adam_jorgensen

Hi there. I'm new to the board and I am glad I found one that is active and that can help me with this question.

I really love scale flight and the top flite Cessna 182 plane really takes my breath away. Its intricate design and superb detail would make you not being able to tell the difference between the real one. I hope to get one for a future birthday present.

Can anybody tell me anything about this plane? Stuff like how much would it cost to get me set up and neat add on's. I would love to know people who have it. I have a few more specific questions I would like to ask but I'll wait to see what kind of replies I get.

TexasAirMedic

My Feedback: (2)

are you looking for an ARF or the kit ? I'm building that exact kit right now. I will tell you that it is not for a first time builder- some prior experience with details, shaping, etc is required. Also, I'm building it full scale, with working flaps, I got the Robart true actuating front strut, tail beacon and nav and landing lights... it's a lot of work but will be well worth it .. this is a beautiful kit and the plane is phenomenal .. I can post a couple of pics if you'd like..

adam_jorgensen

That would be great. I don't think its the ARF. It just comes in the box and you have to assemble it. I do have past experience with building model planes and hard helis so it shouldent be a probelm. I want to be able to do the full scale look too complete with flaps. Would a 5 channel radio be fine if I wanted to do full scale detail?

TexasAirMedic

My Feedback: (2)

yes a 5 channel would work great .. your 5 will do fine for the flaps .. here are a few pics ..

adam_jorgensen

Do you know if the doors can be opened and closed? How do they stay closed once their closed? How do you even open them onced their closed?

Does anybody know about the Zenoah G-23 engine? I want to know if this engine would fit inside the cowling of the plane without any parts hanging out.

TexasAirMedic

My Feedback: (2)

the doors do not open as to the plans..you can mark them to look realistic. I'm not going to do doors other than the outlines.. I'm sure you could design a way to open them, but I'm not going to go that much to scale. The Zenoah G23 I believe will be alittle bit too big for it .. I put a Saito FA100 on mine .. you can actually put up to a 1.20 4 stroke .. it's a little cramped, but will work .. I chose the 100 because it's only .2 horsepower less than the 1.20, but has a LOT smaller mounting requirements, and is lighter ...

Mike James

Paul Reese inspired a friend of mine and I to each build a Top Flite Cesssna 182 kit. His original article is at http://home.san.rr.com/aircor/Site/Pg3.html

When my friend Greg Weeks and I built ours, we documented the entire process, which can be found on my site, at http://homepage.mac.com/mikejames/rc...s/tf_c182.html

Another builder Martjin Looman, has an article at http://home.wanadoo.nl.mlooman/index.html

There are hundreds of photos and detailed information at these locations.
Good luck!

adam_jorgensen

Great sites. The last one didn't work for me though. That Pual Reese has a bueaty of a cessna 182. I will probably be asking him allot of questions.

Mike James

Hi Adam,

Martjin's server must be having problems, but it is the correct link, so try again later.

I'm also proud to have Paul Reese as a building partner on our next project, a 1/6th scale King Air B200. (Details at http://www.nextcraft.com/b200_construction01.html ) His detailing on that project will help make this a really unique and gorgeous piece of work. First flights will be in early Spring or Summer of 2003. (image attached)

Have fun with the Cessna!

adam_jorgensen

Mike, I seem to be having probelms getting a hold of Pual Reese. Is he still around?

SDCrashmaster

Yes, he's around. But I am in an deadline crunch. Spent 3 days at the Miramar air show and am behind on a few things. I will catch up to you in a couple days. One thing I will add. If you are wanting to build an everyday flier, I would not go to the extreme that I did on my Cessna. Mine has about 30 flights on it, basically to get lots of video, and is retired. It's only around to look pretty in static displays now, as was the case all weekend. The plans built Top-flight model looks great on the ground and in the air. If you are planning on seriously competing in scale contests with the model, that is a different story. I'll do my best to answer any Q's you may have. Usually I am an immediate responder. Sorry.

Paul Reese

adam_jorgensen

When ever you have time to answer to my questions Paul, that will be fine. I may as well ask you my questions here.

The only real questions I have is how to you make the doors open and close, and what skin covering your using for it. It almost looks like a metallic covering but I know that is impossible or is it? It looks so much like the real thing but is it just monocoat?

And I also want to know if a Zenoah G23 gasoline engine from horizon hobby would fit inside the cowling without any parts of it hanging out. So far everybody has told me that it would work but would not fit inside the cowling and would have parts hanging out all over the place. I want to have the complete authentic look with no funny looking parts hanging out. It would be nice to use this engine as it would be a huge savings in the high cost of glow fuel.

I guess the interior design is the part that interests me the most. I want to for sure have that open/close door feature. I know that the kit doesn't come like that so you will have to do it your self. How did you get not only the doors to open and close but you even got the look of the doors on the inside completely authentic? I want to be able to do this as well.

How did you do your cockpit? Did you just get the kit from top flite? Did you add anything your self?

Does it require allot of skill to get all this? I have a bit of skill but are fairly new to the hobby. I hope I can make it look as nice as yours. How come its retired? Is it just a display model is that why, or is it retired because it doesn't work anymore because of all the fancy looks you gave it?

Mike James

Adam,

While waiting on Paul...
Many of the questions you asked are answered on Paul's site. Just use the link in my previous post, and read his article.

SDCrashmaster

Thanks Mike. As always, you da mang, mang. First of all, the Zenoah would work best with no cowl at all. I have a sideways mounted OS .91 in mine and the head extrudes. I have a G23 in a 1/4 scale cub and it hangs out all over the place. For power with optimal scale...check out RCV's four stroke engines. Expensive? Yes they are, but will be completely enclosed, and offer the power needed to fly a overweight, highly detailed 182 with authority.
The opening doors and cockpit interior are something you'll just have to wing, as I did. A lot of documentation helps for reference. Obviously doors have to be framed. Those frames must mount to frames, which must be integrated with formers or additional half-formers. Main idea is to keep it lite. If the Cessna was the only plane I had, it would still be flying but you must understand that, the pressure of flying and tearing up the sky with a model like this is quite large. It has fulfilled my expectations and has been captured in all it's glory in both video and photography of all 30 of its flights. And, more importantly, it is still in one piece (well, actually 2, if you take the wing off). And will remain so, unless someone steps up to the plate with 7 or 8 grand, then they can run it through a meat grinder if they want :-)

The styrene skin detail is all laid out at http://home.san.rr.com/aircor
where I dessertate at length about the customizations I performed on the TF kit.
If you have questions and can't find answers there, then I'm here.

I would seriously suggest s stock everyday flyin' 182 to get your feet wet with this model. Then you can rescale it later, with much greater success.

Thanks,
Paul Reese

FlyingTyger

My Feedback: (2)

I'm currently campaigning a Top Flite Cessna. I did not build the plane so I can't give you any tips there, but I most say the they fly beautifully. With a O.S. 91 surpass in the nose, it takes off very realistically at 1/2 throtle. I'm considering a smaller engine for it. Even with a 14X7 3-blade prop, it hauls at full throtle. Very unrealistic. Also, be carefull flying with the flaps. They are very authorative. If they come down too far it will induce a tip stall. Other than that, it's a big trainer. I will post some pics soon.

adam_jorgensen

What about the RCS 140 gasoline engine? Is anybody familiar with this engine? Its smaller than the G23 (its a size 1.4 cubic inches), so would this engine work? I want to be able to use a gasoline engine. I'm sick of paying the high cost of glow fuel.

How do the wings come off if they have the struts on them?

Paul, is there any place I can find in detail how do make the open close doors? How hard can it be I mean, its just a door.

TexasAirMedic

My Feedback: (2)

the struts are attached with small machine screws through the strut skirt (which is filled with epoxy) into a block in the wing and block in the fuse...

SDCrashmaster

Adam,
No, there is no instruction for opening doors. The best thing for you to do is to find a Cessna 182 or a 172 Skyhawk and it's owner. Take a video camera and document the aircraft in its entirety...especially the door and all its' intracasies.
Then model it in miniature. I requires making hinges, internal mechanisms, etc. It is an aweful lot of work, especially if you have limited modeling experience. The plane is a fairly serious build, and most would consider just completing the model an accomplishment. It will take probably 6 months to build according to plans. My suggestion, again, would be to build according to the plans and have a good time with it. If you keep it light, you can put a nominal sized engine, completely conceiled, and the model will look very nice, and fly very well. See Mike James' site for glassing lightly, and some other mods. Then deck out the interior with the Topflite interior kit for the Skylane and go flying. Can't help you on the gassers. Not familiar with smaller than G23 gas engines. Best of luck to you and make sure and keep us posted on your progress with pictures.

Paul

FlyingTyger

My Feedback: (2)

A good engine would be around a .6 cubic inch 2 cycle. Much Much smaller than a G-23.

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

If you want to build a Cessna with a gas engine, why not find a kit or plans that are designed to that scale?

SDCrashmaster

Good idea Mike.

Adam, check out Wendell Hostetler plans. He has larger 182 plans.

adam_jorgensen

I don't want something too large. Those are pretty nice planes and would love to get a 152 or 182 but it would be pretty hard to carry around a 120" wing span plane. My cars barely even fit my 6ft wing span plane that I have right now. 81" is large enough. My only plane right now has a 6ft wing span and I was actually hoping for something smaller than that but in cessna form of that realism. Those are probably 3 times the cost as well. Paul, is there any way of seeing how much these planes cost? Is there anybody on this board that deals with Wendell Hostetler plans?

That or are there any gasoline powered engines in the size range for the TF cessna 182?

FlyingTyger

My Feedback: (2)

I know Wendel Hostelleter has plans for a big Cessna. I'm not exactly sure how big it is, but I know it'll take a gasser.

adam_jorgensen

I don't quite understand the Wendell Hostetler plans web site. Do they just sell the plans to make these planes or do they actually sell the kits for the planes? How do you make these planes if you don't have any parts to build them with? Does their plans give a list of what exactly you need to get and how to make them?

And, does their plans for the Cessna 182 tell you how you can make open and close doors for it? How about a detailed interior cockpit?

Now will a G23 or gas engine fit completely inside the cowling without anything being exposed?

They say that you can have a custom wing size but the lengths they give are only one length. What do they mean by custom size?

SDCrashmaster

Adam,
There are kit cutters that probably have the Hostetler plans cut already, or you can have them cut (all the wood and balsa) or you use the plans to cut the pieces yourself. There are also glass companies that make the cowl and wheel pants for the 1:1 Hostetler plans. You can get the plans reduced to any size you want, but you won't find preexisting cowels or wheelpants. I am sure that the plans do not go into opening doors etc. As I mentioned before, this is simply going to take some ingenuity on your part. Same with the interior. I feel that if you have apprehension about performing these custom details, then you may not be ready to take on such an ambitious project. Only you know what you are capable of and whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best.

Paul