I'm Finally Back

[Wayne Little]

Keep at it Aaron...

 

[Airframes]

Here are the plan drawings and pics I promised Aaron.
Note that in the side elevation of the 108 gal paper tank, the main pipework for the pressure line is only shown where it exits the tank, and is omitted for clarity. The pipe was metal, ending in a rubber hose where it joined the wing.
The front elevation is of the 75 gal 'tear drop' tanks, but is included to show the angles of the pipework. The B&W pic, although not very clear, shows both pipes in place, and the colour shot, although a 'tear drop' tank, shows where the rubber hoses, with their 'Jubilee' clips, enter the wing. These are what are on the ends of the metal pipes on the paper tanks.
Hope these help a bit.
EDIT: Forgot to mention, the retaining 'straps' on the paper tanks were a dull red, rather like red lead primer.

 

[Lucky13]

Bl**dy nice job there old boy! Have a dram or several....

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thank you Terry! it looks like the shot that I saw that Gary posted would also work . The bends in the tubing are just a little different.

 

[Airframes]

You're welcome Aaron. Yes, there were some different arrangements. I've seen at least three different 'patterns' for each type of tank - it was probably a case of whichever way the ground crews, or Engineering Sections, set-up the feeds, as obviously the outlets and inlets would be the same.
Somewhere I have a really good, clear, close-up pic, but I'm blowed if I can remember which book or magazine it's in!

 

[ScanmanDan]

Great work on the Mustang Aaron. Coming together very nicely. Here's a pic of the drop tanks from one of the manuals. I hope it is of some use.

Dan

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thank you very much Dan! Much appreciated sir!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

You're welcome Aaron. Yes, there were some different arrangements. I've seen at least three different 'patterns' for each type of tank - it was probably a case of whichever way the ground crews, or Engineering Sections, set-up the feeds, as obviously the outlets and inlets would be the same.
Somewhere I have a really good, clear, close-up pic, but I'm blowed if I can remember which book or magazine it's in!

Gary's shot is extremely good but I cannot find it at the moment. I saved it to my photo album, tagged it and all and cannot get it to come up. Eventually I will get it done.

 

[ScanmanDan]

More digging about in my ancient steam powered Mac. Came up with these two pics.

Maybe useful?

Dan

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

That second shot there Dan is the one I lost. That is GeeDee's photo. Thank you for posting. I have been working on the wing tanks and the canopy for the last little bit. I have the lines run from the tanks, just have to finish doing the paint work and get them mounted to the plain. Canopy has been masked.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Here is a shot of what I have been working on this afternoon. The canopy is still to wet to untape. Terry, you said the antenna had a olive drab base and a very thin yellow stripe near the bottom. Well I may have the stripe to thin for it is barely visible, but it is there. I just have to make the holes in the wings for the wing tank lines and paint the lines and that will be ready to go together.

 

[Airframes]

Looks great Aaron, and the antenna OD and yellow is spot on!
One thing, the paper tanks were silver, the grey ones were metal, which had more or less been phased out by this time, but could still be found. However, in both cases, the retaining bands were normally mild steel, painted the dull red I mentioned, like red lead primer, which it probably was. The bands in Gary's pic are on a current, restored aircraft, and may be stainless steel to meet modern, civilian safety requirements (so they won't fall off!), or just polished-up for show.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Ok, will change that tomorrow, the red if I'm not mistaken then should look like red oxide primer. I will see if I can mix up something close. Tan, red, with a little black should do the trick. Thank you Terry.

 

[Airframes]

You're welcome Aaron, and that mix sounds about right.

 

[Lucky13]

F*cking awesome job there Aaron!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Aaron, what brilliant work and what a support team, great stuff guys.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thank you Jan and Vic. I didn't get to work on it yesterday but I am in the process of redoing the tanks at the moment and as soon as the decals that Terry sent show up I will redo them and get this finished and start on another.

 

[Wurger]

Very nice job Aaron.

 

[Crimea_River]

Huh, just now saw this thread and wished I was following sooner.

Great work Aaron!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thank you Wurger and Andy. I would like to start on another one but I really need to get this one as far along as I can before I open another can of worms. I really should have reshot the tanks with silver last night, they wont dry so I can do the straps. Oh well, if my paint mix drys before tomorrow I add some reducer to wake it up again.