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1/24 scale Grumman F7F Tigercat N7654C


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Glass half full attitude as always! I'd rate that little disaster as about as likely to stop you as any of the other setbacks (the foam one in the early days being memorable as well as the glue leakage recently). In other words it won't give you pause, ever. And you now have a clean and tidy bench. It's an ill wind.............this time next year Rodney, we'll be millionaires.

Anybody else got any decent cliches to add? :-)

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evening folks & thank you :)

so after the little accident, work continues..

..this is what is needed - the structures inside the U/C bay - I have reversed the picture as that is the way up I work on it..

..the bulkheads are all unique and many are handed with different details or hole spacing on one side vs the other side (in the same nacelle) - plenty there to catch me out.. this is why restoration shots are so valuable - you can actually see what is going on without all the clutter of a fully operational aircraft...

other things of note is the one long lateral stringer that runs the length of each side below the main gear opening and how the bulkheads go around it (just to complicate things...)... there is also a big black ball thing at the far end - I have no idea what this is and have not seen it in other pics so will likely leave it out unless anyone can chime in with what it is..

WIP1091_zpsb6yfcnmr.jpg

..the last pic before my workbench imploded shows some detail being added into the very tip of the nacelle structure - I am glad its over as it actually gave me headaches working in such a confined area..

WIP1092_zpsrozmfmnt.jpg

..and the first of the main bulkheads - I stuck tape on it so I can draw on it and mark out..

WIP1093_zpslkjtsglr.jpg

..did them in pairs and punched out the holes - they look random but are actually correct spacing as best as I could tell..

WIP1094_zpst3tabfvk.jpg

..these first two have mounting brackets for the U/C doors so were strengthened with brass and detailed..

WIP1095_zpsylhzmykk.jpg

..made up the next in line and panted them so I could get in all the nooks and crannies... I will paint it all again once it is all assembled..

WIP1096_zpsuilswauz.jpg

..and taped into place...

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WIP1098_zps7ctovprl.jpg

..unfortunately there are 16 or so to go so will be here some time...

WIP1097_zpscinpzfmc.jpg

thats all for now..

TTFN
Peter

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Unfortunately 16 or so to go

Not unfortunate for us Peter

We get to experience the rare pleasure of proper job model making along the way

The bulkheady/ribby structure things look amazingly real

I'm quietly sitting back inhaling the pleasure of watching

addictive stuff, like! ;)

Edited by perdu
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That "big black ball thing at the far end" is very likely a tank of some sort, but I have no idea what for. The first thing that came to mind was possibly pressurized nitrogen for emergency landing gear extension, but that's just a guess.

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Black sphere is most likely a fire bottle for the engine. See picture below. All of the ones I've installed have had that same appearance. Not quite sure why it would be at the back of the nacelle, but it could be an aftermarket kit like many others.

firebottle.jpg

By the way, this is the most in depth modelling I've had the honor of watching. Great job.

Edited by racer53
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It could also be a hydraulic accumulator. The downside of using restoration shots is that frequently not all the plumbing was installed at the moment the photo was taken which makes judging what that black spherical thingy is supposed to do a trifle difficult.

Of course it could also be the football the restoration crew kicked about during lunchtime, and snuck into the photos just to confuse modellers at a later date...

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Peter,

The black sphere looked to me to be a hydraulic accumulator although it could be a fire bottle too. I got shot in the face once while servicing the hydraulic system of a Rockwell Commander in A&P school -- didn't bleed the system enough and got a cherry juice shampoo. Such the noob I was!

A quick check of cutaways are not showing this feature so may suggest that this is not an originally installed part. That location looks to be inhabited by a battery as OEM built.

I did find the following discussion on BM on the topic of the wheel well:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234932671-172-grumman-f7f-3-tigercat/page-4

Thankfully that feature (whatever it may be) would be so buried that we're the only ones who would know it was/wasn't there...

Still marvelling at your handiwork!

Stunning work!!

PR

Edited by Pastor Rich
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Fantastic to see a recovery from a rather perturbing setback. Well done Airscale! If it were me, there would be copious amounts of swearing that would make a Chief Petty Officer blush.

As for the sphere, I was going to guess a pneumatic cylinder for emergency UC lowering/locking. Since the retraction goes with the airflow, a backup method is needed to push the gear down.

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Its a fire suppression system as TGA says its used in more modern aircraft and is far more reliable and uses a modern fire retardant . So not an original fit by Grumman.

Nice work Peter those bays are going to look great !

Guy

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evening ladies :)

thanks for stopping by...

..I think you guys are right - the big ball is an engine fire extinguisher - I think I will email Norm Stubbs who ran TBM when N7654C was a Firebomber with them to see if he knows if it was fitted or not...

slight change of tack tonight - I realised I had set myself a target of having the old girl on her wheels by Telford so thought I would have a go at sorting that out (plus I was a bit bored with bulkheads)

..the 3D printed wheel parts were cleaned up and primed...

WIP1100_zpsjvqltz0q.jpg

..I added a valve (barely visible here) to the rear hubs and painted them alclad steel, with the spoked hubs in white aluminium..

WIP1101_zpsyhr4604q.jpg

..the complicated part is the geometry of the gear leg, gear axle and the cant of the mainwheel - I made a card template so I could work out what the axle angle should be..

..I had to take a bit off the tyre to get the sit right too..

WIP1102_zps2ohe26ep.jpg

..drew the angle on a tile and set up the brass tube so I could torch solder it to make a stub axle that will slot into the maingear leg...

WIP1103_zpsgypbewxz.jpg

soon had the parts made up..

WIP1104_zpsu294s5ji.jpg

..also made up the nosewheel...

WIP1105_zpsnolm2zyd.jpg

..dry fitted the parts together - and the big moment gets nearer - the first time I have a whole airframe that will sit on it's U/C..

WIP1106_zpsjodhi0sf.jpg

..and here goes - 13 months after the first plastic was cut... evil_laugh.gif

WIP1109_zpsv5rekf3y.jpg

WIP1111_zpsuamujva0.jpg

WIP1107_zpscgguefki.jpg

..it is not a tailsitter but is pretty close which amazes me given the massive lead weight and solid resin nose - I am going to have to whack a load more lead in in front of the datum as by the time I add flaps, tailfeathers etc it will be super-borderline....

a happy camper today :)

TTFN

Peter

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