Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

:D:D

i just ordered mine, he said they just finished them up and had been flying it all last summer, i will give you more details when i get mine, im getting it overnighted so will be here tommorrow, can hardly wait

[8D]

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

So? How are they? Don't keep us in suspense! :)

There's no details on the website yet, apparently. Anywhere to get more details? Span, etc.?

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

oops forgot i had this thread going,

they look easy compared to some of his others, in that it doesnt take any or at least very many formers on the outside basic box scructure

i cut them up so they would be easier to handle and in so doing threw out the specs, im thinking ws is in the 108 to 113 inch range

sorry, but i thought this thread was dead in that no one responded in such a long time

i fly off a rough field so now im a little hesitant in building it and i have so many other airplanes i cant make up my mind

so it looks like in your pic there that you fly the real deal?

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Yep, a 1954 Tripe, 135 hp. It's a great soft-field plane (in full scale), much better than a Skyhawk. I've flown it off of a 2500 ft. grass strip. It's got big wheels and a tall gear, and the bungie-cords absorb the shock well. Plus the nosegear looks like they pulled it off of a DC-4, it's a heavy-duty item.

Before I started flying Tri-Pacers I wondered if they would be tough to t/o and land; they do look top-heavy, sitting up on the gear that way. ("The Flying Milkstool", as they call it). But in fact it is really stable on the ground, and I'm learning that it will handle quite a crosswind.

Anyway, if you do build one (or anyone else out there) let me know if you need detail pics or measurements. (Or maybe a ride?)

;)

Dave

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

that sounds like real seat of the pants kinda flying.

right now though im leaning towards his (Hostetler's) Cessna 206 - although i do like the unusual when it comes to rc models, so i just might go for it - it would be less lumber, etc.

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

This email response is what I got straight from the horse's mouth;

"Plans for the Tri-Pacer are ready and we are just beginning to ship them.Cowl, main and nose gear plus decals are available. It is a great flying plane with the 3-W 48 that we have been using in it. 26.6% scale with a span of 115". $48.50 postage paid US.

Wendell Hostetler"

It's between 1/4 and 1/3 scale. BIG! Maybe too big for my taste but we'll see. Wendell says his site will be updated in April. Sure would like to see a picture of his prototype. Wonder why he didn't just do it in 1/4 scale so we could use the robart gear (turned around of course)?

Yak

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

I have the plans. I ordered a full wood kit from Precision Cut Kits ($335 delivered).
All American Kit Cutters has them too ($350+shipping).
Precision Cut Kits will start delivering laser cut kits in 3 to 4 weeks.

I bought the nose gear from Sierra Giant Scale. It is a work of art and well worth the $250.
I bought the main gear from Likes Line.

The only graphics available is the Piper logo, but Denny at Cajun R/C (formerly Model Graphics) will
supply to your specs for a reasonable price.

Stan's Fibertech has the cowl.

Plans are typical Hostetler superior quality.

I'll try and post some pictures once I get the kit and start construction.

Joel Silverstein

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Alright Joel: Lets see the pictures!!!!
What do you think, is it to big.
Does any one have a 1/4 scale cowl if I have it drawn in 1/4 scale.instead is 1/3rd?
Dennis

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Dennis,

I'll take some pictures and send them to you in the next few days.
It is big, but manageable.

If you are interested in 1/4 scale, I have a set of plans drawn by Vince Miller for a 1/4 scale version.
The plans are excellent. I am building that version also. I have a 1/4 scale cowl that goes with the Vince Miller version that I can sell you for a reasonable price. It would probably work on a 1/4 scale version
of the Hostetler. The big difference between the 2 is the fuse construction. The Hostetler is his typical box construction while the Miller version is a stick frame. The wing attachment for the Hostetler is his typical. Two spars on top of the fuse that fit into boxes built into the wing.

The wings on the Miller take some thought. Both are very scale looking. I'll get you some pictures of the MIller version too.

Joel

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Just got my Plans today. I have almost completed converting them into CAD drawings. Looks like a very good winter project. I am very pleased with amount of detail in this kit. However, I am making a few changes to mine and will be cutting/building myself. If anyone out there has any other ideas of improvements please let me know.
Thanks
Cadflyer
[email protected]

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

How do you go about converting conventional drawings to CAD drawings? I have a fairly new version of AutoCAD and would love to be able to do this.

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Well, I got Wendall to sell me a scanned image of the plans (this is not something that he does but, due to other circumstances he agreed to sell me the scanned image on a CD). I then go in and trace over the lines. This allows me to have a complete Cad drawing that I can modify in a variety of ways. Otherwise you would have to scale the paper drawings and baasically redraw the entire plane in Cad from scratch. I have already drawn it in Cad and have made some changes per my preferences. I have been a Cad designer for 15 years now and I love my AutoCad almost as much as building & flying.

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Post a few pixxxx of your framing guys!!!!
Everyone loves the pix.
Joel what are you going to power yours with.
Dennis

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Here are a few pictures, not great but you can get the idea.
I am going to use Stits covering and paint it white with
blue trim.

I am planning on using a Cheetah 42 with a 20 - 8 prop.

Joel

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

I'm building the Hostetler Tri-pacer currently. I'm slowly scratching on the days that I happen to be home. It's my first experience with Wendel's plans and I'd like to see how you mounted the horizontal and vertical stabs, also I'd like to see your cabin area before you sheeted it, if you happen to have taken pictures of it then. Your's looks pretty nice. I'd like to hear how it flies when you finish it.

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Hi,

I dont have any pictures of the cabin area before it was sheeted I am posting
a couple close-ups of the area. One of the door frame and the other the rear window frame.
The plans aren't real clear so I used the shape from the plans and made the door frames from spruce.

The plans werne't clear on the tail area so I talked to Wendel. He had left off the detail and was supposed to add it to the plans.

Use a couple of triangular 1/4" sheet balsa from the back of f8 to the end of the fuse.
The top of these pices matchs the bottom of the elevator. Fill the are between these sheets with 1/4.
That gives the elevator a nice flat place to rest. The rudder glues to the elevator and then\use 1/4" sheet to complete the tail area. I inculded a close-up of the top and bottom so you can see
the sheets.

I am using Stits Lite to cover mine and the wings are done, but need the tape over the ribs for
the scale look.

I have some detail to finish on the fuse and then I'll start covering that. Did you buy the nose gear from Sierra?

I am using a Cheetah 42, but have a super tartan with electronics ignition I may switch to.

Let me know how yours is coming.

Good luck!

Joel

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Hi,

One other thing. When I received my plans, they didn't have the pattern for
the windshield. I spoke to Wendel and he sent me a copy. If it is not on your
plans I can send you a copy or you can probably get one from Wendel.

Joel

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Thanks for the info. This is first of Wendel's planes I've tried to build. I feel better knowing that I'm not the only one who has questions in those areas. With my job I'm not home much so I spend most of my time staring at the plans and planning how I'm going to do stuff on it. So far, all I have done is to frame up the fuselage. I'm going be on the low end of the power range with a G-38, but Wendel said it would fly it fine, scale like. With that engine, I'm trying to keep the weight down so I'm not going to do a scale interior. As for the covering, which is still a ways off, I'm either going to go with stitts or sig coverall. I think I had pretty much decided on doing what you did on yours by what I could see in the previous pics you posted.

As for the nosegear, I haven't ordered it yet, but was reading what you posted about it earlier. It's not cheap by any means, but as I've learned, nothing is in this hobby. I haven't called yet to price the mains. I don't have a good way to bend wire that large so I'll have to oder those.

What torque servos are you using for your controls? I see you mounted one in the tail. Also, where do you find the type flap hinges he uses? I haven't had time to look for those yet.


It's gonna take me a while to do this because of my schedule and that I'm scratching it. I built the fuse from wood available here at hobby shops, but it cost an arm & a leg compared to what I can order it for.

Thanks again for the info, I hope mine looks as good as yours when I get to that point.


Johnny

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

I forgot to tell you that my plans had a windshield template on it, just no detail for the cabin or the tail area. Thanks for the offer though.


Do you know anyone else who is building this plane too?

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Hi,

I am in Las Vegas and no one around here is building one. I have seen
a bunch of new tri-pacer kits on the market. 1/5th scale from Mosquitobite in Canada. 1/4 scale from Ikon'NW.

Hank Likes makes the gear. I think it was $55. He does a nice job and it is welded rather than wire wrap with solder. The only problem I have with the Stits is the stuff stinks! It's easy to work with, but there are a lot of steps and it's expensive.

There is a servo in the tail. What you see is a ball-bearing splitter I got from
GatorRC. It has an arm on each side of the fuse that connects to the elevator
and an arm inside the fuse that connects to the servo. Great way to work
a split elevator. I used a pull-pull system from Great Planes for the rudder.
I also got a guy wire for the tail which isn't installed yet.

I am just using standard Airtronics servos. The thing won't be
flying fast so tork is no problem.

You can get the hinges from Tower Hobbies or Quantum Models.
They are made by CB Tatone. You can get the cowl anchors he shows from Tetherite, (281) 488-3993.
P.O. Box 57764, Webster, TX 77598-7764. [email protected].

I bought a kit from Precision Cut Kits, but wouldn't do it again. This plane has very few formers and all the ribs are the same.

Joel

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Hi,

There is NO servo in the tail, just the splitter. I noticed I made a mistake in the last post.

Joel

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Okay thanks. I found the flap hinges on the tower website. Like I said, I haven't had much time to search out all the parts and I didn't see those hinges in the Tower catalog, but they were on the site. I framed up a little more today, but I have company coming to town tomorrow so my progress is coming to a halt. Today I managed to cut and mount F13, 14, and 15's. All measured out straight and true. Maybe I'll get a chance to working on it some more tomorrow before my guests arrive.

Have you built the wing struts yet? I guess when they are bolted at the wing, the attachment at the fuse will stay put? My plans just show it slipping over the wire with nothing to secure it from moving.


Sorry if I ask a lot of questions, this is my first time building from his plans.


What colors are you going to finish it in?

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

What is your E-Mail address? Mine is [email protected].
I did build the wing struts. I changed the way they attach to the fuse.
I mount a brass plate (1/2" x 1 1/2") where the wire shows.
I also have a brass plate coming out the end of the strut and I bolt the to together.
Was a lot easier then trying to silver sold the brass.

I am using Stits Daytona White. Haven't decided on the trim yet.

Joel

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

That sounds like a pretty good idea on the struts. I may try to go with something like that myself. They are still a ways off for me. I think I'd feel better though with them solidly attached at the fuse like you did though.

My address is [email protected]



What didn't you like about the kit? I bought one once from Chuck Gill and it was very good. All the parts fit well and was very complete with good quality wood. I don't know if they cut many Hostetler kits though. Been a while since I checked their website.

RE: Piper Tri-Pacer from Wendell Hostetler is now here!!
 

Just to correct something from the beginning of this thread, the Hostetler design is NOT 1/4 scale, nor is it 26.6%. It is 1/3 scale, or 32.8% to be exact. The prototype was 29' 3" in case your wondering.

For those of you out there that have built both, which is the better design, the Miller one or the Hostetler?