1/18 Scale Blue Box F4U-1A Corsair Modification

[dodgem37]

BRAVO JAYBO!

 

Who does your printing?

 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mark

[chuck540z3]

Modeling sweetness in every way, with a deep dive into scratch building and new 3D printing technology.  I bet you can't sleep at night with all these terrific ideas floating around in your head.  I know I sure couldn't. 

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[JayW]

1 hour ago, chuck540z3 said:

I bet you can't sleep at night with all these terrific ideas floating around in your head. 

 

 

Hah!  You got me.  As a retiree, my mind is free of some of the more pressing things in life (some but not all) - so yes I can think about the challenges and the solutions.  And I do, especially when I get up at 3 AM for the nightly relief ritual, and then cannot get back to sleep because the Corsair is talking to me!  

[JayW]

7 hours ago, Hans said:

Are you going to use lithoplate on the exterior, just like Peter (Airscale) does with his builds?

 

Hi Hans - no I will not.  I have not developed any skills on that technique.  Plus - I could never duplicate the perfection that Peter (Airscale) shows us, all the time.

 

6 hours ago, dodgem37 said:

Who does your printing?

 

Hi Mark - Tim Perry (out of the UK).  tim@tjpgraphics.com  

[Jim Barry]

Looking Great Jay!!!! I knew you would love the 3D! 

 

--Jim

[Rocat]

Wow. Those wheel bays are a work of love. Amazing stuff.

[JayW]

On 11/5/2021 at 1:47 AM, GMK said:

Merging even the basics of a kit with a digital model to create additional parts takes a special kind of perseverance & talent. 

 

Well thank you GMK - Perseverance I have.  We shall see how much "talent" I have, when I get those supercharger ducts printed off and try to fit them into the real model!  That and the engine mount truss.  I have a feeling I am going to get surprises and not good ones - it is so hard to take measurements of something as complexly shaped as a fuselage/wing combo, in order to duplicate in a 3D Rhino model, to support the digital design of things like the ducts.  Already I am seeing the results of some 3D modeling inaccuracies in my wheel bay layout, and the landing gear folding linkage....I had to model the reverse gullwing bend in the wing in order to create that layout.  For some reason the folding links are too short and I don't know why.  Hopefully that's the end of it though. 

[JayW]

20 hours ago, Rocat said:

Wow. Those wheel bays are a work of love.

 Love/hate is more like it!

[JayW]

On 11/5/2021 at 5:32 PM, Jim Barry said:

I knew you would love the 3D! 

 

Hi Jim!  You are right; I love the 3D.  It is not unfamiliar to me though - I did 3D modelling in my professional world, which I retired from a few years ago.  Just not Rhino.  What I need to do is to take some online courses, which are available.  I am struggling too much doing what i am doing so far.  I think there are easier ways to do some things.  ESPECIALLY fillet radii and chamfers!  Grrrr!

[JayW]

Landing gear update - 

 

Next task would be the landing gear actuation and folding linkage.  I have identified the parts modeled here on the Vought Landing Gear Installation drawing VS-10275:

 

 

The parts are small - some are 3D printed, others just scratch built.  Examples:

 

 

You see the "shrink" lever on the right.  Similar to the P-47, the F4U has a means to partly compress the oleo as the gear enters the well.  This lever, marvelously 3D printed, is part of that mechanism.  You see another intricate 3D printed part on the left - part of the actuator linkage.  Two per side.  These parts are SMALL - repeat SMALL!  And in the middle the folding linkage springs and their little attach lugs - two springs per side.  The springs are made of 0.008 inch diameter phosphor bronze wire, wrapped about 37 times around a 0.025 inch diameter rod.  The wire diameter really ought to be thinner still to be properly scaled, with more coils - but good grief - what you see was hard enough! 

 

Here is the beginnings of one of the actuators, with a 3D printed head and a simple alum tube body.  It will get an opposite side head, and piston rod with a complicated end fitting with hydraulic fittings:

 

 

A lug has broken off - grrr.  I will have to repair that. 

 

Here is an installed actuator, showing the attachment to the main spar, and also its hydraulic plumbing:

 

 

It looks a little rough, I know.  But keep in mind this view is with upper wing skin off.  The important view is from underneath.  The unconnected wire you see on the left is for the brake line.  It awaits installation of the inboard rib that it attaches to.

 

It is hard to show really good pictures of this nearly complete landing gear strut installation, but here goes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alot of those 3D printed parts that have been sitting around have now been installed.  I would also note the two forward ribs are now permanently installed, at least on the left wing.  And that just about (not quite) finishes the LH forward wheel well.  It lacks only the brake hose that has to wait for a while.  

 

The pics, I think, do not indicate just how pressure packed this work was.  I had surprises at the actuator rod spar attach, and the plumbing was just ridiculously difficult.  And - nearly all the parts were so small that they had to be installed with tweezers, and tweezers tend to launch little parts into another universe.  That happened a couple times, and I spent alot of time frantically searching the modeling area for them.  Thankfully they were found.  Anyway there it is.  Now, for the right hand wing - oh boy......

 

I think, after the RH gear, the gear doors and their actuators are next.  I don't want to - they will be a little fragile and subject to damage - but before the wing gets buttoned up that work must happen.  I need the access from the top.

 

Take care y'all.      

 

   

Edited November 9, 2021 by JayW

[N.H.71]

Incredible! 

 

Which button do I have to press to retract the landing gear?

 

Looks so real!

 

Regards,

Nils

 

[brahman104]

Man every single time you just create even more awesomeness Jay!!!!!

 

That landing gear is crazy good! I can't even begin to imagine how you managed to make everything look so incredible, in-scale and straight!! 

 

At a rough guess, you are approximately 3 426 237 times more skilled than I am  

 

Brilliant, stunning work!

 

Craig

[dodgem37]

Great.  Just great.  Love what you're doing, Jay.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[JayW]

16 hours ago, brahman104 said:

At a rough guess, you are approximately 3 426 237 times more skilled than I am  

 Really Craig?  You re too kind.  I have seen your stuff - you are one of the masters.  Me - I learn from the masters. 

Edited November 10, 2021 by JayW

[CShanne]

On 10/22/2021 at 10:08 AM, JayW said:

  I also note that it is equipped with a tail hook, and does not have the raised tail wheel strut - topics for discussion down the road. 

Not to bring up an old conversation, as you said “far down the road”, but according to the VF-17 books that are out, the tail hooks were removed for land based duties.  However, at a few points VF-17 was tasked with flying CAP over a carrier (specifically their old home USS Bunker hill).  During the time flying CAP the tail hooks were reinstalled and Kepford was one of those who did participate in the CAP mission. Just wanted to share that if you need a specific reference I can supply it. I cannot comment on the tail wheel, just the tail hook.