at-6 texan

I do not know much about him. but I have heard here that it is very good in terms of construction .. and almost a myth ...

tasso5

Hello,
the MC 205 is among my favourites: I opted to build a slightly smaller MC200 as a training for gaining some experience in building before starting the Veltro (they are basically the same plane, just the motor changes), but then I realized the cigar shaped body takes too long to build and I decided for the G55 or G59 instead -easier shape and more wing area-.
As I said, Gazza's design looks pretty right to me concerning the shape, but there are some things I don't like:
-Fusolage sheeting with hips of thin strips... madness for me! On the Saetta I used much bigger strips cut to fit and soaked with water then left overnight in place with rubber bands to take the shape.
- Ailerons driven with torsion bar system: that works well for full span ailerons, but with tip ailerons in a 1,60 m wing there is high risk of flutter unless you use a large diameter shaft instead of piano wire as indicated. I'd use two servos instead, now they are much smaller, cheaper and reliable than the time when the drawing was made.
- Main spar made with a vertical sheet of plywood: I like best top & bottom hardwood spars with shear webs in between
- the plans show how to build working scale exhaust (!!!) but no flaps, nor retracts indicated... shame.
-from what I understand the motor sits upright and this would spoil the look; I tried a motor template mounted inverted, still stands out a bit from the bottom of the cowl, but it's much better.
- The wing loading calculation is pretty optimistic since it includes the tail area! The real one tough -wing only- is not too bad for the model size.
Hope you can find a good copy of the plans anyway: you can make a good model out of them; the Veltro is still on my "to do" list, but not now...
Thanks for the FIAT G50 link, lots of good ideas, just it's a shame I can't read Dutch language, but the pictures are useful too. I don't like the shape of the G50, but the wing is virtually the same used on the G55 /G59 and this will help my next project.

Cheers

tasso5

I double checked the model features while repairing it and I found some interisting things:
- the original C.G. was basically placed on the neutral point (!!!), good maybe for an EXTRA, but not for a warbird... after a more clever calculation I had to move it forward by about 40 mm to get a static margin of 15%.
- the propeller had about -10° incidence; considering that the thurst line is about 90 mm above the wing, this gave a very strong down-pitch moment when power was applied, now this is corrected: I'll start with 0° incidence, and adjust it eventually.

I found some paperwork of the project in my archive: the root profile is Eppler 209 and the tip is Eppler 207; despite being quiet sharp at the leading edge (which is not bad for scale fidelity), they are designed for low Reynold numbers tipical of model airplanes. The wing area (round tips excluded) is 33,2 dm2, giving a wing loading (empty) of 85 gr/dm2, a bit high for a 1,54 m span model, but we all know we aren't building trainers...
In any case I won't make big modifications to the model: if it doesn't fly well as it is, I'll hang it in the garage and build something else: I have learnt a lot by building it anyway.
I hope next week end I'll be able to fly it again, more feedback will follow.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Do ya'll know about the Macchi 200 plans at IMP scale? 83" ws. I've messed around a little with the CMP warbirds. They're ok. Did three of them. In the end, I found it easier to build a kit or plans. Just my opinion, but the cmp planes build a tad heavy and build quality is hit or miss. I found sections of wing sheeting that didnt have much glue and was loose. The glass fuse on one of them would vibrate at about 3/4 throttle, made a strange sound. Didnt affect flying too much, just annoying.

http://www.impscale.com/html/macchi_200.html

Edwin

RC-PowerBus

@Edwin: Hi Edwin,
This Macchi isn't a CMPro. I wish it was, for I have the big 140-P-40 on the buildingboard, for tuning it up for a nice semi-scale. The wings are very well build.
I bought the Warhawk in Europe were it is sold under the Jamara brand.
Building your own kit is always the most rewarding. I 100% agree. Sadly I have ample time to stick in such often amitious projects. And... I have become a bit consumerish in the last few years.. a new ARF once in a while... is also very nice

@Tasso5. Epler?

tech134

Hello Fellow Macchi 200 owners,

I to have built one of these Air Kill 90 models. I put the plane together adding retractable landing gear and working split flaps. The modifications did take a little time but were not hard to do. I have been flying this model for over 2 years now, and though it isn't the easiest model to fly it isn't the hardest either. I fly my model with a Magnum 91 two stroke, and it weighs in at 11 lbs. I used 1 pound 10 ounces of lead to balance this little plane. The C.G. that I used was the main spar. I recently flew this model at the regional Scale Masters Qualifier in Southern California, in the Open Class. I was in first place through the second round, but wasn't able to return for the rounds 3 and 4 do to illness. Mitch Baker was taking pictures of the event and has posted them on U.S Scale Masters Web site. The model is a hand full but as long as you fly it like you were riding in it, you will be okay. No abrupt inputs has this make this plane do weird things. Landings are like one of the others have said, you need to come in with a little power. Its landing speeds are not that much different than other warbirds, it just wants you to fly it all the way to the ground. This model does get a little attention from others because of its different look but thats is one of the best reasons for flying it.

Good luck,
Robert B.

tech134

Here is some pictures of the Macchi 200 at our club field in Camarillo California.

Robert

tech134

Here are some pictures I hope,

pencon

Hey Folks , just wondering what the wierd glue is inside the Macchi fuse ? I'm thinking the fuselage would be polyester resin (no way Chinese makers would use $$$ epoxy) What I've noticed is that the crappy glue they use to attach the formers has come off on a couple . What would be a good Glue? Pretty sure epoxy is out of the question . Maybe shoe goop? Anybody know? Awesome job Tech134 ! Would that 90 size still have the zero washout like the 60 ?

tech134

Pencon,

I think your right about the glue. When my bulkheads and formers seemed a little loose I used polyester resin and fiberglass cloth to reattach them back onto the fuselage. I would also like to suggest you re-enforce the firewall with fiberglass cloth and resin. This plane needs a lot of nose weight to balance so don't be afraid of the added weight in this area. As best as can tell the Nitro Macchi is the same as the Fly-boy's Air kill 90. My wing span is 67 inches which makes it around 1/6.5 scale. The 91 two stroke is a good power plant and gives this plane good vertical performance but not unlimted.

Tech 134

pencon

Would a 120 be too heavy for this plane? I have a YS 120 sc that I could put in it .I've never run the engine , would it be too much for the Macchi?

tech134

Pencon,

The weight of the motor isn't too much but the power it will produce might be. Of course you can limit how far you push the throttle forward. If you go with that engine make sure you re-enforce the firewall.

Tech 134

tasso5

Very good job, Tech 134 and thanks for the feedback on flight features!
The model looks right in shape and the painting job is historically correct: very nice for being a "sport scale"! Wish I could get the same result on mine...
Just a little note if you ever whish to improve scale fidelty (since I see you take it to scale events): the cowl is missing the vertical engine exhausts, they are a very unusual and typical feature of the Saetta; second I can't see in the pictures the machine guns in the nose, these details are quiet clearly visible in many pictures of the real ones and the judges might notice that... hope you take it as it is: an advice from another modeler for improving your already very good model! A copy of your plane picture is now stuck on my workbench to remind me how much better I could do.

For RC-Power bus: the correct spelling for this airfoil series is Eppler you can find many info about them if you google that word

Cheers

pencon

Tech134, do you think the polyester resin applies to all CMP models ? ; I just bought a CMP Gee Bee and It needs additional glueing just can't tell what resin is used in that either . The finish is quite a bit different then the Macchi . On the other comment I've since noticed a lot of people online putting YS110s on .45 sized warbirds so the YS 120 probably would be alright I'd Imagine but like you say reinforce things ...

tech134

Tasso5,

Thanks, for the added sugestions to make this model a little nicer. My primary reason for building and flying this model is you never see the Italian air force represented at our local model flying sites, and they had some really good looking airplanes.

Thanks,

Tech134

tasso5

You are right... probably this happens because we were in the loosing party :-) and because the shape of Italian warbirds is not well suited for mass production kits (it was true also for the real ones: i.e. only less than 1500 Saettas were built in total as far as I know).
At home they are more popular among the modelers, but still we are on our own building from scratch only (there is still someone around who can do that) since the few kits available are either not accurate or difficoult to find. I'm happy to know that someone oversea likes our planes and If you want to bulid some other, just ask me, maybe I can help you finding some documents about it.
Cheers

pencon

Hey Tech , did you use the stock wing and add flaps and retracts or is it a totally new designed wing? What retracts are you using?Also what colour tan is that ? A lot of questions, yes , so thanks in advance

impailer

Well, I just picked one of these up too - was hoping to fly without mods to teh wing.

TEch134 - did you use the stock wing? I dont mind it being hard to fly - just as long as it does fly!

I will be elctrifying this too - no messy IC for me

40GeeBee

Tech134,
Whats the wing span on that Macchi "200" you had photos for?
Paul Steiner GeeBee40

storchman1

heres mine.
Ed

JL1

My Feedback: (93)

Tasso, there was an Italian designer by the name of Massimo Zuffi who had some very interesting plans for a variety of unusual planes. Are you familiar with his work or do you know how a person might obatin some of his plans?

Veltro

My Feedback: (1)

Glad to see it back on the bench!

Jay

tasso5

Hi JL1, I'm sorry, but I had never heard about him before; as far as I know, none of my old club's "builders" ever used his plans, maybe he is more famous somewhere else in Italy! At the moment I live in Sydney so it's not so easy to get infos locally, but I'll try sending an e-mail to my old mates and see if anybody can help. If I can get some kind of info about mr. Zuffi, I'll post it here.
Cheers

JL1

My Feedback: (93)

Tasso, thanks

tech134

Impailer,

I used the stock wing and only modified the wing by adding the retracts and the working split flaps. The wing span of my model is 67 inches which makes it almost 1/6 scale. The model I purchased was imported by a company called Flyboys. There model looks just like the one that Nitroplanes is selling. But since I haven't owned the Nitroplanes model I don't know what their wing span is, there add says 63 inches, but who knows. I am sure your model will fly just fine without doing any of the modifications to the wing, as they are more looks than anything. The retracts I used were the mechanical retracts that Tower Hobbies offers called Great Planes 60 size retracts. I added the oleo struts that VQ offers for their Hein. The plane was painted using the Warbirds colors, my friend Jay "Veltro" knows the different colors that I used and is an expert on the Italian Air Force

Good luck,

Tech 134