CoosBayLumber

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Sterling Piper Tri-Pacer

Got another Sterling model Piper Tri-pacer kit FS-1 for $15 recently. This one more complete, but still sad shape.

Eventially this will be added to the kit reproduction list and parts cut again. Right now, I don't have any plans, so can someone tell me what was the size and brand of engine that was specified for installation?

The new .25 I had been thinking about has a rather short snout, and doesn't fit the cowling too well, and am now looking into something which will fit better. I have a very worn Enya 15 that does fit, but old advertisements indicate it will fly on an .09 to .35. Has anyone ever flown this large of model with small power?


Wm.

ChuckAuger

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Is that the 58" span or the 44" span?? I had a 44" span and gave it to a buddy, then got a 58" span. Then I saw what they bring on Ebay and wished I'd never given the 44" away!

TPAGEL

My Feedback: (6)

I flew mine with a .19 back in the early 70's. It flew very nice and I had it several years. You must remember back then most planes were designed to fly on the wing and not on the engine.
I can remember being worried about the little amount of prop sticking out from that wide front end but it worked out ok.

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

This is the 58-59 inch span version. The big one, not the smaller one they introduced about 20 years later.

Fuselage is pretty good. But just the same, I am going to have to fabricate a few filler items to fit a more modern glow engine. Would otherwise be helpfull to know what the original glow engine was to have been. Usually they specified a Fox, K&B or another domestic built engine.

The whole wing is botched up. Looks to have some forward sweep to it now due to rebuilding by the previous owner. Am going to have another set of parts cut up for the wing only later this week/month. If anyone is interested in a set of replacement wing parts for their Tri-pacer, send me a P.M. here.


Wm.

km6tj

What a find!
I still have a Tri-Pacer I first built for escapement back in 1969. Used an Enya .29 that fit fine thru the steel cowl. I mod'd it later with an old Digiace proportional 3 channel and the .29 was fine taking off of pavement. Don't think it would have worked off of grass though. I haven't flown it for awhile, need to dust it off and put a modern radio in it...

Good luck with it!

Ken

amelia-air

My Feedback: (82)

the plans show a K & B 19--Instructions say "any 19~35 engine

CoosBayLumber

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I went and dug out a K&B 19, and it fit just great. The intake is lower than more modern glow engines.


Wm.

dennis

My Feedback: (90)

I also flew mine in the mid 60's with an Enya 19 and single channel equipment. Usually we hand launched the plane as it was really a handful to take off. We did manage a few ROG's at the airbase with a lot of asphalt to reduce the rolling drag. It improved slightly when we got the nose gear set up slightly positive to give us a better AOA for take off

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

Interesting.

I found an older advertisement in a magazine of the early 1960's which indicates the Tri-Pacer of that time to be powered by .09 to a .35

I would think the .09 to be a bit meek.


Wm.

airplanerandy

I just finished building a Sterling Piper Tri-Pacer FS-1 58 3/4" wingspan. I put an OS 46 AX engine in it with a Slimline Sport Scale Muffler exiting out through the bottom real scale like. I can't imagine this airplaneplane flying with a dinky K&B .19 or even a .25 size engine for that matter. My Tri-Pacer weighs 6 lbs. exactly with the OS 46 in it. I modified it into a four channel by adding ailerons and I made the tail section scale by using solid 1/4" balsa with the proper rudder and elevator...not the crappy built-up tail section that comes with the kit with a little strip for a rudder and an elevator! You can view it at my website http://www.geocities.com/elginflyers/newproject or at the Vintage Sterling Models website at http://home.mindspring.com/~jeff.coo...sterlingmodels.

airplanerandy

Sorry..the Vintage Sterling Models website is
http://home.mindspring.com/~jeff.coo...terlingmodels/

Twanger

Hi Coos,I used a K&B series 75 .35R/C with a strap on J'tec muffler. It had the small Perry carb. My Tri Pacer has Ailerons and flaps, and the .35 worked well on pavement, OK on grass, Not real good on rough grass. I replaced it with a K&B .40 #4011. It has the medium size Perry carb, and it will take off rough grass without flaps. The K&B is the only engine that I have found that is long enough to stick out through the cowl. I had to cut a chunk out of the top of the plastic nose bowl to accomodate the carb. I installed steerable nose gear. The top cover of the engine compartment is held on with Radio Shack rare earth magnets instead of the shirt snaps that came with the kit. The struts are attached on the bottom with nylon hinges with a small safety pin through them, and at the top with 4-40 hex screws into blind nuts. The wing and deck were modified to use nylon bolts instead of rubber bands, and I reduced the dihederal to that of the scale plane. The windshield is one piece. It has been modernized, and slightly modified,. but boy, it flies great! It will still climb and glide like an R/C assist free flight if I want it to. I finished it in teal and cream monokote. I used the huge built up "whale tail" but changed the spars from balsa to basswood because it folded up in flight. The only thing that saved her was to put the flaps full down and land inverted. She was wrecked, but not totalled. I had made a plaster casting of the nose bowl anticipating a crash, and it came in handy when I had to fill in the missing pieces of plastic with epoxy. It weighs 5.5 pounds. The wing and stab incidence are 0 and 0.

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

The Tri-pacer I obained recently looks to have a modifyied nose cup. It is pooched out to one side and (sloppyly) fiberglassed in. I cannot figure it that was for a carburator or a muffler. Just had some wood laser cut and have already began sanding it to a more natural looking, symetrical shape for another front cup.

The wing dihedral is about one inch each side, which would have made for erratic flying twenty years ago, but not so much now with aileron controls as they are.

The original builder used some miniature screws for hold most everything in place.

Wm.

Mike Denest

My Feedback: (1)

I have the kit and plan to do the same mods as well with a couple of exceptions. Sidemount the engine, delete the nosewheel, move the main gear forward and add a tailwheel for the PA-20 Pacer version. A lot of restored PA-22's have had this change made.
BTW the pet name for the PA-22 Tri-Pacer is "Milkstool" because of the close location of the landing gear.

Hircflyer

I have the metal cowl for the large kit.....................if someone wants it PM me and I'll send it free.

Not doing me any good.

airplanerandy

I wouldn't mind having the metal cowl if you still have it. Drop me an email at
[email protected]
Thanks
airplanerandy

Deadstik

My Feedback: (8)

Does anyone know what year Sterling changed from the Metal nose bowl to the plastic one? I've just gotten a FS-1 kit which is basically mint. Nothing has been taken from the box, has the silkspan/like new decals..etc... and of course the nose bowl is metal and a bit corroded but I'm not going to touch it. That plus the box is almost like new... I know Sterling produced the kit for quite a while.. but am just trying to date this kit.

Thanks,

Deadstik....

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

I think the tin nose versus the plastic nose is a good question. It has often been stated that the FS-1 never went out of production, but I know the west coast shop dealers could not get any through distributors. In talking to Sterling at one of the west coast hobby shows, they mentioned it wasn't really in production because the distributors had unsold stock, and until there were some backorders, none would be produced. The rep's from the distributors argued the opposite, as orders to Sterling were often not completely filled.

Around about the early 1980's it seemed to hit the market again out west, and by that time it had the plastic nose. This was when the labeling made another change.


Wm.

Twanger

Coos, Do you or anyone else know where either the metal or plastic nose bowl for the FS-1 58-3/4 W.S. Tri Pacer can be obtained?

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

The one I obtained looks to have side-swiped a moutain. I am currently making a pattern for a new one of fiberglass. Use the system as outlined in RCM this month to make another.

Wm.

Mike Denest

My Feedback: (1)

I purchased my Tri-Pacer from Tower in the mid eighties. It has the metal nose bowl. I also got the PT-19 around the same time, also from Tower. As far as dates are concerned, the Tri-Pacer is shown in the 1955 catalog, the PT-19 came along around 1959 or so.

smokestack

Years ago when I was a teenager I built the Sterling Piper Tri-Pacer rc/ff model. After I left
home I have always been interested in building the model again, I need to find a source for the plans to start the project.

amelia-air

My Feedback: (82)

I have a set of plans if you want them... We are not allowed to sell in this forum,so send me a email ,and I will send them to you--Just pay for postage--

smokestack

I got your message today, Please send plans COD or tell me postage and I will send money order to cover postage. You can email me at : [email protected] .

Thanks