AD-5 to AD-5W

[SimonCornes]

Hi,

I am lucky to have a copy of Paul Fisher's AD-5 conversion but I really wanted an AD-5W Guppy! Does anyone have a copy of the Guppy instructions they could email me a scan of so that I could refer to Paul's photos? I have downloaded photos from his website but the photos in his instructions speak volumes! In addition, does anyone have any spare decals from the 5W conversion that they could let me have?

Many thanks

 

Simon 

[ScottsGT]

Not sure what all I kept after the build years ago, but I’ll take a look when I get home.  You gonna scratch build the big belly? 

[Scotsman]

I've got my original instructions if Scott has issues  finding his

[SimonCornes]

4 hours ago, ScottsGT said:

Not sure what all I kept after the build years ago, but I’ll take a look when I get home.  You gonna scratch build the big belly? 

I have a large chunk of resin which was designed for a Grumman Avenger AEW conversion and Im pretty sure its the same radar and radome with just the need to adjust it to fit using Paul's photos for reference. Thats the theory anyway! Any unused bits might come in useful! 

Thanks

[SimonCornes]

3 hours ago, Scotsman said:

I've got my original instructions if Scott has issues  finding his

Thank you - let's see! 

[ScottsGT]

Sorry man, I struck out.  

[ScottsGT]

BTW, I have that Avenger conversion too.  The Fat Face has a wider and more blunt  profile at the front.  The Avengers redome is a little more narrow overall.  
I honestly think it can be done with a little reshaping at the back and front with some filler in the right places.  

[SimonCornes]

On 4/6/2024 at 3:38 PM, Scotsman said:

I've got my original instructions if Scott has issues  finding his

Hello again,

Unfortunately Scott can’t help. Can I PM you my email address then maybe you could email me a scan of the AD-5W instructions? 
Unfortunately I can’t PM you as apparently your In Box is full!!

My email address is

 

mail@simoncornes.plus.com

 

Simon

Edited April 7 by SimonCornes

[Martin Mk.I]

On 4/7/2024 at 12:14 AM, ScottsGT said:

BTW, I have that Avenger conversion too.  The Fat Face has a wider and more blunt  profile at the front.  The Avengers redome is a little more narrow overall.  
I honestly think it can be done with a little reshaping at the back and front with some filler in the right places.  

Are you referring to the TBM-3W conversion from Braz Models? I have the same conversion in my stash for a Skyraider AEW.1 conversion. I thought the radome should have been the same on Avengers and Skyraiders.

[SimonCornes]

1 minute ago, Martin Mk.I said:

Are you referring to the TBM-3W conversion from Braz Models? I have the same conversion in my stash for a Skyraider AEW.1 conversion. I thought the radome should have been the same on Avengers and Skyraiders.

Hi Martin, 

I would expect that radome to go right through from Avenger to Shackleton but I guess its a matter of refinements here and there and once you have that large chunk of resin to play with then you can adjust it accordingly! Im thinking of making a mould to cast a couple of copies (Avenger plus Fleet Air Arm Skyraider) but I wouldn't be surprised if some enterprising soul came up with a 3D printed one, possibly with alternative adaptors! 

Simon

[ScottsGT]

22 minutes ago, Martin Mk.I said:

Are you referring to the TBM-3W conversion from Braz Models? I have the same conversion in my stash for a Skyraider AEW.1 conversion. I thought the radome should have been the same on Avengers and Skyraiders.

Yea, difference might be from the individual artists rendition of what they saw. 
Here’s a pic I took when I had them out.  
 

[Martin Mk.I]

1 hour ago, SimonCornes said:

Hi Martin, 

I would expect that radome to go right through from Avenger to Shackleton but I guess its a matter of refinements here and there and once you have that large chunk of resin to play with then you can adjust it accordingly! Im thinking of making a mould to cast a couple of copies (Avenger plus Fleet Air Arm Skyraider) but I wouldn't be surprised if some enterprising soul came up with a 3D printed one, possibly with alternative adaptors! 

Simon

Hello Simon, 

I also gave both 3D printing and casting the radome fairing a thought as the only Skyraider conversion I know of is the now OOP Fisher Model & Pattern one.
 

The Avenger conversion from Braz raplaces the bomb bay doors with a large chunk of resin and hast to be fitted to the Skyraider fuselage somehow. So with a pattern of both the radome and the fuselage it would be not that difficult to produce a really nice drop in conversion. 
 

Your Idea of an adapter could be a simple casting that hides the joint between fairing and fuselage just like on the real thing. 
 

All other AD-3W and AD-4W differences are still minor surgeries in comparison to AD-5W fat face conversion from scratch. 
 

So if you proceed with that idea and no company comes up with a solution meanwhile I would be very interested!

[Martin Mk.I]

1 hour ago, ScottsGT said:

Yea, difference might be from the individual artists rendition of what they saw. 
Here’s a pic I took when I had them out.  
 

Looks great!

[paul fisher]

The main difference will be the way the top of the fairing mates to whatever fuselage you're using.I had the Douglas drawings for the AD-5W which I used to create the parts in my kit.I don't know if that information is on the hard drive that escaped the fire with me but I will take a look later today and if I've got it you're welcome to it.

 

There are other major differences , the entire cockpit and cabin as well as the aft cabin cover and a hatch built into the belly where the dive brake used to be.If you plan on fitting out the after cabin be prepared for a lot of work.

 

3D printing a copy of the kit radome hollow like the resin parts would be best, it will get very heavy otherwise.

[paul fisher]

ANother good option here is to go to Thommy Thomasson's website, he has quite a lot of good info on this topic.