Flite Fest Veterans Airshow

[Namactual]

No, thank you for your service.

Glad to have ya aboard.

 

[Namactual]

Im a retired Veteran and I think this is a wonderful honor. Im in, I just have NO idea what to build. Maybe the F-18, but in retro WWII pint scheme....

I was toying with that paint scheme myself, this has to be my favorite pic of the F-18...

@PsyBorg
Do you have any input on the Navy skin?
The canvas is still open to anything at this point. I am open to suggestions.

 

[PsyBorg]

I know the squadron VF-84 an F-14 squadron from days of old with the black and yellow markings and the skull n cross bones for the Jolly Rogers is one of my favorites from my days on Nimitz. I was on board for their last cruise before Nimitz was sent west to be based in Bremerton Washington. I sooo wanted to be catted off but they made me stay in Norfolk three months before my time was up when they departed for the world cruise.

I can't say how much ordnance we moved for that squadron when I was on board but I can tell you Gadhafi's line of death when he specifically said he was going to sink Nimitz at 75 miles didn't mean a thing to us. Specially since we were in Italy on shore leave and got recalled early. We went to 50 miles he set it again at 25 and we went in close enough I got shots of a beach from the cat walks with a 200 mm telephoto lens. He sent two fighters out and the Rogers splashed em both within a few minutes.

It wasn't too long after that he got bombed back to the stone age for multiple reasons. Mainly reported in the media for terrorist attacks. some of the reporting said it was over within an hour.......

 

[Namactual]

I had a soft spot for the Jolly Rogers as well. The "Skull Squadron" from Robotech/Macross had a similar scheme and I thought that was the coolest thing I had ever seen when I was a kid.


Well, it looks like I might just have to crank out two new skins.

 

[PsyBorg]

I like the land based paint schemes with the glossy white pretty paint vs the haze gray zinc chromate sea paint for the base. Probably why the Rogers stood out as they came on board all shiny and new looking every cruise where the others came geared up for salt.

 

[foamtest]

Welcome to the air show and thank you for your service @Navydiver71, we could always use another F-18 flying in the formation.

 

[kilroy07]

Meanwhile, in Springfield, IL....

Finally got caught up with my "Real Job" and had some time to get back to this.
The process requires some (how do we say...) "Finesse" (and, at times... cursing) but here's the "Alpha"/Proof of Concept whatever you want to call it about to be built (still some work on Graphics, but it's good enough for a test run.)

So, I think I can confidently say the Skin-Then-Laser is a proven concept!

If you need me, I'll be at the bench.

 

[Namactual]

Looking good brother!
I can't wait to see it assembled and in the air.

 

[kilroy07]

Looking good brother!

Thanks! (I was hoping you would get wind of this, you know DAT Rhino kits are just around the corner, right?!)

I probably won't post any more pics of THIS bird as there... were... some.. issues... with the wind catching one side skin as I was putting it on (I think I mentioned cursing...) That and I still need to practice 4 channel flying. (Think I can get Mr. Blixer to teach me to knife edge?!)

AND I need to do all the P-51 panel lines and such so it at least looks like a pale comparison with what you've done!
That will be a separate layer graphically, because, you know... I'm going to do at least 2-3 more warbird skins for the Mustang!!

Speaking of that, I blame you @Namactual for this...
Now I'm looking at my plain white cubs and thinking.... In fact, I'm looking at EVERY plane in my hanger and thinking about making skins for them!

 

[Namactual]

Thanks! (I was hoping you would get wind of this, you know DAT Rhino kits are just around the corner, right?!)

Cool, hopefully there will be a few of these in the air for the airshow. If you have a few kits available, maybe we can have a few built on site.

I probably won't post any more pics of THIS bird as there... were... some.. issues... with the wind catching one side skin as I was putting it on (I think I mentioned cursing...)

I hear ya. The spray adhesive is a pain. Did you have any luck looking into self adhesive paper? Could you use that polypropylene I linked you?

Speaking of that, I blame you @Namactual for this...

That's what I am here for.

Thanks for the kind words brother, if I can't make it to FF this year I will be there next year for sure. Even if I have to quit my job! I will have the Army represented in the airshow for you as well.

 

[foamtest]

What great timing, I was just about to post on here about the skin and laser progress. About that... I probably won’t have any time EXCEPT at the event to build my plane. if it’s possible to bring a pre skined and cut out marine plane I would be willing to throw in a few bucks for it.

 

[kilroy07]

Could you use that polypropylene I linked you

I did look at that, I think it might work... seemed a tad on the heavy side (had a bad experience early on with the heavy High Quality Elmer's foamboard and a couple cubs that flew like... well, they didn't.)

Right now it's going to have to wait, my "allowance" (thanks Dave Ramsey) is going towards two new projects... One I "might" have for FT (I just have to decide which one that's gong to be... Maybe after July-August I'll grab a roll, I do think it has potential (and it's not "too" much to burn.)

 

[Namactual]

I think it might work... seemed a tad on the heavy side

I saw on one of the sites I was looking at actually posted the gsm and it was equal to like 30lb paper. It is heavy, but I was thinking with the poly I would remove the original paper from the foamboard to compensate.

I do plan on testing some that in the near future so don't sweat it. I was just curious if you had looked into it or not.

 

[kilroy07]

if it’s possible to bring a pre skined and cut out marine plane

Consider it done. I Will be cutting the kits tonight (everything is printed, I'll have 2 kits/per (Navy/Marine) and a couple printed copies with me.)

Next year we'll have to have the Army represent, that said... I don't believe they've flown a fixed wing since, what, 18 September 1947?
(Although that does open up the Mustang, so maybe that's not such a bad thing!)
Either that, or I'll have to get into rotorcraft...

I'm having a terrible time getting the canopy for Miss America figured out... as a last resort, I'll go the laminated option... that's all she's waiting on.

ANY help vacuum forming tips? (I'm all ears!)
On the plus side I have a nicely laminated pizza stone now!

 

[foamtest]

Thank you so much! Life has not been easy this past week with trying to get everything else in order so that I can go to FF.

 

[Namactual]

Thanks again for doing this @kilroy07 .

You really are going above and beyond.

 

[Liam B]

Could I enter my giant P-82 into this? It’s not painted or skinned, just brown.

 

[Namactual]

I don't believe they've flown a fixed wing since, what, 18 September 1947?

They actually have a few fixed wing aircraft, they are just not allowed to be armed.
This is the one I was going to use to represent the Army...
RC-12 Guardrail
I really like that bird.

I figured with the Prop and Slot F-18 for the Navy/Marines, a high performance EDF F-16 for the Air Force and a twin prop RC-12 for the Army would make a good mix of aircraft for potential builders to chose from?

 

[kilroy07]

Life has not been easy this past week with trying to get everything else in order so that I can go to FF.

Take a second to print out the build guide (and maybe one or two extras for the other kits... The kits will be two sheets and a Large ziplock bag of the other parts (and they aren't labeled so the pics in the manual will help.
(I guess if you have a tablet, you could just download the PDF...)

 

[DamoRC]

So how did it go?



DamoRC