P-39 Kit Prototype

Friday evening UPS dropped off a package which contained the laser cutter sample parts for the Bill Simons P-39 so today it was started.

http://www.clstunt.com/htdocs/dcforum/DCForumID1/18748.html

checked out some of the parts

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set up the plans

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separated the ribs & rib doublers

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set up the jig and took off running until the wing was framed up with the drop in control system Bellcrank installed

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LAST EDITED ON Sep-19-06 AT 06:16 PM (CST)
 
Very cool! Please keep us updated as the build progresses. What will the power be on this one?

I sure like looking at your stuff in progress. Thanks!!!

>Very cool! Please keep us updated as the build progresses.
>What will the power be on this one?

An LA 46 that was reworked by Byron Barker

jumping adhead and added the doublers so they can cure for awhile

What are you using for weights?

> What are you using for weights?
>
>Walter

concrete patio blocks

Am feeling a little under the weather this weekend so here's all I was able to do.

Walter, Still looking good, hope you feel better soon.

LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-06 AT 11:35 PM (CST)
 
>Walter, Still looking good, hope you feel better soon.

Thanks Lee,

compressing down to under 50kb doesn't do the picture any justice
but here's a sneak peek anyhow of the plastic canopy we're having professionally custom made for the kit...

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and no it's not done by anyone on the forum.

>>Walter, Still looking good, hope you feel better soon.
>
>
>Thanks Lee,
>
>compressing down to under 50kb doesn't do the picture any
>justice

Walter,

The P-39 is one of my favorites, and yours is "lookin' good". The canopy work looks super.

A couple of suggestions on the photograph.

First, there are two factors that will determine the <50kb size:

1) The PHYSICAL size of the photo (in pixels)

2) The amount of JPEG compression.

Because your photo is so large, physically ( 864 by 422 pixels),
you had to use a lot of JPEG compression to meet the <50kb requirements, and that reduces the clarity of the photo.

I don't know what software you are using, but try this:

Make the physical size of the photo smaller, say 640 x 480 pixels, or 500 x 375 pixels. They will still look great on a monitor.

Now you can use less JPEG compression, and the final results will look much better.

The canopy creates difficult challenges to photograph. Try playing with different color backgrounds and of course, different lighting conditions. With a little experimentation, I'm sure you can show the off the canopy to its' best features.

And congratulations on coming back to the kit manufacturing business. It was a big disappointment with you closed up shop earlier. It is my hope that the kit business remains healthy and that this hobby continues to support the dual values of building and flying.

Cheers.

It looks great. Isn't laser cutting a blessing?

I love your wing jig - can you give us more info? I've never seen anything quite like it here.

LAST EDITED ON Sep-30-06 AT 06:30 PM (CST)
 
The Canopy

and.....

I guess if you werent under the weather you might have finshed it ! HA ! Nice shop Walter Where did you get the little V blocks for the wing jig ? Make them ? Must be nice.......one day I will have to get a set up like that.

>I guess if you werent under the weather you might have
>finshed it ! HA ! Nice shop Walter Where did you get the
>little V blocks for the wing jig ? Make them ? Must be
>nice.......one day I will have to get a set up like that.

Nothing serious just a cold but I am feeling a little better, Thank you for the kudos,

On the V blocks, they were originally made for me about 4 years or so ago by a friend of a friend, the rest is somewhat of a long story that I'd rather not have to type but maybe your "one day" may be sooner than you think..
Sorry but for now I can't say more than that other then keep an eye open for any future possiblities.

How much extra would it be to have you pre sand and hollow top & bottom blocks. Just thought i'd ask.. Your kit is the home my Tom Lay ST.46 was waiting for. Thanks Walt.

a few more pictures

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Test fitting

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I just did a little Googling for "Bell P-39" and found they were flown by Soviet Union, England, France, Portugal, Australia and USA. Probably others, but it's about lights out here. I'm looking for pics of Aussie or Portugese P-39's. Did Canada, Brazil or Argentina fly them? I'll try again tomorrow... Steve

LAST EDITED ON Oct-06-06 AT 02:32 PM (CST)
 
>I just did a little Googling for "Bell P-39" and found they
>were flown by Soviet Union, England, France, Portugal,
>Australia and USA. Probably others, but it's about lights
>out here. I'm looking for pics of Aussie or Portugese
>P-39's. Did Canada, Brazil or Argentina fly them? I'll try
>again tomorrow... Steve
>
>Steve Helmick
>Renton, Washington
>USA

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=GSPA,GSPA:2006-10,GSPA:en&q=P-39+AIRACOBRA&spell=1

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GSPA,GSPA:2006-10,GSPA:en&q=P%2D39+AIRCOBRA

this what your looking for?

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here's the link> http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/f/297/11/0/1

http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/bellp39q.htm
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check out this model

http://www.scaleworkshop.com/p39bg_1.htm

The Prototype will not be done like this but I'd like to do one like this

Would it be that biga deal to to have a mid-engine? Perhaps a shaft extension and a HS ball bearing? How is that scale beauty above done?

P/S

How did the pilot on the real thing bail out? Pop the hinges on that barn door or TRY to push against the wind?

>P/S
>
>How did the pilot on the real thing bail out? Pop the hinges
>on that barn door or TRY to push against the wind?

The hinge pins were pulled out by the emergency door release and the leading edge drew outward and the door flew away.

They were hard to keep closed and many references in articles from the Cleveland Air Races mention the door locking devices that different pilots/team members came up with to keep the doors fully closed to keep the drag down.

The Airacobra also was famous for having the landing gear doors pull open. The 1946 Thompson winner Cobra II had a specially installed manual main wheel door locking mechanism installed to make sure the wheel doors stayed streamlined at high speed as well as high G loads.

Chris...

In the 1946 Air Trails Annual, there is shown an idea for bevel gears and a shaft for just such a conversion. But it might just interfere with the control system. The model above appears to be a large plastic model, not a flying model, but I could be wrong.

LAST EDITED ON Oct-06-06 AT 00:05 AM (CST)
 
Go to the website (Testors) and read: "1/48 scale P-39 straight from the box except for a replacement resin seat with a harness cast in place.

The model is finished as an Airacobra attached to 23 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force in late 1943. Decals are from Red Roo Models."

Should be about 9" span. Nice work!

Thanks to WU for the links. Gonna look for more nations, tho the Portugese version is pretty neat. I just couldn't do Soviet! Steve

Steve,
For something a little bit different in the P-39 paint department,..maybe the "Flying Pinball" scheme would suit. More correctly applied to RP-63 Kingcobra, the all orange scheme might be also used to give your semi-scale P-39 that slightly different look. The RP-63's were used as "live fire" air to air targets for bomber gunner crew training. The guns fired special "frangible rounds" made up of lead and bakalite material that would not (hopefully) hurt the armoured up RP-63's. The cockpit window glass to the rear of the pilot were replaced with metal as part of the armour protection up-grade. These aircraft flew in NMF (natural metal finish) and bright orange scheme's.

(click the link for the orange)
http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/database/museums/showimage.php?id=1787