My Hellcat, built for one purpose...

[Mitch]

I am sorry I missed the question about the paint... I used what I had on hand it is a blue primer. Made by http://www.TheArmyPainter.com It is called "Color Primer Navy Blue" I also paint 28mm model soldiers. I think it will match the blue paper I have.

I have not done much on the Hellcat since I have been home as other things are coming up.

Here is a picture of one of the 'sister' ships. Sea-Land Service (now Horizon Lines) built 3 ships of the same class. I passed this ship during the day and got a snapshot. She is about 3 miles away.



I am a civilian Merchant Marine Officer. What I do on my free time is just like when you are off work at home. The only restiction aboard ship is there is no alcohol. So I build models and read books. When I spray with paint I do that outside. The other paints I use are Vallejo water colors. They come in little eye drop bottles. Put one drop on a pallet and thin with a bit of water.

I hope to finish the Hellcat soon, but now the weather is changing here in Seattle, and I don't know when I will test fly?

Mitch

[Brenda]

On BB-61 they won't let me do anything like that.

Wasn't the Iowa decommisioned and turned into a museum?

It is. Sort of. It is maintained in San Pedro California

[WIDDOG]

Really cool Build Thread. It's nice to see a Big Bird being built to fly rubber power. Your Hellcat looks great. I look forward to seeing video of it in action.

[Mitch]

I think one thing better than watch your own plane fly is to witness a Mass Launch from FAC'ers. I am going though my mail and reading my latest Club News... This is a picture of the cover:

36 planes in a WW2 Mass Launch.

I am up early today so I will get some paper on the Hellcat. Check back soon...

I think the key to making a 1000 series fly for rubber is to get over the fact that I will not use about half the material in the kit. These are Multi-Purpose kits. And for rubber power, my number one rule is: Keep the model as light as possible!

Mitch

PS: On that same though of using less I am going with a single color of dark Navy blue. I plan to cut the stars and bars out of the decals and NOT use the blue part of the decal. I think this will look better and be easier for me to lay down the large decal.

Here is a picture from my reference book what I hope my Hellcat will look like... No. 13


This is version 5, and that is why I changed the canopy and modified the top of the fuselage. I plan to give myself ONE victory flag... Although I did not win the contest in Peris, I DID beat out other flyers and made it to the final round!

[Mitch]

I was planning on covering the wing this morning, but now I remember I need to do a bit more work. Here it is now at 25 grams:

I brought it home this way as to not damage it. The LE needs to be trimmed down some more. The TE needs to be scalloped, then add the washout.

The wing will be more fragile at that point, but then with the paper on it should be more durable. I will weigh it again after I finish the sanding.

Mitch

UPDATE: I did a little scalloping of the wingtips and removed a bit of wood from the TE. And just a bit of finish sanding on the LE.
The wing is sanded to a finish now and is at 23g. The entire skeleton weighs in at 67g.


It looks like all the wing ribs now have gussets. That is what I removed and left a nice curved finish to each rib.

Now I need to set in the washout and tomorrow covering!

[Mitch]

End of the day:

Added wash out to both wing tips, during the day.

Removed a little wood from the tail:


And now the entire skeleton weighs 66grams:


On to covering tomorrow.

Mitch

[Mitch]

Okay... the covering has begun.

I can only find 3 sheets of the paper I am using. I hope that will be enough:


The wing is 32" so I have to cover the bottom in 3 sections. Normally I cover the bottom in 1 sheet.

I plan to cover the top with 4 pieces.

I plan 2 in the center section (Leaving the very center uncovered. Then each wing at the dihedral break will receive another sheet. Since the wingtips are so square I will not use a separate small piece for that as I usually do.

Okay, back to wok. I hope to have the model covered today.

Mitch

[Mitch]

End of the Day:

It took a good part of 2 sheets to cover the wing and tail.

I have a few usable pieces and one full sheet left. I did not cover the wingtips with a separate small piece. I did not realize how much twist is in the wingtip with the washout. I hope when I shrink the paper they will be okay.

I think I need to add the side louvers before I cover the fuselage. I decided to leave off the steps for now. I need to see if this big blue bird will fly and the weight is starting to add up.

Mitch

[Mitch]

Here are a few pictures this AM after the paper has shrunk:

Not my best effort, but satisfactory.


Notice the washout.


Another view of the washout.

I hope to get the fuselage covered in a day or so. Then I can work on the front ends of all these new fighters, and get them ready for flight tests.

Mitch

UPDATE: Since I am using the Medium Navy Blue, I might leave the blue field on the decal. My next Navy plane will be the Cosair and I plan to make that in the Dark Navy Blue, for that model I will remove the blue field.


I do not plan to start the Corsair until I finish the models on the worktable now!

So in go the louvers, I cut down the balsa infill to make the louver flush.

This will take all day, because I need to wait for the glue to dry, do the other side. Then add a bit of balsa filler to make it all smooth.

[r wheatley]

coming along very nice, anxious to know how she flys, do you think the corsair would fly as well as the hellcat ?

Ronnie

[Mitch]

LOL... I have no idea. Honestly, that is why I am building the cat first. As she is a bit easier (the wing), I did add more diehedral. I like the shape of the Corsair, her fuselage is round, where the Hellcat is shaped like an egg. As for perfect fuselages, I think the Zero is hard to beat. Like a long round tube!

I got the louvers in today and now am going to use those clamps to put the gun troughs in the Rufe.

Mitch

[Mitch]

I am just not sure how well these 1000 series are going to fly under power of rubber...This will be my first attempt.



Here are the Hellcat and Zero(Rufe) side by side. SAME SCALE! I just talked with my Dad and remarked how BIG this Hellcat is! He said he knew very well!

... on a side note here is a pic of my Dad...cica 1944, age 19... somewhere in the pacific...


He joined the Navy at 17, and went into the Silent Service (submarines) He was on one boat for the entire war and during the latter patrols was on recovery duty, picking up Navy pilots who were shot down.

At 17, I was safe at home, going to high school and building model airplanes... Thanks Dad... and all who served, then and now!

Mitch

[Bill Gaylord]

Dad was in southern Italy at a base that serviced P47s. The Hellcat and P47 were really big airplanes, compared with most of the other fighters of the time. I think you'll have a good result with the Hellcat, especially at the light weight you're building at. I remember a guy who flew the P47, which likely was not lightened and quite possibly one of his first rubber ff jobs, which still looked promising. It probably would have flown a lot better if the tail was just a hair lighter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTEBFILldtg

[Mitch]

Thanks for that 'link' Bill and a vote of encouragement!

I was busy with other things this AM, and this w/e is full. Hope the get the skins on next week. The fuselage always takes longer, as it is so many pieces.

Looks like his flight was about 10 seconds or so, I am hoping for at least 20! As that is a minimum flight time for getting on record in the FAC!

I plan to use the kit prop and Guillow rubber lubricated. I think I want that extra torque you get out of that grey rubber! If that's not enough I will double up the grey rubber!

Well... I have about an hour before other stuff... so I will start to skin the cat!

Mitch

UPDATE: The first piece is covering what Guillows says should be 5 pieces. I have Port and Stbd on (2 pieces) The seam is on top and I trim at bottom. I apply paper dry with gluestick. I hope to get finished before I leave. Then tonight I will spray with water mist.

I cut a slit in the paper where the louver is and hope the paper will shrink to fit!

Back to work as this takes longer than that...

[Mitch]

After about an hour...

I would have finished the bottom but I added a 1/16 stringer to fill in the "A" part as I will not be using the plastic tail wheel parts...

I expect to cover the fuselage with 12 pieces not 24 as Guillow shows. Still need to shrink!

Go to go to dance class...then dinner with friends...then dance party! I know it's a tough job, but someone has to do it!

Mitch...I have my dance shoes and I am off!