DMehalko

My Feedback: (42)

Back at the hobby after about a 10yr break, and found I enjoy flying airplanes I've built more than ones I've 'assembled'.

Just for fun, and to get back into building, I recently built a DLE20 powered PT60 kit that I modified for a fun goof off airplane




Now I am building a Top Flite Spitfire, also to be powered by a DLE20, so far only have the horizontal stab built, but I just started on the kit (ignore the ARF in the background )



Once the spitfire is done, next will be my first scratch build, and turbine jet. Plans just showed up! Will be using a kingtech K80g turbine for the Ziroli Turbinator

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

Before it was an Excaliber it was called a Mars and was an RC version of a control line plane also called the Mars. The Mars was designed by the famous control line stunt pilot, Bob Palmer who also designed the Thunderbird and Smoothie, also control line planes. Bob Palmer developed the use of flaps for control line planes which was a huge advancement at the time. The Mars was manufactured by Joy Products which was the predecessor of Balsa USA.

I happen to have an original Joy Products Mars built from the kit, with an Enya .40 for power and I can tell you that although it is a large plane for a .40 it is lightweight and flies very well, much like a pattern plane from the "old days". The Enya is PLENTY of power and the plane is as fast as my buddy's ARF Kaos with an OS 46AX. The fuselage is a little narrow, a holdover from the control line version.

It is an unusual plane and receives comments and constant attention whenever I take it to the field.

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

I'm an avid scratch builder but sometimes enjoy the original ARFs, a kit! Modern day ARFs, not so much. Don't want one in my shop! I

love to build so I see little point in the "Ready Built" stuff from China, besides they already get enough of my money!

The key to really enjoying building, and scratch building in particular, is having all of the right tools. The right tools make accuracy so much easier and the building process so much faster. Yea, I know the tools are expensive but you will be using them for a very long time and you can amortize them over the cost of all the planes you"ll build. I don't care what the ARF guys say, I can build for much cheaper than what can be bought online, especially smaller planes. Heck, I build 1/2A planes from stuff laying in the bottom of my scrap wood bin, never throw wood away, even small pieces! Just build a smaller plane.

As to tools, I love my magnetic building system, Adjusto Jig and Dremel but the real game changer for me is a quality table saw. Can't build a straight fuselage if you can't cut dead square firewalls and formers. The magnetic building system's true value lies in the 1/4 inch grid printed on the top. It allows perfect alignment of everything you build, no more banana fuselages.

Finally, I have to state something I only recently discovered. I used to think I was a only a fair scratch builder, sometimes when building from plans, the parts just didn't fit quite right. I assumed it was my poor building skills.

Then I discovered the secret. THE PLANS ARE WRONG. The parts as drawn rarely fit! The minute I realized that plans are only guidelines, my building improved 100%.

teebox11

My Feedback: (33)

The arfs made building a chore. Then, as we get older, no one wants to learn, not when they can get it 95% instantly. I have plenty of kits, but not the lifetime to build them all. I do have a friend that is getting into it, he buys scrappers to tear apart and rebuild. I give him info and he takes it from there. I'm gonna give him a tough kit to build after I think he has reached that point. Also, no one wants to pay the price for a pro job done for them. Arfs are cheaper, even when you can afford to pay a builder. I belong to Houston Bayou City Fliers. We have a triple A facility that is just perfect for classes in building and teaching other skills to have for rc. However, our president nixes that and won't bring it up for discussion much less a vote. There are several of us that could have classes in many things with rc. In fact, if you come to see what we have, you will notice that there is absolutely nothing in our building that has to do with the hobby, nothing. He won't allow it. Wasted space, wasted talent. I always thought that clubs and facilities were supposed to be used to promote the hobby, not to keep people from learning!!! If you need kits, try rcgroups. The people there usually have tons of kits, new and old for sale. One guy on there now looks like he has a couple of hundred or more. Says he has collected them over the years but I really think he just buys and sells. The kits are out there, seek them out and they shall be in your hands in no time!! That's why I had to get a couple of store rooms!! Dag blast it!!! just say'n………..

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

Kits are getting to be way too expensive. Build from plans instead, they are usually free! Short kits are kind of in the middle and readily available from a variety of sources.

TomCrump

Kits should be enjoyed for what they are, not what the cost.

I enjoy building vintage kits. If I see one that I desire, I make the purchase. For me, it's about the experience, not saving $$$

One of my current builds is a 25 year old kit of a Lockheed Vega. It has provided the largest challenge, and the most enjoyment, of all the kits that I have assembled.

She's been glassed with polyurethane. After using Duplicolr automotive primer, I plan to paint her with Rustoleum, or automotive enamels. Power will be a glow, 1.60 twin.

foodstick

Tom you sat it down to take a picture and you just couldn't resist hitting it with the razor plane a couple times? hahahah, I like the little balsa pig tails in the picture.

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

Nice job on the build! It's going to be a beauty, I hope you post pics when it is finished.

The Lockeed Vega is a great example of a plane that I don't think was often offered as a kit. A shame because of it's classic lines, sort of like a Stagger Wing Beechcraft.

TomCrump

I was shaping the leading edge, just before I took that pic. The pig tails are neat, until you try to sweep them up. LOL

The Vega is being built from a vintage IKON N'west kit. It took a couple years to locate one. The beast was a challenge, but worth every hour put into it.

Projects of my own, and for a couple customers, have delayed the Vega's progress. One project (BUSA Pheaton II) should leave the shop next week. That should free up time (and space) to resume work on the Vega.

Here are a few pics of the Phaeton II, with cusom vintage graphics provided by my friend, Gary Sibert. http://www.decal-it.com/

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Cool Vega Tom. Kit prices outpaced my pocket book years ago so I went to plans building unless I find a nice kit I can afford or someone got a nice kit and allowed me to make templates and get a copy of the plans. I find one of the biggest joys of building is also cutting my own kit. Even if the kit is still available. When I cut the kit for the Up-Roar the kit was on sale for about 40 beans but I had all the wood on hand so it was free. I just located a friend with the rest of the wood I need to finish up the two Dirty Birdi kits I have been cutting so two more kits for zero cost.
I used the templates I made for the DBs without making a copy and have no plans to make another, I usually save them but I ran out of space to store them.

henschel

My Feedback: (47)

Old time scratch/kit builder here. I agree with the other comments about builders showing their builds and nobody seemed interested. I got the same way. So I have showed a few builds on here. My last scratch build is a 1/8 Mig-21MF. That build is on here and RCG. Molds will be done pretty much next week. I will be building and selling kits of the Mig this summer. Mig-21 will be highly detailed and prefabricated. Lets see the Chinese build and sell what I am going to do. Go check it out.

52larry52

My Feedback: (1)

Tom or G.B., You guys are much more advanced and prolific builders than I, so maybe you have an answer for my dilemma. I am an ocasional kit builder of fairly simple planes, G.P. Super Sportster 40, T.F. Elder 40, Ace Air Scout bashed into a PA12, and a 20 size J-3 bashed into a L-4, are my most recent builds just to give you an idea of my lever of building (simple basic models). Now, I recently Ebay purchased a 1949 era Cleveland Models Luscombe sedan model kit with the intention of building and flying it. Sadly when it arrived it was missing several of the printboard sheets needed to build it. The seller made a price adjustment so that part is a non issue. The missing printboard sheets were the formers for the upper and lower sections of the fuselage and the ribs for the vert. stab. The plans with the kit don't have any patterns on them. What I thought of was buying new plans and patterns from the current Cleveland Models (who advertise a plan and pattern service) ans scratch building the missing parts. I have searched around a little and no one ever mentions Cleveland Models as a source for plans. Are they legit or a ripoff like RCM plans? Also, they claim to include patterns with their plans (my originals don't), do you know if that is correct. The price on their web site shows the plans and patterns to be just shy of $50.00 shipped to me. I can justify the $50 if it will give me the patterns needed to reproduce the missing parts. Do you guys, or anyone else for that matter, have experience with Cleveland models plans service and/or this 76" Luscombe model? While waiting for a solution for building this kit I might just ASSEMBLE one of my ARFs in my stash! No wait, my wife just brought in the mail and another 20 size Cub kit has hit my door. Guess I'll build it.

acdii

Cleveland, now there is one I have not heard here. I have a sheet from one of their early Corsairs on my desk.

As far as building, I stuck the wings, which just need the final coats of dope, on the fuse today.

jimbrock2

Well, I do enjoy building. And there are a lot of ways to do it. Right now, I am building a WE Tech Goshawk with a short kit from Limey Bob. Lot of fun; plans need some tweaking in spots (eg, to provide a steerable tail wheel) but are a blast to build from. I have a giant P47 next on the list unless I decide to go full scratch and build a Curtiss BFC (similar to the Goshawk) or P 23. At my age (84) time is getting short, so projects are stacking up!
Jim B

jimbrock2

Larry 52: I bought a set of quarter scale plans from Cleveland...just a rubber powered small version enlarged to quarter scale. Will take a lot of work to get them buildable.

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

Here is a photo of my current build. It is the old Ken Willard Top Dawg vintage 1966 but updated to an E-Dawg for electric by Rich Uravitch and built from his short kit which is still available. I don't care for electrics so my E-Dawg will have a Cox TD .049 engine to bring it back to original specs complete with a period correct Ace Single Channel Pulse Proportional radio and magnetic actuator. This is a rudder only airplane my friends!

The plane is covered with Polyspan and currently sports 2 coats of Nitrate dope as a sealer and will get Nelson Water based paint for color and trim.

The radio has been checked out and tuned by Jayman who works wonders on antique radios, bringing them up to full operational condition for those of us that like that sort of thing. I'm hoping to get to SMALL this year and this is one of the planes I will be taking with me.

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

By the way, I'm scratch building a 2nd Top Dawg with an Enya .09 and 4 channels of control to be flown by my FrSky Taranis. You might ask why build 2 Top Dawgs?

Because after more than 40 years of building I finally made the dreaded mistake! I built 2 right wing halves instead of 1 left and 1 right.

NUTS! What should I do? Build 2 planes! Yea, that's the ticket! 1 single channel and 1 "Full House".

52larry52

My Feedback: (1)

jimbrock2, Thanks for your input. Yes, as I understand it all of their plans are enlargements or reductions or their kits from the 40s/50s. Did your plans include patterns? The model I am dealing with was kitted by them in the late 40s as a 76" model (1/6th scale) and that is the size plan that I would buy. That said, it will still take some re-engineering to turn it into a usable modern type flying model with removable bolt on wings, modern engine and electronics etc. I am NOT a scratch builder nor do I want to be one, I just want to be able to use as much of the old kit as I can, bash as needed, and fabricate what's missing. The whole project may fall into the "not worth doing" category. We'll see. As a kid I did build quite a few printboard type models in the late 50s so I know what Is involved with a printboard model and thought I was willing to give it a go. ("older but no wiser maybe")

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Now THAT table is a real builder's table....I'm green with envy!

JR Davis

My Feedback: (106)

Been in the hobby for 27 years and I still build, but I don't post it here or anywhere else. Currently building a Walt Moucha Charger MK II biplane. It's a kit from back in the 90's that I found on RCU. The original price of the kit was around $90.00 when in production. I had to pay over $200.00 for the kit. Like Carl Grover stated earlier the price of kits are going thru the roof since no longer in production and hard to find. Nothing wrong with ARF's either as that is how the hobby has evolved. I personally could care less for the electric foamies, but they are very popular.

TomCrump

52Larry52

The Cleveland plans may be a chore to use. Wendel Hostetler has a Luscombe that may fill your needs. The plans are for a large bird, but he can shrink, or expand, them to any desired size.

http://www.hostetlersplans.com/

http://www.hostetlersplans.com/luscombe.html

The ribs and formers are on his plans. You should have little trouble building from them.

52larry52

My Feedback: (1)

Tom, Thanks for the lead. The Luscombe that Hostetler has is the 2 place Silvair 8 model and the kit I am trying to find patterns for is the slightly later 4 place Luscombe 11, a different plane. I have the original plans from the kit (they are a little rough but usable) and I agree that it will be a chore to adapt to modern RC needs. I think maybe I will watch Ebay and swap meets to see if I can find another complete or partial kit that has what I lack. If that doesn't happen I can just "flush" this kit and build something else. I thought it would be neat to have a Luscombe in the hanger but if not, it's OK. I'am not willing to free lance build and fit by trial and error my own fuselage formers. Just building a printboard kit is bad enough! The ribs for the vert. stab would be easy to create, but not the fuselage formers. Thanks for your input.

Hydro Junkie

You guys are making me feel bad. I've been(off and on) building a pair of modified Kadet Jrs, one with tricycle gear and the other with twin floats using the plans to a long ago destroyed kit build. After that, I have four sets of plans for 50cc aerobatic planes to build though, I figure a Four Star or Kobra would be better follow ups than the big gassers

TomCrump

Get a set of 3 views for your Luscombe.Make sure that the fuselage formers are shown. Have the 3 views blown to the correct size, and you will have your former patterns.

I know a guy who will blow up your 3 views, if you don't have any one.

acdii

Thats a 49 x 72 double laminated particle board work bench. You can build a big block V8 on it. I also have 2 36" doors that I converted to workbenches too. My problem now is I have too much stuff on my other benches and no place to put them. LOL