MRadu

Jeff,
I'd never say that your airplanes are junk. I too have learned many things from you. However, thanks for nice comments. It's why I continue to make the effort to post. I have a build thread on my "Pup" please all come on over and check it out and give me some pointers.

Sopwith Scout "Pup" 1/4 scale Balsa USA

As for the landing gear I'm going with stiff design and ¼" axel, and only use bungies for looks. Actually I made the axel long enough to have bungies and you can see them.

I was worried about NOT having enough power so I pulled down off the shelf my Zenoah G38 and mounted it. Wow! it sticks way to far out and I would also have to cut the chin out of the cowl. So back to the Evolution G26. I hope it has enough power?

jwrich

My Feedback: (17)

MRradu, I have a very old Zenoah 23 in my 1/4 scale pup, still flying after 5 seasons. Plenty of power. Here are a couple pictures.





Rich

Karp050555

I don't want to sound like a broken record but check out the NGH 38cc gas four stroke. I got mine from Hobby King but Agape Hobbies sells them also. I'm swinging a 20-6 and flying my 1/4 DR-1 at half throttle. It weighs a little more than a G-26 so you've got your nose weight. They go for around $300 and are well built. Check them out.

http://www.agaperacingandhobby.com/v...?productid=593

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=62689

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

I can attest to this as well. A fellow club member has one, at is it is a nice engine. He does not even have a muffler on it, and it sounds great. Any of the smaller 1/4 scale birds (DR1. pup, etc.) would be a good match for it.

MRadu

Rich,
Thanks for the info and confidence of your Pup. She looks wonderful. I'm gonna go with the G26 and see how it goes. That's what I have and your comments give me more confidence.

Karp,
Looking at the four strokes, makes me want one because I love the sound they make. However, I'm saving for a mini lathe and I have this G-26 now. Later if not really enough power, I'll look into NGH 38. Looks like a perfect choice. How reliable are the NGH engines? Are they just as reliable Zenoha engines?

Also could I please join the brotherhood?

Michael

Karp050555

So far so good. They're well built. BTW, I believe you're in the brotherhood.

jwrich

My Feedback: (17)

Karp, your engine (NGH 38cc) sound interesting, I have a Fokker Dr 1 kit waiting to built, might like to try it. How about posting a few pictures of your engine mounted and some of your thoughts on the ease of starting and setting the needles.

Rich

Karp050555

I just took these three pictures of my QS DR-1 upside down on the stand. The NGH 38cc FSG can either be beam or radial mounted. I chose radial. The standoffs come with the engine as well as the radial mount. One drawback that you can see in photo #1 is the exhaust is in a fixed position and cannot be rotated. My CDI box is inside the fuselage on top of the fuel tank. I really like the blue pushrod covers and prop plate shown in photo #2. In photo #3 you can see the throttle and choke pushrod. Note the choke lever has been replaced with a red iodized one I bought from Troy Built models. You can get singles or a set and they make hooking up your throttle and choke very easy.

I'm about to exit the break in phase of this engine which calls for 25-1 gas/oil mixture and no more than 3600 RPM. When I fly on NYD, I'll change the mix to 35-1 (as per instructions) and set the needles. So far I have been running the engine on factory settings and it's been doing great. If I feel adventurous I may check the valve tappets before then. This engine is no different to work with than any OS FS.

I have a battery eliminator board mounted inside which allows me to run the engine and receiver off of one 4200ma 6.0 volt NiMi. My receiver switch is also my kills switch and I can kill the engine by flipping the gear switch as the battery eliminator board is plugged into that port and gets its power through the receiver. A red light in the cockpit tells me if the spark power is on or off.

jwrich

My Feedback: (17)

What will be the RPM for flight? How long does it take to break in and can you fly it during break in. It looks pretty good. Please post your experiences with the flying and peak RPM numbers. I hope to maiden my new GP Citabria NYD.

Merry Christmas
Rich

Karp050555

RPM for flight will be around 4000 RPM. They say to run for 30 minutes at 25-1 with a max RPM of 3000. After that run it at 35-1. I've been flying it at 25-1 to one and will do so for the first gallon of fuel. I've been cruising around at half throttle but I don't know what the RPM is. I guess I'll have to check it on the ground. There is a lead on the CDI for a tach so maybe I'll stop being so cheap and buy one or two. I'll keep you posted.

Karp050555

I did the first 30 minutes (in 3 ten minute spurts) at 3000 RPM on the ground. I probably could have done it in the air but I wanted to get to know the engine first before I flew with it.

jeffEE

My Feedback: (5)

As I have posted on the NGH38 FS thread, I thought the NGH38 was a bit under powered. But it did fly my 20lb DVII, so it should be a perfect match for the DRI, Camel and N28. The motor ran very well but it shook a LOT! I had the 21st motor from the first batch made and I have been told there have been a number of improvements over the last few production runs. All that being said, I would not be afraid to buy another one. MRADU, I flew my 1/4 scale pup on a .91four stroke. So the G26 should be fine. OK...so it flew like crap on the 91, but it did fly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2P8hNbod5s My NGH first start.

box car

If this is a gas engine why do you have to put oil in the gas

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

All engines need oil. Model aircraft engines pre mix the oil and gas, just like a chainsaw. Unlike a car, where you have an oil pan and pump.

box car

See what happens when you get old. I have been flying planes for 60 years, why I would ask that is just dumb

MRadu

JeffEE,
Thanks for your comments, opinion and post. That video of your G-38 shows the motor shaking more than I would like. Do you have hard mounts or rubber?

I do like the sound, however, not as much to have all that vibration.

Michael

Karp050555

Patience makes things get better with time.

chadasmus

My Feedback: (1)

Just caught up on the Brotherhood today. I will try an address all that I remember reading from my last post.

First I would like to say the Ercoupe is an excellent choice for anyone, not that I'm Bias in any way... It may cost a couple dollars but look at what you get, it is one of the most complete kits on the market, including wheels, fuel tank, scale detailed landing gear, ect.

The next item I would like to discuss is the process of making dies, and die cut parts. This is a very misunderstood area of kit manufacturing.
A brand new die can crush the wood or not cut all the way through. Wood hardness is the main reason why you would get crushing more than the sharpness or age of the die. If the wood is too soft it will simply crush. Using a die cutter you also need to shim each die separately so that you can get a perfect cut throughout the whole piece. Think about how tough it would be to cut a piece of balsa with your Xacto knife without cutting the table because you would ruin the blade every time you did. this is kind of how the die cutting process is. If we are set just a few thousands to deep we ruin the die because we run it into the metal die cutting table. If you replace that metal with wood and choose to run deep the table would look like a wooden butchers block and it would be impossible to produce good parts. I guess what I am saying is it would be impossible for us to get it perfect every single time. We know this and are always willing to work with the customer if they have any types of problems.
When Balsa USA started producing kits every plan was hand drawn. You will find errors on some of our older kits due to the fact that they ARE hand drawn. There could be some wave in the lines, there may be a spelling error or something could be called out wrong. All of our planes from the SPAD and earlier are hand drawn. The parts are hand drawn, and the dies are cut by hand, no lasers used like our dies of our newer designs. We have had to replace worn dies throughout the years, which are then hand drawn or possibly recreated on CAD. This may change the size slightly. There is a possibility that some parts may need to be sanded, that is the nature of the hobby, I'm sure you have had to do sanding on all of your planes. All we can do as a kit manufacturer is try to minimize sanding, but I'm sure it will always be a part of the hobby.
Our advertisement of Fallout Die Cut Parts means that they will not have any tabs that hold the parts to the sheet. This is very common in laser cutting and are called bridges. We do strive to make it so that if you pick the sheet up every part would stay on the table and you would have only the sheet in your hand. This would be a near impossible feat if you really think about it due to laws of friction. When die cutting there is no kerf, which is one of the reasons we still die cut. without this kerf it creates friction between the parts and the sheet not allowing it to fall out. As always though we guarantee our quality and we would never try to mislead one of our customers. If you ever have an issue please contact us and we will discuss with you how we can resolve the problem at hand.

I read a few things about the engine size for a D.VII 1/4 scale. We fly ours with a G38 and it flies great at all the events and altitudes that we have given it. The original D.VII does not hover and we designed ours not to also. It was designed with a particular sized engine, has been tested and will fly great with that. You can by all means put in whatever engine you want and fly it however you want, but remember what it was designed. With more power you might have to strengthen up areas on the plane. We have seen people install DA-85's in our 1/4 scale D.VII. He did have to make sure that it was strengthened quite a bit more than stock though. More engine is not always the best decision, remember, the more engine you have, the more torque you will get, the more likely it will be to snap if throttle management is not used. I have seen a lot of people loose a plane due to having it over powered and snapping it on takeoff or on a attempt to make a go around because the landing was not going as required.

The last note that I will leave everyone with is that we cannot make our product better if we do not know what you all want. If you received something that you feel is not right, let us know and we will address it so that we can minimize it as much as possible. What other hobby can you go into the pits of fellow hobbyists that are willing to most of the time give you the wheels off their plane to help someone in need. Constructive criticism is what makes the hobby to continue to get better. I look forward to seeing you all at the shows in 2015!!


Chad Asmus


Also, I no longer live in KY. I currently reside in Freedom WI.


Happy building!!!

68goat

My Feedback: (40)

Chad,

The Balsa USA kits are about the most builder friendly kits available for that type of aircraft. I have and continue to enjoy BUSA kits. They have kept my interest
in building for a long time. Thanks for such a good product. Now, about that 1/4 scale Albatross.........?

jwrich

My Feedback: (17)

Thanks Chad, I have been a long supporter of Balsa USA, from the early 80s until today. I trained many flyers with the 40 Spizzle (MS) stick while stationed in Germany and I have built many of 40 size BUSA kits. I am currently flying the QS Fokker D VII (G38), QS Sopwith Pup (G23), J3 Cub (G38) and have the Spad XIII ready to paint. Kit building is a creative process, the basic kit provides a start to a beautiful airplane. It all in what you want to put into it and what you want the results to be. Balsa USA has provided us with excellent kits at a fair price. There is always ARF for those who want what everyone else is flying.
+1 1/4 scale Albatross

I think I met you at the Dayton Dawn Patrol in September.

Merry Christmas
Rich

AndyF

My Feedback: (2)

Hi Chad,

I have several BUSA planes and I have always had good results calling and talking to Dave. I always get good information from him. I have been modifying my 1/3 scale Pup to make it more true to scale and I'm having fun doing that.

Andy

bradpaul

Getting ready for the "Blue Max" next month.

Can I still get a Balsa USA Brotherhood number?




Brad Paul

jwrich

My Feedback: (17)

Brad Paul, you are #93, Nice looking airplanes. What have for power in the Fokker Dr 1? Good luck at the "Blue Max" I did realize that it still be held, since the Fantasy of Flight shut down.

Merry Christmas
Rich




BUSA brothers
#1 Jwrich OK USA
#2 Jeffo MI USA
#3 ARUP KY USA
#4 RCKen OK USA
#5 mattnew MA USA
#6 surmovik60 VA USA
#7 GerKonig PA USA
#8 Granpooba NY USA
#9 radfordc KS USA
#10 balsa brain FL USA
#11 3136 Victoria Austrialia
#12 wwoneguy MD USA
#13 vertical grimmace CO USA
#14 rcmiket TX USA
#15 bpoates25 FL USA
#16 PiperDriver IL USA
#17 68goat AL USA
#18 jlsimon NJ USA
#19 pat s NC USA
#20 pending IN USA
#21 Steve Percifield IN USA
#22 opol MN USA
#23 Zero TX USA
#24 tonyos VA USA
#25 b206 IL USA USA
#26 LonnieMcc MS USA
#27 eindecer3 TN USA
#28 flyer35 NY USA
#29 jeffEE MN USA
#30 s3nfo CA USA
#31 Kwikfli KS USA
#32 JDHammer PA USA
#33 Ikruse OK USA
#34 bobbailey VA USA
#35 Vampire PA USA
#36 zemkes_wolfpack IN USA
#37 triumphman49 AL USA
#38 SRQFlyer FL USA
#39 Daniel-EL OH USA
#40 hairy46 WY USA
#41 pettit NC USA
#42 Hrannar Iceland
#43 lowbubba OH USA
#45 FokkerD7 OH USA
#44 FireBee VA USA
#46 iampilot2 OH USA
#47 Wagon1 FL USA
#48 darren 4 WI USA
#49 Luxuswaffe FL USA
#50 dryverman VT USA
#51 otterrc FL USA
#52 cooper998 DE USA
#53 lazyace NY USA
#54 wings2an3 NY USA
#55 the pamster TX USA
#56 lucasar15 PA USA
#57 AMA74894 MN USA
#58 squidman TX USA
#59 M_Callahan OH USA
#60 Karp050555 PA USA
#61 optech CA USA
#62 ashby NSW Australia
#63 R/C Art IN USA
#64 on_your_six MD USA
#65 Highflyer2 GA USA
#66 dddaviddean NJ USA
#67 Quagmire CA USA
#68 pending CA USA
#69 ratshooter TX USA
#70 TXAG96 MI USA
#71 R/C Ray NY USA
#72 feep NH USA
#73 sdcranford MO USA
#74 buzzard bait NY USA
#75 chadasmus KY USA (BUSA Team Pilot, Builder and Designer)
#76 fokv25 IN USA
#77 Dynamic! WI USA
#78 WinterHawke WI USA
#79 t6racer NSW Australia
#80 NM2K GA USA
#81 rcjunky67 FL USA
#82 AndyF IN USA
#83 freefall2907 IA USA
#84 a65l VA USA
#85 Grimracer IL USA
#86 Corsair2013 UT USA
#87 Chevelle NY USA
#88 eagledancer FL USA
#89 Leroy Gardner ID USA
#90 ANZAC Australia
#91 Spadsriver09 IN USA
#92 PSB OH USA
#93 bradpaul FL USA

Karp050555

Customer service is what makes the difference when dealing with a product. BUSA is just a phone call away and are happy to help. They're at most of the events and are very friendly. More companies should be like them.

MRadu

Hello Rich,

May I join the Balsa USA Brotherhood? Please.

Here are some of my Balsa USA airplanes as they are today.

Here is my finished Fokker D.VII
My build thread is:
Fokker D.VII 1/4 Balsa USA




Here is my SE5a just hanging in my family room waiting to be finished.


Here is my Spad XIII waiting to be finished and is also hanging in my living room.


Here is my Sopwith Scout "Pup" This is my current build project and my build thread is:
Sopwith Scout "Pup" 1/4 scale Balsa USA



Thanks,

Michael / MRadu