Kemosobie

My winter project is a Pica Duellist 2-40. I bought the kit last year at a local club sale. Paid $200.00 and it is NIB. It does not appear to have ever had anything removed from the box. I will use 2 OS 55AX and Robart gear. Only a few changes will be made. Make the LG a little longer for better prop to ground clearance, Servo for each engine and aileron.
Would like to hear from anyone building or have built.

Gizmo-RCU

My Feedback: (27)

Wish I had it instead of you........I think you are on track to having a screamer on your hands. You are doing it right, remember, lots of bench time on the engines before you fly.
Bet it will top 130 or better. Most likley better.

Have fun you lucky guy

dhal22

lots of bench time won't hurt but those .55 ax's are the easiest starting best running engines i've ever had. out of the box; mount, prime, glow heat and 1st flip it's running. it flip started every time until i sold it.

david

Kemosobie

A friend has a twinstar and I am getting some twin stick time. I went with the 55s because I liked the needle set-up. I only have OSs but the 46 uses the rear NV. 130 ???. That could be a knee knocker.

evan-RCU

I recommend moving the engines toward center one rib and put in some Spring air retracts.

TCBLightning

My Feedback: (5)

Definitely go with the longer mains especially if you are flying off grass. I had the short mains on my first Duelist and was striking props on a paved runway.

My first also had the nacelles moved in one bay and it enabled me to execute a go-around on one engine. My current Duelist, built from the Platt plans has the nacelles in their designed location.

Having flown both versions on a single engine I can't say that there we no significant differences in handling at flying speed. It is at the lower speeds that the closer nacelles made the difference.

I don't know that the [link=http://www.rcuvideos.com/video/Duellist-and-White-Lightning]flat spins[/link] would be as easy with the nacelles move in either.

Regardless of how you build it the Duelist is a great flying plane.

Duelly 1 below per Pica Plans, Duelly 2 same wing with new fuse and longer mains, Duelly 3 is from Platt plans with modified tail.

Kemosobie

I see rudder servo in tail. Any balance problem? I will put nacelles in plan location. Started build last night.

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

Kemo:

Signing on.

They're right about the 55AX's- I have two of them, and they are absolutely flawless.

TCBLightning

My Feedback: (5)

I have the rudder servo mounted on the bottom about mid way between the trailing edge and the tail. Because of the modified tail I used a single pushrod from a servo in the fuse to a dual elevator ball bearing bell crank.

Even with that added stuff back there I still have a few ounces of lead on the tail. I'm just a tad bit tail heavy and it is very pitch sensitive on landing but I don't think the flat spins would be as flat if I were to adjust the CG.

Kemosobie

I only own OS. Have 160 twin in a 30s bipe. Starts 1st or 2nd flip everytime. OS cost more but for me worth every penney.

Kemosobie

Thanks for pictures. I will be using Hitec servos to. Driven by JR 10x and JR rx.

TCBLightning

My Feedback: (5)

One last thing and I'm outta here for the day! [8D]

Here's a picture of the Pica and Platt wing in case you need a reference on how to modify the mains.

I've got HS-81 in each nacelle for throttle control and a retract servo on R-1 for the mechanical mains. All those bell cranks are a mess.

Kemosobie

My plan is to extend the mains to the next rib so that the axle is over the rib. That should give the mains enough length. I plan on one servo for each engine and aileron, thus no bell cranks. I will also lengthen the nose gear. I am using Robarts. I used a set in a Midwest AT-6 and they functioned fine. Did you glass your model? I wish I could still get Glue-it.I wonder who made it for PICA?

TCBLightning

My Feedback: (5)

1 and 2 were glassed, 3 is covered in Ultracote.

1 and 2 were just over 11 lbs, 3 is around 10.5 lbs.

Kemosobie

Haven't done much. I wonder why? Be back after Christmas.
Merry Christmas
Kemo

stargazerww

hey kemosobie i just got a 2/40 for christmas to and will be starting the build after christmas as soon as i clean my bench but i am thinking of going electric dont know yet still undecided i will be keeping an eye out for your build

WimB

My Feedback: (1)

any thought on using twin FS-48's on a pica duellist?? must say I've thrown a lot of the kit-wood out because too heavy..... The duellist is intended as a twin trainer for a ziroli B-25 100", with two Saito 150's.....

Kemosobie

I would think the Duellist would be great for E-power. I do not know enough to give any advice.
I received a digital camera for Christmas so I can now post pictures. Still have house full of family so it will be after the new year before any more building.

mucksmear

Hi Kemosobie,

Always neat to see a 2-40 resurface now and then. I got around the ground clearance problem by converting to a taildragger, which also put the mains inside the nacelles for rearward retraction. I left the nacelles in their original location, but I did extend the wing beyond the original tip rib.

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

Muck:

Is that it fixed up to look like a Mosquito? Slick.

mucksmear

Hi Bob,
Not so much the Mosquito ('cept for the nacelles). More sorta-kinda like a bf-110 Zerstorer:

dhal22

wow, that is the best kit bash i've ever seen.[X(] nice.

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

That's really cool.

mucksmear

Thanks David/Bob,

Kemo, it sounds like you might have the Pica Kit that shows a fair amount of down thrust in the engines, plus maybe a tiny bit of positive incidence on both the stab and wing, and maybe even credited to a designer who does not go by the name of Dave Platt (check on the plans)? Anyways, there's been a bunch of Duellist threads here in the past that all talk about the differences between the various versions that came out over the years in both kit and plans-only form.

My version is from the kit that has the downthrust in the engines (later versions had everything set at zero degrees). Despite my kit mods, I kept the critical design parameters stock (incidence angles, decalage angle, dihedral, thrustlines angle and horizontal/vertical locations).

I covered with either 0.5oz or 0.75oz glass cloth and epoxy resin, but still kept her reasonably light @ 10.75 lbs. If you can keep her light enough, you won't have to make the traditional hot landings that are so common with the heavier duellists.

Roary m

My Feedback: (67)

Why that's the ME 246! I'd recognize that ship anywhere [sm=lol.gif].