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


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mistake

mɪˈsteɪk/

noun

noun: mistake; plural noun: mistakes

 

1.    an act or judgement that is misguided or wrong.

    "putting those bulkheads there was a mistake"

    synonyms:      error, fault, inaccuracy, omission, slip, blunder, miscalculation, misunderstanding, flaw, oversight, misinterpretation, fallacy, gaffe, faux pas, solecism, misapprehension, misconception, misreading...

 

 

..evening ladies :)

 

thought I would start with how ballsing something up is what makes you stronger...

 

so, I was working on the frame the radios sit on and the scale drawing showed me that the position of the bulkheads behind the 'A' frame was out. I knew this because I decided to move one slightly forward as the jig I built for the cockpit pod was just a bit short, and the one first behind the seat didn't seem to line up with the measurements I had marked out on the longerons but I chose to ignore that and mount them according to that dimension anyway...

 

..both these events were as defined above...

 

I realised how one mistake compounds another and no matter how hard it is to wind back, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. If I had left it, I would have had a nice bulkhead running through the curved rear windows at the rear of the cockpit...

 

..this would have been quite hard to hide had I got that far...  imagine...:BANGHEAD2:

 

..as it was, I had to get the slitting disc out and chop off both bulkheads and reposition them (to exactly where they were marked to be on the PE floor - what was I thinking!). This means there are some rather unscale massive blocks of plastic as bracing but they can't be seen with the tank in..

 

so, lesson learned: pay attention and don't compromise :)

 

anyways, on with the build..

 

this is a very useful pic showing the area behind the seat - note the fuel gauge and all the horizontal framework (covered in blue protective tape) the radios that go here sit on..    (..and that there is no bulkhead running through the window...)

 

WIP294_zpsvwfr1cxy.jpg

 

I thought I would have a stab at the gauge first.. this was a section of tube, a section of rod and a pinhead - I added the decal & glazed it..

 

WIP293_zpskxexqt8z.jpg

 

..and painted & mounted on it's extension pole thing..

 

WIP299_zpspevronoy.jpg

 

..it goes here on the tank (which also needed chopping about to fit now the bulkheads had moved..)

 

WIP300_zpsxgp2ccyw.jpg

 

..next the frame the radios sit on was scaled from the plan and details taken from the superb CAD drawings dropped in the thread a few pages back.. parts made up from brass sesction & folded ali..

 

WIP295_zps78lpxo0a.jpg

 

..and the part finished - the cross braces gave the clue to the bulkheads true position..

 

WIP296_zpss9qmdczd.jpg

 

....now I have to think about painting as I can't thread this part and the fuel tank in here very easily, and certainly not with the tank details in place..

 

WIP298_zpsavo8ss0h.jpg

 

..so I painted it.. the green mix took some time and I hope it is near enough..

 

WIP302_zpsd9r59avc.jpg

 

..I made some other tank bits - the fabric part is an electrical box that mounts on the 'A' frame covered in a canvas push stud cover..

 

WIP301_zpsxejlrymx.jpg

 

..also painted the sub-structure - you can see the bracing for the bulkheads here..

 

WIP304_zpsaryr1vqo.jpg

 

..added some details to the front of the ;A; frame..

 

WIP303_zpstg9aigxz.jpg

 

..and this is what it will all look like..

 

WIP305_zps24dhnou3.jpg

 

WIP306_zpsyge3h8pv.jpg

 

..so there you go - a disaster narrowly averted - I am sooooo glad I found it and corrected it now and not way down the line...

 

TTFN

 

Peter

 

 

 

 

 


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terrific job Peter,  cockpit is coming along so real, can't get enough of your updates!!! 

I have some doubts about the radio rack being painted in green,  on "D" models were painted black,  kind hard to find clear pictures of that area or even in color on "B" models since it is so hidden but managed to get one at least from wwII era, also "Lopes's Hope" restoration looks like it is black as well.

cheers

 

Screenshot_210.png

 

lopes_hope_air_to_air.jpg

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20 hours ago, Antonio Argudo said:

terrific job Peter,  cockpit is coming along so real, can't get enough of your updates!!! 

I have some doubts about the radio rack being painted in green,  on "D" models were painted black,  kind hard to find clear pictures of that area or even in color on "B" models since it is so hidden but managed to get one at least from wwII era, also "Lopes's Hope" restoration looks like it is black as well.

cheers

 

Screenshot_210.png

 

lopes_hope_air_to_air.jpg

 

 

thanks Antonio, I will have to look into that :) I am pretty sure the restored Lopes Hope is green as I have close ups of it finished, but I also have pics of that area before it was restored which look quite original finish so will take a good look at them. Thats a nice colour pic too, thanks for that :)

 

..another day, another few parts..

 

..this time one of my favourite things to do, the Instrument Panel..

 

..the PE is in three layers - a backplate to lay the decal instruments on and give it strength, a middle that carries the bezels (as they are inset not proud like most IP's) and the top panel that carries the screws & details..

 

WIP308_zpsrqpezsiw.jpg

 

..I used the backplate as a template to cut out a sheet of ultra thin plastic 'glass' - this is what I provide in my airscale decal sets..

 

WIP311_zps6sjneyul.jpg

 

..the main panel surround is the same laminate style, but this time just a backplate and a front. The front is slightly bigger at the bottom as these need to be folded to look like the way the real one is..

 

WIP309_zps5bo3j5cs.jpg

 

..here the folds have been done and the parts assembled..

 

WIP310_zpsb4svfu60.jpg

 

..then they were all painted - the bezels in semi-gloss black, the rest in nato black..

 

WIP312_zpsfb8zm0oq.jpg

 

..you might be able to see the difference better here..

 

WIP313_zpsbye2fbpi.jpg

 

..the panel was carefully assembled with CA - the bezels are a blacker black than the panel..

 

WIP314_zpsioxxlqdv.jpg

 

..then all the decals were added and a few of the knobs & switches..

 

WIP315_zpsepoi39no.jpg

 

WIP316_zpse9untigx.jpg

 

WIP317_zpsvbzmcjlh.jpg

 

..and dry fitted together..

 

WIP318_zpsru8g1q1t.jpg

 

WIP319_zpsenec0eqj.jpg

 

WIP320_zpsbmycox5l.jpg

 

..and to give a sense of scale..

 

WIP321_zpst6btvcd2.jpg

 

that was all over too quickly :)

 

TTFN

Peter

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