Lets lay "Guess that aircraft"! New product announcement!

[Gibbage]

I have been working on this model off and on for over 10 years, and its finally coming together! Im really happy and proud to announce the next product in the KC Flight Shop line! The only problem is, youll have to guess what it is :a1310:

Every day, I will post a new clue in the form of a screenshot. Each new day the screenshot will reveal more. First one to guess correctly will get a free copy of the aircraft once its done! Only 1 guess per day (24 hour) per person, so no spamming aircraft names ;)

Without further delay. Here is your first clue!

1842

You guys are really good, so I had to make it hard. Good luck! Ill be back tomorrow to post the next screenshot if nobody guessed correctly yet.

Kevin "Gibbage" Miller

[jmbiii]

A Wright Flyer ?

[Roger]

Well it seems we have a twin chain drive...err....dunno:wiggle:

[Skyhawk_310R]

A Wright Flyer ?

That was going to be my guess. Either that or it is the chain drive for the landing gear, which could mean any number of 1930's era retractable gear aircraft.

Ken

[ryanbatc]

it's a bicycle!

:santahat:

[falcon409]

My first guess was a Staggerwing, it has chain drive for the gears, but I don't remember it being a dual chain setup. Nope. . .no idea.

[Bomber_12th]

Possibly a Wildcat?

[Gibbage]

Possibly a Wildcat?

How is it someone can guess from two gears?

1845

Even me, after working on this aircraft for over 10 years, would of never guessed! Great work! Yes, its a Wildcat. More info to come through the week :applause:

[Bomber_12th]

Well, I did remember some of your past postings. ; ) I'm greatly looking forward to seeing this develop into a superb addition to FSX/P3D, Kevin! I am aware of some great resources on the type (for authentic detailing/fitting out) and would love to see an FM-2 variant if possible. There is an article in the most recent issue of Flight Journal that is about the FM-2, and how it, rather than the Hellcat or Corsair, had the best kill-to-loss ratio. (And of course all the examples flying today, except one, are FM-2's).

[Gibbage]

The FM2 is possible. Right now im looking at doing the F4F-3 first, and convert it into a -4 later with the folding wings. The FM2 would need a total re-engine, but doable. It all depends on how popular it is honestly. Im a very small developer with limited resources and time. If you have references, I would love to see them! Every little bit helps.

Kevin

[jankees]

wow, a wildcat, very nice!

[FentiFlier1]

Yep, I hadn't forgotten Kevin's intention of doing a Wildcat either...

Nice to know it's on the table, great news! :encouragement:

[hairyspin]

How is it someone can guess from two gears?

Never underestimate the total rivet-counting obsessions of some modellers. :173go1: I loved the detailing in your Stearman for Flight, so this is a release to look forward to :jump: ... and it's a Wildcat!

[Bomber_12th]

Kevin, here is a first batch of photos that I assembled from one of my favorite restorations, which was completed this past summer - that of FM-2 Wildcat BuNo. 86774. It is the most authentic Wildcat restoration possible, with all original/correct finishes for every component, all original stencils and pieces of hardware/radios, etc. Its only means of starting is via an original shotgun starter. It won the "Reserve WWII Grand Champion" award at Oshkosh this past summer (and would have won the first spot, if it wasn't for a P-40K that had also been restored to the same standards (and considered a more complex aircraft)). The areas you see painted light-medium gray, is all authentic - the same primer finish as per orignal. The same goes for the black-painted sections of the landing gear. All of the cockpit and other interior finishes, details, and hardware/equipment are also all completely accurate/as-per-original. The only thing that strays from the original is the addition of a small removable tray under the instrument panel, for mounting of required modern avionics. The engine (accurate to the FM-2) is even equipped with original water-injection/WEP, and a correct/original-spec prop is mounted (details of which can be seen in the photos).

Download link: https://www.wetransfer.com/downloads/37afa8a26c7baf0b5159e714cfccaf2520131226165130/542c56e7d035fafada6d9b81b079873d20131226165130/d6dc67

[Gibbage]

If you can, can you find a photo of the flaps extended so I can see what the inside of the flaps look like? I have a general idea, but I cant find a clear photo of it. Hopefully a -3 since the -4 and FM2 are split on the wing fold.

I have full access to an FM2 being restored up here in Seattle. Everything but the cockpit! I have the pilots manual for the FM2 and -4, but not the -3. There is some changes, but not a lot. Thank you for your help! Later tonight I will move this all into its own KCFS F4F thread to keep things organized better.

[Bomber_12th]

In contrast, here are some photos of the only F4F variant flying today, an F4F-3, which is owned and operated by Lewis Air Legends (Rod Lewis) in Texas. The aircraft is BuNo. 12260, and was recovered from Lake Michigan in the early-mid 90's (in amazingly preserved condition). Being an F4F-3, the wings don't fold up like the later variants. The aircraft was restored to flying condition, but the aircraft was in such an amazing state of preservation that a lot of the paint/markings on the interior were simply cleaned-up as best as possible and left as they were found. For instance, when you look at the instrument panel it still has the same original finish as it had when it went to the bottom of the lake. It still retains all of the original scratches and hand-scribed BuNo. number and "Fox-39" identifiers that the original wartime pilots left behind. The aircraft still flys today with the same engine that she had when she was on the bottom of the lake (for the most part). It is however not a perfect restoration and cannot be relied upon as completely, in every detail, for an accurate resource as much as say the FM-2 restoration I posted about above.

Note that this aircraft's cockpit is painted in "Dark Dull Green", or sometimes called "Bronze Green", which was a very common standard over-all cockpit paint/primer finish on aircraft early in the war. This later changed to the lighter "Interior Green" (as seen in the FM-2 cockpit photos posted above) as a standard over-all cockpit paint/primer finish later in the war.

Original wartime paint on the instrument panel (note the marks left behind by its wartime pilots). The "Chip Detector" light and placard are of course modern.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/Bomber_12th011/1-h-1280_zps9c9b9929.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/Bomber_12th011/1-h-1280_zps9c9b9929.jpg.html)

A mixture of original and modern:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/Bomber_12th011/1-j-1280_zps62cece10.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/Bomber_12th011/1-j-1280_zps62cece10.jpg.html)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/Bomber_12th011/1-i-1280_zpsc4d02526.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/Bomber_12th011/1-i-1280_zpsc4d02526.jpg.html)

One of the aircraft's original radios, still in original paint (as is the rest of the interior you see here in the aft fuselage).

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/Bomber_12th011/DSC03093_0007_zps09bb62a3.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/Bomber_12th011/DSC03093_0007_zps09bb62a3.jpg.html)

[Bomber_12th]

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/Bomber_12th011/1-d-1280_zpsada7ef3d.jpg~original (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Bomber_12th/media/Bomber_12th011/1-d-1280_zpsada7ef3d.jpg.html)

[Gibbage]

I saw that very aircraft fly at Chino California many years ago. Spoke with the pilot and he said the thing he hates most is cranking that landing gear up. Something like 80 cranks to get it fully up, as your taking off. A very busy time to be cranking on a hand crank!

[Bomber_12th]

Here's a photo journal of its restoration, from being pulled up from Lake Michigan to flying again: http://beech18specialists.com/F4F-3_Grumman_Wildcat_Restoration.html

As for cranking the gear up and down, you hear different numbers stated as to how many turns of the crank are required - the manual says approximately 28, another site might say 30, Kermit Weeks said approximately 36 in his "Kermie Cam" video.

[Gibbage]

Here's a photo journal of its restoration, from being pulled up from Lake Michigan to flying again: http://beech18specialists.com/F4F-3_Grumman_Wildcat_Restoration.html

As for cranking the gear up and down, you hear different numbers stated as to how many turns of the crank are required - the manual says approximately 28, another site might say 30, Kermit Weeks said approximately 36 in his "Kermie Cam" video.

Thank you for the correction on the crank number. Every little thing helps!!! =)

[Skyhawk_310R]

It's amazing how near freezing fresh water below oxygen level can preserve materials of all types!

Yet, that's what the bottoms of the Great Lakes do!

If not for the environmental and access issues, the bottom of the Great Lakes would make the finest aircraft boneyard in the world!

Ken