Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

Mookie,
The snow's supposed to start flying up here on turkey day. Just a thought, do what we do up here in the snow, go with floats / skis, just slides right over the grass / snow. Plus snow banks are very forgiving vs mother earth. What a sight that would be, a lightning with floats. Just keeping the thread current.
BJ

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

Mookie,
Whats happened to the "Lightning"? To many "honey do's" to try it again?
Don't tell me she's become a hanger queen,and you've moved on to other projects, I really wanted to try out your set up after you got her going. But I don't want to invest the thousands you obviously have in her if she's not going to fly. Don't mean to be bugging you but Mrs. Santa is waiting for an answer from me. I've been a really good boy this year.
BJ

kram-RCU

SHELBY:


mookie's latitude ain't exactly conducive to maiden on a 38 this time of year. It's a great-flying plane. I recommend you buy it and start building, if Santa's gonna be generous. Since I'm not an electric flyer, I can't state any opinions about that aspect.

I had the same basic problem with gear on my glow-VQ last season..basically just horsed it up with elevator and got lucky...but not till April.

My replacement VQ is getting heavy-duty (12-24 lb) Robart tri-gear this winter. Not cheap, but I think the plane's worth it.


mt

mookie1

My Feedback: (5)

OK guys this is no hangar queen. She will fly and fly often once I get her off the ground of course. The gear are fixed and I have replaced the front wheel with 2 3/4" from 2". Also used hard Dubro wheels all around. This has leveled the plane out and I hope it will help me lift off and I won't cut the grass so bad. I am sorry I haven't posted lately but I do work sometimes. The weather here is 70 today with no wind! So Kram you don't count me out! I am not an animal I am a human being. I got an e-mail today from another guy who is doing the same conversion so look for it. He just got his VQ so he may beat me to the skies! Never.

kram-RCU

mookie 1:

Sorry.

For some reason, I was (erroneously) under the impression that you lived in Connecticut, so I was figurin' you had about the same kind of weather I do. I have put all my 38's up for the winter. I fly some planes with cold fingers, but not 38's!

Heck, S Carolina! That's practically Florida! Do y'all HAVE a winter down there?

So whenya gonna fly it? Huh? Huh? Huh?


mt

In all seriousness, do not let anyone, here or elsewhere, pressure you into flying it. Fly it when you're ready.

mookie1

My Feedback: (5)

Kram, aint nobody knowhow gonna MAKE me fly her but I am ready. After the initial run across the runway I am past the jitters I have broken through the waiting period. It will get colder here so I would love to fly her this week. Sorry you live so far up north that's got to hurt- I feel for you yankees!

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

MOOKIE,
Glad to hear she's ready to go. Didn't mean anything bad about repeatedly asking when,when, when. Us "yankee's" just like to get it done, not like you "good ol' boys", where "if it don't git done today,there's always next week". I know all about that,lived in FL. 10+ years. Seriously, do it when it's ready. I've had the jitters so bad waiting on your maiden I went out and bought a Stryker to pass the time,flys great in winds others wouldn't think of flying in. The weather up here in PA has been really wierd, yesterday was 60+ degrees. So no winter mothballs yet.
Hope all does go well with maiden,good luck.
BJ

Bundy

Hi Mookie

I've been watching your progress with great interest and am really interested in hearing how it flies but all in good time!

Here, as promised are some pics of how the batteries fit into the nacelles of my Ziroli B-25. The slot for them goes right back into the wheel well allowing the batteries to be moved about to set the C of G and then will be more permanently located. A fiberglass cowl goes over all this and a dummy Wright R-2600-13 in the front.

I'm now waiting for my flight metal to arrive - apparently a very slow process!! but I would hope to be well and truely flying by Easter - living here in the sub-tropics means we don't 'do' winter so we just fly all year.

Best of luck with your maiden

Richard
Bundaberg, Australia

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

Mookie,
Ok, Mr. Murphy be damned, I'm going to go ahead and build my "Glacier Girl", even though you haven't yet succeeded. Soon I hope? Had a couple of questions on yours. What Rx and servos are you using? Are you using any type of device to slow down retract operation on your air retract system(more realistic). Which size retracts did you end up going with to aliveate the bending? What are your thoughts on a gyro system?
BJ

mookie1

My Feedback: (5)

Bundy, please post some larger photos of the B-25. Nice job cutting for the batteries I really enjoy the different ways to convert these model and make it all fit and work. What are the specs on that plane? My P-38 is waiting for the weather; it finally got cold and nasty here and I must build another so now my Stuka is ready for flight too.

Shelbycobra,
Post some pics of the "Glacier Girl". I am using Hitec stuff in the P-38. My spring air have a valve to slow the rear gear but the front just jump in.I used the same type of oleo strut on the front but I have some thick piano wire struts if that fails. The wheels are harder and the front large; I hope to increase the angle and get it off with more lift. It has plenty of power.

the Swamp Fox

My Feedback: (1)

Well at long last gents ,here we go ...

Mookie1's VQ P-38 maiden video



Got the call.

Met Mook at the field .

Under failing light ,the plane was assembled and luckily no pre-flight issues arose , so there was only one thing left to do.

http://www.southcarolinacoastalmagaz.../p38maiden.wmv


sorry for the out of focus pic, think I was shaking more than the pilot.


regards

feathermerchant

Great job! Beautiful palne.

spindoctor

Congrats on your flight!

The plane turned out beautiful, and I really enjoyed the video of your flight. Did you have any problems with orientation, with a grey airframe at twilight? It seemed that your wing was rocking a bit on landing, was there wind or was it just nerves?

Nice! it even -sounds- good!

Thanks,

Pete

kram-RCU

mookie 1:

Way to Go! Awesome, Dude! Who Got the Right Stuff, Baby?? You Da Man!!

Nice-Flyin' bird, ain't it?

I especially enjoyed the way you did a gear-down go-around on your first landing pass...exactly what I've done on EVERY 38 maiden I've ever done. Mark of a brilliant test pilot, if you ask me!

Welcome to the Brotherhood of the P-38. You can check out, but you can never leave!


mt

kram-RCU

Why did the forum ex-out the word "doohrehtorB" (backwards)??? Is that some kind of a naughty I don't know about?


mt

bruff

My Feedback: (18)

Great flight! Now I need to get mine finished!
Bob

samparfitt

My Feedback: (43)

Very impressive.

mookie1

My Feedback: (5)

Thanks for the kind words guys. OK here's the blow by blow. It was getting late so I was trying to hurry but the day was perfect, 70 degrees no wind and no one at the field. The plane went together fine with the exception of a few turbo cover screws. The flap servo hook up takes a couple minutes but is very easy then I use a Taskforce cordless air pump for the retracts.The batteries slide in and then I tape the hatches on(for now). After a test on the retracts I take it out to the flattest spot on the field and turn on the power. No engine testing required I just hold it for a full power up for a couple seconds. The props were cutting grass so I was worried as I took a deep breath and put the pedal down, I had to steer her a little but after it got moving then I pulled back and off she went. The video tells all but man was I shaking! The plane is very solid in the air. I really didn't need to trim it much it just flew great. I would like to have bigger props on her but I don't have the clearance but there was plenty of power. The twilight was really tough to see in- I had a couple of "moments" were I was not sure which way it was going. The landing was a little shaky I didn't use the flaps and I was a little hot maybe. So it greased in pretty good I thought and it felt great to have a success on my hands. These are the moments that make the hobby so much fun. I really feel that you have to do your own maiden flights it gives me that "Wright Brothers" feeling of accomplishment to see all the work really fly!
I will post more flights as they happen.

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

Mookie,
WAY TO GO!!!!!!!, Finally you got the bear.
So now what are you going to do for an encore?
BJ
p.s. beautiful job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kram

My Feedback: (7)

mookie 1:

Congrats again on the successful maiden.

I totally agree about doing yer own maiden. Sure, there may be better pilots, but do they really care as much as the builder? And how better might we adrenaline junkies get our fix?!

Maybe we should make that a requirement for B-r-o-t-h-e-r-h-o-o-d of the P-38 membership. Must do own maiden.

On a more serious note, would you mind reporting the total cost of your powerplants.....motors, controllers, batteries, chargers, switches, etc? How often do expect to have to buy new batteries? Feel free to not answer, or answer by PM. I know that such cost summaries can be strangely unsettling....I did one for my VQ review...it's more pleasant to buy stuff a little at a time and kid yerself about total cost!


mt

mmmdowning

Totally Awesome!! great job. I'm currently working on the KMP P-38 and doing the electric also. I'm adding the Robart retracts for the weak ones.
How was your battery time? I'm not sure what size to go with but if I can get 15 to 20 minutes that would be great.
Again great job Mookie1.

Darrell B.

FANTASTIC!!

I really loved the sound of the P-38 as it would go by, especially on your low fly by before your landing, and you spooled up the motors for the go around. The sound is just great. I love the sound of the props cutting the air without the whine of a nitro motor to drown it out. Great Maiden. Ditto on being your own test pilot. Why build a plane that you aren't willing to fly yourself.

There is a fella working on a Ziroli P-38. He is trying to figure out power plants. Too bad AXI doesn't market a motor that is rated as a direct replacement for an Allison!

Keep up the good work.
Darrell B.

mookie1

My Feedback: (5)

Kram the cost for the power plants for this beast are as follows;

MOTORS-
AXI 4130/16 $169.00
JETI 77 amp speed controller $189.00
motor mount $20.
$378.00 X 2 =$756.00

BATTERIES
3S4P 8000 mAh Thunderpower $240. X 4 (two per motor in series)= $960.00

TOTAL $ 1716.00

Now you must remember that the batteries are used from plane to plane so the $756.00 is the real number.
I'm not positive on the life of the batteries but I figure my flight time will be about 30 minutes per charge. I will be on the safe side to avoid one battery pack from going down before the other.
There is some velcro and a couple of $2 switches and some Dean's connectors.
I guess that's it.
My next conversion is a Top Flight P-40. I hope have it finished in a week or so.
My family and friends will sit me down for an intervention soon I'm sure.

Sturtz

My Feedback: (20)

I've been watching this thread from the start and I must say to ya Mookie.......... "WAY TO GO MAN !!!! "
Felt all the nerves during the video you must have had. We have evenings here like that all the time. Sometimes it's the only chance you'll get for days and days because of the daily high winds. (20 to 30mph for weeks) Anyway,,, you did great and the Lightning lives to fly another day.
I have a GP Profile P38 . Do you think it would be a good conversion plane ? I have two PJS-1000s . With 35 ounce thrust each motor that comes in at a little under 5LBs. (4.37.5lbs of thrust) And a stripped down GP profile weighs in around 4LBs or less depending on what you lighten up on it. Motors, tanks, hose,throttle servo&linkage , etc removed. A Hitec555 could replace the large 7channel rx. And no need for a rx battery. A couple Jeti30s don't weigh much. Attach a TP3s 2100 to each boom.
Prop it correctly and I think it would fly. One of these PJS1000s flys my 2-lb Ultimate Bipe faster than I care for already.
Has anyone else converted the GP P-38 ?

kram

My Feedback: (7)

mookie 1:

Thanks.

So the battery packs are pretty easy to slide in and out, huh? Easy enough to do at the field?

Sounds like you're developing quite a little e-warbird fleet.

At least your friends and family care enough about you to stage an intervention.

Long ago, mine shrugged their shoulders, turned away, abandoned me to twinsanity.

Maiden video of the e-P-40 would be cool, too.


mt