TEAMERICA

My Feedback: (77)

I don't see any other threads pertaining to the Stearman so I thought I would start one.

I received my Stearman that I selected at the AMA Convention. It's not late, as I had requested it not be shipped 'til after the first of February since I knew that I would be out of town and wouldn't be home to receive the large boxes.

Everything arrived intact and in good shape. I am impressed at how everything stayed in place in the two cardboard boxes with no peanuts or foam padding. I think I have my UPS man trained well at least for this end.

I had to wait for the weekend before getting very deep into the unpacking and drooling stage. The wings are one piece! I don't even have to join the center section! I kind of knew that from talking to Kim at the show but it's hard to believe untill you open the box and actually see these 77" wings all in one piece. That is one glue-picking session I will pass up not having to glue the center sections.

I am impressed with the wrinkle-free covering as it arrived in the box. Most ARFs that I have bought have needed major "martinizing" before they even looked like a flying machine. I worked on it today in the driveway and the direct sunlight and 70+ temps did loosen up quite a few wrinkles that needed some ironing.

It only took a few minutes to square up and attach the tail feathers to the fuselage along with mounting the tail wheel. I downloaded the PDF Instructions and though I am not following them by the numbers in order I am reading and re-reading them very carefully before doing each step. The instructions say to attach the tail wheel with one wheel collar on each side of the tail wheel but there is no way to fit both wheel collars on that axle. The final bend is so round that the wheel collar will not go all the way on. This will necessitate gouging the inner race of the collar to allow for that bend on the axle. I would prefer that you give me more axle length and let me cut off what I don't need. Or make that a crisper bend on the axle.

I put the Main Landing gear together. Aluminum Axles?? You gotta be kidding. With those rock hard rubber(?) tires, I can just see the first divit in the dry lake bed on the first bounce. The hole in the landing gear strut was so tight that I stripped the threads on the aluminum that axle trying to pull the axel through the strut. Good thing there is another nut to back up the stripped one.

While I am at it, I must mention the difference between the painted parts (landing gear strut and cowl) and the shrink covering. The display model at the show matched colors perfectly. That was one large selling point. I thought I was getting an ARF that was not like the other ARFs that you buy. Different colored plastic parts is the sure sign of an ARF. The screw holes fit perfectly though the landing gear and the three bolts went in with little prodding.

I read and re-read the cowl attachment instructions and measured the length of the mounting blocks carefully. The instructions say to glue the blocks evenly spaced around the firewall extending out 5/16 inch from the side of the fuselage. I did this and even extended the blocks out with a little fudge factor thinking I could sand them down and round them as need to fit the cowl perfectly. Well, there is no way they will reach the cowl. Maybe the measurement should have been 5/8" and there is a missprint in the instructions because bending the cowl in to reach those blocks distorts it so much it is ugly.

I think somebody needs to take another look at this kit. I think you saved some money on those hard rubber tires and aluminum axles but you could have saved a little more by leaving them in China. I am going to have to go to the LHS to get something that is suitable for a Giant Scale Airplane.

Was I supposed to get some pushrods? With no option for tail mounted servos (pushrod slots already cut in the aft fuselage) it seams that some pushrods should be supplied. I just re=checked the list and it does say that there are supposed to be some pushrods. I didn't get 'em.[&o]

I am installing a G-62 on mine that has been electrified by Ralph Cunningham at RCIgnitions. This is a very clean installation with the 6 bolt round pattern and the length is perfect for the cowl without any spacers needed behind the engine.

That is as far as I got today.

farmerric

My Feedback: (11)

There is a quite a long thread on this model under aeroworks stearman elsewhere. Lots of discussion on those miserable landing gears, and some good tips on replacements, also some flight videos nicely done. I also am building this model and will put a Saito 5 cylinder glo on it. Doing the pushrods now. I chucked the tail wheel and used an aftermarket one that isolated the servo from ground loads. Good luck on yours
Ric

paulemv

My Feedback: (23)

Good To hear from you guys.
Iam also ass-simbleing <MS , this big beautiful ARF. Tail sec is done,so are the wings. Man that was a pain, getting all the rigging brackets to line up, and not stripped.
Two of them did,not good day....
I also DID NOT recieve any con rods! So I an useing all 4/40 rods, and i too do NOT like the landing gear/wheels, so that needs a up-grade,but I want every thing to be
at lease (pretty good),so where do I fine something that will work?.
And Now here is a Question, what to use for power? I can not afford a 5 cyc engine. so I have been thinking alone the ( zenoah twin 80/86 ). any thoughs on this?[8D]

n2ryd

Guys

You will love flying the plane. I have a Saito 325 radial and a JR 9303 custom single stick radio.

I made custome langing gear to absorbe the bad landings. I have had several people who want to by it

I am glade that it back in production. Have fun with it

N2RYD

paulemv

My Feedback: (23)

AHA, another SAITO lover, I just love the music they make!!1

jbarnes

Word to the wise regarding the Stearman. I redid the gear legs to use the robart ziroli gear but I failed to do one important step. I did not beef up the actual mount on the fuse. The gear mount is 1/8" lite ply hot glued on. I had a one bounce landing and bingo the gear folded back (ply plate came loose from fuse) and the gear ended up putting two holes in the lower wing. Took me a month to fix it back up. Do yourself a favor and pull the gear plate off and put a 1/4" ply plate with some blocks epoxied on the fuse. Generally speaking this plane is of poor quality as compared to their 96" Extra and Yak which I also own. I guess this is a early designed ARF that does not have the current technology and constructon techniques.

paulemv

My Feedback: (23)

Thank you VERY much for the tip .As you said the landing gear mounting plate WAS a piece of, fish glued 1/16 ply glued to another just like it!
What the hell is that all about! A 18 - 22 lbs. air craft landing on two pieces of 1/16 lite ply! Not in my Air Force you don't....
And just wait till you mount the wing struts and strip one (or two ) of those little buggers...and did i mention that there is NO hard wood block inside to mount the flying wires to, and I got proof! Maybe I should send this to Aero-Works instead....[X(][&o][:-]

paulemv

My Feedback: (23)

you mention Robart/ Zeroli gear,What is that?