Vought XF5U-1 "Flying Flapjack" (Kitty Hawk 1:48)

[Sasha_Be]

Hi gents!

Here I'll try to build Vought XF5U-1 at 1:48 scale from Kitty Hawk. So he can make the company to recently completed Vought V-173

 

References:

Naval Fighters #21 Chance Vought V-173 and XF5U-1 “flying pancakes” (Steve Ginter, 1992)

XF5U-1 Illustrated Assembly Breakdown (F.N.Dickerman, 1945) [special thank's for Marin aka Martian Hale and Michael aka Space Ranger for it)

 

Useful links:

 

Texts:

• XF5U-1 Flying Pancake - Design and Structural Features @ Vought Heritage
• KH XF5U-1 kits review & comments - @ Tailhook Topics by Tommy H. Thomason aka Tailspin Turtle (also great photos of subject here)
• Vought V-173 Flying Pancake Interior, etc. @ Sprue Bits/Internetmodeller

Videos:

• Chance Vought XF5U-1 Flying Pancake Fighter @ YouTube by Jaglavak Military
• Tuft Studies of Chance Vought XF5U-1 Airplane Model @ YouTube by NASA Langley CRGIS  

Builds:

• 1/72 Hasegawa XF5U-1 Flying Pancake by Nigel Heath
• Vought XF5U-1 "Flying Flapjack" by Martian Hale

PDFs:

• Low aspect ratio aircraft @ DG2 Communique Iss#3 vol#1 pgs.24..30
• The Flying Flapjack @ Mechanix Illustrated, may 1947

[David H]

Cool!

 

I do believe Vector makes some resin wheels to replace the rather toylike ones that come with the kit.

 

-d-

[Sasha_Be]

13 hours ago, David H said:

I do believe Vector makes some resin wheels

Yep, David, VDS48106. And it would be good to get them, 'couse kits wheels are not accurate by shape and skinny

 

So let's start.

 

I'm planing to build model as much as possible close to available photos of only existed XF5U.
That's mean:
- no guns, no bombs
- no gorgeous what-if camo
- no fancy landing hook (so shame, 'll miss him)

 

Kit itself also need some fixes
- cowling doors need to be replaced (if display them in open position)
- wheel doors should be replaced - they thick as armor plates, they have fictional rivetting and panel lines (how?), outer doors don't have extruded places (aware of my lack of vocabulary) for wheel

 

But for my luck, most complex part (wooden props blades) already done! So rest of build should be swift and calm.

 

So started with filling unnecessary gaps:

 

 

And trying to do something with cowling doors (it's proof of concept variant made from 0,15mm brass and probably 'll be rebuilded):

 

 

 

[oldmodeler]

That looks tempting!  I still have the Hasagawa 1/72 one, and would like to make the bigger kit, the picures above show it is good quality. 

[Martian]

Well, I have to be interested in this build! Great start on the props!

 

Martian

[Nigel Heath]

Excellent looking work and yes those props look superb!

[Sasha_Be]

On 11.02.2017 at 11:29 PM, oldmodeler said:

the picures above show it is good quality

Yes, it's really descent. Of course it have number of flaws. But all (at least most) of them looks fixable.

 

Martian, Nigel welcome on board. You both are skimmer-vets. So your attention is very appreciated )

 

Short update:

Got Vector VDS-48031 wheels. They looks way better than KH's:

 

Started working on main landing gears doors. Made from 0.2 mm cooper. 

 

 

Also I'm thinking about adding some mockups of engines and other stuff, that can be visible throug ventilation holes:

 

 

 

[Martian]

I like the idea of adding the engines. My next build of this kit will have one set of cowling panels removed.

 

Martian

[Sasha_Be]

On 20.02.2017 at 5:55 AM, Martian Hale said:

My next build of this kit will have one set of cowling panels removed.

Please-please ping me when you decide to start. It should be very interesting for me!

And very short update.

Inner side of landing gears doors from thin plastic:

[Sasha_Be]

Blanks for the diaphragm extruded from plastic sheet:

 

 

Exhaust collector mockup made from 1.5mm solder:

 

 

 

 

[Martian]

Lovely work on the engines!

 

Martian

[Covjets13]

What a great project👍

 

Si

[Sasha_Be]

Mrtin, Covjets - thank you mates.

 

Lots of puttying-sanding and again:

 

Engines painted:

 

Began work on the engine compartment:

 

 

 

 

 

[Nigel Heath]

Nice work, those engines are lovely.

[Martian]

4 hours ago, Nigel Heath said:

Nice work, those engines are lovely.

Agreed! They are works of art.

 

Martian

[Sasha_Be]

Nigel, Martin, thanks!

 

Spent part of the weekend with some profit )

 

Extend exhaust collector:

 

 

Add little more details to engine compartment:

 

 

Started working on main landing gears bays:

 

 

 

 

[Nigel Heath]

Its all lovely work, good job.

[Sasha_Be]

Thank you, Nigel!

 

Main landing gears bays - done:

 

 

 

 

 

[Jaffajake]

Lovely detailing on the engines and gear wells!

[roadrunner]

Great work !

What do you use as engine?

[Sasha_Be]

Jake, Runner, thank you mates!

 

41 minutes ago, roadrunner said:

What do you use as engine?

It's plastic engines left from Grumman XF5F-1 Skyrocket kit (were replaced by resin from Vector).

 

 

 

 

[Jaffajake]

Lovely detailing on the engines and gear wells!

[Caerbannog]

Great build so far - very interesting to follow. Thanks for shareing.

René

[Sasha_Be]

Jacke, Rene, thank you, mates!

 

On 16.03.2017 at 7:33 PM, Caerbannog said:

Thanks for shareing.

Thanks for reading )

 

Did some exercises with flaps:

 

 

 

As all can see - left one seems ok, but right one need some puttying and sanding (my fault):

 

Added some details to cockpit floor:

 

And decided to scratchbuild all space behind the pilot seat (head rest, mount of rear part of canopy and so on), because what we have in from the kit is completely wrong and allow only closed canopy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nigel Heath]

Great work on all that scratchbuilding.