Author Topic: pilots (Read 2383 times)

roger zavoda · « **on:** December 28, 2010, 06:35:08 PM »

what size pilot figure would fit in a hanger9 p-51?

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #1 on:** December 28, 2010, 06:46:46 PM »

Most P-51's had a 37 foot span (I think there were some high-altitude models with longer, but I could be wrong). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-51.

Divide 37 by the span of the model in feet, and you'll get the scale -- then go looking for a pilot figure to match. I like to use stuffed animals and heads from Pez dispensers -- but then, I'm not trying to win any contests.

roger zavoda · « **Reply #2 on:** December 29, 2010, 12:10:14 PM »

so i have a 58" wing plane and when i figure it i get a no. of 74?

dont get it
roger

Paul Smith · « **Reply #3 on:** December 29, 2010, 01:35:30 PM »

The wingspan of the prototype is 37 feet or 444 inches.

The wingspan of the model is 58 inches, so the model is 13% of the size of the prototype.

1/8 scale is 12.5% scale, as close as you can hope to get. There are plenty of 1/8 scale pilots on the market. 1/8 scale is also called 1- 1/2" inches to the foot.

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #4 on:** December 31, 2010, 12:09:05 PM »

Quote from: roger zavoda on December 29, 2010, 12:10:14 PM

so i have a 58" wing plane and when i figure it i get a no. of 74? dont get it
roger

"divide 37 by the span of the model in feet"

58" = 4.83'. 37 / 4.83 = 7.66, so your scale is 1:7.66.

Does it make more sense now?

roger · « **Reply #5 on:** December 31, 2010, 12:51:17 PM »

so an 1/8 or 1/9 pilot could work?

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #6 on:** December 31, 2010, 03:13:17 PM »

If I got my math right a 1/8 pilot would be a hair small, and a 1/9 pilot would be quite small. "Works" is up to you -- like I said, I get my pilot figures from toy stores; they're often brightly colored and fuzzy.

Bill Little · « **Reply #7 on:** December 31, 2010, 06:40:47 PM »

Quote from: roger on December 31, 2010, 12:51:17 PM

so an 1/8 or 1/9 pilot could work?

Hi Roger,

Go with the 1/8th scale (or 1 1/2"=1') pilots.

They are an "almost" perfect. I don't think you could really tell the difference of maybe 1/32nd" to 1/16th" on a "scale" pilot. 1/8th is the size you want. WWII fighter pilots (and generally ALL fighter pilots) tend towards the "smaller" size in real life.

Big Bear

john e. holliday · « **Reply #8 on:** January 01, 2011, 09:16:13 AM »

Unless you put John Wayne in the pilots seat.

Bill Little · « **Reply #9 on:** January 01, 2011, 09:20:12 AM »

Quote from: john e. holliday on January 01, 2011, 09:16:13 AM

Unless you put John Wayne in the pilots seat.

(did The Duke actually ever fly a fighter plane in combat?? LOL!!)

john e. holliday · « **Reply #10 on:** January 01, 2011, 09:26:33 AM »

Only in the movies. He was too much of a morale character for Hollywood to let him go to war. There were several that did go and serve.

Bill Little · « **Reply #11 on:** January 01, 2011, 09:31:03 AM »

Quote from: john e. holliday on January 01, 2011, 09:26:33 AM

Only in the movies. He was too much of a morale character for Hollywood to let him go to war. There were several that did go and serve.

Ted Williams served as a pilot, IIRC. He DID serve in some form, and I have heard of many others during WWII and Korea.

roger · « **Reply #12 on:** January 01, 2011, 09:35:57 PM »

what ever happend to my question?

Bill Little · « **Reply #13 on:** January 01, 2011, 09:56:46 PM »

Quote from: roger on January 01, 2011, 09:35:57 PM

what ever happend to my question?

It got answered, see Reply #7. Quoted your post, answered it, and I guess no one else had anything extra to add to my answer.

What else can I say? Even gave an explanation. Use the 1/8th scale pilot like I said , or not.

Lots of times duplicate answers are not posted. I, and others, don't always answer a question that has already been answered by someone else, especially if I have nothing significant to add to the answer.

Happy New Year!

BTW: Why are you registered twice? If one is defective, I need to dump it. Two accounts are definitely not necessary. And it's confusing as heck when you have posted in this thread as "roger' AND "Roger Zavoda" Let me know which one to delete.

roger · « **Reply #14 on:** January 03, 2011, 04:01:20 PM »

delete roger zavoda

Bill Little · « **Reply #15 on:** January 03, 2011, 06:29:23 PM »

Quote from: roger on January 03, 2011, 04:01:20 PM

delete roger zavoda

Gotcha! Now, are we straight on the "pilots"?

Bill

Hoss Cain · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2011, 07:58:57 PM »

Quote from: john e. holliday on January 01, 2011, 09:16:13 AM

Unless you put John Wayne in the pilots seat.

Reference the search for a scale pilot, it's better looking to have a large one. I see far too many "pilots" that are far too small. One always remains in my mind that I saw at a large Big Bird event. The model was a T-33 jet and it was fantastic. Unfortunately it was ruined by "Pilots" that were about half size. Any pilot in the T-33 front seat of about 5'8" and 160 LB. is somewhat cramped. (How do i know that?) Better in the back seat. Most WWII fighters had very cramped cockpits except the P-47D and later versions which were rather roomy.

And for those that speak of John Wayne, well see http://www.jwplace.com/biography.html for how Ronald Regan felt about Wayne.
Jimmy Stewart completed 25 missions over Europe as a B-24 Aircraft Commander (1st pilot). Clark Gable made some sorties as a waist gunner in B-17s over Europe. Many of the era's movie guys went the call. Not like now.

I find that commercial toy airplane Pilots need to be a "scale" at least 2 numbers larger than advertised to be anywhere near realistic. Therefore I usually make my own. Carve 'em from balsa/foam, glue 'em up and paint with the cheaper Craft paints from craft, Wa. Mt. stores or such. Easy enough.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #17 on:** February 03, 2011, 09:07:01 AM »

Another is to look at actual pictures of pilots in their planes. Some planes look large with the people standing around them and others look small. But, as Hoss Cain says go to the larger size. Just look at the room you have when getting into the seat of a Cessna along side of the pilot. Not much room in them also.

Bill Little · « **Reply #18 on:** February 03, 2011, 12:24:41 PM »

Quote from: john e. holliday on February 03, 2011, 09:07:01 AM

Another is to look at actual pictures of pilots in their planes. Some planes look large with the people standing around them and others look small. But, as Hoss Cain says go to the larger size. Just look at the room you have when getting into the seat of a Cessna along side of the pilot. Not much room in them also.

Hi Doc,

In Pensacola at the NAVAL Museum, I tried to get "into" the cockpit of a F-8 that they have set up with a ladder. It was the "biggest" of the single seaters there. They had a few different "cockpits" done that way. I was still in decent shape, still coaching, so a lot of extra meat wasn't present! LOL!! The sides were a firm fit to my rib cage......... I had to leave my arms out so that I could sit down! That picture was the lead on my Products Column in Stunt News for a while.

Them planes are "SMALL"! LOL!!

Big Bear

Will Hinton · « **Reply #19 on:** February 04, 2011, 06:40:46 AM »

Quote, "Just look at the room you have when getting into the seat of a Cessna along side of the pilot. Not much room in them also."

Actually, I loved the room my Skyhawk had! I could fit the whole family in and still set my Jepp charts between the front seats. Gave a 250 pounder his instrument rating in that plane and never once felt crowded. (Maybe you were referring to the 150? It was tight.)

Bill Little · « **Reply #20 on:** February 04, 2011, 04:06:29 PM »

Quote from: Will Hinton on February 04, 2011, 06:40:46 AM

Quote, "Just look at the room you have when getting into the seat of a Cessna along side of the pilot. Not much room in them also."

Actually, I loved the room my Skyhawk had! I could fit the whole family in and still set my Jepp charts between the front seats. Gave a 250 pounder his instrument rating in that plane and never once felt crowded. (Maybe you were referring to the 150? It was tight.)

HI Will,

with a 60+ inch chest, I don't fit easily into too many planes.

Bill

Will Hinton · « **Reply #21 on:** February 05, 2011, 01:49:40 PM »

Would that be a 60 inch CHEST, or did you really mean cheat?

LL~The fellow I referred to was close to your size, good buddy. Our shoulders touched, but it wasn't uncomfortable in the 'Hawk.
I'd love to see you on a Breezy! Where's the airplane?!
How, by the way, is my big brother doing these days? Hope you're hangin' tough.
Many blessings,
Will

john e. holliday · « **Reply #22 on:** February 05, 2011, 05:34:05 PM »

Go to youngpilots.com and take a gander at some of the pilots in the planes. This months wall paper makes the pilots look small in the little trainer jet.

Bill Little · « **Reply #23 on:** February 05, 2011, 11:20:05 PM »

Quote from: Will Hinton on February 05, 2011, 01:49:40 PM

Would that be a 60 inch CHEST, or did you really mean cheat? LL~The fellow I referred to was close to your size, good buddy. Our shoulders touched, but it wasn't uncomfortable in the 'Hawk.
I'd love to see you on a Breezy! Where's the airplane?!
How, by the way, is my big brother doing these days? Hope you're hangin' tough.
Many blessings,
Will

Hi Brother Will,

Things are "looking up"!

Thanks
Bill