25 replies to this topic

[xmh53wrench]

Ok, so in the mail yesterday, showed up the second one of these kits I have purchased off of that little web based auction site....lol.

Its Revell's P-51B kit 4773, I had also purchased a really old re-boxed Revell Spitfire Mk1 (the instructions were dated 1967 and looked of it, and the kit smelled of it), but realized I didnt need to cut up (oops did I say that already) both kits, so I am saving that for a future non-racer build.

My plan, (one that I have no idea if anybody has ever actually accomplished) (Hell I dont even know if its allowed in this group build...guess I will find out)(Got the ok from on high, so we are good to go!!)


photo credit Neil Nurmi 1986

Yes Tsunami, the home built racer of John Sandberg, loosely based on the Mustang, using some of its components, down sized quite a bit, some say the smallest airframe to ever house a Merlin.

So here we go....

The perverbial Revell 1/32 "B" model


The plan, first I had to profile both kits, then figure out what I would need from each, but as stated, I would only use the Mustang. Then on to scaling in Tsunami to find out where to add, remove, and modify...


The first cut is the deepest...







Well thrashing away, so more to follow later....hoping you guys wont ostracise me for this

[A.Wolf Grant]

Bookmarked !
Very interesting subject matter - looking forward to this..

Grant

[xmh53wrench]

Well going to hang it up for today....I feel like I got alot accomplished, all things considered. Lots of reworking of just about nearly every part on this thing, from cockpit floor, instrument panel, landing gear bays, doors and gear, to h-stab angle, elevator and rudder shape. I managed to narrow up the fuselage just a tad. Next up is some painting inside the fuselage, and tail gear compartment, reskinning the top of the fuselage, and coming up with a 1/48 scale P-51D rear canopy so I can fab up the new windscreen and canopy. This has been a fun and challenging build of such a great racer, that from what I gather, the family of the owner are building a new Tsunami to replace the one that crashed taking the owners life.

Some progress pics...
Fuselage starting to take shape...


Building the much hacked up wing, having to add a spar to give it some strength and dihedral...


Looking a bit more streamlined than your average Mustang...


Finally attaching the wings and adding bulkheads and cockpit floor for added strength for the work required on the top of the fuselage...


Belly shot, showing all the grafting of the smaller and shorter main wheel wells, and the removal of the chin scoop...


And finally, its profile up to this point...


PS, looking for any and all extra p-51D 1/48 and 1/32 rear canopies!!!

[A.Wolf Grant]

I'm not surprised your hanging it up there .....thats a lot of work you've done already. Nicely done too.
Grant.

[ssculptor]

My plan, (one that I have no idea if anybody has ever actually accomplished) (Hell I dont even know if its allowed in this group build...guess I will find out)(Got the ok from on high, so we are good to go!!)
Well thrashing away, so more to follow later....hoping you guys wont ostracise me for this

I cannot believe that you are afraid that the guys on this forum would "ostracize" you for this. Also, you need to know if building a model of your own design airplane is "allowed"?
Why are you so defensive?
You are creating an airplane and you are so utterly insecure about the reception to it?
Is this the first time you have ever created anything in your life?
Get your cohones out of hock and wear them proudly. You are doing more than merely making a miniature copy of an airplane that other people have created and manufactured. Be proud!
Stephen

[LSP_Kevin]

Also, you need to know if building a model of your own design airplane is "allowed"?

Stephen, xmh53wrench had a fair question about whether a home-built facsimile of a Mustang was a valid subject for a Mustang GB. I merely confirmed that it is. The rest of your reply is ill-mannered and uncalled-for.

Kev

[Out2gtcha]

Personally I think this is AWESOME. Im definitely going to kit bash my Trumpy F8F VERY similarly to this, and/or my hobbycrap sea fury.

Love the lines of the shortened racer. Looks great so far.

Brian

[JohnB]

Very cool. Looks like it might have a high "cuss factor" though. LOL

[ssculptor]

Stephen, xmh53wrench had a fair question about whether a home-built facsimile of a Mustang was a valid subject for a Mustang GB. I merely confirmed that it is. The rest of your reply is ill-mannered and uncalled-for.
Kev

Kev,
I think I am going to disagree with you on this one.
I feel that he has no reason to be so apologetic and hat-in-hand about making his own version of an airplane.
Yes he was asking if it was OK to present his work on the site, Fine. but his 'Hat-in-hand" approach to what the others on the site would think of his making this model kind of got to me.
There has been a wide range of modeling approaches shown here over the years. Some of us are proud of just making the kit right out of the box. Many of us, including myself have done a number of these.
Some of us like to buy additional aftermarket parts and add them to the kits.
Some of us make vacuforms.
Some scratch build their models altogether.
We have a wide range of modelers who build their models and are proud of what they do.
Also I have never seen anyone say anything bad about another modeler when he presented his work.
We are all proud to make our models and to be different in one way or another.
I just felt that he should be proud, too, of what he was doing.

By the way, I have some 1/48 partially built P-51's somewhere in the basement and he can have one if he will send me his mailing address (by PM).

Stephen

[xmh53wrench]

You guys are great here on this forum!! I mean that in the best sense possible. ssculpter, I took no ill meaning with your post, although I greatly appreciate Kevin having my back. I am very new here, and to another aircraft modeling forum. I know that some people take their modeling very seriously, and first I wanted to insure this build would be accepted since the actual aircraft is not a P-51 as Kevin said, and secondly I know there are folks out there in the warbird arena that may not like the air racing. I approched a recent build on the other forum of a 1/48 Lockheed Ventura the same way because it was so far off the normal beaten path. I wasnt being "defensive" but more along the lines of "cautious", I meant no disrespect to anybody. As far as being creative... go to Youtube search "slopoke21m" I have built everything from the ground up in the videos, and as far as my "cajones" I am the one behind the wheel of them as well, so I wear my cajones very very proudly...LOL You will also understand the direction that my builds take (that is also so very out of the norm for here). Please understand I mean this, but type it with a great sense of humor as well. I am very new to model airplane building as well, and I do consider my skills far below most here (maybe they are not) but I am still working on my confidence with them. Now back to the hacking, chopping, gluing, cussing, more gluing, and more cussing that is the hobby/lifestyle/obsession that we so enjoy and call.....model building!!

ssculpter...you have a friendly friend request and a pm....thanks for keeping this interesting....

[MARU5137]

Ooohh Another Mustang build...Gonna enjoy this project, subject ..

Way to go...

Thank you

MARU..5137

[xmh53wrench]

Well back at it this morn....dont ya just love the weekends. Thanks for all the interest.

Now the work begins on the doghouse and scoop....not a piece to be left its original size...


And the "pile" grows....

[radial]

Cool build. Way to think out of the box!

[Derek B]

You really like your racing aircraft

My apologies for not knowing your name, but I must say that I like what you do in all scales, and your passion for fast aircraft is evident...nor do I personally believe that your modelling skills are lacking in any department (especially after seeing your 1/24 Galloping Ghost build)...on the contrary, I have learnt much following your techniques. It is always refreshing to see modellers who are not afraid to take a saw to plastic.



Derek

Edited by Derek B, 25 March 2012 - 09:21 PM.

[xmh53wrench]

More progress for today, and I am pretty much spent. I need to procure a 1/48 D model canopy to finish the top of the fuselage, but over the next few days I will complete the reshaping of the main gear wells and doors. Thanks so much for the compliments, I have no techniques...unless making it up as you go is a technique..."wing and a prayer method" lol

Pretty happy with the doghouse area....on this plane it had a very small doghouse and scoop. I had to cut down the existing one, and fab new pieces as well...7 pieces comprise just that part of this build.


And started slapping on the squadron mud...