Jim Walker Firebaby

Bob, or anyone, Please feel free to post your Firebaby stuff here  

I was thinking the same thing Robert, I did not want to start a redundant thread as I finished mine this morning also.  These are so similar but with different engines and attachments.  The mount drove me nuts putting it back together.  Tiny nuts and bolts and shakey hands do not go together.  But I prevailed even if the nuts were not magnetic, but the machine screws were.  Phillips heads an advantage for me but I need those nuts to be magnetic!




I started out like Robert, taking as much of it apart as possible and cleaning it up.  I used Howards Feed-N-Wax, cleans and adds a bit of shine.  



The Baby Spitfire was held on by two loose screws, PO probably struggled as I did.  I used all new 2/56's when putting it back together.  Holding the plane, the engine, the mount, the landing gear and little nuts and bolts was a nightmare.  Many fell on the floor before I figured out the code.  The neoprene fuel tube fell apart so I replaced it with silicone.  I have some neoprene around somewhere but I think that Matt or Bernie sells it.  




It came with a "Series 25" Prop.  New one on me.

Nice Bob, You already have it shinin’ like a new dime!!…..I like the wood prop, Best guess from the photo is mahogany?….Yep, Those 2-56 nuts and bolts are fiddly, You can magnetize them by rubbing on a strong magnet if you have one….I’ve got one of Dad’s old 3/16 ignition wrenches (remember those?)  to back up 2-56 nuts…The neoprene tubing would but most appropriate for restore…. I’m just going part way and will keep the silicone tube….  

A little inspiration for flying a Firebaby in this thread…. Probably my favorite CL video…

https://www.coxengineforum.com/t9989-flying-the-jim-walker-firebaby-at-bennett-airfield?highlight=Firebaby

rdw777 wrote:Nice Bob, You already have it shinin’ like a new dime!!…..I like the wood prop, Best guess from the photo is mahogany?….Yep, Those 2-56 nuts and bolts are fiddly, You can magnetize them by rubbing on a strong magnet if you have one….I’ve got one of Dad’s old 3/16 ignition wrenches (remember those?)  to back up 2-56 nuts…The neoprene tubing would but most appropriate for restore…. I’m just going part way and will keep the silicone tube….  

A little inspiration for flying a Firebaby in this thread…. Probably my favorite CL video…

https://www.coxengineforum.com/t9989-flying-the-jim-walker-firebaby-at-bennett-airfield?highlight=Firebaby

I'm not sure about the prop, some kind of ogamy I imagine.  

I had a heck of a time removing all the castor locked nuts, I had to use the pencil soldering iron.  The one between the landing gear especially.  That, and getting a blockage in there to hold the nut.  I finally just used the soldering iron and my finger (ouch) to get it out.  I did not have the courage to replace it and just left it out.  The four bolt Baby Spit holds it well.



I think these two screws were there to hold the metal wing guide in position.  I did not replace them.



Left-over original parts that I did not reuse.



and........just to prove that you can't cure stupid...........



Edit.......Oh yes, forgot. I enjoyed that video. South-paw flying the JW very well. Proves you don't need a pretty airplane, a canopy, or a small intergrated fuel tank to fly well.

Thinking.

If I ever flew the second edition Firebaby, first I would move the canopy all the way forward under the motor mount and push a common pin, one without a plastic head through the back of the canopy to the other side and snip off the bitter end.  This should hold it in place.  The balloon fuel tank and the crimped aluminum cross piece may hold it, but I would not trust them alone.  

I wonder how many canopies went flying on the first go-around.  



I'm trying to figure a way to do the graphics on the clone.  Perhaps take a photo, or scan the wing and transfer 1 to 1 onto vinyl backed decal paper or DigitA Label paper or even water slide.  It would take two scans one on each side of the wing to do the job and seam under the fuselage.  I did something similar in a smaller scale on the first edition Firebaby clone.

You guys got it going on over here , looking Good Robert and Bob . Is that the canopy you made Bob i lost track somewhere .

getback wrote:You guys got it going on over here , looking Good Robert and Bob . Is that the canopy you made Bob i lost track somewhere .

That one is for the FireBee -- Firebee, Firebaby......it's all so confusing.. But, I will need one for the Firebaby clone. It should be a little easier to do.

BTW, I think someone asked what size is the prop nut for the Jim Walker engine......its a 8/32.

Thanks Eric, Nice little nostalgia trip messing with the old plane and engines from that era!

rsv1cox wrote: I'm trying to figure a way to do the graphics on the clone.

If I did a clone I would want to try the graphics as well, The red and blue scalloped parts wouldn’t be too tuff to do with India ink , The lettering and “Firebaby” a little more challenging …. Patterns could be made with poster board and traced with a ball point pen….. The India ink can come up right to the line and not bleed over …. The ball point ink works kind of as a barrier…. Only problem is that while dope doesn’t hurt the India ink it attacks the ball point ink…. I think a varnish coating may OK but I would prefer dope….Still Messin’ with it….a sample in the photo…

Trying to see if a canopy could be made from a soap bottle…. Close enough for a clone I think…

That's pretty dog-goned look Robert, especially for a complex shape like that. A clone would be proud to have it. Eager to see what you come up with.

Thanks Bob, Little piece at a time for clone , Been pretty busy lately…. I did make time to play with the Wasp a little more though… I made up a test stand to try the single line balloon tank…. Actually works really well…..Mr. Walker knew what he was doing….8cc’s gives about three minutes…. The balloon never goes under pressure but I made a cover for over it just in case….

Beautiful work dear Roberto.....!...Roberto and Roberto, both really good FIREBABYS
Well, a few days ago I was also on tighter schedules due to my daily work and now maintenance of my house was added..., so after the work day instead of going to the workshop to move forward with my Citabria I stay watching videos on recreational programs on YouTube, there are two programs that I really like, both on the History Channel, one is called: "The Price of History" and the other: "Treasure Matchers"....I was watching the latter and suddenly A pile of airplanes appear......and suddenly a FIREBABY model airplane...I couldn't believe the coincidence, I automatically remembered you...I invite you to see it, minute: 11:08 onwards!

I couldn't view it Mauricio, but I found this one.

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=firebaby+airplane+youtube&mid=85A04C48D5B0D709882485A04C48D5B0D7098824&FORM=VIRE

Gracias Mauricio!, Yes, we are having fun restoring and copying the old models…. A little experience from the 1950’s….I look forward to when you are working on your Citabria again…. I’ve been busy too and progress has been slow lately.,,,

Thanks for that video Bob, I had not seen it before

Hi Robert, I hope that you won't mind if I tag this here.  It saves building another related thread entertaining some, boring others.  

Some may remember.



Started looking at it it today.  I wasn't going to, thought about leaving it as received, gooey sticky airplane with a clean (externally) engine but gave into my clean it up tendencies and removed the engine dunking it into Berrymans (in the relish jar) and slopping some on the fuselage and engine mount.  

Before



After



Fuselage/engine mount got a warm soapy water rinse, the engine went into some 91% alcohol.



Someone mentioned that the Babe Bee was probably not the original engine.  Yes, at one time it definately hit the ground hard crushing the prop drive washer.  I have a replacement.



The reason why the PO configured the engine the way he did with standoffs, he wanted to avoild the attaching screws.  He just went about it the wrong way.





Berryman's will not hurt paint or dope, but it will take the color out of the product that JW used to finish his models.  Fuselage finish is well crinkled.  Leaving it as is. Vertical stab/rudder just fell off.

Crushed/scraped prop drive washer.  Probably damage blunted by the prop, but I have mushroomed a case nose before by nosing it into concrete while the washer survived.

Absolutely Bob, Please feel free … Love these old rebuilds and FB is a favorite ….

The disassembly, assessment, cleaning, and repairs is a big part of the fun…. Although the wing has lost some of its color it looks like it still has most of its set?…. Dihedral and camber?….I ran into one story somewhere online that a guy said if his FB got upset on the wind side of the circle and went slack it would sometimes sorta free flight back to the other side….

Sounds like the rudder was just barely attached…. Lucky you got it with the plane…When I first started collecting a few parts I got a rudder with a parts lot…. Glad I did because when I got a mostly complete plane it was missing the rudder…

Fortunately we have a few complete examples now, As has been mentioned here and there not many survived being made of balsa….

The wing still has some camber but the right wing is split at the tip and the PO used some kind of rubberized glue to "fix" it.  Not good.  The engine mount looked strange to me but I couldn't figure it out until I found another to compare it with.




The engine is curious, mostly clean on the outside nasty on the inside but not locked up.  Needle frozen in place with Berrymans being no help in freeing it. Took heat and a lot of it to get it to move.  I took it completely apart.  Snug guys, not tight.  Heat, and more heat.







I always feel like I won the lottery when I find a "W" glow plug element.  

rsv1cox wrote:I would have to see it.  Unless he really hand whipped it I would think that gravity would take hold before acceleration.  Especially with that ultralight Firebaby hauling steel lines.  They plus the connectors are quite heavy.  I would never use it for anything less than a .35 powered model.

But the idea is great.  Hold the release lever down and let it unwind.  Then wind it back in.  I am thinking Dizzy.

I'm thinking more like not trying that "SELF HAND LAUNCH unless I'm dressed up like a BOMB SQUAD DUDE.....especially not with a metal prop spinning 10,000 rpm...!!!

I was looking at those lead weights on the lead out and thinking what the , he was a mess on the inside glad you got the needle out with out it breaking off Yea took a head on into some hard ground but the plane survived .

I would think that gravity would take hold before acceleration.

In real life.

In rough seas the carriers deck pitched up before the F4F Wildcat was ready to fly. July edition of Air Classics.

The shined up Bee looks nice on the patina’d Firebaby Bob…. Nice contrast…..Is the poor glue repair on the right wing tip un-doable?….. I can’t really detect it in the photos so maybe it’s not too bad….. The edges of the wing on mine were fairly rough probably just thru handling over the years….I gave it a gentle rub down with a piece of 400# sandpaper glued to a small piece of balsa sheet…. Did the same on the stab….Cleaned up the edges nicely….

rdw777 wrote:The shined up Bee looks nice on the patina’d Firebaby Bob…. Nice contrast…..Is the poor glue repair on the right wing tip un-doable?….. I can’t really detect it in the photos so maybe it’s not too bad….. The edges of the wing on mine were fairly rough probably just thru handling over the years….I gave it a gentle rub down with a piece of 400# sandpaper glued to a small piece of balsa sheet…. Did the same on the stab….Cleaned up the edges nicely….

It's just small blobs, a little CA will seal the splits.

The engine was a mystery.  Clean outwardly, I think someone just brushed it off with solvent.  No way would it have ran, both the needle valve and the pickup tube were blocked.  





I tried to remount it the same way the PO had it, with the machine screws coming in from the back.  Couldn't, the nuts would be too close to the fuel tank, I had to swap it around.  4/40 nut as a spacer.  Still, I just used his two mounting positions.  Amazing how secure it its.  




I'm still figuring what this U shaped tab was for.  Unique for this particular airplane.



Edit:

I have this idea. A cardboard template, some wetted balsa, a windshield and a pilot figure..................

Nothing wrong with an open cockpit Firebaby Bob…. On a barn find type we may just have to go with what works!!….I took liberties with my Stuntman 23 and made it open cockpit as well…

Getting closer.

The rounded end of the vice is a very close approximation of the JW's engine mount.  Let it set a day or two then while still retained, coat with sanding sealer and let sit for a couple more days.  Still going to make the Palmolive canopy.  Options.