FGMM AC-47 repaint and tweaks

[Retired_for_now]

So, finally getting back to building. And, a belated beta-build of a superb repaint gifted to me (you know who you are, apologies for the delay). We'll see if I get this one done by the deadline.

Decided to keep this one smaller - so it's a 50% build of the regular size. Experimenting to see how it builds with connectors rather than tabs.

So far:



So good on the seams.



Yogi

[wag]

The Gooney Bird is one of my favorites and I'll be watching. I'm curious to see how the wings and engine nacelles fit.
Wayne

[Nh3ave2009]

Howdie Yogi, looking nicve so far! and I am one who likes to cut tabs and use connectors it gives cleaner lines

[hawkman67]

Good Job so far Yogi!! clean, neat assembly, I prefer connecting strips on FG models as well, and a former or two snuck in.
Jeff

[Don Boose]

Great project, Colonel John!

I loved these Spookys, one of which was very helpful to me and mine one night in the summer of 1967. It was a long time ago and I have misplaced the shoe box with the little green book that I carried in those days and the copy of the letter of appreciation I sent to the crew, but my memory tells me the call sign was Spooky 47. The ship operated out of Bien Hoa (presumably 1st Air Commando).

I look forward to seeing the rest of this build, for the techniques you are using, as well as for all the memories it evokes.

"Any Place, Any Time, Any Where," John

Don

[murphyaa]

The spooky's another special bird to me, because between servicing the HoundDog Missile, and making sure the SR-71 could keep track of where it was going (astral navigation system), My dad installed and serviced the radars in the AC-47's.

As he put it "Trying to install radar from a plane designed to travel over 500 mph into a plane that could only do 150mph in a freefall had it's tricks."

[peter taft]

Great start Yogi... Stick with the BUTT joints, they look super smooth and a fine aircraft - Just one thing... when it comes to the engines/nacelles etc, please use the ones supplied - a pair of F1's just wouldn't look right :p :D

[Retired_for_now]

Thanks all.
nh/hawk/peter - working with joiner strips does actually help with alignment



At the cost of having twice as many parts.



Wag/Don/murph - nobody argues about the value of airpower when it's hanging out over them just waiting to help. All the AC variants have had lots of fans over the years - and the Predator/Reaper guys are probably the next ones in line to join in.

Setting up the wings was not a problem, the butt joints register the parts fairly well. The nacelles should fit better than my C-47 build (C-47 from FG it is) since I didn't score the wing leading edges but bent them around a narrow brass rod. We'll see once I get the nacelles done (yah, sticking with the stock radials - not even going for a Basler on this one).



Lots more parts to make, and joints to stroke (I mean burnish) to smooth things out. The joins would be even less evident if I cut inside all the lines (completely cutting off the black outline). Not sure what that might do to some of the fits, so try that on something else later.

Yogi

[Retired_for_now]

Like all model builds, you just keep making little parts until the print sheet is nothing but holes.



Then you get to curve, bend, cut, and stick them together. I think this one will end up an in-flight model: disc rather than prop blades, main gear retracted, and we'll see what we can do with the guns ...



Drill gauge makes very round tires (tyres?). Just a paper band coiled inside the hole with glue smeared on the edges, and one glue joint on the outer rim where the band ends will be done when the edge glue sets. Once assembled and blacked I'll cut this one in half to show the semi-submerged retracted gear.



And the nose - good fit on all the FG parts, tabs or not.

Yogi

[hawkman67]

More great work Yogi, looking good my friend. Check your PM's.
Jeff