Inspired by the other Strombecker restorations seen at SMM and having had this old built Strombecker P-80 for some years, I decided to have a go at it during my recovery from back surgery. First pic here shows it as I found it, luckily complete. There was a large unsightly "flat" on top of the fuselage for mounting the canopy. I don't know if it came from Strombecker that way. Second photo shows a slab of basswood glued onto the flat to correct the fuselage contour.
Lots of nostalgia with this one. My brother and I grew up playing on and inside a P-80C parked at the local airport, a bike ride away from home. We would crawl in the tailpipe, there was no engine inside, and we would sit inside the intakes, shooting down any MiG that came near. The canopy was wired shut.
Nice subject. Good luck and give us lots of pictures during the restoration.
Lou
That will make for a great restoration project Mark,I love your boyhood story,it reminds me of my own favourite place where I used to eat my lunch when I worked in aviation,sitting on the flight deck of a former BOAC Lockheed L749 Constelllation that was being scrapped,it sat there for several years until one night it got torched by vandals,what a sad end to a grand old lady of the skies.
Barry.
The leading and trailing edges are thinned and the flat-bottom wing is changed to something approximating the correct semi-symmetrical airfoil.
The same thing is done with the tail surfaces.
Thanks Oceaneer for fixing the upload limit. Photos added to above post.
Fuselage getting lots of refinement. Intakes reshaped and hollowed, tailpipe hollowed, and the cockpit area reshaped. I'm looking at photos from the internet but I think I remember most of the shapes in my head. The large wing fillets will be a first for me :-\
I'm trying an "old school" method of making wing fillets. Medium hard block of balsa is roughly shaped to the outlines of the fillet then glued and pinned in place. The shapes are roughly sketched on the block just by looking at photographs. The balsa is softer than the Western Pine fuselage and wing so can be shaped and sanded without touching the underlying wood.
A good idea Mark,as a small tip for you try using lino cutting gouges to remove the balsa,you should be able to get these still from art stores,failing that then make your own from steel tube,just grind the edge of the tube to make a keen edge,finish off with glasspaper wrapped around or glued to pieces of dowel,best of luck.
Barry.
I'm satisfied with how the balsa fillet turned out. A bit of white filler to blend the balsa fillet into the pine air intake. I'm sure the gouges would work Barry but I don't have any, the nearest art store is about 65 miles away and my doctor won't let me drive yet. There is no "local" hobby shop. I used my grandfather's rat-tail rasp and a half round file to shape the fillet and sandpaper of course.
Looks relly good Mark,those fillets make such a difference to the way the P-80 looks,so I am not the only person without a local model shop,they are a dieing breed.
Barry.
Looks like the plaster man has been at work ;).
These fillets make all the difference Mark,well worth the extra effort.
Barry.
Intake boundary layer splitters have been added, gun ports drilled in the nose and the kit's original flat-bottomed canopy carved, filed and sanded to fit the top of the fuselage. My brother loaned me the instruction sheet from an original kit and it explains about shaping the bottom of the canopy and how to do it. So the flat filed on top of the wood fuselage on this particular model was not original to the kit. It's also been given two coats of Sig sanding sealer at this point.
Mark
Mark a worthwhile modification to bring this lovely P-80 inline,you just have to admire the Lockheed draughtsmen for that beautiful nose shape,well done.
Barry.
Mark it is looking great. Did you hollow out the intakes or is that part of the original make up of the kit?
Lou
"Body's in white, all gleaming bright."
Flat white primer partially rubbed out and all looks good.
Yes, Lou, I've hollowed out the intakes and the tailpipe. Now, on to the drop tanks.
Mark
What a transformation Mark ! a lovely base coat for the paint as well,your Strombecker P-80 is coming along splendid.
Barry.
Very nice finish. That will really show off when you paint it.
Lou
The original kit decals most closely present an early Lockheed P-80A-1-LO that would have been painted overall pearl gray. The star insignia are pre-USAF without the red bars. I think this is the scheme I will be doing; not really colorful but very classy and I fell in love with the look after seeing the gray P-80R at the USAF Museum. I'm not old enough to remember operational P-80s but I saw plenty of T-33s, some of which were painted a similar light gray overall. Very attractive I think.
Mark
It will be a classic if done as you mentioned. I prefer the clean look also. Could you provide me with the details on how you hollowed out the intakes. I had a problem doing my T-33.
Lou
Hi Lou.
The intakes were hollowed out with an engraving bit in a Dremel rotary tool. See link for bit used:
(link deleted as the bit I wanted to illustrate was no longer shown)
The boundary layer splitter is a separate piece of basswood sanded to about .015" thick. The intake excavations are about .2" deep and I'll paint the bottoms of them a darker color to make them look deeper.
Mark
Thank you Mark.
Lou
Here are the reworked 165 US gallon drop tanks. These were pretty rough and needed quite a bit of filling. These beautiful tanks were not used in Korean fighting, instead larger and uglier 260 gallon "Fletcher" tanks were used. I didn't want to make these too perfect as I recall the real tanks were often quite rough. In Stateside flying they were not dropped and the relatively thin tanks got quite beat up with continued flying. The fairings are my addition, not original to the Strombecker tanks as they came in the kit.
The tanks look great Mark.
Lou
I agree Mark those tanks were beautifully shaped,some surplus ones in fact got converted into canoes years later,all in all a lovely aeroplane before jets got ugly looking,more a case of functional than looks.
Your P-80 is coming along leaps and bounds,what a pity that more of these old kit models were not around to restore.
Barry.
Thanks for the compliments gentlemen. Don't be afraid to criticise as you see necessary as I'm still learning.
Barry, these Strombecker models aren't as rare as you might imagine, at least here in the USA. I still have two more built models to restore: a Douglas D558-2 Skyrocket and Douglas A-20. I just bought an unbuilt Strombecker F-86 Sabre in "baggy kit" with original decals, only the instruction sheets are copies. There are several more for sale: http://cgi.ebay.com/Stombecker-Wooden-Airplane-Model-NIP-/300532565622?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f9230676
Six short lengths of 0.8mm stainless hypodermic needle tubing have been inserted into the nose to represent gun muzzles. And a new pine stand base has been made and primed. Progress such as it is.
The P-80 is coming along extremely well. Your armament looks fantastic. It is tempting me to attempt one also.
Lou
Found this photo online of the original kit box. The serial number in the side elevation on the box front is 485004 (actually 44-85004 with the first digit lopped off) which is the same airplane in this in-flight color view. So the model should be gray and not silver as the kit instructions specify. Also the NO STEP red outlined decal which goes over the flap portion of the wing should have a gray interior instead of silver. I love this historical digging!
Mark
The research is a big part of the fun.
Lou
Finally have the gloss Pearl Gray on and it looks great. It took two attempts as the first painting only showed that the gloss gray paint needed a far smoother primer preparation than I originally had.
Mark
Fantastic shine. Is that just the paint or do you have a clear coat over top?
Lou
Very nicely done Mark,you have made a lovely job of this restoration.
Barry.
Mark, please place a quarter or a dime in your next photo to get a better idea of the size.
Lou
Lou,
The finish is hardware store enamel. The only model shop around is model railroad only and it's too far away to bother with. There is no clear gloss coat on the model at this point.
Here's an original decal sheet, cracked, and on loan from my brother who has an untouched kit. Needs work to make some homemade decals; I don't think the wing walks should be insignia blue. Stay tuned. The serial number is pure fiction and will not be used.
Coins will appear in future model photos. And just curious, is the Beaufort 1:72 ?
Cheers,
Mark
Yes the Beaufort is 1/72 scale. It needs some reshaping around the top of the cockpit. Most walk ways I have seen are either grey or black unless they were coloured for some special occasion.
Lou
I think I finally have the detail painting done. I didn't use the kit decals for the walkways or the red outlined "NO STEP" areas over the flaps as the colors for both were wrong so they're painted on. Have started making decals with mixed results. Many of the decals come out of the printer smudged as if someone had wiped a finger across them before the ink set. I have other printers to try, hopefully with better results.
Lou, that's an American penny in the photo which if I recall correctly is the same size as a Canadian penny.
Mark
It really is coming along nicely Mark,you have done a great job on the walkways,get those decals right as this model deserves the very best.
Barry.
Mark, correct on the penny. All our low denomination coins are the same size up to the Silver Dollar. Loonies, Toonies are a different thing. Your model is superb. I have a much better idea of the size of your efforts. I am sure you will sort out the printers. I have two HPs and both give me different results. I had that smearing with just one black cartridge, once I change that one out, it sorted the problem.
Lou
Mark, it was always a great model but now knowing its size it is truly remarkable. Nice work!
Cliff.
Just a brief update:
The decals are on the model. Easily half my time on this model has been making usable decals. Followed Lou's instructions exactly but with one minor revision....to be explained later. Much of the time was just finding a color printer that would make usable images. Lots of decal paper used up but I learned something new.
With any luck, the model should be finished this weekend after the mowing and gardening chores are done; photos to come. My back is fully healed and I'm slowly returning to full function. God bless Dr. Bergandi.
Mark
Mark, any tips on making decals are most welcomed.
Lou
A clear coat of enamel was a big mistake, causing a couple of the decals to bleed. I tested it on the stand base and the red and yellow Lockheed logo decal there did not bleed at all but it was a problem for the dark blue in the national insignia on the model. The insignia blue ink on top of the white decal did not adhere to the white very well; chipped off blue being a common problem. Tried a different printer and got better ahesion but could not get the same, correct dark blue color. Finally achieved success with a different Epson printer but a full day was wasted making just two decals and the running around between printers. Also, the ruined decals had to be sanded off and the pearl gray resprayed. So my perfect paint job is no more but this model continues to crawl towards completion. Stay tuned.
I always thought decal application was the last step, but there are probably many opinions on that. The instructions on Tamiya's clear lacquer warns about spraying over decals, probably because it contains a strong, potentially ink melting solvent.
Yeah dave, that's where I should have stopped! :D
I see 44-85004 once made the cover of LIFE magazine on the day before Japan surrendered. I have recently noted that this airplane was built without the boundary layer bleed splitters, at least none visible in the intakes. They were added later to eliminate a surging in the engine that was very disconcerting to the pilot. Hopefully, the splitter and related ducting were retrofit to the earliest P-80A-1s. Anyway, my model has them and they are going to stay there.
Mark,
I bought an old model that was partially built. Any secrets to separating the glue joints without breaking something?
I've definitely had problems with ink-jet made decals when I tried to put Future on over the top. I found that a light mist of clear lacquer kept my ink from running. I had the most problem with black and dark blue running (I'm using Epson pigmented ink).
In order of application, here's what I generally have:
latex filler putty
lacquer sanding sealer
lacquer-based sandable primer
acrylic paints
Future acrylic clear coat (base for decals)
decals
mist of clear lacquer over the decals
Future top-coat
Optional matte lacquer dull coat if I want a non-gloss finish
Thanks Garet. Believe it or not, I can't find Future here; I've looked in numerous stores. I've used clear enamel before over decals on gloss finished models with no problem but not over home printed decals. Live and learn.
dave, I don't have any method for disassembly other than wiggle and pull. Some models like this Strombecker P-80 come apart quite easily (except the vertical tail which went into 4 pieces) but I have a Strombecker Douglas D-558-2 that won't pull apart easily. Luckily, it's a simple model and I can reshape most of the components assembled. I might try some paint brush restoring goop in the joints, the stuff you use to melt hardened paint off of paint brushes.
Mark
Mark,I understand that Future has been withdrawn from the shelves as it never sold very well,I think it was the model builders who kept it in production but even then it is so economical that it lasts for years,all is not lost however as someone is selling it on Amazon albeit at higher price than when it was on the supermarket shelves.
You may just find a few bottles in remote shops,it also goes under the trade name of 'Kleer' in many countries.
Barry.
According to SC Johnson, Future is now called Pledge Premium Finish with Future Shine. This change was implemented in November 2007 and they say it is the same formula. Of course, this name only applies to the US as it is called several things in other countries.
Ken Pugh
The Strombecker P-80A, 44-85004, my fourth solid, is finished at last. All the major wood components and the canopy are original. Only the stand has been made new and represents the later stand that Strombecker provided with this kit which was first sold in 1946. Thanks Ken, for the present name for Future. I used it on the canopy and it did hide a myriad of scratches and a small crack. Much thanks to Lou and Barry for support and encouragement. Lou's P-38 was probably what got me thinking about doing this restoration and his treatise on decal making was of great help. I also want to thank Imsjim and Joe for shareing their Strombecker restorations and providing a lot of inspiration. Thanks to all those who make SMM work!
Mark
PS: Serial number USAAF stencil font available here: http://www.dafont.com/font.php?file=usaaf_stencil
Very nice, Mark. Thanks for the views of a great achievement.
Cliff.
Very nice looking model, beautifully restored. I bet the original builder never guessed it could look so good.
Ken Pugh
Mark, you have done yourself proud. Your restoration work is worthy of note. Congratulations.
Lou
A copy of your photo has been placed in the Model of the Year post.
http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/SMF/index.php?topic=702.msg6017#msg6017
Lou
Mark that is a superb restoration and what an achievement for only your fourth solid model,I really like the pale grey finish it looks very effective on the P-80A,well done for producing such a high class model in the way that you have done.
Barry.
Barry, I guess it's my fifth solid if you count a Hudson Old Timer Rambler car that I built a few years ago. It's the fourth airplane.
The photo here shows myself (left) and my twin brother Martin sitting on a wing of the Lockheed P-80C mentioned at the start of this thread. The photo dates from 1958, we're three years old and the location is near Cleveland, Ohio. The photo was no doubt taken by our grandfather, Frank Johnston, who would play a large role in introducing my brother and I to aviation and models before he passed away in 1962. This would be approximately our first visit to the old fighter but we would visit it many, many more times throughout our youth. We even spent time there with a couple of girls on the night of our high school graduation in 1973. Later on it was dismantled by the Navy and taken to Pensacola for restoration. I don't know where the old plane is today but we last knew to be in California.
Mark
It is very nice to have a personal link to inspire us. Thanks for letting us in on your history with the P-80.
Lou
Thats a great story Mark,the P-80A has certainly been part of your life and the model is something special as well,thats a delightful old photrograph,these sort of things are precious to our individual lives.
Barry.