#WARBIRDS REPLICAS HOW TO#
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We'll go over the main concepts of the ScaleBirds design below.Īirskins: Designing the look of the HellcatĪ major design detail from the beginning is the outer surface of the fuselage being made of discrete panels we call 'Airskins'. But that core idea has survived intact: a core framework upon which a variety of warbird dreams can become reality. Where it seems we have settled, is the result of many iterations on the core idea. What parts should be common, which should be unique? What would work for the Hellcat but not the others? What elements define the essence of the aircraft?

#WARBIRDS REPLICAS HOW TO#

That has been the biggest hurdle yet, determining how the aircraft would be built, what methods would be used to construct our frames and skins and wings, how to assemble the various parts and sections, and debated over just how 'modular' the design needs to be. With the shape set, it was a mater of how to make it physical. With a target design, we moved to aerodynamic analysis and adjusted details to make our design a viable aircraft shape. It was decided early on that the Hellcat would be our flagship design: a bulldog of a plane with a sturdy radial engine and simple, bold lines, it was a prolific fighter of the war and has never been done as a replica kit. The project began by planning in 2D, sizing out the general concept on paper, before moving to a more detailed design of a few core designs, namely the Hellcat and Zero, using models and 3D design. The process began to take form in the fall of 2009. Now in 2015, we are beginning on the final flight article components of our first Hellcat prototype. Show your appreciation by tossing in a donation and buying a souvenir.From talk to sketches, from mockups to static load samples, to building a CNC table to assist in fabrication we've taken this idea a long way towards becoming reality, with many lessons learned along the way. Take the North 40 red tram to the Fightertown stop, walk east past the parked Mustangs and watch for the Burma Shave-type signs leading to the white tram-tour tent. Where else can you learn so much, in trade for an hour of so of your time? If you’re bringing a new person to Oshkosh for the first time, put the Warbirds Tram Ride on your list of must-do stops. But, hey, this a gift, from folks who know what they’re talking about and want to share their passion for these old relics that preserved our freedom. The seats are hard, the ride is bouncy, and you’re crammed in cheek to cheek. Then you’re off to make the rounds of the Warbird area, with no walking and less wondering about what this thing is you’re looking at.įor the price, don’t expect a theme park experience. All you have to do is line up and wait for your tram-load to be boarded once you’re in the holding pen, you will sit in the shade and be given a short welcome briefing. To encourage participation, Warbird volunteers run a 45-minute tram tour, at no charge.

And yet a lot of AirVenture attendees don’t realize they can get up close and personal with these exotic machines by making the trek to the Warbirds area. There’s no greater gathering of Warbirds in one place than what we see each summer here in Wisconsin.

#WARBIRDS REPLICAS FREE#

The group’s chosen mission is to provide a free tram ride around Warbirds area, narrated so the captive audience will have a greater appreciation for what goes on at Oshkosh’s thunder-and-roar section. For 12 years, a dedicated bunch of Warbird volunteers has been spreading the “Keep ‘Em Flying” gospel of preservation and education among AirVenture attendees who might not otherwise know what they are seeing, even if they do bother to wander up to the north end of the flight line.

Warbirds replicas