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The Staff of SOH
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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
Warbirdsim's "Happy Jack's Go Buggy, Then and Now" Released
- Thread starter Bomber_12th
- Start date
MenendezDiego
Charter Member
Love your work
WarBert
Charter Member
Thanks Joseph. When I was researching and obtaining many of the photographs for John, I spent many hours in several P-51D cockpits and can tell you that this is the view you get out of the real aircraft. The shape of the panel and shroud, the canopy frame, the weird Laminar flow section wing when viewed from inside, looking towards the tip (if you look at the countless videos on Youtube you will see what I mean). Not all of the dials are readable without moving your head a little. The fuel gauges on the floor are tucked almost out of the way, so you have to move forward a little to see them. The view over the 'bonnet'. But most important of all is the fact that is has been built from NAA drawings tell you that it is a perfect replica of the real P-51D.
Have fun!
Albert
www.warbirdsim.com
Thunderbolt
Charter Member 2014
TdN 3
Part1
Awesome work!!!
Flew the filletless D-5-NA version last night for a first look. The metallic skin is pure perfection.
I got a little behind the aircraft on take off and when the tail came up I woke up!! :redf: Definitely feels different than the filleted models.
Love the history that you give us with each Mustang and all the details. Thank you very much. -Jim
Flew the filletless D-5-NA version last night for a first look. The metallic skin is pure perfection.
I got a little behind the aircraft on take off and when the tail came up I woke up!! :redf: Definitely feels different than the filleted models.
Love the history that you give us with each Mustang and all the details. Thank you very much. -Jim
Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
I just wanted to add a great thanks to those who have posted to this thread today! Unfortunately I was called out of the offices and couldn't respond to the latest posts until now. I really appreciate all of the kind compliments and feedback on the work The learning process never ends.
Here's just a last selection of favorite screenshots accumulated during beta testing.
The radiator scoop remains one of the items that I'm most proud of on these aircraft (as well as the lip and curvatures in the fuselage, just underneath and aft of the canopy (when closed)). A lot of time was spent on those items, ensuring their accuracy.
Built as if there were a Merlin inside (note the exhaust stacks don't keep the same taper as the nose, with the exhaust stacks and shrouds maintaining a straight line forward with the engine (though the nose itself doesn't have much taper to it, until near to the nose cone - this actually results in the cowlings looking rather fat at times, depending on the angle and viewing distance, with the top of the cowl being very flat)):
Here's just a last selection of favorite screenshots accumulated during beta testing.
The radiator scoop remains one of the items that I'm most proud of on these aircraft (as well as the lip and curvatures in the fuselage, just underneath and aft of the canopy (when closed)). A lot of time was spent on those items, ensuring their accuracy.
Built as if there were a Merlin inside (note the exhaust stacks don't keep the same taper as the nose, with the exhaust stacks and shrouds maintaining a straight line forward with the engine (though the nose itself doesn't have much taper to it, until near to the nose cone - this actually results in the cowlings looking rather fat at times, depending on the angle and viewing distance, with the top of the cowl being very flat)):
skyhawka4m
Charter Member
how do you get the googles to change position?
these shots are so cool! I can't wait to get this friday.
these shots are so cool! I can't wait to get this friday.
Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
*And speaking of plastic model building, the subject aircraft of this product, the restored "Happy Jack's Go Buggy", was quite the "coup" when it was unveilled in 2008, both confusing and perhaps frustrating some model builders (and opening the eyes of other Mustang restorers and researchers). For instance, for many, they would have never had thought that the wheel wells could look so different in paint and primer finishes, from one side to the other. Since 2008, I continue to see various models (and other restorations) continuing on with recreating that sort of unique and authentic detail, especially with the varied patchwork of chromate yellow and interior green, as well as authentic period Alcoa and Reynolds aluminum watermarks, recreated on the insides of the metal skins as if they had just been manufactured in 1944/1945.
Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
John, it is a new feature of the B-8 goggles included in this product version (knowing that Bruce Winter always flies the aircraft sporting them, as did the 20th FG pilots including Ilfrey, I had to add them). The goggles are worn when the gun sight power is turned on (either through the N-9 in the wartime models, or the K-14 in the modern models). This allows you to directly control when you have the goggles on, but also sort of plays into the "combat mode" theme, by having the gun sight activated and the goggles on. With the moden models, you still have the option to load a pilot with modern flight suit and a modern HGU 55 helmet (as commonly worn by warbird pilots). The wartime pilot has an A-2 jacket on, while the modern pilot, clothed in period gear, is wearing a cloth, somewhat equally bulky, flight jacket, as Bruce Winter typically wears.
skyhawka4m
Charter Member
nice touch!
Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
Here are some screenshots taken this evening (using Bob Rivera's environment map).
Note that this is a depiction of the restored aircraft as it is at the moment. You can see in this first shot, the white paint of the swastika kill markings has begun to chip away (especially the last few examples, nearest the cockpit), as has the red paint around the edges of the name artwork. You can also see scratch marks on the bomb markings, as well as the front half of the front train marking has been completely stripped away. This is a result of cleaning the aircraft, and general use, and all of these paint chips are accurate to the aircraft at this moment - also including a little chip in the 'M', some chipping along the front edge of the canopy frame, along the edge of the fuselage skin next to the fuselage fuel tank cap (fuel caps being of proper size), and more paint chipping on the wing-to-fuselage fairings (again, all copied from the actual aircraft).
A 'different' take on the cockpit (note the accurate to the real aircraft scuff mark, on the right floor board - this isn't present on the Oshkosh 2008 fresh from restoration debut version). The K-14 is removed in this shot, though is installed by default.
At slow speeds, with not much air passing through the oil rad intake, the oil can heat up quite a bit, and as seen here, the oil door, in the automatic setting, has sprung full open, as the aircraft formates at 145 mph or so.
Passing overhead, one can see the bright spots of acid etching on the metal, the two different wheel well finishes, the period-authentic Alcoa aluminum watermarks on the wing fuel tank cover panels and wheel well skins, authentic stencils (including on the spacer panel between the clamshell doors), dull-silver painted wings, and the fuel drain stencils inside the front of the radiator scoop.
Note that this is a depiction of the restored aircraft as it is at the moment. You can see in this first shot, the white paint of the swastika kill markings has begun to chip away (especially the last few examples, nearest the cockpit), as has the red paint around the edges of the name artwork. You can also see scratch marks on the bomb markings, as well as the front half of the front train marking has been completely stripped away. This is a result of cleaning the aircraft, and general use, and all of these paint chips are accurate to the aircraft at this moment - also including a little chip in the 'M', some chipping along the front edge of the canopy frame, along the edge of the fuselage skin next to the fuselage fuel tank cap (fuel caps being of proper size), and more paint chipping on the wing-to-fuselage fairings (again, all copied from the actual aircraft).
A 'different' take on the cockpit (note the accurate to the real aircraft scuff mark, on the right floor board - this isn't present on the Oshkosh 2008 fresh from restoration debut version). The K-14 is removed in this shot, though is installed by default.
At slow speeds, with not much air passing through the oil rad intake, the oil can heat up quite a bit, and as seen here, the oil door, in the automatic setting, has sprung full open, as the aircraft formates at 145 mph or so.
Passing overhead, one can see the bright spots of acid etching on the metal, the two different wheel well finishes, the period-authentic Alcoa aluminum watermarks on the wing fuel tank cover panels and wheel well skins, authentic stencils (including on the spacer panel between the clamshell doors), dull-silver painted wings, and the fuel drain stencils inside the front of the radiator scoop.
Thunderbolt
Charter Member 2014
wow,................................. stunning screenshot
You should really "explore" these models as the level of delailing is absolutely stunning! This evening I suddenly realised that even the welds on the exhausts are textured..... And I absolutely love the head movement, the pilot is really scanning the sky! (Reminded me a bit to Stuart Green's pilot who did the same :d)
Cheers,
Huub
Cheers,
Huub
Thunderbolt
Charter Member 2014
I like this moving head.
Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
Thank you Rick, Torsten, and Huub!
I saw this in an old magazine, thought it was cool, and just had to copy it:
I saw this in an old magazine, thought it was cool, and just had to copy it:
Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
Here are some screenshots from this morning, taking the freshly restored version of the modern aircraft out for a flight, reminiscent of the summer and fall of 2008.
Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
And continued:
