The airplane is now (as far as I know) in the hands of the CAF who are aiming to restore the plane to its original (flight worthy) condition as it was in 1944.
Scale Build-Off – 140" C-47 Foamy
- Thread starter ScottyWarpNine
- Start date
ScottyWarpNine
Mostly Harmless
I got to spend some time up close and personal with a C-47 
I took a lot of pictures and measurements, mostly of the landing gear assembly.
My brother was thrilled that I dragged him along to write down measurements.
The plan right now is to modify a bunch of Hobbyking Oleo Struts with some soldered parts and some 3D printed steel parts. Working on 3D models now, will update when I have something of value.
I took a lot of pictures and measurements, mostly of the landing gear assembly.
My brother was thrilled that I dragged him along to write down measurements.
The plan right now is to modify a bunch of Hobbyking Oleo Struts with some soldered parts and some 3D printed steel parts. Working on 3D models now, will update when I have something of value.
smithhayward
Large Child
How, may I ask, are you going to print in steel? Or are you saying you're going to 3D print the parts that are steel on the real plane?
ScottyWarpNine
Mostly Harmless
You can 3D print in steel by using Shapeways online service Printing in steel is a very interesting process. They basically sinter powdered steel together and infuse it with bronze to form a solid metal part.
those'll be some detailed retracts.
ScottyWarpNine
Mostly Harmless
I had to get all of the airplanes out of the walkways in my basement, so I had to figure out a way of storing this monster. I decided hanging would be the best option to keep it out of the way and protect it from excessive hangar rash.
It also allowed me to stick the wings on and look at it for a while.
I have a lot of work to do.
Atleast now I have easy access to the bottom.
I bought these big Oleo leg style spring loaded gear struts from hobbyking. They are just about the perfect size
And yes, that is genuine Furey Field grass still stuck to the tires.
It also allowed me to stick the wings on and look at it for a while.
I have a lot of work to do.
Atleast now I have easy access to the bottom.
I bought these big Oleo leg style spring loaded gear struts from hobbyking. They are just about the perfect size
And yes, that is genuine Furey Field grass still stuck to the tires.
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It does look mighty fine up in the air where it belongs. Any word on the retracts?
ScottyWarpNine
Mostly Harmless
Still doing some eyeball engineering with the retracts. Once I get it all down on paper I'll design it in cad and see what the most economical route for production would be. I'm thinking steel 3d printing for the lower portion of the gear that is visible, and a meaty plastic upper portion to reduce cost. Printing the whole thing in steel is far above what I can afford.
Now that I have the struts in hand I can design around their dimensions. It would have been nice if HobbyKing provided detailed dimensions of their products so I could have designed the whole thing in the month it took to get here, but oh well.
ScottyWarpNine
Mostly Harmless
Motivation, where have you gone? Not gonna lie, over the past couple months I have strongly debated abandoning this project, despite coming so far. There is just so much to do, and it is hard to pick up a place to start.
I guess I need to get a move on. I want it done by Flite Fest for sure, if not by the contest deadline.
I've been selling a lot of my stuff. If you don't know, I'm a senior in college. I commute from home and live with my parents. They don't mind the giant airplane in the basement, but in about a year I will be graduating and moving into an apartment, with little room for a 1/8th scale C-47. If I finish this by Flite Fest and I cannot make arrangements for future storage, I may sell it or give it to someone who will appreciate it. Nothing set in stone yet.
I'm a full time student in addition to working two jobs, so progress will continue to be slow, but I need to get going with this or it will never be done.
I guess I need to get a move on. I want it done by Flite Fest for sure, if not by the contest deadline.
I've been selling a lot of my stuff. If you don't know, I'm a senior in college. I commute from home and live with my parents. They don't mind the giant airplane in the basement, but in about a year I will be graduating and moving into an apartment, with little room for a 1/8th scale C-47. If I finish this by Flite Fest and I cannot make arrangements for future storage, I may sell it or give it to someone who will appreciate it. Nothing set in stone yet.
I'm a full time student in addition to working two jobs, so progress will continue to be slow, but I need to get going with this or it will never be done.
Make a plan man!
Custer had a plan...
Get that beast finished before it's too late! You can't imagine how fast life starts to move after college, with a career, rent, car payment, eventually kids, a house, etc.
Even though I've got too many planes in the hangar, I'd take it in a heartbeat.
Frequent crasher
New member
keep going man!!! you're almost done! it will be so very rewarding to see the wheels lift off the grass for the first time! hey, how is the shipping on 140" dc-3's to alaska?
Zap brannigan
Member
i see this with every build of mine (200%),and i am in the middle of one now,a large corsair.
im waiting on servos,but after mounting the wing,I just quit working on it.
its basicaly servo ready and ready to fly,i feel jinxed as i have a bad history of crashing every corsair that i fly.
i've built 4 spitfires,1 blunt nose versawing,and 3 corsairs,all 200%,and like the idea of flying a plane that cost $1100 in the tower talk magazine for about $200 compleat.
keep it up,its amost ready.
im waiting on servos,but after mounting the wing,I just quit working on it.
its basicaly servo ready and ready to fly,i feel jinxed as i have a bad history of crashing every corsair that i fly.
i've built 4 spitfires,1 blunt nose versawing,and 3 corsairs,all 200%,and like the idea of flying a plane that cost $1100 in the tower talk magazine for about $200 compleat.
keep it up,its amost ready.
Frequent crasher
New member
what did the coro spitfires weigh? and they where ft spits right? also how did you scale them up?
Frequent crasher
New member
i mean air frame weight.
For long term storage you might contact local hobby shops once you have it fully built. I know our local shop hangs a lot of giant birds from the ceiling. Most are for sale on consignment but some belong to the owner's buddies. You get this finished and detailed up real nice and it would look great as a conversation piece in a hobby store until you have a hangar big enough. Or look to have them sell it on consignment...
ScottyWarpNine
Mostly Harmless
Thanks for the encouragement guys. Great idea for long term storage, wilmracer. Another idea I thought of is to loan it to the local MAPS air museum for display if they want it. I know there currently is a 1:8(?) scale RC Sherman tank there on display and it has been there for a number of years.
Anyway, here is some radial progress.
This is the engine I am trying to emulate, a Pratt and Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp. It is a 14 cylinder, double layer radial engine and it was used in the DC-3, B-24, PBY Catalina, F4F, and a many others. According to Wikipedia, more R-1830's were built than any other piston aircraft engine in history, yet, I couldn't find a 1/8 dummy to use in this project
So this is sorta what I'm going for:
Note the bottom cylinder is missing to allow cooling to the ESC, which will be mounted directly under the motor. I fixed the beck row to a piece of lexan sheet that will fit inside the cowl.
I cut some balsa scraps to act as 20mm mounting posts for the front row of cylinders.
And then I painted it, and the 6 remaining loose cylinders flat black.
Next step is to drill some holes for push rod tubes and paint the cylinder heads silver.
And here it is with the front layer glued in place with push rod tubes painted and secured. The motor will need to protrude up through the center, which is why that hole is so large. I'm going to have to paint the front of the motor silver, or throw it in my lathe and sand off the red anodizing to leave it silver, like the crankcase should be. I still need to add spark plug leads and I think then I'll call it a day. Then I still have to do another one.
Anyway, here is some radial progress.
This is the engine I am trying to emulate, a Pratt and Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp. It is a 14 cylinder, double layer radial engine and it was used in the DC-3, B-24, PBY Catalina, F4F, and a many others. According to Wikipedia, more R-1830's were built than any other piston aircraft engine in history, yet, I couldn't find a 1/8 dummy to use in this project
So this is sorta what I'm going for:
Note the bottom cylinder is missing to allow cooling to the ESC, which will be mounted directly under the motor. I fixed the beck row to a piece of lexan sheet that will fit inside the cowl.
I cut some balsa scraps to act as 20mm mounting posts for the front row of cylinders.
And then I painted it, and the 6 remaining loose cylinders flat black.
Next step is to drill some holes for push rod tubes and paint the cylinder heads silver.
And here it is with the front layer glued in place with push rod tubes painted and secured. The motor will need to protrude up through the center, which is why that hole is so large. I'm going to have to paint the front of the motor silver, or throw it in my lathe and sand off the red anodizing to leave it silver, like the crankcase should be. I still need to add spark plug leads and I think then I'll call it a day. Then I still have to do another one.
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JohnRambozo
Posted a thousand or more times
Great detail work and nice to see some progress! The museum idea is a good one, as long as they let you take it out for a spin when you're in the area.
aeroncalover
It shouldn't do that....
Wow, I just read this whole build log. Incredible work! Don't give up, man! You're 90% done, which means you have 90% left to go, but this is the easy stuff!! You will get there!!!
