Found. Flt. Sgt. Dennis Copping's missing WW2 P-40 aircraft. - Egypt 2012

[spanner570]

I need a break from Yom Kippur!

I've been fascinated by the story of Copping and his aircraft for ages, so now I've decided to have a go at re-creating the final resting place of his P-40, which was found by Polish oil workers in 2012, some 70 years after it's disappearance.

I have a very basic 1/48 Hobby-Craft P-40. Just as well it's basic, as I'll not be using much of it anyway!



Yesterday, I glued together what I needed, brush painted the RAF Desert camouflage and added some 1/72 decals, which are a tad small, but as they will be virtually sun bleached into near none existence they will be fine. I certainly wasn't going to the expense of a complete set of correct 1/48 ones.

The simple base, which I made last night, consists of three small bits of sheet polystyrene stuck together and coated with some more sweepings from my now extremely shiny drive!

I've made a start on the butchery of the aircraft. The prop etc. was ripped off in the forced landing, so I've made a start in that area.

The fabric control surfaces have long since rotted away, so thus far, I've removed the rudder and elevators. These I will re-make showing just the metal framework - I hope!

Anyway, here is Copping's P-40 thus far. It is just placed to get a rough idea as to it's final position.

Obviously loads more wrecking and painting to do, but it's a start.














Cheers all and thanks for looking.

Ron

 

[adt70hk]

Interesting idea Ron. Not heard of this one. will be following along.

ATB

Andrew

 

[Tim Marlow]

Nice idea. I’m sure you’ll do a better job on this than the museum in which it currently resides.....

 

[spanner570]

Nice idea. I’m sure you’ll do a better job on this than the museum in which it currently resides.....

I saw the mess they'd made of the aircraft painting some time ago.

My dog could do a better, and more accurate job!

 

[minitnkr]

Cool. Sweepings & camo came out well. PaulE

 

[Tim Marlow]

So could mine Ron, and I haven’t even got a dog....l

 

[Deleted member 4539]

Nice one Ron .

 

[stona]

Great subject!

I remember the wreck had been partially sand blasted to bare metal, and of course all the fabric was gone. I'll definitely be watching this one.

Didn't we swop a Spitfire for it, but get nothing due to the confusion of the so called 'Arab Spring'?

Cheers

Al-Maqrizi (historian dec.)

 

[scottie3158]

Ron,
Count me in for this.

 

[spanner570]

Glad to have you chaps along for yet another trip into the unknown....

Question if I may. I know the rudder and elevators were part fabric on the P-40, hence my chopping them off the model, but were the ailerons all fabric, all metal or what?

I've been concentrating on dulling down the decals. I've used wash after wash of Vallejo Model Air 'Desert Sand' until I was happy.

With me painting out in the sun, the paint dried almost instantly, so I was able to apply multiple coats in quick succession.

I might yet go over the camo. again, just to bring it back up a bit.







...and, yes that is the colour of the sky here. A lovely deep cobalt blue. Quite uncanny.

Cheers.
EL-AL Murray (Pub Landlord Ret.)

 

[Jim R]

Hi Ron
Great start, great idea. I have just read up on this and it says that a 'shelter' had been erected from a parachute so the pilot survived but no body was found.
Jim

 

[prichrd1]

Great start Ron, base looks great, typical "desert".
Plane is great - looks a little battered, but as Steve says above -
you need to do a bit of sand blasting!!

.and, yes that is the colour of the sky here. A lovely deep cobalt blue. Quite uncanny

Ours is exactly the same - not even any "whispy" clouds floating by.
What makes it even more strange is - no vapor trails either!!

Paul.

 

[spanner570]

Hi Paul.
Sand blasting to follow once I'm happy with all the scrap metal that will be on and around the aircraft, and generally kicked the s*** out of the airframe!

Belay my question folks. I've found a working drawing which shows the ailerons were metal skinned....Phew!

...and yes, it was a beautiful sky. All pale now, but still warm. Have you any wayward goats in Conwy similar to those in Llandudno?

Ron

 

[stona]

Question if I may. I know the rudder and elevators were part fabric on the P-40, hence my chopping them off the model, but were the ailerons all fabric, all metal or what?

EL-AL Murray (Pub Landlord Ret.)

Good question Ron, which had me scrabbling for 'America's Hundred Thousand'. It turns out the answer is a bit of both, I will quote from Dean's mighty tome.

"Ailerons were of all metal frame construction consisting of a metal covered leading edge section, eleven ribs, and a trailing edge member, and were statically and dynamically balanced by means of lead weights bolted into the overhanging leading edge forward of the hinge line. Aft of the leading edge section the ailerons were fabric covered."

Cheers

Edward Elliot (test pilot)

 

[Gary MacKenzie]

This link might help @ https://www.google.com/search?tbs=s...GLL48zs8we_1iQ0pJAlkAtbkYjbjkH6wdP_1gJeOA_19A

 

[Gern]

This link might help @ https://www.google.com/search?tbs=s...GLL48zs8we_1iQ0pJAlkAtbkYjbjkH6wdP_1gJeOA_19A

You know that file number has enough digits to record a detailed history (when it was created, where it travelled to and every molecule and compound it helped to form) of every atom in the universe!

 

[spanner570]

Thanks for the input chaps.
Gary, all those letters and figures frightens me.

Earlier, I found a blue print/ exploded diagram of the said ailerons.
They were, without doubt metal skinned front to back. It even mentioned the correct rivet spacings!

There again, as an identical copy of Copping's aircraft is way, way beyond my skills, I could just hack the ailerons off and bury them in sand....... Sorted!

Cheers.
Arfor Jobb.

 

[Gary MacKenzie]

Thanks for the input chaps.
Gary, all those letters and figures frightens me.

Earlier, I found a blue print/ exploded diagram of the said ailerons.
They were, without doubt metal skinned front to back. It even mentioned the correct rivet spacings!

There again, as an identical copy of Copping's aircraft is way, way beyond my skills, I could just hack the ailerons off and bury them in sand....... Sorted!

Cheers.
Arfor Jobb.

I promise I only ever post links that are safe.

 

[prichrd1]

...and yes, it was a beautiful sky. All pale now, but still warm. Have you any wayward goats in Conwy similar to those in Llandudno?

Ahh Ron, we see the goats almost daily - I live in Llandudno - Conwy on my profile is the county. We usually get invaded this time of year with the Transport Festival & Victorian Extravaganza - streets closed off and mayhem reigns for three days. How different (and quiet) it will be this year !!

Paul.

 

[spanner570]

Gotcha Paul, what threw me was Conwy is the correct spelling for the town, never mind the English nonsense way. Me and the bride are regular visitors to Llan'....usually ending up in 'spoons!

Back to the build.
I've been mulling over how to make the skeletal remains of the control surfaces - Card, wood or plastic?
Click, grind, whirrrrrr....... I had a brain wave.

Luckily, I've kept the original plastic bits, so I drilled and filed the centre out.

This is the rudder. Well chuffed!



Once I've 'butchered' the two elevators in a similar fashion, I can make up the ribs....

Cheers.
Ron