Hi fellow modelers. Do anyone convert WW2 aircraft to racers? " RENO". Work’in on a F8F Bearcat ( SHIMINOFF) 1st reno races , 1964. Can’t any good pics of it, so wing’n it. Got some nice decals from Draw Decals. I don’t know if anyone is fimiliar with Mira Slovak, who flew it. Asked by Bill Stead to fly it. You can look him up on line, video, very interesting.
I bought Dragon’s P-51 to modify into Precious Metal. I have to watch alot more youtube video on how to airbrush the tears though before i try it! There’s some really cool stuff to do and quite a few warplanes used as air racers. Didnt take long for it to go to all P-51’s though as they were made for racing. Thom Richard flies Precious Metal. Haven’t checked out the latest on it. It caught on fire and I don’t know if he’s racing again.
Darryl Greenamyers F8F-2 Bearcat Conquest 1 is in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I saw it many years ago on its first display in the Main museum downtown in DC. The Smirnoff Vodka sponser name had been removed. It may have been moved to the Dulles Museum. There’s at least one picture of it on the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum site. Check it out.
Max
PS–the larger prop was from a Skyraider if that helps.
I have the Monogram/Revell 1:32 P-51 kit- I think it is Miss America, that I intend to modify to Precious Metal. I had picked up that kit as a flea market item at a show. The most amazing thing is, PM requires a counter-rotating prop. I was wondering how, and planning how, to make such a prop. Lo and behold, when I got home and inspected the kit, someone had put in the box a counter-rotating prop from some other kit! The previous owner must have had the same idea and been collecting parts. I was thrilled- I will not have to worry about making a new prop!!
BTW, monitor the civil aircraft and airliners forum- racing planes, including converted military stuff- does show up there every now and then.
The Testors boxing of the F8F includes decals and notes in the instruction sheet for one F8F racer. I can’t recall the name of the particular racer off the top of my head.
Revell Germany paired up the Monogram T-6 and pre merger Revell P-51D with appropriate decals and modification directions in the instruction sheet to make a pair of racers.
Al Williams’ “Gulfhawk”. Which is a two seater.
I really fancy these air racers and their colorful paint schemes. I am attracted to the early 1940’s “art deco” looking designes of these planes with the cool wheel pants etc.
On of my favorite models as a kid was the Supermarine S6B a float plane racer made by Hawk .I found one of these in 1/48 scale by Testors and botched the paint but I can fix it eventually.
Williams Brothers has a whole series of racers, one of which is the Northrup Gamma ,that I built as my 1st successful NMF paint scheme but the kits are not for the faint hearted as they have many fit issues.
Yes, Hawk did several 1/48 Golden Era racers aside from the S-6. And along with the 1/32 Williams Brothers kits, Lindbergh did a couple as well. There is also a boxing of the Monogram 1/32 F3F in “Gulfhawk” livery. Once upon a time Revell issued their 1/32 P-51D in Bob Hoover’s distinctive yellow guise. That kit was more recently issued by Revell Germany in the red, white, & blue Miss America scheme. And of course we now have the new tool/new issue 1/48 Revell Stearman that has the civilian air show performer parts, and not the standard trainer. There is quite a bit out there, if you know what to look for…
Didn’t Revell (pre-merger) also issue that P-51D as “Miss America”, too? I remember thinking when I was a kid and I built their P-51B, that if I wanted a -D, I’d have to buy the racer and finish it as a WWII subject.
They might have, but I never came across it. I just strongly remember the Hoover release and have seen the RoG Miss America boxing.
Doing a Google search, apparently they did… We just never crossed paths back then…
this is the one I saw in the stores…
Hasegawa also put out a 1/48 Miss America, #09350. Did that one for MC’s Mustang build earlier this year.
Also has the parts in it for a Korean War vintage USAF bird, but not the decals.
Other racer kits
Hi everyone. Thx for all your replies . I love air racers, I’m a speed freak. Wish I could afford one. Thxs again. Aardvark
I have a friend who is just finishing up a Machi Schneider Cup plane- (forget the number, but it was the twin engined plane, I believe the last of the series). In 1:32 scale, it is really looking nice. TCAH, our local IPMS chapter, has a seaplane challenge for January, and the MC will be his entry.
I remembered them from the catalogs (boy, do I wish I still had my Revell catalogs!). I never saw the kits up close, though, so I never knew what modification would be necessary to turn them back into warbirds.
What a coincidence! Here we are, talking about building air racers, and today over at Modeling Madness is this feature:
http://www.modelingmadness.com/review/civil/cumcobra.htm
Many thanks to David Cummings for the article, and to Scott van Aken for maintaining Modeling Madness!
The postings of the Bob Hoover kit is especially appropriate right now- he just passed away a few weeks ago.