Kitbash Estes Spaceship One into plane that won The Battle Of Britian

[Daddyisabar]

Yes, the Hawker Hurricane saved the day, downing the dreaded HE 111, JU 88, DO 17 bombers that were doing all the damage. Great late thirties design fits the Spaceship One nicely, with chunky landing gear and a tall cockpit canopy. This one is done in the funky black and white underbelly paint scheme of 1938, great for rockets. This Spaceship one kitbash was hacked to 24mm for a mighty D. Used sticky Locktite 5 min epoxy to attach fins to plastic boat tail.

[cwbullet]

That is awesome. Great kit bash.

[Daddyisabar]

Then there is that other plane, the one in all the pictures and glamour shots. So few in number and sent against the escorts, gaining mythical staus. Low slung and sleek, this beauty does not translate so well to the format with gear retracted and ready for speed. But I had to build one anyway - what else would I do with all those RAF roundel decals?

[Daddyisabar]

More glam shots. Fewer fins, less noseweight, sure to out perform the old fabric work horse.

[NJRick]

those look fantastic!

[Tarasdad]

Kudos for giving credit to the right aircraft!

[Salvage-1]

those are fantastic...

[JPVegh]

I think a family portrait is in order.

[Daddyisabar]

I think a family portrait is in order.

I will take one tonight - P-40, F4U, Ta 152, Hurricane and Spitfire. I am thinking of a straight Goony ME 109 F and some other scratch builds I'm sure they won't let me fly until a nice layer of wet snow is on the ground. These projects are great for using up all the spare paint, balsa, label paper, BB's and plasticine.

[Daddyisabar]

The Allies are on the Axis tail. All Dr. Tank has to do is push the throttle forward, switch on the MW50, then some Nitrous and the Allied fighters will be dots on the horizon.

They are all ready to fly this weekend, the TA 152, Spitfire and Hurricane for the first time. Hopefully conditions will be favorable. Hopefully luck will be with me and the Balkankruz and Hakenkruz decals will not be dinged up too badly. Hopefully no one will be standing around with a big Xacto knife in hand saying "Someday your gonna want to put that there rocket on the shelf ain't ye." Golly, I guess I have been watching too many WWII movies and not flying enough rockets!

[DRAGON64]

Very nice work, love the kit bashing... I wonder sometimes why I am not that creative.

[NJRick]

maybe a P-47M will help the Allied cause?

The Allies are on the Axis tail. All Dr. Tank has to do is push the throttle forward, switch on the MW50, then some Nitrous and the Allied fighters will be dots on the horizon.

They are all ready to fly this weekend, the TA 152, Spitfire and Hurricane for the first time. Hopefully conditions will be favorable. Hopefully luck will be with me and the Balkankruz and Hakenkruz decals will not be dinged up too badly. Hopefully no one will be standing around with a big Xacto knife in hand saying "Someday your gonna want to put that there rocket on the shelf ain't ye." Golly, I guess I have been watching too many WWII movies and not flying enough rockets!

[pick1e]

Really cool models! Nice work!

[Daddyisabar]

maybe a P-47M will help the Allied cause?

The JUG would be a real challenge to get the oval shape and stubby front end.

[JPVegh]

The 38, 47 and 51 are conspicuously absent.

[NJRick]

I think you are right, it would be tough to build that shape...of course, Hub Zemke, Gabby Gabreski and Robert S. Johnson would stand up and salute you though if you could build one...that's over 79 kills with just those three guys....you have done a great job with these kits...they really look great!

I threw the P-47M out there because I think it was actually faster then the Ta-152....believe it or not....I believe it was the fastest piston engined fighter in WW2....473 mph. just love the WW2 warbirds..all of them!

The JUG would be a real challenge to get the oval shape and stubby front end.

[Daddyisabar]

The 38, 47 and 51 are conspicuously absent.

Here is a nice P-51.

http://rocketdungeon.blogspot.com/20...al-update.html

[Daddyisabar]

I think you are right, it would be tough to build that shape...of course, Hub Zemke, Gabby Gabreski and Robert S. Johnson would stand up and salute you though if you could build one...that's over 79 kills with just those three guys....you have done a great job with these kits...they really look great!

I threw the P-47M out there because I think it was actually faster then the Ta-152....believe it or not....I believe it was the fastest piston engined fighter in WW2....473 mph. just love the WW2 warbirds..all of them!

The bubbletop P47 could be done on a scratch build. Modify a nose cone, cut a smaller tube in half for up front, use a long boat tail and a 3D bubble canopy from a plastic model or light bulb bubble pack. Would need lots of power and nose weight but HEY - you are flying a P47 - the JUG!

[NJRick]

lots of power and lots of weight??....sounds exactly like the JUG!!!!

seriously, these are beautiful models that you have made. They look fantastic!

The bubbletop P47 could be done on a scratch build. Modify a nose cone, cut a smaller tube in half for up front, use a long boat tail and a 3D bubble canopy from a plastic model or light bulb bubble pack. Would need lots of power and nose weight but HEY - you are flying a P47 - the JUG!

[hornet driver]

Those are fantastic !! I always enjoy looking at them. You have an eye for that -no doubt! The 152 really hit the mark! I'd try something like that but I think you set the bar a little high for a guy like me. Looking forward to more in the future---just too cool !!!!---H

[Daddyisabar]

Those are fantastic !! I always enjoy looking at them. You have an eye for that -no doubt! The 152 really hit the mark! I'd try something like that but I think you set the bar a little high for a guy like me. Looking forward to more in the future---just too cool !!!!---H

Thanks. We will see when the 152 flies. I pushed those wings out a long way. If they prove to be a tad too long I can always clip them down and call it a TA 152 C. I also pushed the landing gear fins forward on the Hurricane. That sure makes it look good but will it fly with even more nose weight and the mighty D motor? Only pushing the button will tell.

The F4-U flies great, even in a bit of wind, so it may be time to try and move that wing fin forward and lower than the tail fin - more like the real plane; but any mod to make it look more like the real airplane equates to greater rocketry Danger. So what if it doesn't fly that well, at least it will look marvelous.

I guess that's the fun and the challenge. To get the right balance between looks and being flyable. It is not that hard. Just sit down with a picture of the plane and sketch the fins on the back of a kit face card. Build it. Put in the most powerful motor you can. Load up the nose with weight until the CG is a caliber above where you guess (mind sim) the CP is, and if it is not way too heavy for the motor then let it fly. You can always say you are just one of those silly people trying to make airplanes into rockets.

[Fred22]

Like them all but your spit and hurricane are absolutely awesome.
Cheers
Fred

[gdjsky01]

Warbirds forever!



- Jeff

[Daddyisabar]

Flew the F4 U in moderate wind at Chilli Blaster on Saturday and it did just fine, the best wind flier of the lot. On Sunday the rest flew in almost perfect conditions, all heads up flights and all perfectly straight up with short recovery walks. Of course that little glam plane, the Spitfire, flew the best on a D12-5. The F24 was good for the Ta152 and the D12-3 was good for the Hurricane, which suffered the only damage, a cracked tail fin that hit first - the weskest spot, but about 20 seconds and some thin CA and better than new. Even the old P 40 E on the C6-3 put on a good show in the thin dry air.

[Daddyisabar]

Flight update: The Hurricane and Spitfire both flew Saturday. Both good flights and I am ready to fly the Hurricane on a D12-5. The Spitfire recieved its first crack in that troublesome spot between the the wings on landing. I knew that was going to be the worst spot when I built it but I just couldn't make it any wider from a looks standpoint. Over time the lable paper will not be enough, requiring quick CA fixes. The right fix would be to make that section a third piece of balsa with the grain running parallel to the tube, CA reinforced, then lable papered.

[NJRick]

Daddy,
sounds like your Spitfire M1 will have to be upgraded to the Mk5...you did a wonderful job with these!

Flight update: The Hurricane and Spitfire both flew Saturday. Both good flights and I am ready to fly the Hurricane on a D12-5. The Spitfire recieved its first crack in that troublesome spot between the the wings on landing. I knew that was going to be the worst spot when I built it but I just couldn't make it any wider from a looks standpoint. Over time the lable paper will not be enough, requiring quick CA fixes. The right fix would be to make that section a third piece of balsa with the grain running parallel to the tube, CA reinforced, then lable papered.

[Daddyisabar]

Daddy,
sounds like your Spitfire M1 will have to be upgraded to the Mk5...you did a wonderful job with these!

Just a different cut on the tail, wing and a bit of balsa for a front air scoop and it would be a Mk V!