer after my Track season ends and I can finally clear up some time. I just got my AMA membership, so I hopefully will be good to go. Once again, a very kind and encouraging email from a Manager there. Hopefully this field won’t fit in with the stereotypes 😂

In the meantime, I guess I’ll just continue poking holes in my p47 with a toothpick. Haven’t made much progress honestly, Track practice and homework is taking up all my evenings, but I might be able to get some progress in tonight as track practice was canceled.

[Elbee]

Eagle15

Thank you for your candid comments.

This is a lifetime hobby, though you might be inactive for periods in your life.

As a young man, I trust you'll continue to carry the torch for many years to come.

Best, LB

[F106DeltaDart]

As a young person myself, still in my first year of high school, I can confirm that I am the only person in my high school that I know of that is in this hobby. I’ve tried getting some friends into RC planes, but they’ve all declined for various reasons. I do have one old friend that I got into the hobby that has an fms ranger and we used to fly together at our local park, but our schedules haven’t aligned in quite some time now and I haven’t been able to fly with him. Unfortunately he’s not the greatest pilot and I think his ranger is more tape than foam at this point, but that’s all part of the fun. Just like my old durafly tundra that I recently painted like an l4, similar to the one that won the competition.

I have also reached out to the nearest flying field to my house, around a 30 minute drive, and so far the emails I have received were very welcoming and I am looking forward to going there this summer after my Track season ends and I can finally clear up some time. I just got my AMA membership, so I hopefully will be good to go. Once again, a very kind and encouraging email from a Manager there. Hopefully this field won’t fit in with the stereotypes 😂

In the meantime, I guess I’ll just continue poking holes in my p47 with a toothpick. Haven’t made much progress honestly, Track practice and homework is taking up all my evenings, but I might be able to get some progress in tonight as track practice was canceled.

Glad to hear that! Hopefully it proves to be a great place! I'm 32 now, but I ran the campus RC club at Embry Riddle in Arizona back when I was in college. Was an amazing time to have 100+ student members in the club and 30+ showing up each weekend. After that, I've only had a scant few friends in RC my age or younger. Still worth it for the fun of building and flying!

[davegee]

I'm awaiting delivery of our first pull of a clear plastic bubble canopy and windscreen that James developed. A separate service performed the pull to vacuform the part, and I'll get two of them as soon as they ship to me. Assuming they pass muster for appearance and scale fit, I'll take canopy #1 and fit it for a powered canopy using a new linear servo. Canopy #2 will serve as a backup/spare. I don't have it all planned out yet, but once I get the scale canopy/windscreen I can work on it in earnest.

While I wait for that, I am doing some detail work on the control panel. One interesting thing I have found through pictures from WWII is that many of bubbletop P-47s had an open area in the front of the windscreen, exposing the backs of the instruments on the panel, with wires coming out of them. I have done this on an earlier airplane and thought it looked pretty cool, and historically accurate. I am busy doing that now cutting various diameter wood dowels. I'll post a couple of pics as I get started on it. The backside of the control panel will all be visible as you look into the front of the cockpit, below the windscreen. I should have this done in a day or so.

Note: I just added a couple more pics, the last one how it looks after everything is painted. This is a subtle addition of scale, to me it signifies that everything in these warbirds was functional, no glitz or glam. It was at its basic form and function, a killing machine. I think this detail will be visible when the whole model is together, but even if it isn't, I'm glad I added it into this model. Some of the pictures this detail is not very discernible due to everything being matte black, hopefully it shows up better in person to the human eye over a camera.



Cheers

davegee

[jetfool]

Davegee,
Instrument panels looks fantastic. This bubbletop will be outstanding when done. High winds in our area, I'm chomping at the bit to go fly. Trying to get the honey-dos done before good weather. Slowly working on the Phantom and this year at Toledo I didn't spend $200 on planes. Bought a RABID MODELS 68" foam PBY-5a for some fun slow flying at the field this summer ($45 for kit). I have 2 other of these foam kits and they fly great just to fly around.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Davegee,
Instrument panels looks fantastic. This bubbletop will be outstanding when done. High winds in our area, I'm chomping at the bit to go fly. Trying to get the honey-dos done before good weather. Slowly working on the Phantom and this year at Toledo I didn't spend $200 on planes. Bought a RABID MODELS 68" foam PBY-5a for some fun slow flying at the field this summer ($45 for kit). I have 2 other of these foam kits and they fly great just to fly around.
Best Regards, Rex

Thanks, Rex. If you go back and look at that entry, I've added a couple more pics how it looks when done. I'm hoping people will be able to make out this detail when the model is all completed and they look at it.

It reminds me of the airliners I used to fly back in the day, at least on the flight deck. They were fully functionable quarters, not much at all embellished. The older airplanes had just the flat grey color, bundles of wires neatly exposed without any aesthetic covers. Newer planes had about the same thing in flat brown and tan.

I'm hoping the final version of the canopy/windscreen will make it to me in the mail soon. I've done most of what I can up to this point without them, but to finish the powered canopy and cockpit detail, I can't do much more until I have them in-hand to work on them. Once I get past this hurdle of the cockpit, I think it will be much easier to finish painting the entire fuse, although it has a very complicated camo pattern that I have to try and replicate. Once it is all complete, I can't wait to take it out to the field to fly it!

Sounds like a great deal on those airplanes. My late step dad flew the PBY in the Pacific during WWII, among other planes like the R4D (DC-3) and R5D (DC-4). Have fun with it and let us know how it flies!

Cheers

Davegee

[Grossman56]

That show looked awesome Rex, wish we had something like that in our neck of the woods.
Off to the annual swap meet tomorrow so I'll see what I can find. Just talked to my buddy Ron who usually teams up with me to go to the event, he just had spine surgery and is down for a couple of months. He's in his 80's now and I originally got him into the hobby several years ago. I'm hoping for a complete recovery for him, life catches up with you.

Dan

[jetfool]

Davegee,

Your details will be an eye catcher to anyone that looks at the plane. I was amazed that people couldn't believe I had a complete cockpit and full body pilot in mine. Spent a lot of time answering questions and that made the trip worthwhile.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Hi Rex: details like your pilot and detailed cockpit might be the ticket for success if you enter the nationals someday in FunFly division. I’d like to see that if you decide to go down that road. I bet it would be fun and interesting. If we had something like that closer to where I live, I’d enter just for the fun of it, if nothing else.

cheers

davegee