Guillow's P-40 kit with solid elements---DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[scottzepher]

Evening All,

       This project would have been finished a long time ago, but life intervened, and Mother Nature took it's toll on the balsa.  
I wanted to see if it were possible to take a balsa flying model structure, cover it with balsa, and replace the vacuformed plastic parts with wooden ones.  
       Sounds simple, right?  
       Now, imagine it's 19-yes nineteen-93.  When I started going about this, I had a smattering of tools and whatever information I could find at the library.  I learned as I went, and I made some major blunders, but that was part of the process.  
       I had given it a beautiful airbrushed paint job by 2005 . . .so nice I didn't want to louse it up with a crappy hand-painted shark mouth.  So I packed it up, and it sat in my first real shop of my first (and only) owned house, staring at me.
       Trolling the Internet, I came across Dave Klaus' Art of Fine Decals, home to the last of the great Cutting Edge decal line.  There I not only found 1/32nd decals, but markings for RT Smith's AVG P-40B.  No more excuses.
        Sadly, I had discovered the damage-hairline cracks along the wings.  I knew if I didn't reinforce the joints now, the damage would get worse.  So goodbye nice paint job!
         I'm happy with the way it turned out, and what I learned will help me build better, more beautiful birds in the future.

Enjoy!
Tom

[lastvautour]

I saw your pictures before you made the post. Your P-40 turned out great. I noticed there were two models in a few pictures. Are you holding out on us? These long term projects do nag us from time to time to complete them, but then that is the joy of this hobby. You can leave it for years, decals even and always come back to it. Great work.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Hello Tom,your idea of sheeting and planking is something that I have done myself on those rubber scale kits,it is surprising just how much work is entailed as you fill and shape hundreds of parts and bring them to life with extensive sanding,the results speak for themselves.
I once built a rubber driven Spitfire kit,planked it with 1=32nd balsa then fitted a small Cox engine and it flew free flight,it did not last long as it flew very fast !
Barry.

[Ken Pugh]

Nice work, Scott.  This was what I did on the Hellcat.  I covered with basswood and fiberglass for added durability and added a full cockpit.  I wanted to go all out with a new canopy, panel lines, etc. but it was being built for someone and he was getting impatient.  I have several other Guillow's planes that I would like to give this treatment as they are a lot of fun.  Also cheap for a model that size.  Try another one!

Ken Pugh

[scottzepher]

I saw your pictures before you made the post. Your P-40 turned out great. I noticed there were two models in a few pictures. Are you holding out on us? Lou

If you're referring to the other P-40 in some of the pictures, it's actually a plastic Control-Line a/c Testors of all people came out with back in the late 1980s.  My wife Helen gave it to me before we even dated!

Tom

[scottzepher]

Hello Tom,your idea of sheeting and planking is something that I have done myself on those rubber scale kits,it is surprising just how much work is entailed as you fill and shape hundreds of parts and bring them to life with extensive sanding,the results speak for themselves.
I once built a rubber driven Spitfire kit,planked it with 1=32nd balsa then fitted a small Cox engine and it flew free flight,it did not last long as it flew very fast !
Barry.

Yep--1/32nd sheeting did the trick.  The undersides of the wings and tail surfaces were thicker basswood, a more solid foundation for the wheels and a fabulous opportunity for adding rudder detail.
Tom

[scottzepher]

Nice work, Scott.  I have several other Guillow's planes that I would like to give this treatment as they are a lot of fun.  Also cheap for a model that size.  Try another one!

Ken Pugh

Too many other ideas right now:
     --A Sterling P-26 and that Guillow's SE-5a utilizing metal sheeting
     --An Aviation Models Wright Flyer with cotton fabric covering
     --not to mention three other solids for which I had cut out the blocks.
Tom

[cliff strachan]

Hi Tom,
Nice work and  very ambitious future plans. Looking forward to seeing your progress.
Cliff