Beyond The Sprues
Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Aero-space => Topic started by: Frank3k on December 25, 2011, 08:19:29 AM
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I started this 1/72 Ta-183 II (from PM - Pioneer Models) back in 2002. Around this time, I grew tired of seeing swastikas on my models and just didn't want to have so much looser NAZI crap on display, regardless of how cool their aircraft were... so the model went back in its box. I was pretty far along:
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183a.jpg)
The engine is a resin copy of the engine/intake trunk from a Dragon/DML P.1011 kit. It looks better than the kit engine and it acts as a nose weight as well:
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183b.jpg)
Recently I was reading about the Pulqui II, and wondered what would have happened if Kurt Tank had used Hans Multhopp's Ta-183 II design as the basis of the Pulqui, rather than hacking together a plane based on the Ta-183 III.
Reading up on the Ta-183 II, wind tunnel tests hinted that the full sized aircraft would have been susceptible to dutch rolls and other stability issues. I thought that a quick and dirty fix would have been adding wing fences to the wing (a favorite technique of Russian designers) to break the spanwise flow of air.
I wondered if anyone had made a large scale RC model of the Ta-183 and promptly found a long thread on a 1/9 (or so) flying Ta-183 model. Not surprisingly, the jet powered models had a tendency to roll and were difficult to control. The stability problems were mostly corrected by adding wing fences where the ailerons meet. Other mods included increasing the wing area from the wing fence to the tip (a sawtooth wing) and increasing the width of the vertical tail by adding an extension to the leading edge of the tail.
I'll definitely add the wing fences and I may add the sawtooth wing mod. I won't add the tail extension because it only slightly improved the RC plane performance. The biggest improvement came from adding the wing fences, so I'll assume that that's what Tank would have done.
Next - wing fences.
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Looks good so far. What markings do you have planned for this project?
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Got my popcorn ,please continue.
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Looks good so far. What markings do you have planned for this project?
I'm thinking of using the Argentine Meteor camo patterns. Something like this:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_60Xj8LYFfLo/TBv_oCaz2wI/AAAAAAAAIFo/Y4JKRe0D544/s1600/GMet+003.jpg)
Other options:
Tan and black over gray: http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/204/pics/91_3.jpg (http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/204/pics/91_3.jpg)
Black and grey over blue: http://www.taringa.net/posts/info/6088649/Los-legendarios-gloster-meteor-mkIV.html (http://www.taringa.net/posts/info/6088649/Los-legendarios-gloster-meteor-mkIV.html)
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This is going to be good!
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I used Greg's TA-183 profile to add the wing fence and camo:
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183prof.jpg)
I may or may not use the fin flash (and it's missing the Argentine sun emblem in the middle). The shark mouth stays, because I printed that decal a long time ago and because the gun barrels are right there. Too awesome not to include.
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This one's going to be fun to watch! I think the Argentine scheme is truly inspired!
Brian da Basher
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Here it is with wing fences and some primer:
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183primer.jpg)
This is the second time I've used Vallejo Grey Surface Primer (# 73.601) and it's quickly displacing Mr. Surfacer as my primer of choice. Not only does it not stink, it dries quickly and can be cleaned/removed with water (before it dries).
I added some fuel and access ports both by scribing the plastic and by adding Tamiya tape. I'll fix a couple of issues exposed by the primer, remove the tape and give it a second coat. I may use the primer as the underside/overall color.
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That's coming along very nicely, Frank! I think you've got a winnng idea using that primer as the underside color.
Brian da Basher
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Good call on the wing fences. May I plagerize them for my TA-183?
Carl
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Good call on the wing fences. May I plagerize them for my TA-183?
Sure! The real plane probably would have been almost impossible to fly without them.
I added the green splinter:
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183c.jpg)
I need so correct some overspray, but after that, it's decal time. I had to remove the Vallejo gray surfacer, because it lifted up when I was lightly sanding a couple of dust spots. So I shot Mr. Surfacer, then the Vallejo surfacer, then the color.
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PURTY :in-love:
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Interesting...
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With the decals and gear on, but it still needs a dull coat and some minor fixes:
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183d.jpg)
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Wow is that eye-catching, Frank! The Argentine markings compliment the paint scheme perfectly and the sharks' mouth is inspired!
Brian da Basher
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Wow is that eye-catching, Frank! The Argentine markings compliment the paint scheme perfectly and the sharks' mouth is inspired!
Wot he said!
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Finished! 18th model this year (if you count each of the three minions as a model).
Aggressive looking little shark:
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183e.jpg)
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183j.jpg)
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183k.jpg)
Next to a Honduran Mig-15. No resemblance because they're not related:
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183i.jpg)
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183l.jpg)
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183f.jpg)
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183g.jpg)
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/ta183h.jpg)
This is the basic PM Models 1/72 kit, with the following mods:
- Cockpit redone (not seen in the pics, but side consoles, new seat, instrument panel, gunsight)
- Engine replaced with a resin copy of the engine/intake assembly from a DML Me P.1101. It looks a bit like a Metrovick Beryl, so that's what I claim this has.
- Landing gear replaced with something sturdier.
- Pitot and radio antenna added.
- Drop tank
- Wing fences! The "real" plane was shown to be unstable in wind tunnel tests; modern large scale RC copies have borne this out. The fix is to add wing fences.
Thanks for looking and all the comments!
Frank
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That is a winner!
:serious-business:
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Thanks Greg.
The attachment is the shark mouth vector graphics. It's free for anyone to use. It has white, black, magenta and yellow objects, which will have to be separated into different layers for printing on an Alps printer. The gray background is just to make the white layer visible. This is what's in the SVG file:
(http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/Images/ta183/sharkmouth.png)
There are some alignment issues when I converted the graphics from Canvas to SVG, but they're minor.
The attached file will download as "index.php", which is wrong. rename it to sharkmouth.svg to view it once downloaded.
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I sense a theme here.
Wow 18 models in the past year! Incredible! Take a bow, Frank!
I am still applauding wildly!
Brian da Basher
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Absolutely inspiring.
Carl
:)
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Wow. The great thing here is that this Tank aircraft looks like a natural in these colors!!
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Great idea for those "Luft '46" designs when you've outgrown the Nazi connection. Argentina makes the perfect end location of their designs.
Alvis 3.1
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Nice work!
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... Argentina makes the perfect end location of their designs ...
Agreed!
Nice work! and Honduran MiG-15 too!
:-* :-*