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1/18 P51C Mustang "Lopes Hope the 3rd"


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Hi Peter,

 

Not sure if you've seen this, but good description of the seats. Seems the T6 Harvard/Texan used the same seat.

 

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=65446

 

If this is correct, the straight edge seat was used up to P-51D-5-NA

 

And as a curiosity, Here is the Warren McArthur's patent for one of their bucket seats.

 

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/1c/69/4e/f7097215ef3be3/US2291247.pdf

 

 

Cheers

Edited by GunnarO
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G'day Peter,

Stunning work on Lope's Hope. After the Spit, we'd expect no less :D

 

I'm a mechanic with Aircorps, coming on during the Lope's project. I took a LOT of pics for my own modelling references, particularly a lot of the unique detailed markings and original touches that are not normally seen. I'd be glad to help out with any questions you have.

 

I'm in the process of carving up the revell 1/32 P51B to get the nose shape correct. Love the idea of doing a giant scale like yours though!

 

 

The magazine articles that have been published about her have beautiful pics and are certainly well written, but not a lot of pics with the modeller in mind.

 

Lope's is just about to start her first airshow season over here in the USA, so anyone stateside, keep an eye out for her!

 

Cheers,

Denzil

(looooong time lurker, first time poster)

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This place makes me want to take some time away from the big planes to get some work done on my little planes ;D

 

 

                             :hi:

 

Hey Denzil , I'm sure many of us would like to know about your

Revell B project.  Don't be bashful  :popcorn: :)

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G'day Peter,

Stunning work on Lope's Hope. After the Spit, we'd expect no less :D

 

I'm a mechanic with Aircorps, coming on during the Lope's project. I took a LOT of pics for my own modelling references, particularly a lot of the unique detailed markings and original touches that are not normally seen. I'd be glad to help out with any questions you have.

 

I'm in the process of carving up the revell 1/32 P51B to get the nose shape correct. Love the idea of doing a giant scale like yours though!

 

 

The magazine articles that have been published about her have beautiful pics and are certainly well written, but not a lot of pics with the modeller in mind.

 

Lope's is just about to start her first airshow season over here in the USA, so anyone stateside, keep an eye out for her!

 

Cheers,

Denzil

(looooong time lurker, first time poster)

 

 

Hi Denzil - what a pleasure to have you on board and welcome to the greatest place on earth!

 

I am sooo jealous of what you do - I wish I could work on the real thing. When I spoke to Eric when I started the project, amazingly he said he thought the Spit I built qualified me to work on in the aircorps shop -, but Minnesota is a bit of a commute :)

 

I will drop you a PM about those pics, and please, don't be shy, post your build on here :)

 

thanks again

Peter

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40998519824_a9e7ec8b5e_b.jpg

 

Now that heat stain would take a steady hand and nerves of steel driving a needle flame gas torch to pull off.

 

Great to see your new project underway Peter. I hope to pick up plenty of details from your build to transplant over to my Hasegawa/Milliput P-51B

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evening folks :)

 

 

 

 

 

Yey :) thanks Don, I really hope you enjoy it - I am very proud of it and what Kev has done - please let me know what you think?

 

 

 

...plus you feature in the Epilogue Juraj along with others who were around on 'that' day at the Nats, so what more reason do you need :)

 

...

 

 

so..

 

 

we have a part... an actual, totally real, not made up on a computer, bit of this model...

 

this is the target for today, the seat back - this picture is actually Lopes Hope's seat being painted so lets see what needs to be featured...there is a big pipe based 'U' frame giving it structure (the holes are at the back and not seen so we don't need to worry about them..), and to this is rivetted a pressing for the seat back..

 

..there are also two slots with little pressing covers near the top of the back..

 

WIP80_zps3fwzkmbf.jpg

 

..the front with some more details is not from my aircraft, but the details are the same... here the holes at the front can be seen to be bigger and that pressing itself actually wraps the 'U' frame right up to the edge and is fixed with the rivets taht can be seen. Also there are two slots with strengthening plate borders to capture too..

 

WIP81_zps9tegjpdl.jpg

 

..after scaling the drawings I have I noted a few differences between them and the seat in Lope's Hope, so I went with what I could see - first thing to do was to also scale and produce a drawing from that photo to use as a template to make a 'buck' onto which I will try and make the seat back pressing..

 

..I got a bit of perspex as it is hard and takes shaping with a dremel well..

 

WIP82_zpsfffjmsju.jpg

 

..soon I had made the seat back in reverse, and had bent some rod to make the 'U'..

 

WIP83_zpslhrzjefc.jpg

 

..I drew the 'U' onto a bit of litho so I could anneal the edges that need to take the curves, but leave the seat back rigid so it doesn't deform or easily get dents & dinks in it..

 

..then the sheet was taped to the buck and the edges worked into the curves - this is actually the third one I made and by then had learned it is easier to make the holes in the back of the seat while it is still a flat, stiff sheet so you might just be able to see them at the top of the pressing...

 

WIP84_zpsoh9rw1aa.jpg

 

..then after marking out, I used my hold'n'fold to hold the part right where I needed to cut it and just ran a blade along it's length so I can bend, flex & snap away the waste easily and neatly without bending the curves just made..

 

WIP85_zpsqm6d1cer.jpg

 

..the pressing was then taped to the 'U' frame and the edges centralised to the 'U'pipe all the way around by trimming with a sharp blade & then taking it off and finishing by filing & sanding...

 

..I also need to clean up everywhere as there is dust from dremelling out that perspex buck...

 

 

WIP86_zps9chwkrie.jpg

 

..once the seatback had been cut to shape it was taped down onto perspex to have a go at adding the rivets with a pin in a pin vise..

 

WIP87_zpsh9uqpl0w.jpg

 

..the strengthening plates / doublers that go around the slots in the side of the pressing were made by first cutting out the inside by scoring a rounded rectange using a template and then breaking away the inside...

 

WIP88_zps9kwpiavg.jpg

 

..then they are trimmed & shaped & the seat back finished off..

 

WIP89_zpswyikm2hs.jpg

 

..and the finished (and very first!) part...

 

WIP90_zpssrgoptqp.jpg

 

WIP92_zps5j1k4vwi.jpg

 

WIP91_zpssimdcuzl.jpg

 

..and with some of the 'this is how I got here' parts - I never look at these as failures (though it can be frustrating sometimes), I always look at them as little lessons in themselves that teach me how to make the part properly...

 

WIP93_zpsn2x6y5zm.jpg

 

..so that is it - we actually have a part - now there are only 12,324 to go...

 

TTFN

 

Peter

 

Pete.

 where did u get the metal rectangle template fret.?

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evening folks :)

 

 

Hi Peter,
Amazing work on the seat!

I have a question pertaining to the dorsal fin. The main fin is offset to account for engine torque, but is the dorsal fin off center as well?

It would seem that would put the dorsal fin pretty far over towards the nose, but then again having a “kink†where the two meet might look off too.

Thanks
Kyle

 

Hi Kyle - I am afraid I have no idea! I am a long way from doing the tail, so I guess I will find out when I get there :)

 

 

Pete.

 where did u get the metal rectangle template fret.?

 

 

Hi Oliver, thanks for stopping by :)  the template is one of 6 I got from HLJ made by 'Brain Factory'... they are often out of stock I find so get one while you can..

 

so, on to the P51..

 

I remade the seat back as I wasn't happy with the proportion of the rod frame so having done it 3 times already including test parts, one more wasn't too painful..

 

..behind the seat are two natural metal struts which carry big springs I guess for damping or seat adjustment, so I taped some card to the seat back to get equal spacing and set about making the brackets that hold them to the seat back..

 

WIP110_zpsdgxnzhc4.jpg

 

..I made the springs by winding fuse wire around a brass rod - I CA'd one end of the wire to the rod so it was easy to spin the rod and get a neat looking facsimile..

 

WIP111_zpsrios2sxq.jpg

 

..these were then added before the lower brackets were fitted.. I will get the spacing of the spring 'rings' more even once I have finished building it..

 

WIP112_zpsf2gim3vo.jpg

 

..I added some small tube fittings where the seat bottom meets the frame and as it is such a weak attachment I went belt & braces underneath with a big bit of plastic to give the set-up strength & rigidity..

 

WIP113_zpsusa8rxxg.jpg

 

..there are two channel type brackets that brace the two seat parts sort of where the pilot's elbows go so after trying folding litho and failing, I settled on filing down some brass 'U' shape section to get a similar profile..

 

WIP114_zpsnuxx4wdl.jpg

 

..and added with some micro bolts... the main structure is complete now, it just needs all the levers and fittings added..

 

WIP115_zps6l4ekgoy.jpg

 

WIP116_zpszocdjswr.jpg

 

WIP117_zpsccgtsbsr.jpg

 

WIP119_zpsr0oijeix.jpg

 

WIP120_zpsdr1k0tvw.jpg

 

WIP118_zpsixmi5tnx.jpg

 

..I now need to make the bracket you can see at the top of the seat structure where it mounts to the armour plate - I was going to do it in 3D, but I kinda want to keep building so will have a stab at it tomorrow..

 

WIP121_zpskj0ntjum.jpg

 

..in other news, Denzil from Aircorps Aviation has been in touch and to say I am thrilled with what he and Eric have sent me would be a huge understatement!!

Yesterday I received all the artwork for all the placards & labels in the real Lope's Hope which I will be able to copy to make a bespoke set of decals for the cockpit and all the airframe internals - amazing.. :) those guys are so supportive, I am hoping one day when the real one retires from flying I can put the model with it wherever it is displayed..

 

..in other news part 2 - don't try and catch a dremel diamond slitting disc spinning at 15,000RPM if you drop the flexi-drive... I did and have some nasty cuts on my left hand (thankfully) so may find things a bit difficult for a few days.... what a dummy...

 

TTFN

 

Peter

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