British P51 Shot down and recovered

Arguably the finest fighter aircraft of World War II.
User avatar
EightyFiftyFive
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 1662
Joined: 11 Dec 2012, 22:47

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by EightyFiftyFive »

Oh yeah your PP :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Some of my repaint work (screens only)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/121556714@N07/albums

maddz
Senior Airman
Posts: 202
Joined: 30 Aug 2010, 09:47

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by maddz »

:shock:

:mrgreen:

trucker17
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2482
Joined: 16 Sep 2011, 21:47
Contact:

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by trucker17 »

maddz wrote::shock:

:mrgreen:

:shock: :mrgreen: Nevermind these guys.....Wheres the rest of the story.....These pins and needles are starting to get painful :mrgreen:
Image
Image


Image
Image

User avatar
EightyFiftyFive
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 1662
Joined: 11 Dec 2012, 22:47

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by EightyFiftyFive »

LOL yeah right!. I don't know but I think maddz might play this out in *real time* so lets see, how long does it usually take someone to get a mustang back to it's original shape after seeing all these pictures of the parts and engine? maybe he'll add more to the story in a couple years or so :lol:
Some of my repaint work (screens only)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/121556714@N07/albums

trucker17
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2482
Joined: 16 Sep 2011, 21:47
Contact:

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by trucker17 »

deepdiver8055 wrote:LOL yeah right!. I don't know but I think maddz might play this out in *real time* so lets see, how long does it usually take someone to get a mustang back to it's original shape after seeing all these pictures of the parts and engine? maybe he'll add more to the story in a couple years or so :lol:
Yeah...It would take some time to get a real one back into shape...
What would really be awsome, is if some company like A2A could come up with a way to create an aircrat like this for just such a thing..Useing a story line something like this one to go with it.....

Where you find the aircraft, cart it back to your local airport ( Or where ever you fly out of.) and start the process of tearing it down, and restoring it.....Maybe having it set up to get the new parts uploaded each month, untill the aircraft is finished.....
But the cost and time to set something up like this would most likely be way to costly.....
Image
Image


Image
Image

User avatar
EightyFiftyFive
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 1662
Joined: 11 Dec 2012, 22:47

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by EightyFiftyFive »

Well that depends. I would have something where pilots could earn money (play money) by flying their A2A aircraft in the sim. Then have a section where you can spend those dollars in a shop at A2A to buy certain packages for a mustang or other aircraft.
The first one would be something like: Hardware pack then maybe the fuse pak, then a wings pak on down the line until you get to the last thing like the engine pack. Then you have to have it inspected and approved for flight, then have a check ride or an instructor checking you out then you make the final payment for complete ownership... something like that. There's endless ways of making that work. I mean A2A could just offer individual section kits until the whole plane is paid and tested. A2A could also send out some sort of certificate you would actually get in the mail or something. OK back down to earth now.... lol
Some of my repaint work (screens only)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/121556714@N07/albums

maddz
Senior Airman
Posts: 202
Joined: 30 Aug 2010, 09:47

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by maddz »

So four days pass, and progress is going at a good rate of knots. We have the wing off and have almost completed replaceing the left fuel tank

Image

The Wheels have been removed and tires stripped off ready to be sand blasted. We also mangaed to get our hands on a spare set of wheels just incase

We came across these in a small country pub we had decided to stop in for light refreshments on our way to the hangar! How that for fait?

They were hanging on the wall as an ordiment behind the bar. They instantly caught my eye and when the barman approached me, i asked for four cokes, and a set of P51 wheels...

''Those are not for sale'' he chuckled whilst setting the glasses down on the bar.

''But i could really use those'' i said with a seriose look on my face.

He continued to pour my drinks and as he passed them to me, he asked

''What use do you have for the wheels then mr?

I didnt say nothing at first. I just pulled my phone out and showed him some pictures i had.

After showing him the last picture, he looked up at me with a smile on his face and said ''Explain?''
( i should of said , ''no, FSX'', but...lol)

So i went on to explain that we were on our way to the hangar were we have a P51 currently being restored.

The usual questions follow from Mr Barman, and as i was trying to twist his arm to seperate with the wheels i gave him the history of ''Bloody Unkown''

We spoke for about an hour, and as he returned from serving someone there drink, he said

''I'll tell you what ill do,..I let you take the wheels, free of charge, on one condition''

''One condition?'' i asked

''Yes'' he said, ''you have to give me in return, when you have completed the retoration, a large, framed photograph of the plane, to fill the now redundunt space of the wall''

''And a pint!'' he roared with a big smile on his face.

''Absolutley!'' i said.

With that, he took the wheels off the hooks they were hanging from, passed them to me and wished me good luck.

Image

After a short trip, we reach the hangar where i fire up the pc. As im walking around the plane i hear a ding dong from the pc. I have a new Email.
It was from Lewis, at A2A with some progress pictures of the work done so far to the engine :

Image

Image

Image

The strip down has been completed. These guys at A2A don't hang about! In fact it was done a day before he sent me the pictures, and he informed me that he had already been in contact with Scott, who had a list of parts needed, and was on the prowl for them. Top Job A2A!

With this great news coming to bear, we decided to ramp up the production of the parts required to mount the engine, whitch is quite a large piece of the front airframe.Made in the workshop over 4 days and nights by our very skilled volentary metal worker.

Image

We also managed to complete the front air intake

Image

As the daylight fades and the hangar lights take over illumination, we decide to call it a day and all head home. The drive home was wet, dark, cold and miserable...but there i was driving home, wipers on the windshield going overtime, heater on, smileing like a cheshire cat.For the first time since starting, i genuinly felt confident about the project ahead.

trucker17
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2482
Joined: 16 Sep 2011, 21:47
Contact:

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by trucker17 »

deepdiver8055 wrote:Well that depends. I would have something where pilots could earn money (play money) by flying their A2A aircraft in the sim. Then have a section where you can spend those dollars in a shop at A2A to buy certain packages for a mustang or other aircraft.
The first one would be something like: Hardware pack then maybe the fuse pak, then a wings pak on down the line until you get to the last thing like the engine pack. Then you have to have it inspected and approved for flight, then have a check ride or an instructor checking you out then you make the final payment for complete ownership... something like that. There's endless ways of making that work. I mean A2A could just offer individual section kits until the whole plane is paid and tested. A2A could also send out some sort of certificate you would actually get in the mail or something. OK back down to earth now.... lol

Yeah...LOL
Image
Image


Image
Image

maddz
Senior Airman
Posts: 202
Joined: 30 Aug 2010, 09:47

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by maddz »

A few months has now passed and we are now making good progress with the fusalage and tail section. The skeleton has been completed

Image

Image

And the panel work is well under way too :

Image

Image

Some Tail gubbins :

Image

The rudder and tail feathers were in good shape, so it was only a case of preping them ready for paint

Image

Image

Work continues with the front end and is almost completed ready to hug our motor :)

Image

Image

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

User avatar
EightyFiftyFive
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 1662
Joined: 11 Dec 2012, 22:47

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by EightyFiftyFive »

Look me up when you get to your location about a new paint job. I can repaint it for around 8K Let me know if that's in your budget.
Some of my repaint work (screens only)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/121556714@N07/albums

trucker17
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2482
Joined: 16 Sep 2011, 21:47
Contact:

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by trucker17 »

deepdiver8055 wrote:Look me up when you get to your location about a new paint job. I can repaint it for around 8K Let me know if that's in your budget.
The going rate is about 20K for Imron paint.......No Earl Scheib Paint jobs here :twisted:
Image
Image


Image
Image

User avatar
Fedex B17Pilot
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 399
Joined: 17 Aug 2012, 14:32
Location: Spokane,Washington

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by Fedex B17Pilot »

trucker17 wrote: The going rate is about 20K for Imron paint.......No Earl Scheib Paint jobs here :twisted:

I can believe that, we had to paint a Semi-Truck hood with imron paint. i dont remember exactly how much it was but a gallon was like triple the price of regular automotive paint.
ImageImageImage

trucker17
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2482
Joined: 16 Sep 2011, 21:47
Contact:

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by trucker17 »

Fedex B17Pilot wrote:
trucker17 wrote: The going rate is about 20K for Imron paint.......No Earl Scheib Paint jobs here :twisted:

I can believe that, we had to paint a Semi-Truck hood with imron paint. i dont remember exactly how much it was but a gallon was like triple the price of regular automotive paint.
We just finished up the paint job on my friends Catalina.....the Navy Blue and White imron paint cost $9,800. from Dupont, and another $26,000 to get it sprayed.....
And another $10,000 for the airbrushing to make the lower fuse look like wood.....
Image
Image


Image
Image

maddz
Senior Airman
Posts: 202
Joined: 30 Aug 2010, 09:47

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by maddz »

Work continued with the fusalage and with exception to a few nuts 'n' bolts, it is now complete.

Image

After many phone calls with Lewis at A2A, the day finaly came when the good news was broken.The engine was complete and ready to be shipped back to my workshop!

We convasated over the rebuild and Lewis went on to tell me about how Scott had all the replacment parts rounded up, packed and ready for shipping within 8 days. The parts were shipped to Lewis who got to work right away. 2 weeks later and it had hit the workshop floor in all its glory...wow!

Image

Image

Image

Image

As we all stand there in awe with this mechanical artwork, Stan (The Man - our volentary metal worker) began to roll the the front end towards the engine,

saying loudly, ''Come on lads, you can stare at it aslong as you like, but you wont scare it into plane, lets get cracking!!''

Although we had been working from blueprints whilst rebuilding the front end, we still didnt know 100% if the engine mounts were goin to line up with the engine.We got the heavy lifting gear out and began to lift the motor up into position.As we lowered it into postion it was starting to look way off, the mounts didnt seem even close!

Walking round to the font of the plane and the problem was obviose that the engine wasnt quite centre, and after doing so, it dropped in like a hand falls into a glove. 10 nuts and bolts later ( all torgued to 245 lbs ft, if anyone wanted to know ) the engine was mounted and sucure.This was a big day.

Image

Image

Image

We are getting closer to the end each day.The next stage is to marry the front end with the fuse and start plumbing the engine in.Other volenteers are currently working on the gear and flaps and all related hydrolic lines, accumilator tank ect situated in the wheel well.

PS
DEEPDIVER

8k beats all the quotes ive had so far, by quite alot..I shall take you up on the offer :) ( i hear your the best in the buisness with a brush :D )

maddz
Senior Airman
Posts: 202
Joined: 30 Aug 2010, 09:47

Re: British P51 Shot down and recovered

Post by maddz »

wow this was a long time ago, never did finish this story, sorry guys, lol.

Although, she does still live on!!



Image

new reply

Return to “P-51 Mustang (Military & Civilian)”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests