P51THUNDERBALL

would a zenoah g38 fit up front

P51THUNDERBALL

would a zenoah g38 fit up front

ispirit99

Really nice work! I'm following your build with much intrest because I plan on getting one soon. I just love these ESM Warbird's. So far I have the FW-190, ME-109, the Stuka and Swordfish. Looking forward to more of your picture's. I plan on installing a DLE 30cc Gas in this one. Thanks for posting your work. Tony.

PA BEN

Will!!! Whats the word. Flown her yet?

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Aloha,
Has anyone flown the ESM Skyraider yet? I'm back into my build of the kit...been down under the weather for a bit, but back at it this week and would like to know the flight report and book C.G. location is good. I built and flew the ESM F6F (great flying model) but brought my C.G. forward after the first flight.

Chime in Guys...

Hay P51 THUNDERBALL,
The cowl on the ESM Skyraider is a bit smaller then the other ESM round engine 30cc glass war birds. I stuffed a PTE 36R into mine and your G38 will fit, but because of the side mounted carburetor, your going to need to cut a few more holes into the model then I did. I understand that the model builds a bit tail nose heavy...and that should work for you with the G38. I am going with C.J. electric retracts and a Lado electric retract tail wheel. I'm really not worried about the weight, for my ESM F6F came out to just over 20# and was a dream to fly.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

nemesis4u

My Feedback: (77)

HELLO SKYRAIDER PILOTS...

A few cool accessories for you!! ALL KMP, PLANET HOBBY and ESM 71" SKYRAIDERS can use these
-HEAVY ORDNANCE KIT w PYLONS
-ROCKET ARMAMENT SET w PYLONS
-SCALE SKYRAIDER MAIN WHEEL SET
-SCALE COCKPIT KIT
-PILOT FIGURE
-SCALE TAIL RETRACT UNIT

http://www.vqwarbirds.com/advanced_s...=ESM+SKYRAIDER

ENJOY!

=VQ WARBIRDS
www.vqwarbirds.com
[email protected]

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Flight Report????? Been 5-6 months....

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Aloha Guys,
My Skyraider is finished and the engine test will be latter on today. I will test run the engine here at my home...and make sure its running ok. The engine failed to fire up and I did everything I knew of to get it running. Later I found out the magnet in the pick up was bad...but I sent it into Troy Built Models and that had it running and returned it to me with in two weeks. My Skyraider was ready to fly before Christmas, but she is ready to go and I will fly her on Saturday at our club field. I had a PTE 36 and it ran perfectly in my F6F, but not at first. I had to send it back after I first tried to run the engine, because it would not run correctly at all...it surged...and would never run continually at any constant RPM. I sent it to T.B.M. and they fixed it and had it running perfectly. This was my first 35cc class gas engine I ever had my hands on, but I have run 20cc class engines on several models, with very good success. RGC and RGCF gas engines.

The wings went together like any ARF...just a bit heavier. I'll include a few pictures of how it went...but it was straight forward and easy to do. I did end up HD1501 BBMG servo's in the wing. I had two fail right out of the box...of the 12 I bought. That really surprised me, because I've run these little jewels for years with out any problems. I had installed both of them in the wing...and they failed while testing them. They were replaced and both servos failed centered.

I managed to get a set of main gear retracts from Century Jet...and they reworked a pair of ESM Skyraider pneumatic gear, to electric operation. They went in easily, but I'm not happy with the end result. The retracts I received from C.J. seem to have a lot of free play in the rotation gears, in the down and locked position. The wheel can rotate a good 7 degrees both ways from center. I'm not sure how this will effect the model on take off, But I'll know soon enough. If the landing gear performance on the ground is poor, I'll pull the gear and send them back to C.J. My Sierra pneumatic landing gear in my F6F worked flawlessly and were very robust, with no wheel side play in the down and locked position. I'm hard on landing gear...and I need landing gear I have faith in. I beat my Sierra landing gear in my F6F half to death...and they always made me look good.

My tail wheel from Lado, its electric and operated opposite my main landing gear (VQ Warbirds sells a more scale ESM size tail wheel assy. and it looks robust and well built). So I had to install an electronic servo reverser to get it in sync with the main gear. I put two 2200mha batteries in the nose for the electronic ignition and electric landing gear. I installed two 2600mha batteries in the nose for the Rx. With the PTE 36R installed, with a Master Airscrew Scimitar 18x8...I needed 1.5 oz. of lead in the nose, to get a slight nose down balance, with the landing gear retracted into the wings.

I tossed out all the hardware ESM gave me for the kit...and to be honest, the hardware is not up to the job. Junk...and I went with Robart hinges, Dubro and Sullivan hardware. I ran two servo's on the elevator and they are also mixed/coupled in with my aileron operation in the Rx set up. Differential ailerons and dual servo's on both. The wing is pretty standard and easy to work on. I also had to install longer leads for my wing servo's and tail wheel. All four electric battery switches were built into the fuselage port side and gas fill is on the starboard lower forward side of the model. The canopy split more then any other canopy I ever had to cut out. I was given a second canopy...but it split even worse then the first one and didn't have any cut out pattern for you to follow. Since I had my first one already cut out, I placed my new canopy into the cut one...and copied it. Both fit...but it has a much different pattern then on any war bird I've ever done before. Caution here when you cut out your canopy. For some reason there is a lot spare canopies available to purchase, so it will not be a problem to replace yours if you damage your original canopy.

The main landing gear fairings do not fit well at all and are a !@#$%& to install and work properly. You need to do a lot of cutting and the fairings were way to brittle for my liking. Even the replacement fairings I was given didn't want to be cut, with out chipping or cracking. You will need the patience here...and I also purchased the drop tanks and wing pylons. I managed to buy the wing pylons from VQ Warbirds and I'll install them after I fly the model. I want to see how it flies before I add a lot more drag.

I need to go and test run my engine.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

I have had half a dozen sets of retracts from CJM and every single one of them suffered from excessive play in both the up and down locked positions. Beyond that they all featured sloppy, pop-riveted construction and aluminum that is much too soft for the application. That, combined with some incredibly poor customer service, convinced me to spend my hobby dollars elsewhere. At least until I get some solid indication that they have made some very serious improvements. My .02 cents.

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay Chad,
I went and ran my PTE 36R in the Skyraider. I filled the 16 oz. fuel tank once and ran the engine until I had the needle valves properly set. A tad rich on the high end, and a solid idle. Once the idle was tuned in, I had a steady increase to full throttle. I'll fly it this way...and see how it holds up in the air. I came across only one problem...my !@$%&* Century Jet landing gear literally fell apart on the engine test run. I ran the engine from idle to full power and while running the engine I was setting up the throttle curve for the Tx throttle stick. I ran the engine for about 25 minutes and it ran great so the model had a good work out on the ground. After the run...I noticed a metric screw and other stuff under the starboard wing. I picked up the parts and put them into a baggie...then pulled the retracts out of my wing. The starboard retract motor came unscrewed and disconnected from the main body of the retracts. Also the planetary gear train fell apart when the four screws backed out of the main body of the retract. The four screws didn't seem to have any lock tight on them...but the planetary gear box is all apart and nothing works.

C.J. charged me $400.00 for these and they will make them proper for me...or refund my money. I'm going to be straight up with them and see if they make it right. I'm sending them in along with my ESM Skyraider wheels...so when they rebuild my retracts they can make the proper size axle for the retracts they sold me. The back lash on the gear system they used sucks and way to much play in the lower gear box. I tried to get a set of Sierra landing gear for the model...but no reply from Darrel. Sierra makes the best retracts on the market as far as I am concerned. Not only do the retracts work flawlessly, but can handle my landings with such finess...it makes me look good...and I ain't that good. I'll try again...and if anyone has any suggestions for ESM Skyraider retracts...let me know. These are not up to the job and I need robust landing gear.

Pneumatic or electric...either will work just fine with me and I just need a set of legs for my model.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Sorry to hear about the retracts Bob! My first recommendation would have been Sierra but that's a moot point if you can't even get an email response. I have a set of rotaters from a company in Italy called Eurokit. They are air-up/spring-down type gear and seem very robust. However, I've never been able to test them because I don't have any of the accessories to go with them and they use a different size of air line than what we use in the States. I have been meaning to order the proper support equipment from Eurokit but have never had a use for these gear so simply have not bothered. They might be too big for the Skyraider though. I think these would easily work on a 30-40 pound airplane. Eurokit may have something smaller in their line up though. Whatever route you go I wish you the best of luck with it!

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay Chad,
Here is my emails to Century Jet and my answers to them...

Dear Bruce,
The gear worked ok too, most the time, but there were issues with how it worked. For some times...it would not work. I installed the gear in the model and I never flew the model, because of an issue with the engine. I had to send it back to TBM in a warrantee claim and fixed the engine. After I received the engine back, I installed it and then on Friday ran the engine for the first time, on the airframe (ESM Skyraider) for 20 minutes and the starboard gear came apart on its own. There was no lock-tight on any of the assembly that I could see, that came apart on the engine run. I ran the engine with the model tied down. The model has yet to fly and as with all may gas engines models, I ground run them to set the carb needle's and test the model for any thing coming loose. All single piston gas engines vibrate...so this is a necessary test for me. After the engine run...I found the parts below the starboard wing, I put all the parts I could find into a plastic baggie and pulled your electric landing gear out of my model. There was also an issue with excess back-lash on the rotating gears...allowing the wheels in the down and locked position to move 7 to 10 degrees each side of center. This to me was another serious problem for we always have cross winds at our model airport at Pu'unene and with main gear tires able have that much slop may create serious landing issues with the model. This to me, showed very sloppy work and/or inspection criteria for your company. I've flow Sierra (the best so far in my opinion) gear, Lado and Robart retractable landing gears, and all of these companies have quality gear, compared to yours. As I stated in my emails to you, was that I didn't care who made the landing gear, all I wanted was good serviceable retracts.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________________

Dear Bruce,
I'm not concerned in how you build up the landing gear, or where the parts come from...all I want is solid, serviceable landing gear, that will drop into my ESM Skyraider wings.

Thanks for all the help,
Bob Paris

This e-mail was sent on 4/14/2015.
__________________________________________________ ______________________________________________
Your answer was:

Done.

Bruce

This was sent on 4/14/2015
[HR][/HR]

I sent you the requested funds...and the landing gear you sent is sub standard, and not even close to your competitions. After so much work on this model...and the issues with your landing gear, I no longer want this landing gear. For the price you charged me, you sent me...in my opinion, sub standard work. You need to clean up your inspection department and quality control.

The landing gear and parts that I was able to find, will be sent back to you for a full refund. I've contacted my credit card company and I'm filing a formal complaint.

Aloha,
Bob Paris





From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
Subject: RE: ESM Skyraider electric retracts do not fit...
Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2016 08:36:37 -0500

Robert,

I sent you an email about the issue your post on RCU. I wish you would have contacted me first.

I will evaluate the gear when I get it and get back to you. They were not defective when I sent them to you and worked perfectly when we sent them out.

I will contact you when I get the gear and arrive back in town next Friday.

Bruce

From: Robert Paris [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2016 1:17 AM
To: Bruce Sanders <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: ESM Skyraider electric retracts do not fit...



Dear Bruce,
I am returning my ESM Skyraider retracts you sold me for a refund. I mounted the landing gear in my model, plugged them into my system and finished the model. When I tested the landing gear they worked ok...but I noticed that the back lash on the rotating gears were so extreme, that I wondered if it would work at all. I had a good ten degrees of play, both sides of neutral, with the wheels extended, down and locked. The front of the wheels were move seven to ten degrees either direction from center...or pointing forward. The back lash is terrible and no where near the quality of my Sierra gear in my F6F.

On Friday I had the model all together, and ran the engine for 20 minutes on the ground to set the two needle valves and adjust my throttle curve on my transmitter, for a smooth transition from idle to full power. At the end of the 20 minute ground run, parts from the starboard landing gear hit the ground. Not only did I have an excess back lash with my internal gearing on both landing gear, but the starboard gear literally fell apart. I have yet flown the model, just installed the landing gear in the model and test ran the gas engine. If I had flown the model and the gear failed, I would have had a much more serious problem.

You charged me over $400.00 for this landing gear and the quality and safety of the gear is in serious question. I'm sending both of the landing gears back to you and contacting may credit card company about this issue. I no longer want your landing gear and for the price you charged me, I expected a much better quality landing gear.

Aloha,
Bob Paris
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________

It will be interesting to see what C.J. does. I'm so unhappy with the gear they sold me and for the price they sold them for me...one would think that they would do a much better job with their landing gear. I've contacted my credit card company and we will see what happens.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

I hope you get some satisfaction from CJM Bob. They have a very extensive catalog and are the sole supplier of gear for some designs that I would dearly love to build. However, I will continue to be gun shy of their products until I start hearing of a serious effort on their part to make changes. Then again they do have some very loyal clientele so maybe they don't feel the need to change.

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay Chad,
I sent my gear into C.J. and they should have it by Friday of this week. Tomas at VQ Warbirds e-mailed me and I sent him the pictures of what C.J. sent me. He told me that C.J. sent him a set of ESM Skyraider electrical retracts that were tight, robust and worked flawlessly for him. He suggested I ask C.J. for a set like he was sent...so...in my letter to C.J. I asked them if they would do the same for me. If they cost more...I'm willing to foot the bill, and if they are a good replacement, that I would come on line and state it. It is a possibility that a bad unit was passed my way by mistake...so I'll give Century Jets the benefit of this and see what I'm sent. I also told him it was ok if he just wanted to refund my money...and its his choice. I would rather just have a good set of retracts from him, so I'll let you know what happens.

I wish I had kept my fixed gear...but I tossed it when I finished the model. I really can't wait to fly my model.

Has anyone flown there ESM Skyraider yet...and if you have...would you please chime in and let me know how it went.

With the PTE 36R in the nose, a Lado retractable tail wheel and my main gear retracted...I added only 1.5 oz. of lead to the nose. It had almost a perfect balance and quite happy with the results.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay Chad,
I did send my gear in to C.J. and Bruce has sent me two e-mails to tell me that he received my gear and that he would have it rebuilt and sent back to me this week. That was a nice response from Bruce and he stated he will do the gear right. I'll keep you posted and I'm optimistic it well be good gear to install into my model. As soon as it is in, I'll let you know what I find.
Soft Landings Always,
BobbyofMaui

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you Bob. The 'raider needs to be flying and not sitting on a shelf!