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My 1/72 scale aircraft

Update on the Stearman PT-13 Kaydet…

I painted the fuselage, the lower wing, and tail wings were added…starting to look promising…
IMG_3430.jpegIMG_3431.jpegIMG_3432.jpegIMG_3435.jpeg

Then the windscreens were added after painting the frames…
IMG_3437.jpegIMG_3439.jpeg

Next I will work on the wheels and motor. The motor will need the most work. I have to fabricate a decent exhaust pipe and add some other details.

See ya next time…
 
Is this a trainer??? It surely won't be sneaking up on anyone ROTF.
Yes sir, a trainer! Flown in the friendly skies of the US.
In WW2, the pilot training was a 3 step process... they started in a Stearman PT-13 Kaydet or a N3N, then moved to a BT-13 Valiant, and then moved to a T-6 Texan. After that, they were assigned an aircraft to fly missions in ...like a F4U Corsair, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang, etc.
I have already built a T-6 Texan and BT-13 Valiant (which I flew in). So I had the Stearman PT-13 on my radar to complete the training aircraft used in WW2 by the US. :) I did also buy a N3N which is a biplane used by the Navy. They are very similar, but are different, so I will be building that one too.
 
@dockattner ...For your reference, see below.

The Stearman PT-13 Kaydet... 225 HP, max speed 125 mph
stearman.jpg

the N3N... 235 HP, max speed 126 mph
n3n.jpg

the Bt-13 Valiant... 450 hp, max speed 180 mph
valiant.jpg

the T-6 Texan... 600 HP, max speed 208 mph
texan.jpg

To give you an idea...after that things got real serious!
P-51 Mustang = 1,490 HP, max speed 437 MPH
F6F Hellcat = 2,000 HP, max speed 391 MPH
P-47 Thunderbolt = 2,000 HP, max speed 426 MPH ... 2,800 HP version max speed 475 MPH
F4U Corsair = 2,000 HP, max speed 417 MPH ... 2,450 HP (water injection), max speed 453 MPH
P-38 Lightning = twin 1,600 HP (3,200 HP total), max speed 426 MPH


That is just some, to give you an idea of the transition from the training aircraft to the fighting aircraft. ;)
 
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@dockattner ...For your reference, see below.

The Stearman PT-13 Kaydet... 225 HP, max speed 125 mph
View attachment 617814

the N3N... 235 HP, max speed 126 mph
View attachment 617815

the Bt-13 Valiant... 450 hp, max speed 180 mph
View attachment 617816

the T-6 Texan... 600 HP, max speed 208 mph
View attachment 617817

To give you an idea...after that things got real serious!
P-51 Mustang = 1,490 HP, max speed 437 MPH
F6F Hellcat = 2,000 HP, max speed 391 MPH
P-47 Thunderbolt = 2,000 HP, max speed 426 MPH ... 2,800 HP version max speed 475 MPH
F4U Corsair = 2,000 HP, max speed 417 MPH ... 2,450 HP (water injection), max speed 453 MPH
P-38 Lightning = twin 1,600 HP (3,200 HP total), max speed 426 MPH


That is just some, to give you an idea of the transition from the training aircraft to the fighting aircraft. ;)
A bottomless pit of things to learn... thanks for the primer...
 
A bottomless pit of things to learn... thanks for the primer...
Absolutely...just like ships.
Except I started my fascination of aircraft as a child, and gradually learned more and more over the years. I never imagined one day I would aspire to build a massive collection of military aircraft, back when I first started building models. And now I started to include civilian aircraft.
My goal is to one day donate my completed collection to an aircraft museum to display in glass cases. I may have to make labels for them eventually with a few stats? That way one day they can be appreciated by many, it seems selfish to keep them to myself indefinitely. ;)
 
Well…I made the best I could out of the motor provided…
I added bolt heads on the cylinder heads, I added hoses and clamps between the cylinders, changed the exhaust (scratch build), and changed the propeller.
So I think this is a fair representation given the scale…
IMG_3458.jpegIMG_3464.jpegIMG_3465.jpegIMG_3468.jpegIMG_3469.jpegIMG_3470.jpeg

Next will be the upper wing and struts. So time to drill some holes for the rigging too
See ya next time…
 
I'm late to your party, Dean, but thank you for sharing your fantastic work! I'm not an aviation buff per se but I love history and specifically the planes of WWII. The P-51 Mustang is a favorite and videos - with sound up! - of restored Mustangs is a real experience. The sound of that engine! Thanks again!
 
Your engine modification looks fantastic!
Thanks Daniel! It was a lot of extra work, that no one will realize I added by looking at it. But I felt like it was necessary to make the aircraft look more realistic. ;)

I'm late to your party, Dean, but thank you for sharing your fantastic work! I'm not an aviation buff per se but I love history and specifically the planes of WWII. The P-51 Mustang is a favorite and videos - with sound up! - of restored Mustangs is a real experience. The sound of that engine! Thanks again!
Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed my build log. I decided to add a brief description of each aircraft I build for educational purposes. I watch a lot of aviation shows on TV, mainly Prime Video. They have many great historical documentaries and aviation shows with multiple episodes and seasons.
 
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Hey Dean. Your engine details look great.

Bill
Thank you Bill!
I had high expectations in the beginning, even thought of adding the spark plugs, but scale made me realize they would become an unnoticed bump on the cylinder...lol. So I was brought back to reality quickly once I started working on it. ;) But I agree it's an improvement over what came out of the box!
 
I am now at 83 aircraft models built in 1/72 scale!
16 jets on wall shelves
14 WW1/biplane on top shelves
53 WW2 on the rest of the shelves
View attachment 611266

The new addition on top shelf with WW1 British and French aircraft.
View attachment 611267

See ya next time with my next build.
Hint - it’s a WW2 aircraft this time.
Dear Dean
Your Strutter turned out great.
it's an amazing collection
 
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