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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

Finishing the Fisher AD-5W Guppy.


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I’ve done some soul searching.  As I’m now finishing my Lanc and working on my D-Day GB contributed, I’ve been looking for the perfect knockout build, as in one that’ll give me huge satisfaction to finish properly.  

I’ve looked at a Ryan STM, a Russian bomber (coming soon), September Fury (coming sooner), RCAF Dakota (coming soon enough), and in the end, decided on this.

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 A bit of background here.  My friend Mike Swinburne and I often get to texting. It sometimes leads to silliness, as in, “hey, let’s build a 1/48 An-225 or something along those lines”. That’s how the Lanc idea germinated, through much text modeling and hangar flying.   Somewhere in there talk turned to AIMS conversions, and then to Fisher Fat Face conversions, of which we both own a few of each.

Except for the Guppy.  The AD-5W Guppy was an ASW conversion of the Family Model Skyraider, which itself was a modification of the original sporty single seat Skyraider. The Guppy conversion was just barely released by Fisher and my order barely received, when the fire happened and in the blink of an eye, the Fisher Models workshop along with all designs, drawings, molds, documentation, and 30+ years of modeling excellence ceased to exist. In the end, few to very few Guppy conversions were shipped, apparently from what I wast told, without decals. The decals were to follow later as they became available.  I knew of only one complete set with a decal sheet that got out, and it was sent out to do a build review. And,........ I was talking to the person who had it. As happens to most of us, the build stalled due to life and work issues, and as we hit chatted, a deal was worked out where I would take possession of the Guppy and finish the model to completion. The only other completed model we knew of was Paul Fisher’s own model, and it was lost in the fire. 

So my plan is to take what Mike has done, which is of extremely high quality, by the way, and kick it up a notch with some cockpit super detailing and the moronic silliness I’m inclined to do.

So I’d like to do one other thing here. My build threads tend to become gab feats and that’s cool. But let’s also celebrate Fisher Models. Our experiences, our builds, good, bad, and ugly. Think of your stories, and write them out. The Panther you built that loomed like it was built by a Chimp coming off a 10 day drunk. The first time you saw the Sea Fury and it took your breath away, etc, etc.  I’m not sure yet, but I might start a thread up top for that stuff.

This build will be here on LSM, and that’s it. So check back, this hopefully will get good. :)

Anyway, let’s look at what we have here:

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So, back last winter sometime, I received a big box from Mike. Inside was a Trumpeter Korean War Skyraider kit, and the Fisher conversion, with much work done, just as Mike told me it would be. Special parts were bagged and boxed nicely, and all was well.  Build quality was excellent. I’ve previously finished one or two of Mike’s stalled builds, so I’m aware of and quite comfortable with his build style

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And the instructions, plus the complete, full decal sheet.

I don’t want to assume, and I surely hop it isn’t the case, but there is a chance that this may be the only complete Fisher Guppy set ever shipped with decals. Oh God I hope that isn’t true!

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So cool, I’m glad his kit will get to completion, a nice tribute to the work Paul has done. Hopefully, some day when his mojo comes back, he will begin making more fantastic models. I have a few of Paul’s models and every one impresses me. My favorite so far is the X-1a.

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6 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

And the instructions, plus the complete, full decal sheet.

I don’t want to assume, and I surely hop it isn’t the case, but there is a chance that this may be the only complete Fisher Guppy set ever shipped with decals. Oh God I hope that isn’t true!

9EF4EAD6-FE21-4336-BED2-C9B0A00FB838.jpeg

EDAC5E01-AD45-40E5-AA0D-0C0B62DCBA57.jpeg

Just a thought, could you scan this and then someone with a kit could print this on decal paper?

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What a great idea Ernie! I've got a couple Fisher kits in the stash so may just join you down the road. I've got:

- Sea Fury

- X-1A

- Twogar

Plus both of the Crusader conversions. 

For the Twogar, mine had the intake lips broken off and lost to the ether.  I asked Paul if I could buy a replacement lower wing from him. Turned out that this was a fairly common occurrence and he had a mould for just the intake lips.  He cast up a pair and sent them out the week before the fire. Unfortunately Canada Post then went on strike and they never showed up....

Carl

 

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Hmmmm.   

So here’s what we have so far. This is a dry fit just to see where emery thing goes.   We seem to be short one black box, but I expect it’s around somewhere and we’ll find it soon enough. 

No attempt was made to clean or align anything up, I haven't added or subtracted anything, just looking to what we have.  This inferior is busy, but I want to make it busier. Mwahahaaaaaaaa

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18 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

Here’s a cool thing that Paul had cast up. 

Anyone know what it is?  I do. 

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Ern that piece is the fuel tank cut down to hold a life raft (mounted on the port wing pylon) - only accurate  for the gray-over-white birds 

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1 hour ago, Clunkmeister said:

Yep!  Give that man. See-Gar!   I knew what it was and started chuckling right away but I never knew it was only for the grey and white ships. 

Yeah, sure my round friend !!LOL.....harv

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