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I hauled home a real WWII Airplane

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by carlisle1926, Jan 20, 2012.

  1. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    I emailed the contact for the Lone Star Roundup about it, and explained the situation, but all I got in response is their standard vendor space email. I'm hoping to get through to a live person and talk to them about it. I would love to bring it out. If I can do so, I think it would be fun to let people get up in the cockpit. I think the crowd would enjoy it. After all, WWII airplane pilots were pretty much the start of hot rodding.
    Jason
     
  2. 1950ChevySuburban
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 6,187

    1950ChevySuburban
    Member Emeritus
    from Tucson AZ

    I think this thing needs some Weesner nose art!
     
  3. coupeguy2001
    Joined: Jan 22, 2012
    Posts: 36

    coupeguy2001
    Member
    from Phoenix

    If you had access to an english wheel, you could make some of the compound curved pieces easy. You would have to cut up some of the damaged pieces and use sections for their curves. just tape them to the new piece to confrm the surface contours. Be sure to knock out the dents as best you can first.
     
  4. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    I've done some metal shaping. It is just the number of curves and rivets that has me a bit dazzled. The great thing is the only real difficult compound curve that I can see thus far is the nose cone. But, if I make the nose into a plexiglass nose like I want, then that part won't matter. I built this little number using scrap aluminum, a drop tank, and a sledge hammer. There where a couple of compound curves in it.[​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  5. El Caballo
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 6,282

    El Caballo
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    So that's where my canoe went...
     
  6. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    That Keith Weesner guy is great! But, as a nose art guy, I have to have my own artwork on it or it would be just plain wrong. Here are a couple that I painted.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  7. 1951Streamliner
    Joined: May 15, 2011
    Posts: 1,875

    1951Streamliner
    Member
    from Reno, NV

    Oh my god that first one is amazing!! Ahh.. i love the female anatomy :)
     
  8. jms
    Joined: Aug 13, 2006
    Posts: 87

    jms
    Member
    from Chicago IL

    This is very cool. Just as an idle thought, you could build it like the Dymaxion car, two front wheels, one rear wheel. That car was very airplane-like in appearance.
     
  9. ANDEREGG TRIBUTE
    Joined: Jan 1, 2008
    Posts: 1,385

    ANDEREGG TRIBUTE
    Member
    from Bordertown

    carlisle1926: completely off topic, but thought u would appreciate and get a kick out of this model I recently built...

    [​IMG]

    Great artwork btw
     
  10. SwampYankee
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 83

    SwampYankee
    Member
    from Dudley MA

    Have you thought about going with the H-model of the B25? (my favorite) It would shorten the nose and the relatively simple curves are certainly within your prodigious hammerin' skills. It would also give you quad 50's (and option for four more if you add fuselage blisters) and a 75mm in the nose to clear traffic.
    I'd stick to your idea of leaving the wing roots/structure visible. To clean up the aerodynamics a bit you could slip some PETG or Plexi in behind the outermost frame. I love the idea of inflatable wings and tail sections.
     
  11. Id have made the worlds biggest salt flats streamliner!
     
  12. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    I did consider the Dymaxion design, but the problem with that is they have a tendency to over steer and go wildly out of control and flip due to the tail wheel steering. They made great parallel parking maneuvers! try driving in a straight line with your car at high speeds in reverse. Things get out of hand in a hurry in reverse.
     
  13. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    I did think about the H model B25 too with the 75mm cannon in the nose, but I have always loved the greenhouse nose look of the other B25 Mitchells.
     
  14. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    I just saw this model on WIX today! It is the same kit that I used to make the model of this stupid Lodestar motor home.
     
  15. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    Here is a B25 model J. This is what I want the nose of this Lodestar to look like when I'm done. It will ever be exact, but you should be able to get the idea. There are a lot of modification that I can do to make this thing look more B25 like. If I can get a chance this weekend, I'm going to try to start drilling out the rivets in the nose of the Lodestar and removing panels to start making the glass nose.[​IMG]
     
  16. ANDEREGG TRIBUTE
    Joined: Jan 1, 2008
    Posts: 1,385

    ANDEREGG TRIBUTE
    Member
    from Bordertown

    Looks like it might be. It started out as Revells new release of the Ventura PV-1. I think u have a really great idea.
     
  17. bonez
    Joined: Jul 16, 2007
    Posts: 3,487

    bonez
    Member
    from Slow lane

    This picture rules so hard.
    Your project too.
     
  18. SwampYankee
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 83

    SwampYankee
    Member
    from Dudley MA

    I'm an old tanker, so naturally I try to hang the biggest cannon I can on anything. I can see where you're coming from though. The greenhouse would make an awsome bed area to view the stars, or a breakfast nook. You've gotta at least go for the blister guns as long as they don't interfere with your aluminum "canvas".


    Edit...When I got home from work I took the liberty of playing around with your concept model in photoshop. I could only fit one .50 cal blister, and I'm sure you'll come up with your own nose art, but with a little cleaning up I'm liking your idea more and more.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2012
  19. SwampYankee
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 83

    SwampYankee
    Member
    from Dudley MA

    Ooops... had to log off and steal my kid's laptop to convert the picture to a usable format. Just when I get comfortable with some software they come out with new stuff that makes it obsolete and hard to interface.
     

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  20. godspeedbear
    Joined: Sep 21, 2009
    Posts: 261

    godspeedbear
    Member
    from golden

    Hey If you need any help on the metal shaping, I can help you out. At least give advise..

    If you get a hold of another drop tank, you could cut it n half to cover the wing mounts. Make the 'wings' telescope into the body, extended they might be abit stubby, but have the look of wings (have the BBQ drop down out of the bottom :) )
     
  21. Captain Jack III
    Joined: Apr 15, 2008
    Posts: 15

    Captain Jack III
    Member

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Here are a few pics of a full size P-40E replica I am building for static display.
    We are also building one to fly using a 1,650 cubic inch V-12 tank engine
     
  22. Captain Jack III
    Joined: Apr 15, 2008
    Posts: 15

    Captain Jack III
    Member

    P-51B nose on the wall in my garage

    [​IMG]
     
  23. Captain Jack III
    Joined: Apr 15, 2008
    Posts: 15

    Captain Jack III
    Member

  24. Armstrong
    Joined: Apr 17, 2004
    Posts: 371

    Armstrong
    Member

    I think a "pusher" type school bus chassis might be a good possibility for you.
     
  25. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    Jack, I am still envious of this replica fuselage that you built. I'm the guy that contacted you several years ago about turning this thing into a car. I built a replica P40 nose, but I ended up selling the nose before it could grow into a full fuselage.
    Jason
     
  26. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    This thing is only about 5.5ft wide, but about 47ft long and it doesn't weigh more than about 2500lbs now that I have gutted some of the useless junk from inside. An airplane fuselage is rigid by nature and the floors are incredibly strong. It won't take much of a frame if it is attached to the subfloor. The floor structure is made up of multiple beams that run front to rear. There is about 2.5ft of space between the belly and the floor. That used to be the cargo hold. That is a perfect place for a frame to go and for an engine to be out of sight. All you need is a hatch in the floor to access the engine and there are still cargo doors along the belly for additional access.
     
  27. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    A guy emailed me a couple of pictures that he had of my Lodestar. He was one of the people suiting up to go sky diving. He said the color pictures were taken around 1973. The black and white one is a lot older.[​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  28. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    This is the full scale P40 nose that I built. It wasn't as perfect as your P40 replica, but it drew some looks. The propeller was a bent up prop off of a crop duster that dusted the ground.[​IMG]
     
  29. That's cool as shit! I don't even know where you're gonna start, but go with it!
     
  30. Wow, that is sweet
     

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