Some recent photos:
Removable nose cowl:
I absolutely love the way you did your canopy. Very sharp.
Quote from: gravitywell on Feb 01, 2026, 08:55 AMI absolutely love the way you did your canopy. Very sharp.
Thank you!
Different lighting:
overhead view:
Very clean and crisp finish.
Sun Feb 1 2026
Hi Ekram! It's good to have you and your Chipmunk back. That very attractive, uncluttered paint scheme, looks smooth and elegant, at the same time. :)
Lastwoodsman
Richard
Quote from: Lastwoodsman on Feb 01, 2026, 01:36 PMSun Feb 1 2026
Hi Ekram! It's good to have you and your Chipmunk back. That very attractive, uncluttered paint scheme, looks smooth and elegant, at the same time. :)
Lastwoodsman
Richard
Thank you!
A view with different lighting:
I got some Canadian flag decals in the mail today:
I am contemplating whether or not to use this spinner that I cut down from a 500 series P 40 warhawk spinner. If I do use it, it will be painted red of course. But I don't like the way it protrudes out from the nose. It does not look very realistic that way. Any opinions? Thanks, in advance.
I think that I will just go with one of those simple Comet style sheet wood props. That way it will be easier to make a spinner that fits closer to the nose:
QuoteI am contemplating whether or not to use this spinner that I cut down from a 500 series P 40 warhawk spinner. If I do use it, it will be painted red of course. But I don't like the way it protrudes out from the nose. It does not look very realistic that way. Any opinions? Thanks, in advance.
Yes I agree - especially as you have done such a neat job of this model. I think I would consider using Tom Hallman's approach or similar - mounting blades on a dowel hub with a separate hollowed out balsa spinner. the blades terminate at the spinner and you only need to drill a hole for the round dowel hub.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV7z8MGE460&list=PLP6c2w2UvGmeX5W-FBP4SbPbPydcHUBzG&index=17
This may help give you some ideas.
John
Quote from: OZPAF on Mar 17, 2026, 02:28 AMQuoteI am contemplating whether or not to use this spinner that I cut down from a 500 series P 40 warhawk spinner. If I do use it, it will be painted red of course. But I don't like the way it protrudes out from the nose. It does not look very realistic that way. Any opinions? Thanks, in advance.
Yes I agree - especially as you have done such a neat job of this model. I think I would consider using Tom Hallman's approach or similar - mounting blades on a dowel hub with a separate hollowed out balsa spinner. the blades terminate at the spinner and you only need to drill a hole for the round dowel hub.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV7z8MGE460&list=PLP6c2w2UvGmeX5W-FBP4SbPbPydcHUBzG&index=17
This may help give you some ideas.
John
Yeah, he makes great props. But I don't have that skill set or the jigs and tools. I think I am just going to go with the simple Comet style sheet wood prop which can be adapted to the spinner that I already cut.
I tried the Comet 6" printwood prop on a Phantom Fury. Wasn't expecting much from such a small prop on a 32" span model, but it pulled it up very nicely. I didn't have the model long - that prop pulled it up into a thermal and it drifted away, never to be seen again.
Mike
Quote from: MKelly on Mar 18, 2026, 01:41 PMI tried the Comet 6" printwood prop on a Phantom Fury. Wasn't expecting much from such a small prop on a 32" span model, but it pulled it up very nicely. I didn't have the model long - that prop pulled it up into a thermal and it drifted away, never to be seen again.
Mike
Mike, I was actually inspired by that video to go with the simple Comet sheet wood prop. I think it will work fine. I am going rig up a spring release shaft from a spring that I got from a ball point pen. There will be a wire prop clutch that the prop shaft engages with and the spring will release it when the rubber runs down to free the shaft from the clutch so that the prop can freewheel.
I got the blades cut and painted the front. I just have to cut from the back on the lines and glue at a 45 degree angle. I made the blades separate from the hub because I am going to attach them with some flexible plastic to protect against hard landings.
Prop hub with spring and clutch:
I did not realize that "Cherry Red" had a pinkish hue to it. I thought that it was just going to be a deeper red to match the nose cowl. Now I have a spinner that kind of favors a "Hot Pink".
A little more spinner/prop progress:
I got the spinner assembly almost done. I still have to glue the spinner to the spinner hub and then sandpaper spinner hub to conform to spinner and then paint to match. It is till a bit of a scale compromise but at least I got the spinner closer to the nose.
It's coming on well Marc.
I've never seen a free wheel system like that before. It's very compact.
John
Quote from: OZPAF on Apr 14, 2026, 11:27 AMIt's coming on well Marc.
I've never seen a free wheel system like that before. It's very compact.
John
Yeah, that is what makes it so challenging. The spinner is slightly larger than scale in representation, but I was pushing the limits of minimal internal space for the prop shaft so I had to allow for more room which means that I ended up with a spinner that is bit larger than scale. It still looks better than if I had built the model without a spinner. It is just an experimentation. I have never done it before, so I'll find out by experience how well it will work. The prop shaft goes through a brass eyelet glued to the center of the prop hub.
I designed a freewheel hub for 3D printing. Uses bamboo sticks and cottage cheese cups for blades. The design allows you to adjust to the desired pitch and is pretty easy to get a spinner of almost any size.
Quote from: pedwards2932 on Apr 14, 2026, 10:23 PMI designed a freewheel hub for 3D printing. Uses bamboo sticks and cottage cheese cups for blades. The design allows you to adjust to the desired pitch and is pretty easy to get a spinner of almost any size.
Looks good, do you have a physical example?
The larger prop is 9.5" on a Guillow Arrow. The Spitfire prop is 6.5". I don't have any other decent pics.
Looks good. You should sell these.
I agree, I am making a similar propeller, following the Maxfliart Youtube video, and making the brass tube freewheel part is the mot tricky
Quote from: Piecost on Apr 15, 2026, 03:04 PMI agree, I am making a similar propeller, following the Maxfliart Youtube video, and making the brass tube freewheel part is the mot tricky
Yes, it would help a lot of modelers out to have 3D printed hubs. I am surprised other retailers have not taken advantage of it. Maybe they have, but I am just not aware of it. I knew that the spinner was going to be challenging to replicate per scale. Maybe I should have gone with my first choice of a cut down 900 series P-51/Hawker Typhoon spinner. But what I have is starting to grow on me. It gives the model character and accentuates its "Chipmunkness". Besides, I have seen a lot of RC chipmunks that don't exactly have the most scale proportional spinners.
I am still contemplating whether or not I want to rethink the whole spinner situation. This is what I have. Any honest opinions welcome. Don't be afraid to be honestly critical if you feel that way. All opinions welcome.
It looks pretty good to me Marc - the only slight improvement would be to have the skirt of the spinner a little closer to the cowl. I'm not sure I would go through the whole spinner exercise just for that!
Paint and finish is first class.
John
Quote from: OZPAF on Today at 03:33 AMIt looks pretty good to me Marc - the only slight improvement would be to have the skirt of the spinner a little closer to the cowl. I'm not sure I would go through the whole spinner exercise just for that!
Paint and finish is first class.
John
Well, you know I tend to be a masochist about these things when I am not satisfied. And since I am in for the "long haul" I am willing to take whatever time I need to get it right. I might build a spinner with a frame work and then fill in the spaces with pieces of strip wood. :-\