A chance phone call to Rob at Avicraft suddenly and quite unexpectedly produced a chap in Selsdon with an unflown Seagull Ultimate that was for sale. Immediate negociation and a super fast arrival at his home sourced a bare stripped out airframe without any hardware fitted. The canopy had a crack in it but I`ve managed to find a replacement via Rob. Other than that damage, the model was in great and almost unmarked condition. This suited my needs to perfection and at a reasonable cost.

The F1 engine mount bulkhead required the blocking up of various mounting holes and other wounds inflicted when the previous owner had mounted his particular power plant. Repairs were made before both sides of the bulkhead were overplated with 0.8mm ply faceing plates to cover up and make good those issues. The motor box sides were reinforced again with ply as these areas have proven to be somewhat weak in service. I also took the opportunity to dispense with link rods which join the upper and lower ailerons together. The model now has four servos operating ailerons instead of two. To achieve this modification, I had to cut into the upper wing panels, remove a couple of wing ribs, then make four new ribs and locate them within the structure before making up ply servo mounts. Obviously replacement of some covering material was also needed to disguise my modifications. Fortunately that was on the upper wing lower surfaces so the overlapped covering replacement doesn`t show too badly.

Another modification was to make new elevator servo mounting points under the tail plane of the model. Use of a big and heavy SC180FS motor dictated some weight shift aft would be needed. I`d considered installing a 120 motor but that size motor has to work hard when flying this sizable airframe. I felt the use of a 180FS would give quieter and more relaxed flying. Removing mild steel push rods from the fuselage took some aft weight out of the equation but moving the servos then added to the situation. I used previous experience to attempt to come up with a reasonable Centre of Gravity. To my joy, the finished model C of G worked out perfectly with the 180FS, muffler, fuel tank, prop and spinner installed together with the motor servo and 2600NiMh power battery all installed as far forward as I could get them.The stated C of G is between 125mm and 150mm aft of the top wing leading edge. Internet Forums suggested the model flies well with the C of G at around 135mm from the leading edge. Pleasingly, my C of G came out at exactly that with no additional lead ballast needing to be used to correct any deficiency.

I`ve mounted the 180FS inverted which almost coincided with cut outs done to the engine cowl by the previous owner. A little more material was removed to suit my engine installation. Most modification work was needed in the siting of the fuel tank which would have been far too high in the fuselage and would have caused significant carburetter flooding if left as it was. The fuel tank mounting plate required to be lowered by about 30mm to align with the carburetter spray bar. Internal structure removal and replacement is not one of my favourite jobs but in this case I had few other options. A 20oz tank provides a reasonable fuel storage given the big 180 sized motor installed.

The model is a very sizable 54" span biplane with a goodly amount of wing area. My slightly smaller Ramair example weighed in at 10.8Lbs and flies quickly and accurately. As expected its landing speed is quite brisk. By comparison, this Seagull version weighs in at 11.7Lbs but is larger and has more wing area. Seagull suggest a finished weight of between 9.6Lb-10.6Lbs. Even with a smaller 120 fitted, I think one would struggle to get the model much below an 11Lb weight. I`m not displeased with an 11.7Lb finished weight with two extra servos fitted and the rather heavier 180 installed. Some examples (dependent of engine installation and placement of servos) have pushed the weight up to 13Lb. They must be quite a handful at slower landing speeds! I don`t expect any issues with my Ultimate at a weight of 11.7Lb.

Construction of this ply and balsa ARTF model follows typical Seagull practice. The model is well made apart from already known weak areas around the F1 engine mount. Those issues are easily delt with. The build of this and several other similar Seagull models is quite straight forward being generally well designed and produced. Whilst more complicated than a typical foam model build, a modeller with some experience, a basic tool kit and some common engineering sense should have little difficulty assembling any of the Seagull kit offerings. If still made and offered for sale by Seagull, this Ultimate model would probably retail for around £430. This represents good value for money with all the hard work done and with the bonus that the model should fly without issue straight from the box. My pre-owned model came to me for less than £200 which makes the purchase even sweeter! Those considering building a Seagull or indeed any other makers ARTF offerings will also need to budget of radio and power plant costs in addition to the pre-covered basic kit.

So this model is now complete and ready for its maiden flight. News on that in due course.

Mike

Having put heart and soul into the project, I`m perhaps a little reluctant to fly the model without getting some advanced flying practice in place prior to commiting to flight. I estimate that I`ve put around five hundred hours of re-build time into this model. I`m in no hurry to fly the beast without making sure I`m up to the task. It is probably true to say that even the most experienced model pilots around would baulk at the prospect of taking charge of this Pitts for its maiden flight in my ownership. Flying a model of such intrinsic value is something that most pilots are likely fight shy of from due to the responsibility and the high risk of a flying smash at some point in the first flight.

On the basis that it would be unfair of me to ask another pilot to fly the Pitts for me, it comes directly to me to find a better solution. I regard the Pitts as a high value model that needs to be carefully managed. The answer to this conundrum is best approached by finding a model with similar flying characteristics but without its value.

So the hunt for a suitable proxy model began last week. Ideally, a Seagull Ultimate Bipe would have fitted my needs nicely. Unfortunately that model has been discontinued and I couldn`t find any used examples either locally or via the internet. Trawling the BMFA classifieds section turned up a vintage 1990`s 50" Ramair Ultimate Bipe located in Chelmsford. This was just an hours travel time and fifty miles distant from me here in Warlingham. An image and brief description detailed the model as being of foam and veneer construction similar to the Pat French designs of around forty years vintage. The construction is indeed very similar to that of my two French designed Zlin 526 models. The seller said he had run the model many years ago with a .90 two stroke fitted with a tuned pipe. The model was in sound condition and was fitted with Futaba servos but no engine. It was just what I was looking for. Although perhaps needing re-covering, a moderate overhaul and fitting of a more suitable four stroke 120, I considered the model to be suitable for my needs, a deal was done and the model collected. Added to the cost of the model was the cost of two gallons of derv for the van and Dartcharge river crossing fees. For around £100 I was on my way to getting my "Pitts trainer" requirement sorted.

The Ultimate has certainly seen some action in its previous owners hands. Upon stripping of covering, just one small restructural repair has been found in the top wing. This is indicative of the model suffering something like a cart-wheeled landing at some time in its career. The repair is well executed and doesn`t require further attention.

Stripping old covering from an airframe is a long winded and often frustrating business. Tonight I have the fuselage and upper wing cleaned a prepped for new material. The lower wing is still being cleaned. How long has it taken to get this model cleaned up....about twenty hours to date. Yes, covering removal is not for the faint hearted or for those without patience. I think of stripping a model as "digging for gold". Its down there somewhare, you just have to churn the muck until eventually the value is realised. At that point, you start to know you are beginning to make progress.

Some might ask the question as to the viability of doing refurbishment work. Yes, it can be very gutty and tedious. Faced with non availability of a new kit, referbishment of an elderly model is often the only way to obtain what you require and desire. To get to the dream, you have to put some effort into the project. I tend to forget how long it takes to clear a model of covering. Its usually the pull of obtaining what you desire that shoves all negative considerations out of the window and the grind of a "strip and clean" gets the upper hand!

Another few hours of cleaning and the model should be ready for rework and re-build. More images will be added to this thread as the model comes back together.

Mike

Although Blackhorse show their Pitts Special BH85A ARTF kit on their Vietnamese site, not one UK agent has one in stock. The same situation at European outlets. Priced at a whopping £588, this airframe only Pitts kit certainly isn`t aligned with typical Seagull offerings which are more towards the £360 new price point. (As at 04/10/2021, £1 equals $1.36USD)

Seagull do make and market the similar wood ARTF Steen Skybolt at around £360, but I already have one and I wanted a Pitts to convert and re-cover to dipict an aircraft of the Rothmans Aerobatic Team of the 1970`s. I used to watch the four ship Team display at the wonderful Biggin Hill Airshows as a teenager. Now in my sixties, I desparately wanted to step back to my youth and produce a RATs Pitts Special. Short of scratch building from plans or using unsatisfactory short kits of dubious quality, my options were strictly limited.

Hanger 9 offer a rather larger and significantly heavier airframe wood ARTF but in that case, a £900 kit price tag puts that kit totally outside my budget. That said, their kit is far too heavy to be flown by me within UK Flight Restriction Zones adjacent to operational UK airfields. My model flying takes place within the M25 orbital motorway around London and most of the contained flying sites operate very near to provincial airfields. Biggin Hill, our immediate airport is one such example of an airfield that only allows nearby model flying under those FRZ Regulations. A weight limit of 7.5Kg/15.7Lbs maximum take off weight dictates what we may or may not fly in such locations under EASA Regulations and Article 16 legislation. A maximum flight altitude of 300ft and a distance rule of 5km or 3.1 miles from those active, full size aircraft operational bases also applies. So no large, heavy models for me unless I travel out of area. Models weighing much more than 13Lb also cause me a problem. I`ve a severly damaged lower back with attendant sciatic nerve issues. I find models weighing much more than 13Lb cause me pain and distress so I have to look carefully at what models I build and operate.

This summer I started to look for a pre-used Blackhorse Pitts. The internet produced nothing, then quite by chance I found a pre-owned American Cermark Pitts on eBay. Research and You Tube videos indicated this ARTF model flew well and might make an ideal canvass on which to start to build up a model of my beloved Rothmans Pitts. A trip to Bristol, some 130 miles distant found me an unflown vintage airframe complete with servos AND a very low time ASP180FS nitro motor for a bargain £240 paid to the seller in cash. I was well pleased with the purchase and found myself with something that would easily convert to single seater spec with my own personal choice of livery. Shortly after returning home, this model went under my knife and all the old, embrittled covering went straight into the rubbish collection bin! The airframe was totally undamaged and was not soggy with fuel oil residue. I was a very happy guy having sourced just what I needed and at a very acceptable price. I never walk away from a used model without looking behind the accumulated dust of long term storage. Believe me, there are some real gems to be found hidden under the rubbish. Buy sensibly and realistically cost out a potential referbishment project in terms expected cash outlay together with time required to bring a used model back to prime condition. Be realistic, buy the good stuff and walk away from the junk.

Having cleared the model of covering detrietus, I began modification of the airframe. I covered over the front cockpit with 1.5mm balsa sheet, added  longitudinal stringers to fuselage sides, and removed a cheap and nasty tail wheel unit. A rather more suitable and robust alternative was sourced from my wrecked Seagull Funky Cub that I flew too slowly and spun into the ground! I never really liked that model and found myself being quite joyful with the quantity of useful salvagable parts that then found their way into some of my other models. Unexpectedly gaining eight usable servos, a good four stroke motor, battery and receiver in one hit is like winning the jackpot!! Anyone want a broken (very, very broken) Funky Cub suitable only for firewood? I`ve not shed any tears for that Cub..........

Three weeks after the Pitts went under my knife, it has seen the rudder servo moved to the tail adjacent its brother elevator servos. This arrangement gives a slop free push rod installation for rudder and elevator control surfaces. A quick weight and balance review saw a new 2600NiMh Rx and servo power battery installed just forward of the tail plane to achieve what has since proved to be the right place to install that battery. This is counter-balanced by the huge lump of metal ASP180 FS on the front bulkhead. I`ve added a flexi exhaust from Just Engines which gets the engine muffler outside of the engine cowl with its location being between the ali landing gear. The muffler points slightly downwards allowing exhaust residue to be directed away from the underside of the fuselage. Modification of the fuel tank floor complete with a new 20oz Dubro fuel tank sees the fuel pipe to the carburettor sitting at the same height and the carb spray bar. Carb flooding due to syphonic action is not expected.

The core colour of the new Hobby King covering is white. Dark blue HK covering provides the trim detail. The undersides of all four wings are covered in light blue Solarfilm. No other manufacturer produced any film even close in shade to that required. My Solarfilm supply came from a local model shop as redundent stock. It is such a shame Solarfilm closed their factory two years ago due to the influx of cheap Chinese covering materials onto the Worlds markets....now I find myself predominently using the Chinese products as the alternative Oracover products are so incredibly expensive. Like most modellers, I`m not imune from making financial savings where I can. I`m undeneighably a part of the cause, the issue and the outcome!

The glass fibre engine cowl and wheel spats have been wet flatted with abrassive paper to remove the previous Cermark colour scheme. Repairs were not required so I sprayed grey primer on the parts before again wet flatting and spray painting all parts with two pack, fuel proof white paint. I shall leave the painted parts to harden for a few days before masking up and adding dark blue two pack spray to match with the fuselage. Letting the white paint harden before over painting with the dark blue is worth doing. If you rush the job, finger prints are likely to appear in the white base coat and the job will not be a good as it could be. I can wait. I`m not in a rush, prefering a tight looking result rather than one that looks like a dashed bodge. (Lashup!)

I`m fortunate that our Emma within our model flying club owns a sticky vynal cutting machine and is able to produce model registration letters, logo`s and trim to my own sizes and specification. Results of Emma`s wonderful efforts can be seen in the images below. Without those prized graphics being available, my model building would be made so much harder. Nice work, Em. Thanks. Contact Emma directly if you have any sign writing requirements.

My finished maximum weight looks like completing at just over 12Lb without fuel. To my astonishment, reading some of the internet forums indicate that some examples of this model are flying with a weight that exceeds 14Lb! One example seen used a massive Hacker electric out drive with a monster 10S power pack. A weight of 13Lb doesn`t seem uncommon. I`m pleased to have created an example of such a low weight. That is very encouraging. I`ll have no difficulty placing the Centre of Gravity at 1/4" in front of the LEADING EDGE of the LOWER WING as suggested in the user manual as a good starting point for initial test flights.

So I still have alittle more to do before the model goes the field. I must make a new cockpit wind shield, add some flying rigging for aesthetic perposes, finish the cowl and spat paint jobs, check the CofG, sort rates, expo, end points and ensure the motor runs and idles reliably. Those jobs complete, the model will be good to go.

I`ll add more images here as the model completes.

Mike

The kit requires a 120FS or suitable 20cc petrol equivalent or larger motor. Deano on You Tube flys one with a Laser 155 and it is best described as having a surplus of power..... Another modeller has fitted a 180 FS motor which the airframe apparently tollerates without disintigration. Certainly the examples I`ve seen flying on videos including electric versions, seem beneign in character and don`t seem to fly with any malevalence.

My example will be moderately powered with a Magnum 120FS glow engine. This Magnum is a badge engineered version of the well known SC or ASP engines. As I understand it, engines destined for the North American market sector seem to be known as a Magnum. Andrew White at Just Engines assures me there is no difference in parts or mechanical specification so parts from ASP/SC or Magnum may all be interchanged across the motor range. That said, the Chinese factory producing these motors has now closed so parts are getting somewhat scarce. In some instances Japanese OS parts fit the Chinese engines although thay tend to be rather more pricey than the cheapo Chineese components.  If you have a pile of Chinese engines and want to keep them functioning, buy parts immediately from JE BEFORE they run out. I`m told it won`t be long until that situation occurs.

The kit assembly went quickly and easily with no issues other than to note that I considered the fuel tank floor to be too high for my tank and engine combination. Ideally the centre line of the fuel feed pipe exiting the fuel tank should line up with the carburetter spray bar. Too high and the tank will tend to flood the carb and fuel will leak wastefully onto the ground. In addition the engine may run rich or lean during positive or negative G aerobatics. I chopped out the tank floor and lowered it to my needs. A second floor was installed above the tank and suitable extra reinforcement or modifications added as needed.

This Chipmunk suffers slightly from the same tail heavy build condition as the big Seagull produced Stearman bipe that I built a year or so ago. The tailplane is skinned in plywood and that directly causes weight and balance problems. Like the unit found on the Stearman, this tailplane is built to be able to swat a cricket ball. It is somewhat overbuiilt and several modellers have complained about this on Forum sites. Short of building a lighter tailplane, moving elevator and rudder servos forward and installing light weight carbon fibre push rods, the tail heavy condition cannot be avoided. Some six ounces of lead sheet are now located directly in front of former F1 together with a 2600 6v NiMh radio power battery.

It is also worth noting that all modellers that have made comment on the various Forums, all suggest the CofG be moved forward from 130mm from the LE at the root to 115mm at the root. That immediately helps the model towards improved and less reactive initial flying. My installed six ounces of lead obviously help towards achieving that desirable condition. (Yes, I do cuss the weight of the tailplane and may indeed later move the servos forward and install lighter carbon pushrods at a later date...I`ve no objection to lightening a model as a mass.)

So that is how my model turned out and I`m not surprise the tail heavy situation occured. Dependent on how this model performs once it has flown, I`ll decide what weight shifting and removal might be required. Many kit makers fail to get the C of G position to a sensible place when they write their build manuals. Quite why this issue constantly crops up is behond my comprehension.

The build was quick and reasonably straight forward. Only the tank from move and the C of G rework spoiled what would otherwise have been a five star kit. I`ll give it four stars only in view of these problem areas. All issues however are curable...its just that it is irksome to have to go to such lengths when you pay £350 for an ARTF kit....yes and that is with also having to stump up for the radio gear, IC motor or LiPo batteries and a chunkly electric motor. Total cost then is probably £750-£800 to get to a flying condition.

The model assembled and modified in just three ten hour sessions over three days. The results can be seen in the attached image selection.

More info once I`ve flown the model.

Mike

Using the same French Bulconcept plan used with a short kit sourced from Guix Model, I decided to produce my own kit of reproduction parts and save the rather high cost of importing a second Guix kit.

Before building the Guix Model kit, I pen traced around all the parts onto appropriately sized core balsa and ply stock. I produced two reproduction kits for future use once I`d finished the first Stampe. The future has indeed arrived with the first Stampe being ready to fly. I`ve today started to build from one of my reproduction kits with fellow Crodon member, Martin Wood having aquired my second repro kit for his own use. Eventually, we might see three finished models all flying together.....One can but hope.

Now I have quite a mammoth task ahead. Cutting the balsa parts from sheet material is easy enough, but the plywood parts are going to take rather more effort. I`m fortunate to have a powerful, quiet and smooth running Draper fret saw in my workshop. It should make short work of the cutting but believe me when I say there is an awful lot of ply parts cutting to be done.

No images tonight in this first thread post. Once I`ve something to show, I`ll add more text and images to this new thread as the build takes shape.

Mike

This Stampe kit comes from a little known (in the UK) colaboration between model designer Laurent Buissyne and laser cut kit maker, Guix Model. I tripped over these French guys whilst looking for Stampe plans and kits on the internet.

As a teenager back in 1974, I`d built a Stampe from scratch using the still popular Dennis Bryant plan. Parts were cut from scratch as laser cutting and Sarik Models didn`t exist in those days. My model was powered by a wonderful HP.61 two stroke and although rather heavy, gave me hours of flying fun. I`d finished it in the yellow and red sunburst colours of the well known Tiger Club Stampe, G-AWEF. Some forty six years after owning that model, I badly needed to build another similar Stampe but desired it to be lighter and of a more contemporary design when compared to my original Bryant model.

Now in 2021, choices of kit or plan are very limited. The Bryant Stampe design now features in the Sarik range of plans with a wingspan of 63" and a short wood kit being available. Flying weight would probably be around 11-12Lb. That is seemingly the only option available at that size. With a MTOW within the FRZ limit of 7.5Kg/16.5Lbs with all fuel and equipment in the total figure agreed by the CAA and BMFA as legally flyable within the FRZ regulations this model was certainly suitable for my needs if not quite what I was looking for.

The rather larger and obviously heavier former Precident Stamp kit now marketed and cut by SLEC is something of a big bruiser. I`d have loved to have built one but with other flyers indicating a MTOW of around 18Lb, I discounted that model as quite useless to me if flying within FRZ constaints and constrictions.

Then quite by accident, I stumbled upon the web site of Guix Model in France. They are based near Lille in Northern France in the sleepy rural farming village of Louville. Guix have not only a factory producing laser cut kits but also operate a typical retail model shop. Many of their kits are designed by a prolific French modeller by the name of Laurent Buissyne and marketed under the name of Bulconcept. I`ve grown to regard the arrangement between Guix and Laurent as perhaps being similar to the Nijhuis/SLEC/4-Max set up that we know so well here in the UK. Linking several businesses together as a collaboration can only be but benificial to modellers generally.

Here are the links to Guix and to Laurent.

Bulconcept Short Kits

 To my deep joy, I found a Stampe SV4 within the Bulconcept listing. At 66" wingspan and a mass of a quoted 4.1Kg/9Lb when fitted with a 6S 4000 electric set up, the design was a modern take on an old modellers favourite. I`ve become used to converting electric based kits to IC power. Regretably, electric power just "doesn`t do it" for me. I much prefer a sputtering four stroke oily fan on the front. For me an electric model lacks soul and I`ve quickly tired of battery changing. Having had an unexplained battery/charger detonation recently in my building area has further exacibated my move towards IC, motorizing my entire fleet of models with IC power. All my electric motors, ESC`s and LiPo batteries are now for sale at reasonable used prices. Make me a sensible offer if you need LiPo type power components. PM or phone me for details.

So this Stampe will be fitted with a 91FS. I have a used one coming from Rob for this model. If you have any .70>1.80 four stroke motors you wish to sell, again please contact me. I`m interested in buying the good, the bad and the ugly with paid prices that reflect age, condition or level of damage. Low time engines in good condition are favoured but I will concider lesser engines for spares or rebuild. Prefered types, SC, ASP, Magnum, OS, Saito. Cash waiting.

Back to the Stampe. I made email contact with Laurent who responded quickly and in English after I appologised profusely about my French ineptitude. Laurent supplied three large full scale plans and a CD-ROM for building instructions. With French VAT and carriage included, I sent Laurent around £65 in Euro currency and about a week later, an A4 envelope arrived here without additional UK VAT or extra postal costs. The plans are CAD drawn to a very high standard and the CD-ROM contains the manual of some 100 pages and has 500 good quality images to assist with the construction. Sadly, everything is written in French so the Google French to English translator has been working overtime. Its not really been a problem though because building a model is an "across language" interest and there is usually only one way a model can come together. Whilst waiting for the Guix Model kit to arrive, I`ve spent the available time ordering quantities of brass tube, steel and ali flat strip material for the model. For those that get a buzz from filing metal into brackets, hard points, cabanes and landing gear, this model makes for a great experience and hours of brain teasing fun. The Hardware Warehouse on the internet has proved to be a wonderful place to order these materials and their prices are excellent with postal delivery being in the super-fast catagory. Highly recommended.

Reverting to the Guix Model kit, this comes as a basic wood kit with the option to buy an extra wood kit. I`ve paid something like £190 in Euros to Guix and have been told the kit has been posted with delivery probably in a weeks time subject to UK Customs clearance. It is not known if I`ll be asked for UK import VAT prior to delivery here. Neither do I know if I`ll be slapped with an additional Royal Mail £8 charge. Despite looking at the UK Gov. web site for import VAT guidance, the words left me confused, befuddled and in a rather tired and emotional state. A brandy helped but this transition phase of the Brexit chaos serves to make matters a proper buggers muddle. So all I can presently do is wait and see if I`ll be clobbered for additional VAT payment......

If you ever decide to buy from Guix, please note the following points. BEFORE you order from the site, ensure you can get the "pays" section to complete as accepting your delivery will be to the UK. (Pays means "which country will the package be sent".) Only click on the UK. Unfortunately on the day I ordered the kit, the site wouldn`t let me input the UK as the consignment address. I later found out from Quix that it would have been more satisfactory if I had just mailed them and started a dialogue with them. Subsiquently a fella at Quix made contact with me in English via my email. At that point all I had to do to correct my error was send him another 12.70E via PayPal. The man I`ve been communicating with speaks very good English so this saved the day. A quick phone call is another option before ordering which would give you an easier journey than the one I experienced. Getting hold of this kit has not been easy but given a few more days of waiting, I hope all should come well. I believe these kits are produced to order, so if you want one of the Guix offerings, you should factor a lead time for production and carriage into your building timetable. I suspect that Brexit, ordering mistakes, Covid, a slow New Year start up and production lead times all added to make this a rather slow transaction. I`ll be wise to it if I order any future kit from Guix. In my opinion, this is just one such example of why it was unwise for the UK to leave the EU.

Tonight the workshop atmosphere positively hums with anticipation as the delivery starts its entry into our UK Customs clearance sheds. Watch this space!

Emma and Ian have cut me registration letters in red vinyl for the fuselage and lower underside of the bottom wing. They are working on the dsign of the Tiger Club motif but that is proving a rather difficult item to reproduce. Conatct Emma direct for all your registration letters. She makes a lovely job of them. "Swiftly and with style" applies. Thanks Em!

Note that all Laurents designes, plans and CD-ROM build manuals are protected by his copyright. Reproduction of any of his intellectual property is not permitted without his express permission. That seems fair enough given that his designs are as a direct  result of his own efforts. Laurent did allow one of his customers to build the original 66" model and then went on to allow him to build a +50% model followed by a +100% model. There are You tube vids showing the two oversized models with the 200% version having a wingspan of 132"!! Stood on its wingtips, the model is more than twice the height of its owner!!!!! It is truely massive and flies superbly. Not one for our Fickleshole site.

Thats it for tonight. Further tales from the building board once this kit eventually arrives.

Mike

Once again a glance to the ceiling at Avicraft proved too much for me. A big red and white 82" Gee Bee caught my eye. Battered,dirty and generally of down at heal appearance, the model had obviously seen significant battle action during its flying career. A date stamp on a wing root suggests this model was manufactured in 2002. Rob told me this model although big, was light enough to be allowed to be permitted to fly within our local FRZ restrictions. The model required a four stroke 180 size motor or some suitable petrol equivalent. An electric 12 cell set up would also make a suitable power option.

 With Robs reasurance that this high tail, long fuselage version of the somewhat notorious 1930`s "Golden Age" racer would be a good flyer, I took the plunge and negociated my deal. Getting the model home and having given it a serious wash, the potential of the model started to show. The worst aspects were the glass fibre wheel spats which were quite seriously cracked, damaged and in a very un-tidy state. Glass fibre repairs form part of my skill set used whilst spending many years as a self employed small boat engineer. Whilst glass fibre work is time consuming, smelly, dusty, dirty and thought by many to be highly obnoxious, if you can tolerate the smell and the mess, it is quite amazing what a few hours work with either epoxy or polyester core materials can restore to former magnificience. Replacement new parts for this Gee Bee are available from the USA, but they are relatively expensive and have something like a three month lead and delivery timetable. Dealing over-seas though is hardly ever easy and I decided that for about a quarter of the cost of buying new parts from across "The Pond", I could repair these shattered and battered components with relative ease. Now heading towards summer, I can work outside the workshop and avoid the stink caused by the chemicals used in polyester resin. My normal hand and power tools are more than sufficient for the cutting and sanding required during the recification process. Restoration work has already begun and has given me a bit of a break from the high effort detail work needed to complete the Stampe.

The large radial engine glass fibre cowl measures about TEN INCHES in diameter. It is quite a chunk and surprisingly has suffered only minimal damage during the models former flying exploits. It has a few holes drilled in it to suite the previous engine installation and is in reasonable order. It only requires a few glass repairs to get it fixed up again. The airframe is in quite good condition with some obvious repairs having taken place to the underside of the wings. The covering is a light weight film and lacks the opacity found in modern covering materials. An hour with a covering iron sealed down lifted edges and tightened up slackened areas. Visually, that together with a good clean up, massively improved the overall appearance of the model.  I`ve decided to get this Gee Bee flying before recovering it with the wonderful Hobby King covering material. Whether the model flies initially with or without the wheel trouser/spat moldings depends on the speed that I can get them restored.

Rob sold me half a dozen good used servos, so with a receiver, NiMh battery and a 180 four stroke motor fitted, it wouldn`t take much to get this model going. This first posting on this thread then just shows what has been aquired and what I have to do to get this model flyable. For £80, this used model represents excellent value for yet another model added to my rather over-large collection of RC model planes. Watch this thread to see how this Gee Bee pans out.

A few images now of the model as it currently stands.

Mike

With my long term Fly Baby scratch build now rapidly approaching the final stages, I`ve been looking for another project. Knowing the Seagull range of kits so well, lead me to look at their Skybolt. It follows the normal and typical Seagull kit assembly pattern. No surprises there. For those that don`t know the Skybolt, well it looks very much like a Pitts Special.

I expect to order the kit in around a months time. It won`t be sooner.....I`m still recovering from the cost of the Jungmeister build!

In the meantime, as a taster to what will be coming, here are some links to a review and a couple of Youtube videos.

Seagull Models Steen Super Skybolt 15cc ARF Preview Preview 4:13 Seagull Models Steen Skybolt ARF

Watch this thread for developments.

Mike

I`d watched a few You Tube vids which showed this Seagull model to be quite a performer as well as having fairly benign landing characteristics. My search was for a model that could become a hack for my learning curve and completion of the B-test later this year. I wanted something a little more lively than an Ultra Stick and something that looked more like a full sized aircraft. I also wanted to find an economical alternative to buying a fresh new kit. In other words, I wanted a bargain with some potential at a rock bottom price! I wasn`t too concerned that the model might have usage rash or be a bit unsightly in places. It just had to be sound, usable and perhaps expendable without too much outlay being involved.

Rob offered me the model for £100. It included Futaba servos but no engine. Removing the model from the ceiling showered us both with a quarter inch thick layer of Avicraft dust. The model was filthy! Rob and I cleaned it up a bit so that we could examine it further. I was told it was a commission sale. I never haggle with Rob on prices as I know he always gives me a reasonable deal. Back home, the model was washed down with a damp cloth, dried and then given the once over with vehicle waterless cleaning fluid. This made it look rather more presentable. Yes, the covering had slackened badly and required a re-tighten with a hot covering iron. That done, it looked vastly better. The wing tightened to almost new appearance but the fuselage which had many self adhesive decal stickers applied to it, was a bit of a headache. I persisted and eventually ended up with an 80% good appearance. Ideally, the fuselage could do with a strip and recover but the current state is good enough for my purposes. I removed the fuel tank which was contaminated with solidified fuel residue together with its fouled fuel pipes. Tanks and pipes are cheap enough, so I`ve not wasted my time on cleaning it out. It went straight in the bin. A replacement tank was sourced from my ever-increasing stock of unused Seagull kit parts and a length of new fuel pipe was obtained. All simple stuff. The spares box also supplied a new pair of engine mounts, new blind nuts and a new throttle rod.

Set to one side, I had a low use SC120 FS ear marked for my Fly Baby bipe build. This was re-directed to this Zlin.  Another replacement ASP/SC 120FS "new in box" is due for collection next week and that unit will be directed at the Fly Baby unless a more suitable 90 sized unit becomes available via eBay or some other source. My power units get moved periodically from airframe to airframe. Again from stock, I pulled a new seven channel FrSky FASST receiver which is fully compatible with Futaba FASST transmitters. At a humble £25 each from Rapid RC, they make a reliable alternative to the Futaba 617 receiver which costs double the price. Other modellers speak highly of this budget priced FrSky receiver. I also replaced two terrible old cheapo light weight switches with a decent unit which has the benefit of an external charge port. How I hate and distrust low cost switches.

Apart from some localized silver Oracover covering repairs being needed, I`ve only had to block up a few blind nut holes and a badly executed throttle rod exit through the engine mounting bulkhead before disguising the work with a few Oracover off cuts. The cowl was in reasonable condition but any cut outs for the previously fitted engine or silencer placement were badly carried out by the original owner. Fortunately, the cut outs required for my chunky large ASP120FS removed the clumsy previous work for ever. This large motor installation made the model slightly nose heavy. Correction to attain the correct C of G position was easily accomplished by placing the 2600NiMh battery pack aft of the servos. No problem with that. All clevises, push rods and control horns were checked for security. Essentially, this Zlin received a full check over, re-work and overhaul over a space of a weekend. What has been achieved has pleased me greatly. The Zlin is of better appearance than I predicted or thought possible. It is a long way from perfect but my total outlay to get this neglected model operational again, amounts to a total spend of just £270. Its certainly the cheapest model in my collection although perhaps not being the tidiest! Value for money, it's a half price model rebuilt for a purpose. Certainly, it was worth what I paid for it and the twenty or so hours I've spent nailing it back together. Good enough for  Government job!....yes, and it is the first model that I`ve placed my shiny new CAA OP label on....Legal it may be, nonsensical it almost certainly is! (My opinion)

The finished weight is a very acceptable 8.4Lb/3.4Kg. The manufacturer states 8.6Lb -9.4Lb. This Zlin then is the first ever model that I`ve been involved with that weighs LESS than the manufacturers spec. Pleasing, I think you might agree.

Anyway, here are some images.

All comments appreciated.

Mike

As an interim measure, I bought the Seagull Flybaby 70" monoplane kit version just to help me partially scratch the itch. Trevor and I flew that model last week but discovered after the first flight that the port wing had around 15mm of wing tip wash out built into it at the factory. Highly disappointing in view of the SIG/Seagull reputation for producing quality kits. That major fault made the model fly in a most peculiar fashion and the matter is now with the kit distributors, Perkins. The port wing is as warped as a nine bob note and unsuitable for the purpose. So back it has gone and I await a replacement part. All this has been detailed in a separate thread. Size wise, the model is of similar proportions to James`s bi-plane version.

There are several Flybaby Bipe kits around. The best known is the hugely expensive American Balsa USA rendition at a cost of around $475 USD plus American carriage to the UK, plus 20% UK import VAT and Royal Mail delivery. That`s seriously outside my own and probably many others budgets. I finally decided on a 54" Sarik supplied plan for a scratch build project. The plan was penned by one Eraldo Pomare and appears to come from the Nexus Plans Service. One thing this plan is for is not a 54" model, but one of 84"! So be it. I can live with that. Wings span is 84", chord13.5", wing area 7.5 square feet, fuselage length 4`9", prototype weight, 9Lb 8oz, power is .60 two stroke. The construction is very light weight and rigging is fully load bearing. My vision is to run my model on a 1.20 four stroke which would give the right sound quality. The motor is yet to be sourced.

The build is quite straight forward, is of large proportions but is essentially a structure that is full of air. Wheels are 5" Dubro inflatable at a cost of around £30 a pair. The cowl used is from a 1/4 scale SIG J3 Piper Cub at a cost of around £23. Rob tells me the cowl should be easy to source.

I`ve only just begun construction and have started by making some of the bulkheads. F1 measures about 6" in width and about 8" in height. This will proportionally produce quite a chunk of model. Most of the bulkheads are either 3mm/1/8" ply or balsa. Others are from 6mm/1/4" material. Parts have been traced from the plan and the tracing paper stuck with Prit-stick onto the core sheet material. Parts have been cut out using a Dremel fret saw with the remains of the tracing paper being removed once cutting has been completed. I started with quite a sizable piece of 3mm birch ply sheet but that soon became consumed. These big models certainly gobble material. I have 51 wing ribs to produce...I`m looking forward to that....not!

So the build has started. The progress will be documented here is matters progress. I foresee a build time of about two months. Watch this space.

Mike

With Emma`s kind help at Avicraft, we looked at the Seagull Bucker Jungmeister kit listing online. It would make a great stable-mate for my Seagull produced Stearman, Fly Baby, Sparrow Hawk and Gypsy Moth. The Jungmeister is presently in transit from Vietnam and expected at J Perkins on or around 20th February 2020. That should give my ruptured wallet time to recover from my Christmas and New Year spending sprees.

In the meantime, I`m on the hunt for a good used OS1.20 FS or similar spec motor. There is a pumped version listed on eBay so I`ll have a punt on that. A spare receiver sits here in its box unallocated and a few servos are also to hand. I`ll collect a few more good used examples from Rob in due course.  As is now my habit with these somewhat heavy tailed Seagull kits, I`ll also be swapping out the heavy mild steel push rod wires in favour of 2mm carbon rods. A couple of saved ounces at the tail end often saves six ounces at the nose with a total weight save of about half a pound. Servos will also come as far forward as possible to help with weight and balance issues. Using this method, I managed to get the Gypsy Moth to balance correctly straight from the box and without any dead weight ballast being placed in the nose. That was totally unexpected and I suspect I probably have the lightest built Seagull Gypsy Moth around. Not many people would go to the bother of moving servos or swapping wire pushrods. The small effort in the modification involved certainly pays you back very quickly. Its total joy to have a model C of G in the correct place without much effort or additional ballast.

The Seagull Jungmeister manual states the "air-frame" weight to be 11Lbs. Bearing in mind all my previous Seagull kits have always exceeded the stated weights by about a pound, I`d expect the Jungmeister to also exceed the manufacturers guide weight by a similar figure. How I wish makers would clearly state the finished airframe weight only and also give an example of that same air frame once fitted with typical servos, battery and motor. This of course would be a highly variable figure dependent on what equipment a particular builder installs but some guide figure would be helpful. The complete finished all up weight figure affects all of us who fly within our local Flight Restriction Zone where the maximum dry weight of a model must not exceed 15.7Lbs/7Kg. Building a model with a final weight in excess of that 7Kg obviously makes it an illegal flyer within an FRZ. Best then to only choose kits or scratch built models that have a good chance of completing at below the 7Kg figure.

Seagull produce three different covering colour schemes for differing World markets. One is of a yellow Swiss Airforce with typical white cross on red background markings. The second colour scheme is for an American aircraft in white with red trim. That is very similar to my white and red Stearman. The third option is clearly for the European market and that is the one which Perkins say would be the one that would arrive in their next consignment. If I wanted either of the two other colour schemes, the order would have to be processed as a "special" and delivery would probably take several months. This third colour scheme depicts an aircraft flown to winning place in the 1936 Olympic Games aerobatic championship flown by the outstanding Romanian pilot, Alex Panapa. Following his successful win, the aircraft was transported across the Atlantic UNDER a German Zeppelin airship! Papana went on to campaign the Jungmeister across the US for many years until it was severely damaged in a landing accident. It appears the aircraft was landed upon by another aircraft! Left for scrap, the air frame sat against a fence for years before it was recognised for its historical significance. Restoration followed before it was eventually placed in a museum. Papana in later years suffered from depression leading to him abandon his car in the desert then wandering seventeen miles from the vehicle before committing suicide by taking a poisonous substance. A very sad end to a World acclaimed pilot. My model will therefore be a Papana example and will come in a white base colour scheme overlaid with silver at the front of the fuselage, red and white checker on the tops of the wings, red strips on the underside and prominent Olympic five ring logo on the tail fin and rudder. I`d quite like to have seen a German military version with black crosses and the dreaded Swastika political symbol on the rudder. I could strip off all the pre-applied Ultra cover but I`ve no plans to do that....

Here then is a video of an electrified version of the Jungmeister and also a PDF of the build manual. I look forward to the arrival of the kit and will post here again as I begin assembly.

Flying my Electric Powered Seagull Bücker Jungmeister ARF

Jungmeister PDF

Mike

I`ll use the term "assembly" because that best describes the action needed for completion to flying state. Its not difficult at all with all the parts fitting well and with good covering applied. Weight and balance experience with the Stearman had me immediately move the Gypsy servos as far forward as possible with substitution of the then too short, 2mm mild steel push rod wires being changed for four lighter and longer carbon fibre rods. Believe it or not, the steel rods weighed three times as much as the carbon replacements. I`d encourage any builders of Seagull kits to as a matter of course to also substitute carbon rods in place of the overly weighty kit supplied mild steel rods. That really does help when it comes to finally balancing the model.  A couple of ounces saved at the tail end doesn`t sound much but that equates to a six ounce ballast saving at the front end. This modification is one that I`m also going to retro apply to the Stearman which has a very significantly heavily constructed tailplane and makes obtaining a decent Centre of Gravity a hard fought thing. The Moth tail feathers by comparison are of a sensible weight. Combined with the forward servo move, carbon push rods and disposing of the heavy "Fly Baby" type tail wheel assembly has meant that just the OS 91FS up front, a heavy 16x8 composite Master Airscrew prop and the cowl provide enough nose ballast to have this model balance perfectly for an "out of the box" C of G to be obtained. Its not often that that occurs!  That said, the final and finished all up weight is 11.2Lb, some five ounces heavier than the manufacturers stated figure. When selecting a kit, weight becomes important as we fly within a 7Kg limited Flight Restriction Zone. I`ve learned that a manufacturers quoted airframe weight is often miles off the truth.  I tend to add a couple of Lbs to the figure to get a reasonable idea of what the finished model weight is likely to be. If it comes out at over 7Kg, then building such a heavy model for local use is a complete non-starter. Such weight factors materially now emphatically dictate the kit or scratch built models  I now choose. Sad but enforceably true!

The assembly of the Moth follows typical Seagull kit practice. Once you have put together one of their kits and learned the simple methodology, they all follow the same construction pattern. The instruction manuals provide sufficient detail but sometimes the magnifying glass has to come out. Images lack density of pixelization which can make some detail spotting a bit of a head scratch. All parts are of high quality but generic "Fly Baby" type tail wheel units often find their way into several different kits in an inappropriate  fashion. A home made bent wire skid attends to that matter as well as trimming a couple of ounces off the tail end of the model. The vac formed generic plastic pilots were nothing short of a joke. Their appearance would suggest they were produced as drivers of a bob sleigh! A re-paint had them looking like 1930`s civilian pilots and rather more suitable for the application. Windshields were another small item that required some modification to make smaller and more in keeping with that found on the full size aircraft. As previously said, rudder and elevator wire pushrods were removed and carbon rods substituted together with a forward servo move.

Adhesive decals registration letters were cut from the supplied sheets and carefully applied to the model individually. This avoided having to handle a number of letters as one large and unco-operative sticker and greatly reduced the amount of clear plastic decal material between the letters. I`ve grown to hate the appearance of un-necessary clear decalage material which spoils the appearance of the model and shows every air bubble or defect under the excess plastic. Careful dimensioning and marking out though is required if you wish to keep decal excess down to a minimum. The inter-plane struts were square edged, clumsy and covered in inappropriate Oracover Cub Yellow. I removed the covering, sanded off the remains of the Oracover and rounded off leading and trailing edges. Two coats of epoxy resin were applied, left to cure, flatted down to a smooth finish before being given a couple of varnish coats. The effect brings it into line with the full sized aircraft. This Moth kit has some nice decal touches....... namely the DeHavilland Stars either side of the fuselage and also two large Moth stickers on each side of the rudder. Such greatly detailing adds to visual model credibility.

The glass cloth cowl is well made and finished. Holes of irregular shape can easily be cut into it using hole saws or by chain drilling to link up the drilled holes. Rough edges are easily smoothed using a small power rotary sander, a quality smooth cut file and P280 sand paper. The top gloss paint coat though, has been applied over a non flatted colour coat and is easily separated when using masking tape. Use only the low tack masking tape on these cowls.

The flat tread profile kit wheels have been changed for balloon type wheels of similar size. Again that adds to the credibility factor.

The OS91FS motor has been upright installed without difficulty. The standard exhaust exits on the starboard side of the cowl. I could have inverted the engine but I saw no point. Upright is perhaps more practical at the flying field. Plenty of air-draft has been cut into the cowl with full glow plug access and viewing of the throttle linkage has been afforded. Internally the fuel tank floor has been raised 30mm to bring the tank up to carburettor spray bar level. A 2600NiMh batter suitably wrapped and fuel proofed now lives below the tank on a removable plate. If needed at a later date, the plate, tank and battery can be removed from the model as one complete module in a couple of minutes. That is very useful if you have fuel issues at the flying field.  Some modification to the front end of the removable fuselage top combing has been required to allow the top rear end of the tank to enter that section. The throttle servo tube and wire also run up from the low mounted servo and has require a little relieving to allow that to occur. Mods within the combing section are small and discrete. As this model is a sport flyer and not a Nationals winning full blown scale model, it does not concern me that the exhaust is visible or that other none scale features have occurred. Practicality has over-ridden aesthetics. Flying wires are easily rigged using crush crimp tubes, fishing trace wire and clevis type turn-buckle adjusters. Each flying wire took about five minutes to construct and again the additional detail adds to model ambience.

I suppose I`ve spent about a hundred hours "assembling" this model which includes making mods to suit my own taste and needs. The kit retails for about £356 but if you look for or ask a seller for discount, this is frequently available. Model kit selling is a competitive game. The near new OS91FS came to me for £165 and pre-used servos came from Rob`s best used servo draw at reasonable prices. I used one and a half twin syringe five minute epoxy packs from Tool Station and about 25ml of CA from the same source. Both great products at best prices. Add to the final tot up a 2600NiMh battery for less than a tenner and your choice of six channel radio receiver for what ever price you can find one. A 16x8 Master Airscrew came for £15. Everyone`s own final build costing will be different dependent on the type of equipment you choose.

So a few final points.

Five Star quality model of nice shape, appearance and general presentation.

Ease of build. Experienced and knowledgable. Not for a beginner who would struggle with details and apparent complexity.

Note a real need to keep these Seagull kit productions as light as possible at the tail end. Substitute carbon rods to help with that requirement.

Move servos right forward when you install them. It saves a lot of extra work when you find the model is tail heavy and have to tear it all to pieces to then have to shift the servos forward!

The kit has a nice parts goody pack which includes nuts, screws, washers and bolts together with a 14oz fuel tank, engine mounts, electric conversion kit, wheels and tyres, decals, control horns and mild steel control pushrods.

Note that you will probably want to re-paint the generic kit pilots make look half decent and also have to cut the windscreens down to a scale size.

Value for money? Definitely good. Try scratch building a similar model for what this one cost. Include the price of Oracover which isn`t exactly cheap stuff.

The end result has pleased me greatly. As said previously, this is the best Seagull kit I`ve yet built. No trouble at all. All done and dusted and awaiting test flights once the good weather returns.

Mike

A two flight only, used SC180 FS which shares the same crank case dimensions as a 150 has been sourced for a couple of hundred pounds from eBay. This should power the model well and I decided on this power route as this model needs an appropriate sound track and the costs of buying one of the electric 4-Max 6366-270 motors, a 90a ESC not to mention stumping up for something like a 10S, 6000mAh Lipo pack nearly doubled the cost of the build bill. As it stands with the reasonably priced SC180 and the cost of the kit, that alone equates to around £520 with servos, battery and receiver adding to the cost. The 180 route appeared to be the most economic way to proceed.

The two attached images depict this Seagull model. Sadly the original full sized Red Baron Pizza example together with one other example which formed part of a four aircraft display team in the US, is no more. Two of the team collided during an airshow with both pilots being fatalities.

I`ll add to this thread as things progress.

Mike

The Tiger was in reasonable condition if a little dog eared and faded in places. It was a sweet little thing and I just had to have it. As the coverings were so faded, embrittled and flat, I`ve elected to strip it down, make any required repairs and generally re-life the model.

The core of the model was quite sound with just a couple of broken wing ribs needing attention. Removal of the former covering glue has been the biggest issue. Most of it has come off by sanding and then attacking with acetone on a rag. Recovering is a little delayed due to Hobby King not having a supply of their 115 Bright Silver material. A similar covering frustration currently exists with my big Fly Baby bipe build which also uses 115 as a core material cover. The 115 is on back order with indications being that it will be back in stock towards the end of October 2019. Extra edging has been applied to most flying surface peripheries in an attempt to alleviate the "starved horse" effect caused by covering sagging and creasing between high and low points. The shots of the rudder re-cover show what I`ve done in that respect.

Using the material I have, the fuselage and tail sections have been re-covered. The colour scheme will be that of the silver, red, white and blue example owned by the Shuttleworth Collection. A few images here to show the progress to date. More in due course. I think you will agree, this model is set to be a very pretty little number.

Mike

So what is next? Liking the Seagull Fly Baby 69" monoplane, Rob supplied me with a kit and it built quickly and easily. OK, the port wing was warped so that had to be replaced by Perkins but with a new wing fitted, the model is a peach to fly. On the basis of that, I`ve decided to build the 63" Seagull Sparrow Hawk. Here are a couple of links to the model.Seagull Sparrowhawk (61) (1.6m)

Preview Preview 5:58 Seagull Sparrow Hawk Maiden 20 June 2014

More on this kit once I`ve got one in my hands.

Mike

I`ve just built the new Ripmax 48" £103 SE5a kit of around a thousand laser cut pieces in about 120 hours over two weeks. As a builder, its complete joy with only a few little mods required to strengthen formers in the rear fuselage and some infills at the trailing edges of the wing centre sections. Everything slots together and CA is the predominate adhesive used. Just a little alaphatic PVA used for fuselage doublers and joining the three sections of each wing in slow time. Essentially the model jig builds itself. The first wing panel took me a hour and a half. The last one took me just twenty minutes! The only slightly iffy parts are the cabane and inter-plane struts which are 3mm ply and are prone to splitting when slightly compressed when bolted up to the wing mounts. I`ll probably re-make those in carbon fibre strip or perhaps  some 2mm ali sheet I have.

The kit, 700 motor, a couple of 12x6 wood props and speed esc came from George Worley at 4Max Models for just under £190. George is a great guy and is extremely helpful when it comes to specifying what power gear is needed for a particular model. Next day delivery is always the case and Georges prices are some of the best out there. 012 Cream Oracover X 2m and 018 Olive Drab X 3m came from Als Models. Costing for the coverings is about another £50. Again excellent and fast service from them. The 4s 2200mAh lipos came from my held stock and also the mini 9g servos. I`ve doubled up the aileron servos to four as the manual suggests fitting heavy duty units. Metal geared 9g servos are cheap enough on eBay. I`ve just bought five for £11 for my next project model which will be the Super Flying Models Fokker DVII in the same series as this SE5a. This kit is available from 4 Max for £99 and is of a similar build to the SE5a.

The kit is a joyous build and goes together extremely quickly and with only the odd minimal issue. I`d give it a 99% rating. The instruction manual is of ancient production quality. Images are black and white and of low pixel size which often lead to head scratching as one un-ravelled just exactly how to progress. Those instructions could be better but didn`t detract from the quality of the model or the build itself. The finished model is really quite nice and visually is very sharp. A gloss finish although not authentic, adds a "wow" factor and just makes the model, in my opinion, more pleasing to the eye than if I had completed it in a matt finish. Judge for yourselves.

The power gear is light in weight which meant about 8oz of lead ballast had to be added below and to the sides of the motor. This, despite all the electronic gear and Lipo being brought as far to the front of the model as I could get it. The tail end was kept as per the instructions and there was little I could do to get a lower weight at that end. The finished model with all gear installed comes in at 5.2Lb or about 2.5Kg. The manual suggests 4Lb as a finished weight but I just don`t know how that could be realistic. It seems many manufacturers quote very lowe weights which in the real world are well neigh impossible to achieve. Perhaps someone could correct me if they feel this isn`t the case!

So there we are. a lovely little model and from a build perspective, highly rewarding with a very nice end result. It`s yet to be flight tested so model details on that in due course.

Mike K

This is an expensive American kit which I collected from Stourbridge yesterday. Of unknown vintage, the model came to me part built and what has been constructed appears to have been reasonably well executed. Clearly the kit has passed through several hands before my acquisition. The eBay seller bought it a couple of weeks ago for £140, then decided he wanted a 120" version. Back on eBay it went again and became my win for just £75 plus £40 of diesel fuel in the car! I`m a happy chappie! I looked on the internet to get some idea of the new price. Well over $1200 US which currently converts to around £963. That is a fair amount of dosh for an 80" model.....

Images below show the core model. A large box full of all the usually needed completion parts was included in the deal. This includes a two part ABS cowl and wheel spats, unmarked canopy, a massive Dural undercarriage, control horns and push rods. some timber stock, plans and a very good instruction build manual. All parts seem to be present.

The models appears to have been kicking around for several years. There is a bit of black mold in a couple of areas and the timber has that rather yellowed appearance. Glued joints appear tight with a good adhesive bond. Sheeting joints require sanding and leading edges of the wings are as yet, unprofiled. Someone appears to have started the project but never finished it. At £75, it looks like something of a bargain.

The prototype model was powered by a 1.80 Moki two stoke. Finished weight is stated as being between 14 & 17Lbs. There appear to be some similarities between this Midwest model and that of the one produced by Great Planes. Wings are of conventional balsa build and still require to have the ailerons cut from the construction. They also require main spar dihedral joiners to be fitted. The fuselage is of typical space frame stamped ply of about 3mm thickness. Tail feathers are of typical balsa truss with over sheeting on the tail-plane and fin and open areas on rudder and elevators. The whole model requires sanding and bringing to a covering standard. Controls, radio gear and engine layout are still to be planned and installed. As it is, the model would appear to be something of a bargain but perhaps not quite a big a bargain as the model Ben bought at the Club summer auction this year!

So, this appears to be my next project. All advice and comments in respect of this model would be appreciated. Vids on Youtube of flying examples are encouraging. The model appears quite docile at slow speeds and stable on final approaches and landing.

I`ll add more images to this thread as the build progresses.

Mike K

The kit is available in half a dozen versions from basic, basic with coverings included, right the way up to an ARTF version. Those choices of kit are only available via the Chinese DW eBay site and are priced in US dollars with P&P included. It isn`t very clear whether extra delivery charges and 17.5% import VAT are applicable as extra costs payable once the kit enters the UK. I`ve been caught out like that before. Dependent on exchange rates you might perhaps save £20 on the initial purchase but then get clobbered with those extra charges and taxes. Delivery from China takes about two weeks. I`d rather support Georges` business at a known price of just under £250 which includes the coverings and known week day, next day delivery via DPD. It is worth remembering to order Monday to Thursday if you want next day delivery. If you do as I`ve just done and ordered on a Friday, your kit has to wait at the local DPD depot over the weekend before being delivered on the Monday.

George describes the kit as being something of a work of art...it even comes in a laser inscribed ply box with a hinged lid and catches. Frankly, I`m not blown away by that idea when a cardboard box would do the same job. Forget the ply box and knock a tenner of the price is more to my liking! Anyway, that`s how it comes, so that is what we get.

I previously posted these links on my thread about the Fokker DVII build I completed yesterday. Anyway, here are the links again more correctly located on this Dr1 thread

.DW Fokker Dr.1 (Kit and film) for just £239.99 from 4-Max

1.5M Balsa Fokker DR.I - YouTube

The wonderfully clear build manual is downloadable from the 4-Max advertisement above.

So once again I await delivery impatiently with super-glue at the ready, building area cleared and with £250 less than I had in the bank yesterday. That`s the problem with having a building addiction. No sooner than I have a project moving, I`m looking for the next one after that!

More details on Monday.

Mike K

Once again supplied by George Worley at 4-Max, I`ve raided the coffers once again and ordered the kit. The kit is £98.99, a PO-3547-700 motor £35.99 and next day postage £9.49. That`s a total of £144.47. I found in my Fathers bits box, an unused Detrum 40A ESC so that is suitable for this model. Had I needed one on this occasion from George, then a suitable one as previously fitted to the SE5a would have been a PP-TESC40AU unit at an additional cost of £28.95. George previously recommended the wooden JXF 12x6 at £5.90 each. As I write, George just phoned and said he was out of stock of the 700 motors but that an 800 was on the shelf and obviously would provide a bit more power, consume a little more Lipo capacity but I`d be able to throttle back a bit more. The prop would again be the 12x6. Its as broad as it is long so I agreed to the larger motor with no additional charge. A half hour later, I received a mail to say my consignment was on its way. Fantastic service I think you might agree with now a text from DPD saying the delivery would be by 11.00am tomorrow.

Mini metal gear servos have come from eBay. Five for just under £12. I suspect that these are coming from China although a Manchester source is in the listing. I found a 2.5m length of red covering on eBay from a Bournemouth source for just £11 delivered and I still have some white Oracover remaining in stock. That has cut the covering costs down to a very low level. Once again eBay has provided extension leads, Y-leads etc from a source in Wales. Previous experience with the seller has had the components with me by first class post the next day. So far, so good then.

Images here taken from the internet show a complete ARTF version of this DVII model. This is around twice the price of the basic self build kit which I have coming.

So the decks have been cleared, building board readied, knives sharpened and CA adhesive waiting to be used! The Ca I`m using comes from Toolstation in a 50gm lot. Just £2.32 a go for the Ever Build Stick2 product with a slowish 5-15 seconds bonding time. Their 5 minute epoxy is also good value and in my opinion rather better that the slightly more expensive Araldite product. It sets harder and faster and is much easier to sand, cut or machine than the equivalent Araldite.

I`ll also mention one of my favorite mini sanding and grinding tools. It takes a variety of 50mm type attachments ie self adhesive sanding discs, flappy wheel, etc. The tool is 240v AC powered but I do believe there is a model which is Ni-cad rechargable cordless available. My unit is shown in the images below and came from Axminster Tools for about £99. It is a cracking little tool and makes light work of roughing out balsa blocks, sanding down glass fibre or machining down crystalic gel coat on glass fibre components. Highly recommended. I`d be lost without mine.

More news on the DVII when it arrives tomorrow.

Mike

I want to build something that's a bit special - a proper build if you like and something I'm considering a twin engined passenger scale plane. I have the Twin Piper Comanche in mind because it's available as ARTF by several manufactures including Seagull so parts "should" be easy to get. 

Over the past few days I've scoured the internet for issues with twins and predictably it's always the engines that appear to be the issue. Engine reliability is key. Worryingly, it seems common practice to match the engine RPMS by richening the faster engine. Leaning out the slower engine would be  big no no - unless your a pilot that enjoys deadstick landings. I feel unhappy about using mixture to match the the engines because it always leaves you with engines that are not tuned optimally - one engine will always be rich. Also engines that don't power up evenly will cause takeoff issues.  

So this is what I have in mind:

• A scale airframe build with nav & landing lights /flaps / retracts
• Two electrical systems - independant flight battery / aux battery (for retracts/lights/fuel pumps etc..)
• EITHER  suitably sized petrol  or glow (4 stroke). I hate the sound of a two stroke twin!! eerrge ... Before you ask,  I'm not interested in an electric twin
• Twinsync to balance the engines: http://www.wolfmodels.net/wrctwinsync_manual.pdf. This system controls the throttle servos with magnet based RPM sensors. Twinsync also has a safety feature that during a deadstick, it brings the running engine to idle until you do something. The idea is that it prevents uncontrolled flat spins, yaw or roll and allows you to control the aircraft in a similar way to any other deadstick landing (provided you keep the engine at idle).
• **geek alert** Two double throw RC switches that interrupt the servo signals from Twinsync linked to a three way switch on the transmitter. This idea would allow for easy engine tuning on the ground (with both engines running) but would require at least 5 channels to setup (Engine port, Engine starboard, Engine Main (with throttle curve for Twinsync), Twinsync AUX(on/off) and finally a channel connected to the double throw switches that allows either Twinsync output or direct transmitter output for each engine. With some mixing, in theory it would then be possible to switch the throttle between the port side engine (while the other is running at idle), starboard engine (while the other is at idle) and both engines synced together from the transmitter. This in my mind resolves ever having engines that are not properly tuned.

Now .. if all that makes your head hurt I'm sorry.

Regarding the field - we have a short ish runway and twins obviously have a high wing loading, a bit more weight and therefore need more space to land. I'm concerned about the length of the runway for this type of aircraft. Has anyone flown a twin out of Fickleshole before? Basically I want to ask if there anything I need to consider outside the usual site rules (weight/noise etc)? Speaking of which .. Is it likely I can get a 4 stroke twin to run within our sites noise limits?

Like I said - I want to build something special and although I might be flying into the deep end it sounds like one of those "Ultimate" type of aircraft to me IF I can get it right. I found a video of what I'd hope the finished plane to look like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x7htUmEG1I

Please let me know your thoughts (don't be too brutal haha)

So what would be your dream Scale model to own?

i'm still trying to decide.

All the models I've owned have only ever been up to a .46 size 2 stroke so I am plunging into the unknown with the recommended 91-100 2 stroke / 100-125 4 stroke. Several Tucano's have flown using a DLE-20 and others have flown with the ASP 1.20FS 4 stroke. The ASP 1.20 2 stroke is half the price of its 4 stroke counterpart but I really wanted a 4 stroke for realism. I know nothing about these large (for me) powerplants so thought I'd seek advice from my fellow more experienced modellers. 

Could anyone point me in the right direction for choosing the engine? I like the idea of petrol power but is it much simpler or cheaper to get nitro? Are there any other engines I should consider? Will I find it easier to run a 2 stroke as opposed to a 4 with my limited experience? I want to cut as little of the tight cowl as possible so wondered if nitro engines need more cooling than petrol or 4 strokes need more cooling than 2 strokes?

The kit includes a set of mechanical retracts but would it be better to upgrade to a set of electrical retracts such as E-Flites product?

I also wondered if I would need to join a club with a longer strip (Sevenoaks/Caterham) as I do know that to land a trike you need a tad more space and with what I've seen on youtube the Tucano is pretty fast and wondered if our strip is long enough to take it?

Any other advice is also appreciated as this is also the first time I've dealt with retracts, flaps and a ARTF that is a bit more complex than a cougar 

Thanks guys,

B

Finished at last! Don't believe ARTF - by the time the dreadful high gloss covering has had a coat of looking at and some of the scale details added, you'll not get much change from three months work - and I'm a quick builder!

Powered by the Evolution 33cc petrol engine with a 17 x 6 wooden propeller for running in. The radio is the Graupner HOTT MZ12 with telemetry and lighting.

Here it is finished, balanced, good to go with Ken, friend of Barbie in the left hand seat!

Last Sunday, the 5th Feb, saw Peter, James & me at the K2 Sports Centre, Crawley judging the Open and Peanut Scale sections of the competition which is held annually by the Crawley MFC. In addition to scale models there are many other classes including EZB, Legal Eagle, Hand & Catapult launched gliders, Butterfly and Hangar Rats. All of these models are flown in half-hour Fun Fly slots throughout the day. The Open and Peanut classes are flown together in the enormous hall each with their own timekeepers and judges.

Peter looked after the Peanut Scale and James & I the Open Scale. Here are a couple of shots of the some of the scale models.Mike & Charlie Williams called in to be with us and looked suitably impressed with what they saw. David Bishop attended with his camera recorded the day and award ceremony.

It was all great fun. Why don't you join us next year?

Here's a video of the Bleriot XI in the hands of James at last Sunday's meeting at Old Warden

Thank you, James.