Guillow's P40 Warhawk build, photos of the finished model

This is looking really sharp. I'm enjoying seeing it develop.
Rusty

Hi Lieven,

I can see that you have started colouring. What are you using?

This is another neat and tidy build. I am watching progress as I am flipping from the "quick" iron on finishes back to the traditional doped finishing.

I have found though that what I used to use 50 years ago isn't made any more! Neither is the range of modelling tissues, nylons and silks.

Thanks

Ian

I didn't start talking about colouring in the previous post but, yeah, it doesn't take long before somebody noticed it. I coloured the underside light blue. As this is totally new to me I didn't know what to use. I first was thinking about spraypainting and then give it a coat of Rustoleum varnish, but I read about coloured dope and I wanted to try that. Knowing that any local or less local model shop doesn't have conloured dope, I decided to make something myself.
It thought the simple way: after using dope, you clean your brush with cellulose thinner. Also after having painted your Airfix model with Humbrol, you clean your brush with cellulose thinner. So I mixed dope and Humbrol enamel. It works but the result is not that great. You keep on seeing lighter and darker areas. Also, you have to mix constantly because the paint sinks to the bottom of the jar.



I put 2 coats on. I going to try to do the upper part the similar way, but with a darker colour.

Lieven

After giving the fuse 2 coats of coloured dope, well 50/50%, I balanced the plane by adding 10 grams onto the tail. I also fixed a cardboard rudder with masking tape to see how the plane would behave when gliding.



This is how it looks now. The dope covers ok but it's not perfect.





I took it out while there was no wind. It glides straight and quite level. I don't think it needs changing anything. I will do a final test when the wing is coloured and the canopy is on.

Videos are uploading now of me running after my plane like a little kid.

After testing, I noticed that I'll need to fix the engine better. Also, the dope doesn't seem to stick well on the Guillow's plastic parts.



Lieven

Videos of the gliding test



And from another angle

Excellent Lieven !!! That is one true glide !!!!!

You probably already did it, but the paint might stick better if your roughened the plastic with sandpaper.

Haha, that looked like fun. Thanks for a great chuckle. And it looks like it really flies nicely. I'm looking forward to seeing it under power.
Rusty

It was fun indeed. I painted the canopy. The masking tape did leave some marks when pulling away where the paint ran under the tape. Although I know the anwser to avoid that, I forgot to do it, stupid me. After sticking the masking tape, you have to dope the tape edges before painting. When removing the tape, this will give you the neatest line you can get.

After painting, the canopy became a lot softer and changed shape a bit.





Lieven

Nice Lieven , looks like it should fly well keep us updated< Thanks ,   Getback

Hey Lieven, have you bench-run the Pee Wee yet with the larger prop and noted the engine's rpm's/run-time? I mentioned previously to be cautious of a "runaway" by using too much fuel on your first flight. It's less of a concern if you've got a huge wide-open area for your first flight.. but a 10 second engine-run can turn into an eternity after you toss the model in the air.

Here's something I just thought of, that would make it real easy to put a precise amount of fuel in your Pee Wee's little tank. It's a syringe that they'll probably give you at the pharmacy counter if you don't already have one. This one has a tip opening, that small-size silicone fuel tubing fits tightly inside by "twisting" it in. Cut a piece about 5/16" long.. and you can just press the syringe onto the backplate's nipple easily.

No, I havn't tested it yet but it's on the list. Thanks for checking out that seringe idea Roddie. What I'll have to do is connect the filling nipple to a silicon tube that is fixed to the edge of the engine cowl as I cannot remove the cowl every time. I have to do a test to see what quantitiy of fuel corresponds with given running times or periods.

My painted canopy bothers me. Today, it looks like a gutter. You need at least 7 hands to get that in 1 go onto the fuse with glue on. That sounds like it's going to become a mess. Also, the rear part of the canopy is in fact fuselage with those windows you can't see through. What was in fact the purpose of having glass over a bulkhead?

What I will do is cut that aft part off the canopy and continue to finish the fuse with balsa for the concave bulkhead and tissue around it.



Lieven

The fuse bulkheads are covered and painted. I also painted the wing.







What I want to do now is glue a piece of stiff plastic on the fuse in way of both bulkheads. I only don't know what is the best way to do this without making glueing marks. Or should I tape it to the fuse?
What are your suggestions?





Lieven

There is a product made for mounting prints under/behind glass. It is a clear film with adhesive on both sides. You may find it under the name "Print-Mount".. Office supply stores may have this in 8.5" x 11" size sheets. This would seal the entire piece from moisture fogging.. but it's obviously "pressure-sensitive" and you have a delicate application.

If you can fit your index finger all the way behind that balsa backer-panel.. you could "pinch" along the clear-panel with your thumb to get a good bond without stressing the framework. If you test a pc. on painted scrap, you'll probably find that light-reflection will offset any reduction in clarity from using the film. I have a remnant roll from a previous graphics job. (I used this to stick .005" sheet-brass tip-weights on my speed model)

Here's a few photos of the product I have, and what you can expect it to look like when used with your clear panel piece.

My remnant roll's ordering info.


a small cut piece of the film with it's liner; adhered to a pc. of thin clear plastic scrap


with liner removed..


This shows a strip of the clear film running through a print of a man's face between his neck and forehead for a comparison in clarity when mounted to the clear plastic panel.


Here's a pic showing how I used the product to secure my wingtip weights (top/bottom).. but they were clamped under pressure to assure a good bond, and edges sealed later with primer/paint.

Thanks Roddie for that illustrated explanation. This tape is very transparant. The thing is, for the Warhawk the plastic screen doesn't follow the hollow curve of the bulkhead. I should have said that in my previous post. The plastic remains straight so can only glue on the edges Maybe I could use cloth pins that so through the plastic near the edge andglue them into the balsa.

Lieven

OVERLORD wrote:....Maybe I could use cloth pins that so through the plastic near the edge andglue them into the balsa.

Lieven

That sounds like a good idea, and at worst, they'll look like rivets.
Rusty

OVERLORD wrote:Thanks Roddie for that illustrated explanation. This tape is very transparant. The thing is, for the Warhawk the plastic screen doesn't follow the hollow curve of the bulkhead. I should have said that in my previous post. The plastic remains straight so can only glue on the edges Maybe I could use cloth pins that so through the plastic near the edge andglue them into the balsa.

Lieven

Yes.. I see your dilemma. You may find some useful info here.. http://balsamodels.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1534

The real canopy on the full size aircraft wasn't curved. It's designed to be flat just like your installing it. Using clear PVA glue RC-56 or a thin bead of epoxy applied with a toothpick usually yields good results. In the past, I install the acetate and tissue over it. Leaving the tissue long allows for you to trim it clean leaving a even border with a new blade. Any loose edges are dressed with a touch of thinned white glue using a artist brush and smoothed out with a tissue. Ken

Thanks guys for looking that up and sharing your experience. I really didn't know how to get on with this. I cut the screen just a little smaller than the bulkhead so it sits right into the concave part. I will try to glue that with époxy on the edge.

Lieven

As said above, I glued the screen with époxy applied with a toothpick. It's not bad but it isn't perfect; the glue goes between the screen and the bulkhead.



The areas without glue were covered by sticky tape to hold the screen in place.

This afternoon, it was so silent outside, I felt an engine test coming up. I gave the Pee Wee engine a spin with the 5x2 prop and the 1 3/4" spinner.





I ran the engine 4 or 5 times. Each time, for the last minute or so, it start running very irregular. If that remains like that, it will be impossible to fill the tank up to achieve only f.i. 10 seconds of running time. Is this irregular running caused by
- the spring in the plastic fuel tube?
- vibrations?
- the plastic fuel tube end being cut at an angle?
- the engine that has not been ran in enough?

Lieven

Lieven, one thing I might add is that the 5" prop is a bittoo much for the little Pee Wee. Combine that with that huge spinner and your really lugging it. The backplate of the spinner is as tall as the cylinder sticking up. This could really be blocking needed cooling air thus causing the engine to start overheating and sagging. For a bit the engine ran rich, then leaned up but it definitely wasn't liking it in the end. Try the prop again without the spinner and make a determination. Higher nitro will help. I'm curious myself. Ken

Lieven,

I haven't written anything about this build, but I have been following.

Perhaps you answered this already, but why did you go with a Pee Wee? Do the instructions call for it? I can't remember if the 400 series do or not.

Anyway, have you considered an .049? Seems to me if you used a 5cc Texaco or similar you can swing a larger prop a little slower and tailor your run time. It would alleviate the spinner and prop issue for sure.

Some tail weight may be in order, but I think the benefit would outweigh the disadvantages.

Just a thought, either way you are doing a great job.

Ron

Lieven, I agree with Ken.. It seemed like the engine was tightening-up from over-heating. It started-out cool obviously.. at what seemed to be an optimal needle-setting, but had you "richened it up" when it started to sag/waver; you may have seen an improvement. That "is" a BIG spinner.. but like I mentioned a few posts ago.. if you go "power-on" for any more time than your flying area permits.. you risk losing your model. It ran great for more than enough time for the first few flights.. until you want to take it out to the prairie! I don't think there's anything amiss with your Pee Wee.  

During real-life flights, you will only be needing 10-15s of run time, so I guess overheating will hardly be a problem.
I was having the same problem with my PeeWee, and it was due to a loose needle. If the engine behaves the same on a 4.5x2 prop without the spinner, you could try placing a piece of fuel tube over the needle to steady it down.