This build is an extension of my molded balsa replica of a
Cox plastic Spitfire, so it might be worth looking at again.
https://stunthanger.com/smf/12-a-building/cox-spitfire-replica-build-flight-video/ The Top Flite molded balsa 1/2A kits were the "other" planes
we kids flew instead of Muscianos They were called Form-Flight
by Top Flite. They featured a molded balsa fuselage and wing
that was reasonably easy for kids to assemble. The line
included a Hellcat, a Zero and the Thunderbolt.
Information about these planes is scarce.
Until now.
Here is my previous thread looking for information.
https://stunthanger.com/smf/12-a-building/12a-top-flight-molded-thunderbolt-zero-ect/msg106092/#msg106092 For some reason, the P-47 I had as a twelve year old has
been in the back of my mind recently. The weather has been horrific
this weekend so in a fit of boredom I was wandering through Ebay
and VOILA! The vendor of this original kit is asking $165.00 for it.
WAY beyond my reasons for having one but they are displaying
very good pictures of the kit parts. More than enough to design
an accurate replica.
As you can see from the pictures, the big deal here is molding
the fuselage. The technique I used for the Spitfire worked brilliantly
and this P-47 is a much easier design to consider.
The first thing to do was to trace the outlines from the Ebay
pictures using Adobe Illustrator. This was the usual problem of
straightening the photo parallax and averaging the bulkheads.
I know the span is 18" so I used that as a base measurement.
I'm sure that I'm very close with the other sizes but the printed
outlines on the balsa kit are inside the die cuts by about 1/16".
Lots of fiddling to get the plans to the cuts. Not the ink lines.
I printed out the "plans" full size on 8-1/2 x 11" paper and
used them to carve a pinewood plug to mold the fuselage.
Getting the shape to match the kit was easy since Top Flite
simplified the shape. It's simple and symmetrical.
Obviously they used this same fuselage for the Zero.
So, this was a very slim P-47 or a slightly tubby Zeke!
Flying season is upon us so progress will be slow, but I
will try to post pictures of each step.
If anyone is excited about this plane, I could mail you
a the outlines.
Cheers! - K.