AIR RACER GROUP BUILD BECAUSE WE FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED

Modeling Subjects Group Builds
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It always hurts to lose someone as passionate about flying as Goss. Makes me think of the Air Force Hymn; Lord, Guard and Guide the Men Who Fly.

Thanks for the link ,Randy. Watched all the news on the crash. Would be interesting to know what went wrong, because Warlock really scattered itself across that field.

On to a lighter note,

simpilot34- RB-82, Red Baron II, I do like that ,Richie. Have been batting around a few names including Tantrum, Intimidator, Stars & Stripes, plus a few others. Depending on paint scheme and primary sponsor. Your idea is definitely going to be considered.

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Daddy1 I really like the name Tantrum for the F-82R that gets my vote. Just seems to fit twin snarling fire breathing Griffon engines in that airframe.

The Warlock was the first air racer I walked up to in the pits at Reno the first time I went. I didn’t meet Al Goss but talked with a couple of his crew, very friendly people they were. As were most all the crew members I had the privilege of meeting there. I get NTSB reports and will be watching them, but it usually takes close to a year for them to make a final finding. Hope they don’t take that long on this one.

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You can never trust the newspaper, but the local paper said the airframe separated in flight, quoted from someone from Minter Field. Goss was from the town I live in. Sad to lose him.

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I’ve decided Tantrum should be the moniker for my twin 'Stang. It was one of the early ideas I thought of for this bird. Keep coming back to it so, it has to be the right one.

Yes, Randy, I agree,[Y] Tantrum really fits this fire-breathing bird going 500 mph, 50 ft off the ground. Besides, Tantrum will give me a lot of freedom to get crazy with the paint .

The purple scheme on Voo Doo gives me some great ideas for paint .

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Oh I cant wait for this paint job Daddy1 [snYea]

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Jeaton01 You are quite right about trusting the Newspapers. From the pictures I saw ( I am no expert here) it didn’t appear that the airframe separated in flight. I will be waiting for the preliminary report from the NTSB. What I did see in print, a surprising amount of it, was laughable I must say.

527

Some great looking stuff so far… I’m almost afraid to post what I got goin’ on here…

But I will anyway…

My Racer is of course, the classic 1970s Monogram T-6 Texan (diguised as a Revell kit) and is built pretty much SOB with a few exceptions… I vacuformed a new cowl for it, one that was slightly oversized to increase the airflow past the jugs, which is needed in the climate at Reno, given that the engines will be running full-bore, throttles slammed against the firewall…

!(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/HansvonHammer/Screenshots/Models/Hammer T-6/Hammertime008.jpg?t=1269270978)

!(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/HansvonHammer/Screenshots/Models/Hammer T-6/Hammertime009.jpg?t=1269271025)

!(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/HansvonHammer/Screenshots/Models/Hammer T-6/Hammertime006.jpg?t=1269271095)

!(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/HansvonHammer/Screenshots/Models/Hammer T-6/Hammertime018.jpg?t=1269271232)

Today, it’s finish with the cowl mounts (I’ve got one in there, as you can see. It’s just a piece of .030 strip), clean up the trailing and leading edges of the wings & tail, and then it’s off to paint…

The panels are the decals that came with the kit, cut close and pressed down hard over the molded-on relief detail, and set it with vinegar. The front seat was given red cushions, detailed with a foil tape set of belts and some PE buckles. The rear seat isn’t going to be in it, since I figure that , in race configuration, the seat would be removed to save weight.

I also took out all the “ammo cans” and the racks for them from the rear bulkhead, painted the fire extinguisher a modern red instead of the copper-color of WW2-era extinguishers, and did the framework of the cockpit in black & interior green, with Testor’s Silver applied to the interior walls of the fuselage… It brightens it a bit in there so the detail is easier to see, although once the canopy sections are in place, it’ll largely disappear…

Once the overall black color scheme is applied, I’ll start playing around with some red trim areas, and make the decals for “The Hammer of Hell”…

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Looking good so far Hans! [Y] Looking forward to seeing some paint on her.

Randy - I took a trip to the New England Air Museum on Sunday and thought of your first racer for this group build when I ran into this…

She’s the real deal. Apparently modified and re-engined many times over the years but restored after being bought by the museum.

They also had a GeeBee R-1 Super Sporster replica and a Marcoux-Bromberg R-3 Special. Nice little racing display. [H]

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Hans no need to fear the Hammer is here [:P] I really like what I am seeing here Hans, great idea making the cowl a tough oversize. Your cockpit detail just pops especially with your color choices. What I hope the canopy will not hide are the IP panels. I love those they are right on the money and look so real, very well done. I will have to remember that trick for my T-6 build.

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Jmabx Hey thanks for the pictures ya lucky dog. Must have had a blast wandering through there, gotta love all those vintage aircraft. Judging from your picture I didn’t make the flying wires too large on the Laird Solution they look big even on the real one. I have a Gee Bee R-1 I want to build also, so if you have anymore pictures of that one and maybe more of the others I would like to see them.

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Well, I shot the T-6 with it’s gloss black overcoat and saw to my horror that it orange-peeled!! The entire left stab and a section of the fuselage wrinkled like Nancy Pelosi’s face would if her lifts ever let loose… It looked like a scale-version of a paint job that had Zip-Strip spilled on it. So, it’s currently spending the next 24 hours or so sitting tail-down in a bath of green stuff to take the paint off those sections…

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Sorry to hear of your paint problems Hans. If it’s any consolation , the cockpit looks great! I hadn’t thought of about leaving the seat out and the other mods you did in the rear hole, but it makes sense.I’ll be keeping that in mind when I build Little Miss Magic .

Currently taking a break from stuffing Lib turrets with detail to build up the cockpit on the F-82R .Will be completely custom pit from the IP to the seat . Coming along nicely , will post pics in a couple days . Anxious to get the office done so I can get to the radiators and NACA scoops on the belly. Then to paint.

I’m thinking of using nail polish for paint on the F-82. It’s durable, high gloss, and comes in a wide array of wild colors,even pearls. They also are usually compatible with automotive lacquers (another source of great ,wild colors).

These type of paints are way too hot for bare plastic , but since I’m priming with auto sanding primer ,all should come out well. Done it before on some model street rods.

jmabx- Love those pics Jeremy. I’ll try and dig up some pics I took of the Gee Bee when it was doing the airshow circuit. It was at the Sun-N-Fun fly in here back in the early 90s. Was pretty cool seeing it taxi by just a few feet away, and he really put it through it’s paces. That’s an awful lot of motor on that small airframe.

BTW- I’ve noticed that Williams Bro.s has a limited run on the 1/32 Gee Bee R-1 and the Weddell-Williams Gilmore Special also in 1/32. I’ve had the Gee Bee R-1 and Z models for years . Love them. Have to pickup the Gilmore Special. Even in that scale they aren’t big models but build up beautifully.

Howard

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Hans, sorry to hear about the paint!!! Hope ur green stuff bath does the trick.[Y]

Howard, really looking forward to seeing some more pics of the F-82R!!!

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I was hoping to post a pic of the instrument panel tonight , the punch set really works well. [:D]

Then , not being quite satisfied with the size of a couple of the holes , tried to carve out a tad more and ended up with one looking like the Darlington Speedway egg shaped track , another like a football. RATS!!! And it looked pretty good too[bnghead]. Oh well, new tool, new process, learning curve.

Making a second panel , I like the layout of the instruments better this time. Just have to paint it and install the faces and a few switches.

fermis- I have been shopping around for a new camera , most likely a digital SLR with RAW format ability. I was wondering what you used for the pics of your F-82 in the magazine, if you don’t mind my asking?

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It’s a Samsung “S730” (7.2 megapixel) , and I think those pics were taken before I figured out the macro setting. I don’t know what it cost, it was a gift to my wife and I, but it’s a beautiful pink pearl[:$][:P]

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Daddy1 can’t wait to see pictures of your custom IP hurry up will ya [whstl]

Fermis are you tellin us you are taking your pictures of mean lookin warbirds and fire breathin mighty fast racers wiff a pretty PINK PEARL camera ? How sweet [:P]

I just couldn’t resist Fermis LOL

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HA HA HA!!!

I’m secure enough in my manhood to admit that, yes, yes I am using a pink camera!!![:$]

I’d take a picture of it to show you how pretty it is, but that’s a bit tough to do!!!

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Allow me Fermis! Hehehe here is the camera in question guys.

I have the next model up from urs Ferm, S860/S760, but it’s silver!

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Hey maybe I should get me one of those Pink cameras so I can build half as well as Fermis does. Cant help but wunder if that has anything to do with his extreme talent. And I aint kidding about his “EXTREME TALENT” one lil bit.

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Vetteman42! I don’t have a Air Racer right now, but I am going to the model contest soon, so I will look for one at the vendor tables. I would love to join this group.