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Still Piddlin' ... "The Grizzly"

YYYYAAAAAYYYYYY.......... Oops!!! I think I got so excited that I sharted!!!! Thanks Milton and company for everything you do!!!
 
Amazingly amazing what can happen when a team of experts
come together, my hat is off to you gentlemen...thanks...
 
Milton Shupe said:
Rob,

I see absolutely no reason why we can't have a Grizzly out front hunting bear ... I mean checking weather. LOL
Click to expand...

That 75mm is some fine kind of long gun!
Get the last rivets pressed, kick the boys in the Pentagonal until they sign off on it and we'll go git us some bar...
In fact, I can see a Coon-skin cap and a musket making some nice nose art for the "weather-checker" -smirk-

Rob
 
It's shocking just how much time you can free up when you "retire" - great work Milton! I would imagine this one would have had to be in a dive just to stay airborne when you fired that cannon.

Milton, PM on the way!
 
Research Materials

Milton Shupe said:
For example, as far as I know, there are no known pictures of the cockpit. Fortunately, Moses03 came up with a source for drawings and these will be exceedingly helpful. Pictures, what colors in the cockpit, of the panel, etc. would be great. Otherwise, I can make do with what we have.
Click to expand...

A comment made on a website I visited indicated there is some material available:

Recent comments by our visitors
Regarding the disposition of the two flying prototypes of the XA-38, they were scrapped after there was no further interest in them by the military. There is little information still in existance about these birds, but some of what exist is held by the "Kansas Aviation Museum" at McConnell AFB in Wichita, Kansas. They have a great arcive facility there.
05/06/2004 @ 19:36

Perhaps someone in the vicinity could contact them.

Regards, Rob
 
viking3 said:
A comment made on a website I visited indicated there is some material available:

Recent comments by our visitors
Regarding the disposition of the two flying prototypes of the XA-38, they were scrapped after there was no further interest in them by the military. There is little information still in existance about these birds, but some of what exist is held by the "Kansas Aviation Museum" at McConnell AFB in Wichita, Kansas. They have a great arcive facility there.
05/06/2004 @ 19:36

Perhaps someone in the vicinity could contact them.

Regards, Rob
Click to expand...

Rob,

... and someone did ... Moses03, and "Katie, Bar the door!" They came up with a B/W picture of the cockpit and the gunner's station, the only two they could find. YeeeeeHaaaa! Thank you Moses03 :ernae: :applause: :jump:
 
Tom Clayton said:
It's shocking just how much time you can free up when you "retire" - great work Milton! I would imagine this one would have had to be in a dive just to stay airborne when you fired that cannon.

Milton, PM on the way!
Click to expand...

The article states that the wings and spars and other areas were built with that cannon stress in mind with some added protection in the wings.

I have retired from full-time development .. but will always jump at a special aircraft like this, or the A-26. I have not retired from my day job ... another 4+ years yet. :)
 
srgalahad said:
That 75mm is some fine kind of long gun!
Get the last rivets pressed, kick the boys in the Pentagonal until they sign off on it and we'll go git us some bar...
In fact, I can see a Coon-skin cap and a musket making some nice nose art for the "weather-checker" -smirk-

Rob
Click to expand...

Right on Rob :ernae:

Davey Crockett, Mike Fink, you name 'em. Who's Mike Fink? Haha from the Davey Crockett series, he sang:

"Women shout, Redmen quiver
I'm Mike Fink
King of the river"

He was a river-crossing barge operator, thought he captained a riverboat as proud as he was of that ferry. :)
 
I am just about completed with mapping the exterior. I am looking for a good texture artist who would be interested in doing detailed bare metal textures and a layered paint kit. If you have interest and would like to do this and the interior textures, speak up or contact me by PM or email.

EDIT: The position has been taken ... job is filled ... and I am thrilled!
 
Milton Shupe said:
I am just about completed with mapping the exterior. I am looking for a good texture artist who would be interested in doing detailed bare metal textures and a layered paint kit. If you have interest and would like to do this and the interior textures, speak up or contact me by PM or email.

EDIT: The position has been taken ... job is filled ... and I am thrilled!
Click to expand...

Hey Milton --

Nice to see that you are working on another masterpiece... I don't know too much about this plane but it looks menacing to say the least. "A Beech D-18 on steroids". I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that 75mm gun.:pop4:

BB686:USA-flag:
 
nightshade said:
Did you find any interior Photos for the panel?
Click to expand...

Thanks to Moses03 and the Kansas Aviation Museum and Andrew Labosky, Volunteer Archivist, we do have a partial panel picture and one shot of the Bombardier's station. :applause: :jump:

Examine these pictures closely. Now someone who knows these things better than I, please explain the mix of gauges in the bombardier's station, and why there are so many of one side and not the other. :kilroy:

EDIT: Oooops, looks like they got compressed on the upload. I'll will upload the originals to my site and post a link here.

Here ya go:

Panel: http://www.flightsimonline.com/xa38/xa38panel.jpg

Bombardier's station: http://www.flightsimonline.com/xa38/xa38bombardier.jpg
 
Just a hunch but it wasn't a real 'bombardier' station .. more like a flight test engineer panel. The multiple cyl. head temp gauges are the sort you'd see while testing. Also the mis-alignment of the BMEP gauges for L&R makes it look like they had revised the panel or had to move a couple of things... after all, a FTE would have lots of time to look at a panel and sort it out as he made notes. Notice too how the gauges are clearly but crudely labeled 1940's version of Dymo tape :wiggle:. I can't see a bombardier being given all that "pilot crap' to watch in an operational combat a/c.
The Pilot's panel on the other hand looks pretty normal... most of the engine gauges are on the right side in pairs or dual-needle type - center is the primary flight instruments with a Sperry Type 3 Otto below, flanked by the starter switches and the left panel is clock, altimeter and ?? and what looks like electrics.
If you're going to be historically accurate then the FTE panel would be the one to model in a prototype, while I bet the production a/c might have had the basic flight instr. (as aids for the "WSO") and maybe some other bits so he could double as a navigator/radio man(?)

Rob
 
Milton, I have a question: Along with the idea for some great bare metal textures (which I love! :d), is it possible to do one additional model change? A version without the cannon sticking out the nose would be beautiful. Such a neat and beautiful plane, but to have a quote-un-quote 'Civilian' version would be awesome. :ernae: It really does look like a big sister to the D18.
 
Milton Shupe said:
Examine these pictures closely. Now someone who knows these things better than I, please explain the mix of gauges in the bombardier's station, and why there are so many of one side and not the other. :kilroy:

Milton, I suspect they were there strictly for test and calibration purposes. The cowl flaps had an auto setting which relied on a GE control unit and the hottest cylinder head temperature. Seems to fit with all the gauges seen. I am assuming they mean the gunner's position aft as opposed to an actual bombardier's position in the forward cabin which there doesn't seem to be.

Regards, Rob:ernae:
Click to expand...
 
viking3 said:
Milton Shupe said:
Examine these pictures closely. Now someone who knows these things better than I, please explain the mix of gauges in the bombardier's station, and why there are so many of one side and not the other. :kilroy:

Milton, I suspect they were there strictly for test and calibration purposes. The cowl flaps had an auto setting which relied on a GE control unit and the hottest cylinder head temperature. Seems to fit with all the gauges seen. I am assuming they mean the gunner's position aft as opposed to an actual bombardier's position in the forward cabin which there doesn't seem to be.

Regards, Rob:ernae:
Click to expand...

Looks like some serious test and calibration going on here.
Click to expand...
 
LOL Yes, I would have to agree ... looks very much like flight testing to me as well. Just FYI, I do not plan to model the gunner's station since no real detail exists of the contents other than the periscopes.

I will certainly look at a more "civilian" version as well dropping the cannon and turrets.

I encourage interested texture artists to consider "what-if's" and "what could have been's" textures for this late '44 potential entry into the fray.
 
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