dmc

first try with the homemade decals
 
58 by karl holubar, auf Flickr

Wonderful stuff, just seen it for the first time. I shall soak it all up like a sponge.
I have a modest F-E5/XP-38 build going on over at BritModeller and I expect to pick up more than a few tips from you.
Also, thanks for mentioning the Alcorn book. It's now on the list.
Cheers
 
Dennis

Hi Jim
 
Just one more thought on canopies and then I'll butt out. After I sculpted the male clay mould for a canopy I first vacuum formed one out of opaque styrene to check the shape and fit. On a Monogram F-86 I did one and then trimmed it to a close approximation of the canopy framework and then tried it on a test clear vac of the canopy. Well it worked, more or less, and whenever I get around to the stage of needing a canopy I'm going to give it a more serious effort before trying anything else.
 
(Really must look into how to post photos on here.)
 
Cheers
 
Dennis

Well then Peter you can certainly appreciate my weekend. Check out my visit  to the USS Yorktown and the haul of Grumman treasure there.  Have you ever made it there? 
 
Starting with the Wildcat: Fully resplendent and truly a lifetime favorite. Always good to see. 
 

 

 

 
Then the Hellcat. Such detail in real life. Staggering complexity to it all, really. I do not think I've ever seen one in real life (and have been to Duxford, Smithsonian Air and Space (both Dulles  and Downtown) , the  US Air Force Museum and years of airshows)
 

 
The I was stunned by the size of an Avenger. A true brute. Not sure scale models ever do it justice. Great to see! That's a first too. 
 

 
 
Then I got not only see an F9F Cougar,  but actually sit in it. I could not  believe it. I'm such a fan. I could work the buttons on the stick and move it around which was a nice treat in this day and age. This is a great museum! (and the Yorktown itself is mind blowing even without the aircraft)
 

 

 
Then up on the deck for a gorgeous Intruder
 

 
and a beautiful Tracker complete with the same Wright R-1820s as the Skyrocket (though a little more modern version). There was also the rare EWACs Grumman Tracer but I did not get pictures (batts died!)
 

 
 
And then the ultimate performance Grumman: 
 
The Tomcat:
 

 
 
And for model enthusiast such as ourselves I was thrilled to see this (perhaps 1/9th scale??) Hellcat. Amazing attention to realism. 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
Other cool things but outside my scope of Grumman pics for this thread  was a Skyraider, a Dauntless, a Corsair, a Corsair II, an F8 Crusader, an S3 Viking (thought of you Ben "Starfighter"), an F-18 Hornet,  a very nice F-4J , a Stearman PT-17 and a B-25. 

Hi Jim
 
Just one more thought on canopies and then I'll butt out. After I sculpted the male clay mould for a canopy I first vacuum formed one out of opaque styrene to check the shape and fit. On a Monogram F-86 I did one and then trimmed it to a close approximation of the canopy framework and then tried it on a test clear vac of the canopy. Well it worked, more or less, and whenever I get around to the stage of needing a canopy I'm going to give it a more serious effort before trying anything else.
 
(Really must look into how to post photos on here.)
 
Cheers
 
Dennis

Hi Jim
 
Pretty impressive for a "first pass".  Not sure if you are building a -1 or -2 but just thought I'd mention that there is a subtle difference in the angle of the windshield.  the -2 having more of a slant..... but I'll bet you already know that.
 
Cheers
 
Dennis

Hi Jim
 
Pretty impressive for a "first pass".  Not sure if you are building a -1 or -2 but just thought I'd mention that there is a subtle difference in the angle of the windshield.  the -2 having more of a slant..... but I'll bet you already know that.
 
Cheers
 
Dennis

Interesting project and exceptionally clean scratch building.
 
Dennis

Well anyone concerned I might lose the love for the Bearcat while launching the XP-50 project, fear not. I'm still at and slugging through the tough stuff. More frames today. I like the work and think it's par, but I think with another go I might have a better canopy. I'm surprised a first pass came out this good, but can see where I'd like to make some corrections. I'm out of town for most the week now and can ponder my next step. 
 

Just thought I'd start blogging this build because it's happening now even though the Bearcat is still #1 in production.  I sent the engines I designed in 3D to Shapeways today and figured that's the beginning kick off moment of commitment.  For those of you that know what the XP-50 was when you read the title, way to go, because I did not until a few weeks ago when I stumbled on it reading about Bob Hall, the Grumman designer and test pilot who almost died in it. I was intrigued. It's clearly the development of the somewhat better known  XF5F Skyrocket that the Navy rejected but with a new contract to build a better fighter prototype  for the Army Air Corps, Grumman took their lost baby to a new party. Unfortunately, as a prototype it always played second string to the XP-49, a better-engined P-38 more or less that was charming the Army until well it wasn't. Grumman was told to keep developing the Skyrocket because it had lots of promise, too. But while most testing went well, there was one day that did not go so well and that was the day a turbosupercharger detonated and wrecked the hydraulics. Unable to effectively land without hydraulics, Bob Hall  bailed and the Skyrocket crashed into a bay on Long Island. That was the end of that. 
 Grumman's Tigercat came along a few years later and actually learned many lessons from this plane, but it was another plane all together really. I felt really sorry for the little thing, something they estimated could go 427mph. 
 

 

 
 
Here's the work on the engines I sent to print today. I'm experimenting with Black Acrylic as a material as I'm really pushing the detail here quite a bit and they say this is the ultimate for detail. Unlike the Bearcat's engine which has many cooling fins detailing the cylinders, this one has them all! I've learned lots of tricks in the year of 3D modelling now and can produce this in a few hours (instead of weeks). For the record it's a Wright R-1820 Cyclone. It's what powered the B-17 , the Dauntless, the DC-3, the Buffalo and the Duck (and others if you want to wikipedia it). Print cost is $23 each. I think it's just going to look boss with two radials ; something I just felt I had to do once I realized what 3D printing can do. 
 
 

 
Welp, that's it.  Stay tuned!  

Hi Jim,
 
Still following with interest. In fact I went back to page one and started all over again. The CAD stuff and printed parts I still find pretty amazing. Who'd have ever thought only a few years ago that printed parts for modelling, among other things, could become the norm for scratch building.
 
Your method for making the buck/mould? for vacuum forming the canopy was interesting also. I use a slightly different method. If you go to my BM F8F build, page 1, post 18 &19 it is more or less self explanatory. I use clay (Super Sculpy Firm) for plunge moulding and general pattern making. Pretty versatile material.
 
I've provided a link that explains why using a certain kind of clear plastic is the ideal kind to use for vacuum forming canopies. Just thought you might be interested.
 
Cheers
 
Dennis
 
 
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2002/08/stuff_eng_tech_moulding_canopies.htm

Hi Jim,
 
Still following with interest. In fact I went back to page one and started all over again. The CAD stuff and printed parts I still find pretty amazing. Who'd have ever thought only a few years ago that printed parts for modelling, among other things, could become the norm for scratch building.
 
Your method for making the buck/mould? for vacuum forming the canopy was interesting also. I use a slightly different method. If you go to my BM F8F build, page 1, post 18 &19 it is more or less self explanatory. I use clay (Super Sculpy Firm) for plunge moulding and general pattern making. Pretty versatile material.
 
I've provided a link that explains why using a certain kind of clear plastic is the ideal kind to use for vacuum forming canopies. Just thought you might be interested.
 
Cheers
 
Dennis
 
 
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2002/08/stuff_eng_tech_moulding_canopies.htm

Thanks Jay.  It's very reproducible too. Next project has two Wright R-1820s engines and have no fear of the work at all. 
 
The landing gear came back from Shapeways.com yesterday. Here's one fitted to a wheel. 
 

Gotta love a Bearcat. I enlisted in LSP after stumbling onto your build. I usually hang out over on Britmodeler and am redoing an old Testors F8F (amoung others). Looking forward to seeing the rest of this build.
 
Cheers
 
Dennis

Gotta love a Bearcat. I enlisted in LSP after stumbling onto your build. I usually hang out over on Britmodeler and am redoing an old Testors F8F (amoung others). Looking forward to seeing the rest of this build.
 
Cheers
 
Dennis

Interesting project and exceptionally clean scratch building.
 
Dennis