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F7F-3 Tigercat - BuNo 80405 - VMF 312 MCAS - El Toro, CA 1946


Out2gtcha

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Nice work Brian, 

 

Does this kit not come with coloured lenses for the tip lights? the reason I say this is that the FW189 and Helldiver both come with pre coloured lenses 

 

Failing this, have you thought about clear plastic toothbrushes (green red blue)

 

Appropriate shaped shavings from these make great tip lights, they are really cheap too.

 

The bristles can also be used for static wicks so a completely usable cheap  "green" product.  

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I'd suggest some clear plexi (cutoffs) for the wingtip lights. I have used these in the past to create them and although a bit harder to sand, very easy to polish out and also easy to drill. Since plexi is much harder then clear sprue, it's also easier to saw and grind without loosing shape. I'm not too familiar with inch measurement, but a plexi plate with a thickness of 1cm (a bit less then half an inch) is more then thick enough to create most wingtip lights.

 

Perhaps it's easy to find cutoffs of plexi plates at a DIY store that also cuts these plates for it's customers (that's where I usually get these). Most cutoffs have a green or blue shade in them, but once sawed, grinded, sanded and polished, they apear clear as glass.

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Thanks guys. Yes, the F7F had clear lenses with the re/green bulb inside, so fully tinted or colored lenses are out. That is indeed part of the problem is that finding clear thick plastic in the form of a toothbrush is impossible locally. They just dont seem to make it.

 

So, my next step is the Home Depots or Lowes type home improvement stores, to see if I can find some sort of thick Plexiglas or plastic that might be suitable. Ill definitely ask them about waste material/cutoffs if I find the right size or thickness of material, as although the tip lights would have to be fairly thick, the overall size of the material is not that much.

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Thanks guys. Yes, the F7F had clear lenses with the re/green bulb inside, so fully tinted or colored lenses are out. That is indeed part of the problem is that finding clear thick plastic in the form of a toothbrush is impossible locally. They just dont seem to make it.

 

So, my next step is the Home Depots or Lowes type home improvement stores, to see if I can find some sort of thick Plexiglas or plastic that might be suitable. Ill definitely ask them about waste material/cutoffs if I find the right size or thickness of material, as although the tip lights would have to be fairly thick, the overall size of the material is not that much.

 

If you are looking for scrap clear plastic, see if you can find a local sign maker. Some of them machine the stuff into letters and have generous scrap bins

 

Be careful how much you come away with, you may not have that many projects left...

 

Richard

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If you are looking for scrap clear plastic, see if you can find a local sign maker. Some of them machine the stuff into letters and have generous scrap bins

 

 

 

Great idea!  I think I may or may not have seen a couple of these type places locally that do everything including 3D printed stuff old fashioned plastic signs, neon and the whole gambit.  Ill have to take a stop by one of them and see what they have.

 

Thanks! 

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Interesting pics Wolf... I immediately went to my own pics of Tigercats I have photographed and found some of what I think is the same plane taken at Paine Field in Washington.

 

TIGERCAT-Paine-Field-2012-1122.JPG

 

But the times I've seen it at HFF and FHC airshows, F7F-3 80483 carries “Bad Kitty†artwork, and there are not guns near the nose gear. Wait, on closer inspection I see the guns but they are painted to match the body so very discreet compared to the metal fairings in your shots. I was thinking there must have been two airplanes with similar 483 markings, but must simply have been updated between our two shots. Nevermind.  :doh:

 

TIGERCAT-Paine-Field-2012-1112.JPG

 

No guns visible on 80410 down in Pima though (below)

 

F7F-3-Pima-03-23-17-9524.jpg

 

 

 

-------

 

 

Brian, your project is absolutely fantastic, so I am not even going to pretend you have any need of reference shots by this point. Just another pic for inspiration as you near the finish line (while the rest of us stare with dropped jaws.)

 

Tigercat-aviation-day-2013-9128.jpg

Edited by Ol' Scrapiron
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Thanks guys. Yes, the F7F had clear lenses with the re/green bulb inside, so fully tinted or colored lenses are out. That is indeed part of the problem is that finding clear thick plastic in the form of a toothbrush is impossible locally. They just dont seem to make it.

 

So, my next step is the Home Depots or Lowes type home improvement stores, to see if I can find some sort of thick Plexiglas or plastic that might be suitable. Ill definitely ask them about waste material/cutoffs if I find the right size or thickness of material, as although the tip lights would have to be fairly thick, the overall size of the material is not that much.

 

How about a little clear sprue shaped with a tiny hole drilled into the rear of the "lamp"?  The hole then gets filled with the appropriate colour to represent the bulb.  Option? 

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Thatnks gents! Aa I mentioned on the vendor's post, it's too late for me to use the G-Factor gear on my build.

 

As to the clear sprue, it's a great idea, but unfortunately I havent found any clear sprue thick enough to get to the wing tip since I'm going to have to reshape the wing tips.

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how long and thick do the clear pieces need to be Brian?

 

 

Hey Shawn,

Im thinking that as the OOB parts are slightly less than 1/4th inch, Id say probably just over that would be good, as I need it a bit bigger than 1/4" so that I can shape it down to the contour of the new wing tip. 

 

As suggested Im even thinking about looking around to the sign stores to see if they have scraps of acrylic or other clear plastic that might work. 

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1/4" in length?

How wide?

I may have stuff I can send you including plexiglass

 

 

Hey that would be tremendous!!!

 

Id say probably 1/4th"  or slightly more than by 1/2" or so. I wouldn't think Plexiglas would be the first choice option, but Im not sure what would be the best material.

 

PM sent! 

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Well gents, Im taking a very slight break from the bench ATM.  I have the annual Moab UT Easter Jeep safari trip coming up in a few weeks and Ive been needing most of my free time spent on getting some modifications done to the rig along with the usual pre-trip stuff like oil change, filter changes rotating tires and what not, but the mods Im making are taking up what normally would be modelling time.

 

Fear not! Im not stopping work on this nor my Extra 330 SC, Im just having to work amongst all this, as Im taking a lot of days off for the trip itself, so I have had virtually no time at the bench. 

As soon as the trip gets on and over, I will likely return to having bench time again, and both builds should pick up. In the mean time, if I have time, Im going to try to work on other things that need getting built, like the two R2800, and especially will  try to make start on the nacelles, which are little mini-kits unto themselves, and need a ton of attention, since the inside of each nacelle has to have a ton of little bulkheads cut out of one of the many resin pool plates the kit comes with. 

 

Hopefully Il have some more bench time soon, and the progress on the big F7F will pick back up! 

 

Cheers,

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