RC Warbird repaints

[Warbirdnutta]

Next effort from the palm island plane factory, call me crazy, converting a UM
Flying Fortress to a Shorts S30 Empire Class Flying boat, well use the wings,
scratch building the Fuselage.

Found some three view plans, matched them up so the fuselage was the same
scale as the wings and went to work on a sheet of white foam.


Just so happens the wing is almost spot on match for the Empire Class, the fin
a elevator very close as well.


Nice Aussie site on the Empire boats.
http://www.aussieairliners.org/shortfb/ ... zkamc.html

May not look like it but a fair amount has gone into getting to as she is, ready
to fly. Always like to fly them before they are finished just in case if all goes
wrong?! Weight is always a problem with these small 1cell (3.7volts) jobs, the
rc B17 in it’s original form was no powerhouse, have added more drag and weight.


Must weigh her compared to the original B17 I have. The cheesy holes probably
don’t reduce the weight, by too much but it all counts. Yes that is a turret you can
see “Awarua” ZK-AMC was trial fitted and flown with a turret for a brief period
during the war, have made this removable.


Hopefully get her own the air in the near future and some finishing details including
paint, gulp more weight!

[Warbirdnutta]

Bit bored withy the look of my Multiplex Funcub, can see something else in
there with a bit more character, the grandaddy of STOL. Semi scale working
undercart, cut and sanded the fin, added foam to get scale look to elevator.
More soon hopefully.......…


Down the track a bit further with my Funcub to Storch conversion, really wanted to
hang onto the Funcub’s great flying characteristics but have the look of a Storch.
I do have smaller wheels, I only fly off grass so will fly her with these and see how
I go with smaller ones.


Cut some foam and did a bit of sanding to get the fin and tail plane.


Some great schemes out there went for the squiggly look!


I really wanted to get the gear as close to scale as possible, canopy cut from
foam as is the nose section. Still have a little way to go before she flies.


A few years back a chap named Nestor Slepchev used to sell 3/4 scale kits of
the Storch, I was lucky to go for a flight in one of these, amazing STOL capabilities

Couple of Slepchev Storch clips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8eg-A8GT7U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCwU1ofhSyI

[Warbirdnutta]

Have to admit to having just short of an obsession with what could be argued one
of the most beautiful machines ever created, Mr R Mitchell’s Supermarine Spitfire.

So next cab off the rank from the palm island plane factory a suitable opponent for
the recently completed Buchon, an early model Spitfire. Very much favour the earlier
baby, pre MkV, Spitfires no cannons the clean lines of that beautiful wing shape.

Well that was a little dramatic how about I shut ups and share some pic’s as to
where I’m up to so far?


So started out with an Eflite 2S ultra micro Mustang which is fairly close to the shape
of a Spitfire. Moved the motor back 2.5cm nose to front of the wing much shorter
than the Mustang, cut off the front section of the wing and added blue foam section.


The fuselage is the tricky bit, a lot thinner and narrower, cut off the top of the cowl
thensanded the fuselage to shape, tail plane and fin cut to scale.

Pretty close to a test/trim flight always like to fly them before finishing in case it all
goes horribly wrong, C of G may be an issue with this one seeing as I have taken
so much off the nose, relocating the battery from underneath to on top behind the
motor which should help, more soon hopefully……

Last edited by Warbirdnutta on Sat Jan 29, 2022 4:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Warbirdnutta]

Bit more on the Mustang to Spitfire conversion, a lot of foam to achieve the shapes
required, top of the engine cowl, razorback, wing tips and wing fillets. Blue foam is
perfect for these jobs, really fine grained so great to sand and shape.


Need to sort out the tail control surfaces, will fly as is to check C of G and trim.

[Warbirdnutta]

Conversion of an ultra micro Mustang to early model Spitfire coming along,
a few small details yet to be completed, she may get decals today.

[mazdaP5]

It's nutty how well that Mustang to Spitfire turned out.

[Warbirdnutta]

Mustang to Spitfire conversion complete, couple of books used as reference,
If you want to view extreme top shelf scratch built scale modeling buy David
Glen’s book on his Mk I Spitfire build.




Similar angle in black and white trying to simulate a wartime photo.




No I didn’t make two Spitfires decided to do two sets of markings, if there is
such a thing as a good return for investment in wartime the real Spitfires I
have depicted are just that. KL-T flew with 54 Squadron, her Pilot New
Zealander Colin Grey, below the victories he achieved 13/7/40 to 3/9/40.

In Spitfire KL-T 11 X destroyed, 4 X probables, 11 X damaged
13.07.40 Destroyed Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Douvres Deal
24.07.40 Probable Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Nord Ouest Margate
24.07.40 Destroyed Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Nord Foreland
25.07.40 Damaged Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Est Douvres
12.08.40 Destroyed Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Douvres
12.08.40 Destroyed Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Cap Gris Nez
15.08.40 Probable Do 17 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Maidstone
16.08.40 Destroyed Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Est Hornchurch
16.08.40 Destroyed Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Est Hornchurch
16.08.40 Damaged Do 17 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Est Hornchurch
16.08.40 Damaged Me 110 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Manche
18.08.40 Destroyed (1/5) Me 110 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Manston
18.08.40 Damaged Do 17 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Kent
18.08.40 Destroyed Me 110 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Clacton
18.08.40 Damaged Me 110 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Clacton
18.08.40 Damaged Me 110 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Clacton
24.08.40 Destroyed Me 110 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Douvres
24.08.40 Damaged Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Douvres
24.08.40 Damaged Me 109E Spitfire I - R6709 “N” Sq 54 Douvres
25.08.40 Destroyed Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Faversham
26.08.40 Probable Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Manche
28.08.40 Damaged Do 17 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Manche
28.08.40 Damaged Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Manche
28.08.40 Damaged Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Manche
31.08.40 Destroyed Me 109E Spitfire I - X4238 "W" Sq 54 Maidstone
01.09.40 Destroyed He 111 Spitfire I - X4238 "W" Sq 54 Est Biggin Hill
01.09.40 Destroyed Me 109E Spitfire I - N3173 "N" Sq 54 Est Biggin Hill
02.09.40 Destroyed Me 109E Spitfire I - N3173 "N" Sq 54 Chatham
02.09.40 Destroyed Me 110 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Hornchurch
03.09.40 Probable (1/2) Me 110 Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 North Weald
03.09.40 Destroyed Me 109E Spitfire I - R6893 "T" Sq 54 Côtes Françaises

Spitfire Mk I Q-AZ
Spitfire Q-AZ of 234 Squadron was the machine Paterson Clarence Hughes
was flying when he was killed attacking a Dornier DO17 bomber during the
Battle of Britain. This machine was also one of high scoring Spitfire with 10
victories. It is also unique in that Pat Hughes was the sole pilot to fly the
Spitfire during its brief but successful service life of just 3 weeks. Completing
21 sorties Hughes claimed a total 9 victories in 5 separate engagements
including 5 Me109, 3 Me110s and a Do17 with an additional probable Me109
for a total of 10 victories from his wartime total of 17 (the others being in
several other Spitfires).

Included the probable shooting down of Oberleutnant Franz von Werra, the
famous “One That Got Away.”

The remains of his Spitfire have been acquired by the Hunter Fighter Collection
based is Scone Australia, this machine will be restored to flying condition over
the coming years. Combined with the fact that the aircraft was only flown
operationally by Hughes makes it one of, if not the most famous and significant
of Spitfire restorations ever undertaken, certainly this is the most significant
Australian flown Spitfire.

Link Re Spitfire X4009
https://www.warbirdsonline.com.au/2021/ ... australia/

We will always be indebted to these young men who gave so much so we can
have the lives we live today, Colin Grey was twenty six years old in 1940, Pat
Hughes was twenty three years old when he lost his life.

Last edited by Warbirdnutta on Sat Jan 29, 2022 4:30 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Warbirdnutta]

Next cab off the rank, first time I saw one of these beasts I was hooked, one
of those machines that falls into the beautifully/ugly category! Two big noisy
radials, cool camo and STOL how can you go wrong! Caribous served the
Royal Australian Air Force to forty five years, two of which are maintained in
airworthy condition by the Historic Aircraft Association at Wollongong on the
east coast of Australia.



So mine is being created from an ultra micro B25 Mitchell, mods so far major
fuselarge cut and shunt, as is the case with the wing opposite crank to what she
was. Used the nose canopy from the Mitchell for the nose cone and battery hatch,
used the tail plane as well, scratch built fin and rudder. These things came light in
the tail so hoping my mods don’t mess up the c of g too much?





Next up tail plane and rudder control inks, some filling in of gaps here and these
hopefully a maiden not too far down the track?

Couple of tube clips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBVH0udlpBc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVddQV9o6s8

[Warbirdnutta]

Wanted to fly her pre paint but weather has just been very inseasonally windy for
the time of year, did her in the scheme that the RAAF Caribous wore in Vietnam.



Hopefully she will get some sky time soon?

Also slapped some paint on my Empire boat “Awarua,” flew across the Tasman Sea
from New Zealand to Australia during WW II, for a brief period she was trialed with
a gun turret.


All the markings are hand painted, flew her pre paint and she just managed to
climb out and was slow before paint, heavier now, have a weight loss plan in
place, fingers crossed.


Where she came from, used an um B17 tail plane and wing, fuselage scratch built.

[Warbirdnutta]

Short clip of my Yak3 created from an ultra micro Mustang.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ErH1BZHiAc&t=4s

Where she came from.






Another short clip this time my ultra micro Mustang being the “Cadillac of the skies.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0uPVJN_SpI

The below screen shots snapped off the above footage.






Ray and Mark Hanna along with “Hoof” Proudfoot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekv_mUb3yuo

[k5083]

The Yak and Mustang both look great. Nice to see someone still flying those HH ultra micros. I haven't flown mine much for the last couple of years. I need to pull some out and see if any of my batteries will still hold a charge.

August

[Warbirdnutta]

Thanks August, Horizon Hobbies have after along absence found some new chips and
are going to re-release some of the old ultra micros.

Talk is they may also produce some new warbirds as well, we will have to wait and see?

[k5083]

Really? That is nice to hear. It seemed like those were dead. I haven't been keeping track about how the war between the FAA and the micro plane/drone flyers has been going here in the US, or who won, but it would be nice to see some new planes.

I have most of the 1s UMXs and a couple of the 2s, but my most reliable flyer was the UMX PT-17. Until this winter when a squirrel or bird got into the garage when I was out, knocked the PT-17 off the shelf into the path of the car, and I didn't see it and ran over it. It really only crunched the fuselage though, and I've been debating whether to buy a replacement fuselage or build a new plane around the internals.

August

[Warbirdnutta]

I can't help myself as you can see most of mine are modded in some way shape or form,
converted my Stearman into an Avro Cadet, had to add a little weight to the nose as I
extended the tail, still flies nice.

[Scott Rose]