RCFlyerNYC

I wanted to test fly my Pica 1/5th Waco today in preperation for an IMAA fly in over Memorial Day weekend. I broke in the engine (OS 120 4stroke) last week and she ran fine. Went to the field today, fueled up, ran through my checklist and taxied out. I gave myself a lot of run way, full elevators, and advanced the throttle. The Waco tracked straight down the runway and lifted off the ground. It flew beautifully, very scale, very slow and needed no trim adjustments. Circled the field a few times, set myself up for landing,cut back on the throttle and settled it in for a perfect landing.
It looks beautiful in the air but flies a little too slow for my liking. I know that it's not a Pitts or an Ultimate but I would like a little more speed. Tomorrow I'll fly it with a 16/8 instead of the 15/6 and see if there's a noticable difference
The plane is just magnificent lookingi and was well worth the time and effort
Jeff

Flightfreak777

lets see!!! pics or vids!! lol nice job

~Matt

davidmor

Contratulations on your maiden! I have the 1/6 Waco that I built and flew last year and I have to agree that it is a magnificent looking plane in the air. I like how mine flys slowly and very scale like. I have other planes for the fast and wild stuff. I built mine just for the slow and scale looking flight. Flying it just makes me smile. Post some pictures of yours. I would love to see it.

Donnie7

Thats a great story and happy ending. I am painfully trying to finish my 1/5 Waco. Seems like the building will never end. I think I could build 10 planes with the time I've put into this plane. Stories like that keeps me pushing on. Did you put a cockpit kit in yours? Seems you have to cut the fuse open to get it in. Send some pics of yours. Here is one of mine. I am a little further along than when this pic was taken.
Donnie

swooper

Congrats, Jeff! Following a great build with a perfect test flight? Now what are you going to do?

The common question now is "Why build when you can ARF?"
I came up with this reason;
"Because when you buy an ARF it's supposed to fly and when it does, big deal. So the product performs as advertised, it's expected.

When you build an airplane, you hope it will fly. Even after checking everything twice and knowing the plane is well prepared, it's still wonderful when it lifts off, climbs, and flies in trim. It's satisfying because you did it right. Flying an ARF can't provide that sense of satisfaction.

I'm not writing this to knock ARFs, I buy them for everyday models. Instead, I wanted to celebrate the feeling of flying one ya built yerself. A project like Jeff's is an adventure. It's a link back in time to the hangars where yards of cloth were pulled over delicate wooden framework and doped tight. Well done!

RCFlyerNYC

Thanks Paul. One of the things I like about RCU is that you follow someone through the process of choosing a new plane, the excitement when the plane arrives, the pictures of the building progress, the back and forth of ideas, building tips, engine choices and having people you never met, rooting for your success. What's next? I'm trying to finish up an electric for a friend and then building the GP PT19 ARF he bought me for building his plane
I won't be building any kits until next winter. At this moment, I'm looking at BUSA"s Citabria Pro or if I can find a Monocoupe in kit form. The other idea floating around my head is getting together with two of my club members and doing a "dawn patrol" thing with Neuiports or Pups.
Is this a great hobby or what?
Jeff

RCFlyerNYC

Paul, I just read the reat of your post and I couldn't agree more. You nailed it.
Jeff

davidmor

Great post Paul. One other thing about building instead of ARF'ing is that for me, building is at least 1/2 of the hobby. To be quite honest, if I was only able to ARF, I probably wouldn't be in the hobby. I am one of those few who actually enjoy building the plane much more than flying it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy flying, but if I was forced to choose to only build or only fly, I would pick only build. For a long time I looked at flying as a requirement to justify the time and cost of building. I have come to enjoy the flying aspect more than I used to, but building is what I love to do. It is fun to look at the photos I have taken of planes during the building processes and remember how much I enjoyed the build.

RCFlyerNYC

Maiden flight Pt. deux
I changed the prop this morning from a 15/6 to a 15/8 and voila! it flies great.
Memorial Day weekend I'll be flying it at an IMAA meet and in Sept, a pre 1940's flyin at the Airdrome in upstate NY
Jeff

Donnie7

Great news. I'll put that on file. I bought an os fx91 for mine. I am having second thoughts. Thinking I should have forked out the bucks for a fs.
Donnie

Antique

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One of my buddies WACO. Took forever to build but it flys beautifully. Airtronics radio, G26 turning an APC 17/8.