Official FMS 1500mm P-47D Razorback Thread

[Grossman56]

Grossman,
What happened to the days of Booze and Wild Women

Ahh, a thing of the past my friend, all those wild women are now grandmothers, possibly Great Grandmothers

Me at 19:

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Grossman56
(Dangerous Dan)

[jetfool]

Davegee,
If James decides to make some thicker canopies I'd be interested in a couple. I would also want to purchase his templates for the conversion also. Please keep me informed.
Best Regards, Rex

[Davegeee]

Davegee,
Since you're getting the only 2 canopies available for the FMS I guess I will have 2 make my JEM-CO P-47 into a P-47M. I have the plans showing the bubble conversion from JEM-CO for the conversion , all these years later. Bought kit in 1980.
Best Regards, Rex

Hi Rex: Just got an email from James regarding getting more canopies done, possibly. He is sending me the last two that were done by that outfit in Michigan. But he wants to get the mold back so he can see if he can make some better, thicker ones that would work better for the P-47 M you are thinking of doing. Would you want to buy a couple of the new ones if he decides to do that? Or, if he does make the thicker ones and you don't want one of those, I could sell you one of the thinner ones that I am waiting for in the mail to do my last backups for this Hairless Joe model. If that works out one way or another, you might be able to do a cool M conversion.

Let me know if you are interested at all in this idea and I can let James know how to proceed.

Cheers

Davegee

[Elbee]

Grossman,
What happened to the days of Booze and Wild Women

Not wanting to tread on your conversation, but the answer is 'prioritizing responsibility".

Bummer.

Best, LB

[jetfool]

Grossman,
What happened to the days of Booze and Wild Women

[Grossman56]

Good to know I'm not the only one!
Dewinterized the trailer, reseeded the grass, pressure washed the deck.
Camping next weekend in Buffalo Wyoming.

Dan

[Elbee]

Acknowledged & Agreed

[jetfool]

Elbee,
Same with spring chores here. My Boss always finds things to-do.
Your B-25 should look great with a desert fading paint in the sunlight.
You will like the new radio advances, I've been working all morning trying to get it registered on Spectrums sight but something I'm not doing is driving me crazy.
Once I get this working it can be set-up to talk and tell you batt. pwr, throttle settings, all kinds of things so I don't have to look at screen while flying.
Most guys in our club are Spectrum users so I can pick their brains on how to use this.
It is a big step up from my Futaba.

Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

Elbee,
Good to hear from you. Hope all is well and you're getting some flying in.
My JEM-CO kit will be after the Phantom is finished. Want to take it to Toledo next spring.
I have the plans for the Jem-co SBD-5 and would like to build some day if I can get a set of foam wing cores and canopies. Still have my Jem-co Corsair and FW-190d hanging in the garage. They were great kits and fly well.
When are you starting a new build? Will be looking forward to it.
Best Regards, Rex

Rex,

I've been 1) working on a personal project and 2) getting all that house/property Spring stuff outta the way.

Still want to add that white wash coat to the upper surfaces of the B-25C "Desert Warrior" to simulate sun fade.

Then it's on to radio install and first check flight.

Will begin the Tomcat somewhere in-between those no doubt.

Had thought to pull out the T-33, assemble it making no modifications just to have a simple beater, but I'm running out of my allotted hanger space, or so I've been told.

One has little to do with the other, but you know how that goes.

She whose authority exceeds my rank is tolerant until I move something....

Looking forward to more reports about your Spectrum 8X, is it?

Want to learn more about AS3X+ RXs, so might be in the market for an 8X TX.

Like you, I've been a Futaba guy from the beginning, (1982 +/-) and would definitely need some schooling in the new techs.

Best, LB

[Davegeee]

Davegee,
My JEM-CO P-47 is 54" ws so a little smaller than the FMS. I have all the plans but not the canopy. The E-Flite P-47 canopy may fit ok just need to measure my plans and check the E-Flite size. Not in any hurry to start. The JEM-CO is close to 100% scale in outline w/ 500# bombs and drop tank included. Trying to understand my new Spectrum NX8+, so this old brain is smoking on this. The tech from my 13 yr. old Futaba 7c to this is lite years advancement and will take time to learn, an amazing radio. I also got the E-Flite GEE BEE 1.0m to have a little speed fun. Only able to fly maybe 8-10 times this yearbecause of wind but it's getting better flying weather. I need to get my Yellow P-47 back in the air too.
Best Regards, Rex

We used to call it a "helmet fire" when task saturated on checkrides in the simulators devised by deviants (like me). Totally understand the brain ramp up to this newest technology. I will at some point be upgrading from my venerable Spektrum DX-18 to something like what you have. I'll have the same challenges that you are experiencing now, I'm sure!

Take care,

Davegee

[jetfool]

Elbee,
Good to hear from you. Hope all is well and you're getting some flying in.
My JEM-CO kit will be after the Phantom is finished. Want to take it to Toledo next spring.
I have the plans for the Jem-co SBD-5 and would like to build some day if I can get a set of foam wing cores and canopies. Still have my Jem-co Corsair and FW-190d hanging in the garage. They were great kits and fly well.
When are you starting a new build? Will be looking forward to it.
Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

jetfool,

HAD the JemCo P-47, too, sold it along with their F6F Hellcat and Jim Meister's Master Scale P-51D model kit of AVG pilot James Howard's P-51 Mustang DING HAO! during the typhoon.

Those are/were all beautiful kits. No regrets, but happy you have your P-47.

Brings a smile to my old face and looking forward to pictures and commentary on that build.

Best, LB

[jetfool]

Davegee,
My JEM-CO P-47 is 54" ws so a little smaller than the FMS. I have all the plans but not the canopy. The E-Flite P-47 canopy may fit ok just need to measure my plans and check the E-Flite size. Not in any hurry to start. The JEM-CO is close to 100% scale in outline w/ 500# bombs and drop tank included. Trying to understand my new Spectrum NX8+, so this old brain is smoking on this. The tech from my 13 yr. old Futaba 7c to this is lite years advancement and will take time to learn, an amazing radio. I also got the E-Flite GEE BEE 1.0m to have a little speed fun. Only able to fly maybe 8-10 times this yearbecause of wind but it's getting better flying weather. I need to get my Yellow P-47 back in the air too.
Best Regards, Rex

[Davegeee]

Just a quick followup for resuming flying my FMS 1500mm heavily modified P-47D bubbletop model. I took it up this morning for two test flights, with "insurance" pins inserted, two at the front of the canopy, one on either side, and one in the back of the canopy. Did some aerobatic flying and fast flying to see if that shook up the canopy at all, but it was rock solid all the way through. Danger Dan and I might come up with a canopy bow printed piece that might help secure it better to keep it from departing the airplane in flight, but even if we don't, the three simple pins keep it nice and solid until removed on the ground for demonstrating the powered canopy, which works great.

Ten flights on it so far. I'll continue to fly it sparingly, but for the most part, I'm satisfied with this little experiment. It is an ode to my original 1/6 scale Aerotech P-47D that I flew over 20 years ago and has been in the Kalamazoo Air Zoo museum since 2006. Also, attached is a pic of the real Hairless Joe taxiing for a combat mission in 1944.

Cheers

Davegee

[Davegeee]

Davegee,
Since you're getting the only 2 canopies available for the FMS I guess I will have 2 make my JEM-CO P-47 into a P-47M. I have the plans showing the bubble conversion from JEM-CO for the conversion , all these years later. Bought kit in 1980.
Best Regards, Rex

Hi Rex: I'm sorta spooked after the mishap with the canopy a couple of weeks ago. I did do two test flights this morning with a pin inserted in the front at two places and one in the rear of the bubbletop canopy. Flew like a champ, although I learned that especially with this plane it seems, don't get it slow. I wasn't anywhere near a stall with it, but it definitely is in the groove going fast and downhill, especially with the big V3 FMS Corsair prop on it! No adverse issues with the canopy whatsoever with the three "insurance" pins installed just for flying. Afterwards, when you pull them out, the canopy operates perfectly in static display. You can scarcely see where the pinholes are in the canopy.

So, a total of 10 flights on Hairless Joe so far, and I will be keeping it flying very occasionally, mostly for display.


I'll add a separate short entry on today's flight separate from this.

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on the Flightline P-51D. I'm very glad I made the heavily modified experimental Hairless Joe. It was a lot of work and some challenges, but I learned a lot on this project.

Does your bigger Jemco P-47 have a bubbletop canopy? What scale is it? An M model would be awesome in a larger scale plane. I did that one that you have seen in Florida, but I don't know if many (if any?) who have done a large M model before. I know the pilots loved it, even though it had some teething problems and came out near the end of the war. My late friend Russ Kyler used to tell me while flying the M model:"If anything comes up to attack us at 25,000 feet or higher, they're DEAD MEAT!"

Cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

Davegee,
Since you're getting the only 2 canopies available for the FMS I guess I will have 2 make my JEM-CO P-47 into a P-47M. I have the plans showing the bubble conversion from JEM-CO for the conversion , all these years later. Bought kit in 1980.
Best Regards, Rex

[Grossman56]

Get out the leaf blower and hit it, see what happens!

Dan

[Davegeee]

Thanks, Dan. We can look into that. I almost went flying this afternoon for a test flight with the new replacement canopy, but it started raining and wasn't going to let up. I'll try early tomorrow or Monday.

For the near term, I have installed three ball-head pins: one for the aft tail of the canopy, and one on each side that goes through the windscreen and canopy lip, to secure those in place for flying. It feels very sturdy when I shake it gently with my hand. I want a couple of flights like that just to prove that the airplane can fly great and keep the canopy on for the whole flight. After that, we can work on some sort of frame to make sure the canopy can't blow off in flight! The pins are easily removable on the ground, enabling the demonstration of the powered canopy.

I talked with James and he is going to sell me the last two plastic canopies that the fabricator made from his mold. Then, I'll have extras for any unexpected developments during testing of ths thing.

Cheers

Davegee

[Elbee]

Dave, we can fix it! We just need to come up with the forward canopy frame and add a lip to slide under the windshield. It can be done!

Dan

Dan,

For me, that was easier said than done.

I eventually designed a good fit.

Best, LB

[Davegeee]

Davegeee,

I would agree with jetfool about a thicker plastic would add some stiffness to the canopy assembly.

Whether that is enough to prevent an unscheduled departure of the canopy is a matter of trial and error.

I might add that the canopy bow should be quite solid and any supporting rail structure should attach to the bow solidly.

The clear canopy should be the added stiffness not the sole means of support.

I surmise any modification like this at 1/8th or smaller scale, we suffer from materials not being up to the task when trying to adhere to scale proportions and yet fly in 1:1 air at above scale speeds.

Also, the bubble canopy of your P-47 doesn't allow much air to escape 'through' it and theoretically then just catches the air.

Obviously, this becomes a force of resistance and either the canopy lives through that or it does not.

I've only flown my Corsair once with the same mod and I didn't open it.

I had no issues, but again it is a completely different type of' bubble' canopy, if it can even be accurately called a 'bubble' canopy.

The Corsair has the turledeck that keeps the air flow along the fuselage and not trying to lift the canopy in flight.

I am certain you will find solution, Dave.

Best, LB

Thanks, Elbee. Great points.

I have two points of attachment in the front on either side which consist of a small bass block with a brass rod drilled into the bottom of each block that is in-turn glued to the lower front sides of the canopy. There are corresponding holes drilled into the sliding or carriage brass square tube mechanism that rides in a slightly larger brass square tube with a lengthwise channel cut through the top side. So, the servo moves this whole carriage back and forth through those brass tubes mounted on the sides of the cockpit. The brass rods glued to the blocks in the canopy are in turn glued into the holes drilled into carriage mechanism listed above.

There is a third, temporary connecting point at the back of the bubble canopy that has a tiny hole drilled through it and I place a long pin with a round ball on the top through the hole in the canopy and all the way into the foam fuselage as far as it goes. It seems to keep the rear of the canopy firmly in place.

For the first 6 flights, I had zero problems with this method. Once I got back on the ground, I could just remove the pin in the rear of the canopy and the canopy could be operated for demonstration purposes all I wanted to.

Still some work to do to make sure that this canopy will stay on the airplane consistently. I'm sure there is a solution there.

Best,

Davegee