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RarePlane 1/72nd Seversky Vacuform kit converted to racer


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The League of Extraordinary Gentlewomen

 

Setting aside Amelia Earhart, vaguely known by the general public and easily recognizable by the aviation community, not much credit has been given to women in the field, in spite of their many contributions (and in some cases sacrifices).

I have tried to pay a kind homage to a few of them in our own little way:

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235045609-northrop-gamma-2g-conqueror-engine-jackie-cochrans-macrobertson-dream-machine/

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235077669-jackie-cochran-twin-wasp-northrop-gamma-bendix-1935-modified-willimas-bros-172-kit/

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235051160-caudron-c610-aiglon-elisabeth-lions-record-modified-sbs-caudron-aiglon/

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235040453-lockheed-electra-10e-amelia-earhart-special-hobby-conversion-172/

 

The list of winged women is long: "Pancho" Barnes, Jean Batten, Bessie Coleman, Ruth Elder, Amy Johnson, Ruth Nichols, Elinor Smith, Louise Thaden, Bobbi Trout, Amalia Celia Figueredo, Adrienne Bolland, Maureen Dunlop and many more.

Many years ago I built this very same kit, to the level I could do then:

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235053070-seversky-p-35-converted-to-racer-vacuformed-rareplanes-172/

 

The opportunity to perhaps up the job a bit has presented again in the form of a very kind invitation to contribute a model for a display titled "Women in aviation", to be held in the future (hopefully, given the current situation) at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

This was the plane flown by Jacqueline Cochran to Victory at the 1938 Bendix race. The previous year she was the only women to finish the race.

To render a Seversky AP-7 (the correct denomination of this specific version) I am using again a RarePlane P-35, modifying it as needed to reflect the differences.

I am aware that other, more modern kits exists, but my nostalgic inclinations and the tickling of the challenge made me once again incline for an atavistic vacuum-formed kit.

For the decals this time I am indebted to Morgan Girling, my appreciative thanks to her.

 Where all begins...

The contents. This must have been one of Gordon's early releases, as the surface is bare, and you are advised to get prop, wheels and such from other kits. Gordon kits would eventually develop into little vac masterpieces:

 

IMG_1897+%25281280x948%2529.jpg

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 Excellent,  anther cracker Moa.  I am in.  I have tha larger Williams Brothers release which was very kindly given to me by a fellow BMer  I have been umming and arring as to which version to build I may look at the racing option to go with a GeeBee Z I have too.

Can't wait to see this progress. 

Chris 

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8 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

 Excellent,  anther cracker Moa.  I am in.  I have tha larger Williams Brothers release which was very kindly given to me by a fellow BMer  I have been umming and arring as to which version to build I may look at the racing option to go with a GeeBee Z I have too.

Can't wait to see this progress. 

Chris 

Hi Chris

Williams Bros has the S-2 racer (#77), piloted by Fuller as a boxing option (that is, there must be decals for it).

Looking at photos, abundant on the Net, you may pick the little differences between the racer and the bonga-bonga machines.

That would be a nice project.

 

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4 hours ago, Courageous said:

Not one but two 'vacs' on the go, puts me to shame. Still, I'm sure I'll catch some tips along the way. You may very well finish this before I finish mine. Carry on good sir.

 

Stuart

😄

I jumped ahead of myself in my enthusiasm, as usual, as I now how to finish, photograph and do the write ups for the two DH60 and the Ford.

Then I can proceed with the next projects, hopefully in a couple days?

 

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1 hour ago, Moa said:

Hi Chris

Williams Bros has the S-2 racer (#77), piloted by Fuller as a boxing option (that is, there must be decals for it).

Looking at photos, abundant on the Net, you may pick the little differences between the racer and the bonga-bonga machines.

That would be a nice project.

 

Hi Moa,  yes there are differences and I still am unsure which one to build.  The decals in the kit are shot and all cracked.  I have other decals for the fighter but might have to look for a silver racer instead ???

Either way there will need to be corrections made i.e undercarriage needs moving etc.

Will have to think about this one. 

Chris 

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5 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

i.e undercarriage needs moving etc.

Hum. I see photos of the various Seversky racers based related to the P-35 with back-retracting and side-retracting LG, but I think the legs position (the point they anchor on the well) is the same? I am just speculating.

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27 minutes ago, Moa said:

Hum. I see photos of the various Seversky racers based related to the P-35 with back-retracting and side-retracting LG, but I think the legs position (the point they anchor on the well) is the same? I am just speculating.

Ha ha Yes!!!

I think they are set too far back on the WB kit so need to be moved forward from what I have seen. 

Chris

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Hi Moa, not only an early Rareplanes, but the first complete kit one. I have a feeling that he re-tooled it at sometime and so yours is one of the originals from 1969 . Not one I built, my first being the Fairey Fulmar. 

Edited by Mr T
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3 hours ago, Mr T said:

Hi Moa, not only an early Rareplanes, but the first complete kit one. I have a feeling that he re-tooled it at sometime and so yours is one of the originals from 1969 . Not one I built, my first being the Fairey Fulmar. 

Thanks Mr T!

Wow! a first edition!!!!

Thanks very much for the information, I was not even remotely aware of it.

Well, an honor for me to build Gordon's 1st.

Cheers

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3 hours ago, Moa said:

 

Does anyone know what is the flat object seen standing chord-wise over the wing tip?

https://cdm16694.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694coll109/id/14114/rec/15

(You can make the image bigger once there to see it better)

Something perhaps associated with the radio antenna?

I haven’t a clue what it is, but I found a head-on photo of a P2A-A amphibian P-35 (with floats) that had the same unidentified object on its starboard wingtip. The photo (on e-bay) is described as “official factory photograph”. That may or may not be true. Unfortunately, there’s not much detail in the photo. The most significant implication is that this is not a “one off” configuration, being found on at least two different aircraft. 
 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1940s-SEVERSKY-2PA-A-AMPHIBIAN-P-35-Vintage-OFFICIAL-REPUBLIC-AVIATION-Photo/323800175670?hash=item4b63fe9436:g:pTcAAOSwB-1Yx1NU


 

p.s.  A couple more photos showing the subject object can be seen in this link:

 

http://www.aviastar.org/air/usa/seversky_2pa.php


and also here:

 

32-1.jpg

 

 

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-seversky-2pa-a-nx1307-55097961.html

 

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-seversky-sev-2pa-a-71295446.html


See also pp. 19 & 41 of this reference: 

 

http://virtpilot.org/files/lib/book243.pdf

 

Still no info on what it is or what it does. If I had to guess, I’d speculate it is a visual reference for aircraft pitch angle, perhaps as an aid when landing. Like an early version of these:

 

https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/35163/what-are-those-things-at-the-wing-tip-of-an-aerobatic-aircraft

 

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1 hour ago, billn53 said:

I haven’t a clue what it is, but I found a head-on photo of a P2A-A amphibian P-35 (with floats) that had the same unidentified object on its starboard wingtip. The photo (on e-bay) is described as “official factory photograph”. That may or may not be true. Unfortunately, there’s not much detail in the photo. The most significant implication is that this is not a “one off” configuration, being found on at least two different aircraft. 
 

 

Thanks, Bill, very informative.

I suspect a @Martian plot

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The parts are sanded carefully, truing them, and thinning where necessary (trailing edges).

Once more a combination of rasps and sanding tools is used, which greatly accelerates an otherwise very tedious job:

IMG_2128+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Edges thinned from inside (to the left the wing and to the right the backing sheet it came in:

IMG_2129+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Same goes for the elevator:

IMG_2130+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Removal of surplus plastic on the cowl front:

IMG_2131+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_2132+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

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And interesting difference in the plastic between the RarePlane Seversky and Vega (that I am building in parallel), is that the Vega, a later RarePlane kit, has a more rigid, harder and shinier plastic, whilst the Seversky has an opaque, soft, and more flexible one. I Must say I prefer these later kits' plastic. None of them has become brittle with time, fortunately.

IMG_2142+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

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On 10/2/2020 at 10:34 AM, bigbadbadge said:

Either way there will need to be corrections made i.e undercarriage needs moving etc.

Chris, you were on the right path, not just advancing the LG, but actually the back-retracting and side-retracting LGs anchor at different points on the wing, the side-retracting being located further out in the span.

A detail to consider as modelers may convert one into the other.

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On 10/2/2020 at 11:47 AM, Mr T said:

Hi Moa, not only an early Rareplanes, but the first complete kit one. I have a feeling that he re-tooled it at sometime and so yours is one of the originals from 1969 . Not one I built, my first being the Fairey Fulmar. 

Thanks to Mr. T I tracked down and acquired a later issue of this same kit, which is -as Mr. T rightly pointed out- a better detailed mold.

When it arrives I will decide if I will use that later and better version to continue this thread.

For the moment, as you may see, I keep working on this one nonetheless, adding detail, but a better mold from the same manufacturer would be a far easier starting point.

 

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On 10/3/2020 at 3:46 PM, Moa said:

 

Does anyone know what is the flat object seen standing chord-wise over the wing tip?

https://cdm16694.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694coll109/id/14114/rec/15

(You can make the image bigger once there to see it better)

Something perhaps associated with the radio antenna?

Not a clue! I'm sure you already have this site bookmarked, knowing how thoroughly you research your builds, but just in case.... lots of great detail photos and information! Can't wait to see the finished product, Claudio!

Mike

 

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/seversky-aircraft-corporation/

 

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15 minutes ago, Moa said:

Chris, you were on the right path, not just advancing the LG, but actually the back-retracting and side-retracting LGs anchor at different points on the wing, the side-retracting being located further out in the span.

A detail to consider as modelers may convert one into the other.

Thanks Moa.

Re the thing on the stb wing tip in the linked photo. Seems a bit alien to the plane to me and looks like it could be something on the ground behind the plane as it looks a bit to heavy duty to be sat out there on the wing.

Obviously I could be totally wrong. I have exclusive rights to that!!!

Chris

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7 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

Not a clue! I'm sure you already have this site bookmarked, knowing how thoroughly you research your builds, but just in case.... lots of great detail photos and information! Can't wait to see the finished product, Claudio!

Mike

 

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/seversky-aircraft-corporation/

 

You know me well.

I have certainly visited that site, but thanks for posting the link nonetheless, as others may also benefit. A good source. Modelers should be aware that several planes Cochran flew are shown, with of course different regs and different configurations, so you have to be sure which one you want to model.

Cheers

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