All Aluminum Air Force

[chrsn]

Hey voodoo,

On your metal P-40, is that an original canopy? Looks like it is clear plastic with the frame painted silver. Just wanted to confirm.

Also, where did you get the prop spinner with blades for the P-40?

Thanks

[voodoo1200]

No canopy, prop and spinner are from a spec-cast P-40 until I find an original one.

[voodoo1200]

Here's a few more.

[voodoo1200]

Here's one more.

[soslipstream]

Tom,

I noticed one of the planes in your collection appears to be an early model P-40 with no prop spinner and no canopy. Can you tell me anything about this particular model? It wasn't an actual Curtiss factory model, was it?

Chris,

No clue to its origin but I would not be surprised that it was made for Curtiss. I hope to put both a prop assembly and canopy together on the P-40 and put it on a metal stand sometime this summer (2012). The prop with spinner assembly should be relatively easy. The canopy may be made using the plunge mold method, vac fomed or simply purchased then modified to fit.

Tom

[chrsn]

I also recently obtained a metal early-model P-40 but it's hard to determine if it's the same as yours. Unfortunately, it was subjected to a very bad restoration job. The canopy was missing, so the guy just glued a crudely-shaped block of clear plastic on the cockpit. The spinner and props were missing too, so he put an aluminum spinner that is not quite properly shaped for the P-40. Needless to say, these amateurish attempts make the plane look really odd.

When I purchased it, I decided that I would eventually have the ridiculous restoration undone and have the model restored by an experienced pro. I'm actually thinking about taking it to "Rick's Restorations" the next time I'm in Las Vegas!

[dasimperator]

Here's one more.

Isn't that the UFO that got bashed by some old pioneer farm lady in a Twilight Zone episode?

[MichaelB]

Actually, that's a Flying Saucer built for the USAF and tested. It wasn't worth pursuing!
The model in the TZ episode is the ship from the movie Forbidden Planet.

[dasimperator]

Actually, that's a Flying Saucer built for the USAF and tested. It wasn't worth pursuing!
The model in the TZ episode is the ship from the movie Forbidden Planet.

I remember this program the Discovery Channel used to have in the 1990s called 'Wings' (this was back when the Discovery Channel had informative programs with more than a passing interest in science and not lame ratings grabbers all the time - sorta like when MTV played music... and not lame ratings grabbers all the time) and the episode featuring that failed project. What they ended up with was an expensive, overengineered hovercraft without the rubber skirt.

[soslipstream]

Voodoo,

I was cleaning up some files on my hardrive and came across some pics of of past projects where the client wanted props on models that never had them and they had to rotate. It was not too hard to do and could be done using a dremel and a simple drill fixture. Here are a couple of pics... The P-40 is vtg cast metal and not really tight in scale. The second, I believe, is a heavy Bronzart P-39. Both prop assemblies could be buffed and have clear finishes for a more polished look. The hub was a modified lead sinker used in fishing. That makes it easier to shape and the holes bored with a hand drill. The blades came from toy cast propellers that I disassembled for the projects.
Tom Sanders