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This sure isn't a Stut'z !


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Hello everyone... Im starting this WIP to fill another promise. About 6 weeks ago i received an email from a member. He was curious if I had ever been able to find a Monogram 1/72 F-8F Bearcat? I hadn't so he offered one of his kits. About a week later i received two items in the mail. The first a small package containing a baggie of plastic bits, instructions, and an old decal sheet. 

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The second was an envelope with several photocopied Grumman plans and copies of the line drawings of the bearcat in 1/72. I know the vertical tail is short by a little bit. So this is why the drawings were sent with the kit. Also there were photo copies of the airwaves detail set for the kit. It will allow me to scratch build a better cockpit.

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You will note that I've already laid the fuselage to the drawing. 

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You can see were i will need to extend the vertical tail/rudder. Copies of the Airwaves set. 

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      Emailing back and forth and many internet searches later I've decided my build will be of a F8F-2P in these markings. 

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I know the universal rule never trust a profile without a photo. Well I found a Russian website that actually had a photo of this plane. 

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this aircraft still exists in the U.K. and does fly from what i understand. I also posted a query in the cold war aviation section, asking for any information on the -2P ? 

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235053866-f8f-2p-bearcat/

 

      Now due to Life getting in the way and some illness slowing me down for a couple of weeks i was finally able to start on the plastic today. After an hour or so i had a reasonable better cockpit. 

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I forgot to take a photo of the office outside of the fuselage. I will remedy that and post them soon. I also had to drill the skin of the plane in 3 places to simulate the camera doors. I did add the prominent ducting in the wheel bay its not perfect but its enough to simulate them. 

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Here are some photo's of the real camera windows. 

z1cK3Ls.jpgA close up of the camera window. If you look closely its sunken in. So i will backfill the openings i have with plastic sheet. Once that is done i can do the 3 oil deflectors around the openings.  

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The schematic for the photo. 

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In closing i will say thank you to @72modeler for both the kit, and all the help researching it. Questions, comments, jokes, or stories are always welcome ? 

 

Dennis

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I was glad to be of help, Dennis- at least you will build the puppy that has been sitting on my shelves for 20+ years! Looks like you found a good match for the international orange bands, too. Looking forward to the RFI pics!

Mike

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Quick update ... here is the cockpit. 

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This  ⬆️ is actually dark grey/black but the flash lightened it up considerably. Here are the seat and side walls.XIid6vM.jpg

 

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The little black bumps are supposed to be pedals ? But the camera isn't focusing on them. Since these photo's were taken I've taken the drastic step of cutting the upper half of the vertical stab & rudder off. I need to do that so i can extend it to the proper height for a -2. Im also trying to decide do i go with the original kit P&W R-2800 ? Or do i actually butcher up this ? I've had a couple these in my stash for 17-18 years ? I bought them for corsairs many years ago. Id have to modify this as the crank case is different on the bearcats version. The bearcats version is more blunt, less pointed. EOAl4ZA.jpg

Oh well a nights sleep and a Dr's. Appt. will give me time to think about it some. Questions, comments,  or funny stories are welcome as usual ? 

 

Dennis

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Nice progress and detailing. With regards to the IP, you can also try to use paper, as it is thinner, and works like styrene. just a thought... When looking at the sections, it seems that the exhausts also need to be moved backwards a bit (section B and C)

 

That engine will be a heap (trust me on this) of work, but I'd mount it only when opening up the panels... otherwise it would be a pity IMHO...

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7 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

The bearcats version is more blunt, less pointed

You are correct, Dennis. The F8F and F4U-4 and subsequent used the C-series R-2800 that had the cylindrical crankcase with all of the attachment/reinforcement bolts. The F6F and F4U-1's used the earlier R-2800 with the rounded crankcase. The kit engine is not accurate for an F8F and is the same casting as their P-36, IIRC! The Revell P-47M has a very nice C-series R-2800, but that's am expensive way to get a good engine. I'm giving serious thought to using the crankcase of one of my  Revell P-47M's to make a mold to cast C-series crankcases to use on R-2800's from other kits, as resin engines are pretty expensive and a pain to assemble and paint, as Silenoz has stated.

Mike

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36 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

You are correct, Dennis. The F8F and F4U-4 and subsequent used the C-series R-2800 that had the cylindrical crankcase with all of the attachment/reinforcement bolts. The F6F and F4U-1's used the earlier R-2800 with the rounded crankcase. The kit engine is not accurate for an F8F and is the same casting as their P-36, IIRC! The Revell P-47M has a very nice C-series R-2800, but that's am expensive way to get a good engine. I'm giving serious thought to using the crankcase of one of my  Revell P-47M's to make a mold to cast C-series crankcases to use on R-2800's from other kits, as resin engines are pretty expensive and a pain to assemble and paint, as Silenoz has stated.

Mike

 

Mmm...

Those Revell Thunderbolt's, both D and M can usually be found rather cheap. Cheaper than resin engines like that one from Aires.

 

Good idea using the engine from the Revell kit. But does it fit into the cowling of the Monogram and/or Frog Bearcats?

 

Cheers / André

Edited by Andre B
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14 minutes ago, Andre B said:

Good idea using the engine from the Revell kit. But does it fit into the cowling of the Monogram and/or Frog Bearcats?

Good point ? Though I think I know Mike pretty well. I would think he's most likely checked that fit before he posted the comment. 

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45 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Good point ? Though I think I know Mike pretty well. I would think he's most likely checked that fit before he posted the comment. 

No, I haven't but I will check both kits and do some measuring and get back to you both on that issue. You will have to make mounting locators for the transplant, as the C-series crankcase is longer than the earlier engine and doesn't mount the same way in the two kits. You might even consider cutting the Bearcat cowling from  each fuselage half, which would facilitate mounting the new engine as well as letting you eliminate the inside seam because Monogram didn't mold the cowling as a separate piece.

Mike

 

OK, went up to the hobby room/stash and pulled both kits. The diameter of the Monogram R-2800 (Which is NOT the same as the engine in their P-36- my mistake!) is a scale 3' 9" or 15mm; the diameter of the R2800 C-series in the Revell P-47M is also 3' 9" or 15mm! Dennis, if you are going to use a Revell engine in the Monogram kit, you will need to test-fit it into the mounting lugs that Monogram has molded in one of the fuselage halves to see if it extends the right amount ahead of the cowl ring, as the engine in the Revell kit doesn't use the same mounting method- it attaches to a firewall bulkhead piece. Might be another good reason to cut the Monogram cowling off, glue it together and take care of the inside and outside seams at the same time you determine where the engine needs to be mounted, if the location needs to be adjusted from where Monogram has it. Next time I do the Monogram kit, that's what I'm going to do, which will also give me access to the area under the cowl flaps to detail them, like I did with my F8F-1. Hoping this helps both you and Andre.

Mike

Edited by 72modeler
corrected spelling
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Thanks Mike,

 

I have four Thunderbolt's on the table and one of them is the Revell P-47M.

 

https://www.ipmsstockholm.se/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10767&sid=0546d802979681cc942d02d5082095fc

 

I didn't have any tougth's of using the Revell engines to the old Frog/Revell kit and glued the fuselage some months ago. But it is a kit that isn't hard to find and I will take a look on this possibility next time.

 

As I also have the Italeri Thunderbolt and l may say that the Italeri engine is nice too...

 

Cheers / André

Edited by Andre B
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33 minutes ago, Andre B said:

l may say that the Italeri engine is nice too...

 

If it's their N, that's about the only nice part on the sprue! It was as bad a P-47N as the old Heller kit with the reversed airfoil on the wings!

Mike

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50 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

If it's their N, that's about the only nice part on the sprue! It was as bad a P-47N as the old Heller kit with the reversed airfoil on the wings!

Mike

 

I totally agree with you. That engine is the only part of that kit I built and painted...

 

Cheers / André

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2 hours ago, Andre B said:

one of them is the Revell P-47M.

This is the one I have always wanted to build. Need to check all my 56th FG references for the two uppersurface colors; off the top of my head they look like dark green and medium sea grey, but maybe ocean grey.

Mike

 

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/p-47-thunderbolt/p-47-thunderbolt-lm-j-44-21117-named-teddy-of-the-56th-fighter-group/

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1 hour ago, 72modeler said:

This is the one I have always wanted to build. Need to check all my 56th FG references for the two uppersurface colors; off the top of my head they look like dark green and medium sea grey, but maybe ocean grey.

Mike

 

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/p-47-thunderbolt/p-47-thunderbolt-lm-j-44-21117-named-teddy-of-the-56th-fighter-group/

 

Looking at that picture Dark Green and Medium Sea Grey doesn't look wrong. Fore sure the 56th gives us freedom to choose what looks right... ;)

 

Looking forward to see your 56th Thunderbolt when the time comes!

 

Cheers / André

Edited by Andre B
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Hello all... well i was able to get a bit more accomplished today. First i finished up the kits engine. My thoughts say not much of it will be visible in the end. Ultimately i chose to save the resin engine for a corsair build. Once that was done i was able to tie it all together. I glued the engine in and once it had set, glued the tail plane & wing in. There was a couple minor gaps right under the wings.

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The other gap was right on top of the cowling. 

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Finally i set my sights on the vertical stab/rudder.m3eCY3s.jpg

 

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I will leave this overnight to harden then i can start grinding, cutting & sanding to shape the stab./rudder combo. Questions, comments, jokes, and any good stories ? 

 

Dennis

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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Hello Everybody... Well I'm pretty satisfied so far. I've been sanding and shaping the tail and rough sanding the rest of the seams. I think the results are pretty good so far. 

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Tonight i will fill the little gaps and nooks that exist. Questions, comments, & stories always welcome. 

 

Dennis

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Hi Dennis,

 

Very interesting subject you got there lad, though there is something that I would like to ask; after seeing the cockpit's photos you have posted I wonder, are you going to focus on the aircraft's external details/paint work/markings more than the cockpit?

 

Cheers

 

Bill

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2 hours ago, Shalako said:

Hi Dennis,

 

Very interesting subject you got there lad, though there is something that I would like to ask; after seeing the cockpit's photos you have posted I wonder, are you going to focus on the aircraft's external details/paint work/markings more than the cockpit?

 

Cheers

 

Bill

In a simple answer yes, once the canopy is on theres really not much to be seen. I just wanted more than an open hole representing the cockpit. I might have opted to go more detailed on the office if i had the airwaves set. That or i was planning on showing/competing the finished product. 

 

Dennis

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Hi Dennis,

 

Yes, it was. I even thought to donate the finished kit to a friend and buy an 1/48 Fury but, then I realised that it had nothing to do with the scale but with the aircraft itself being small and the whole design-philosophy relied on WWII aircrafts' design.

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