Showtime100

Hi, I am looking for something scale or warbird to build this coming winter. Preferably .60 size or larger. This will be my first attempt at kit building but I don't want to build a trainer as I already have two and I wouldn't get to motivated to build something I don't need or want to fly next spring. How about a Cub, Cessna, P-51, or other warbird that a new kit builder can manage with help from this site. I have a large work area with good lighting.

Don41

Sig's kit quality is superb so I'd go for the Sig 1/4 scale Spacewalker. It's a low wing, 7' span, can do aerobatics and it's a fairly docile slow flyer when that mood strikes. It requires .90 to 1.20 two stroke, larger if you want to use four stroke.

Note: Sigs' tech staff indicated that using a gasoline engine is no problem. This is significant when you realize that the Zenoah G26 (the one I inquired about) is 36 ounces heavier than the Saito 125 I have decided to go with.

carrellh

Compared to any scale model, a 60 size sport plane (like the Sig 4*60 or Bruce Tharpe Venture 60) would probably be a more straight forward build that would be a great experience builder.

If you do go scale, I would think some of the Top Flite Gold Edition kits could be a first build if you are willing to spend a lot of time studying the instructions, and asking questions, before cutting and gluing. Most of the product pages have links so you can download the manual. That way you can get an idea of what's involved without buying anything first.
http://www.top-flite.com/airplanes/gold-kits.html

Jim_Purcha

My Feedback: (8)

What about a laser cut sig something extra? [link=http://www.sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmart.exe/MainMenuFV4.html?E+Sig]Something Extra[/link]

Showtime100

Ok, I realize Sport may be the route to go for first time building but, likely in the minority here, I just don't like sport or 3D flying or sport/aerobatic airplanes for that matter. Aerobatics are fine but it just isn't what I am interested in. I like looking at scale details. Sig seems to be the line everyone is mentioning so I will look in that direction. Possibly http://www.sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmar...FV4.html?E+Sig
Does anyone have any experience with this Cub kit? I don't care if it takes me a year to build.

Don41

I'm building the Sig 1/5 scale. The kit quality is excellent and very well explained. I felt there were a couple of places in the build that were out of sequence. For instance, you need to lock down the wings' forward blind nuts (for strut attachment) prior to sheeting the leading edge.
Everybody is different when it comes to kit building. You may find the Cub a little complex but I feel anybody can do kits if they are motivated, willing to take their time and ask questions on groups like these. You also need to be aware of the fact that you will need to buy a lot of tools. Nothing too costly but they do add to the costs.

If you're going to cover in monokote you will need a good iron or two but I wouldn't waste any money on a hot air blower. Also keep in mind that Cub yellow is fairly easy to see thru so remove imperfections and pencil marks prior to covering. Also, prior to covering buy a truckload of number 11 blades (I get them in boxes of 100). I believe they make Monokote out of sandpaper (:-).

Showtime100

Thanks, I have a covering iron, air gun, and dremel, and will load up on blades, pins, CA, and sandpaper. Any tool that is a must to have? One thing I have found with this hobby is that it is very expensive.

CrateCruncher

My Feedback: (1)

Kit instructions are important when building your first kit. Where one might simply say "attach wing to fuselage" another might give 4 pages of step by step detailed sequence with photos. In general, SIG and Balsa USA instructions are pretty detailed, Top Flite/Great Planes are very good too. Someone else mentioned you can study the Top Flite Instruction manuals in PDF format before you buy so do take a look at their website to see what your getting into. Good luck.

Don41

Little things can make a difference. For instance, when you are ready to round the sticks of the tail, etc buy a Master Airscrew razor plane and some good sanding blocks. There are commercially available sanding pads that allow you to set a groove to round off square shapes but you can also make them out of wood by creating a groove in the wood that matches your needs then line the groove with sandpaper,,, much cheaper (:-).

Word to the wise. Be VERY careful with CA glues. If you lean over the bench and look closely while gluing you will probably get a dose of those fumes. I'm a person that went thru life with no allergies (not even poison oak) but I developed a severe reaction (like asthma) after getting repeatedly exposed to the CA glue. A good woodworking glue will do a better job anyway and it's much cheaper.

iron eagel

Sig Something extra or 1/5 scale cub are both good kits for a first build. Top Flite lets you look at the manuals before you buy and have some nice planes, a bit harder to build. Balsa USA have nice kits but a lot harder to build.
I would also second the opinion on using wood glue rather than CA, it is stronger, gives you time to fix mistakes, and doesn't have the problems of toxic fumes.

Showtime100

Thanks for the CA tip. I have used CA sparingly building ARF models. Luckily my shed has a huge door I can keep open. I like the idea of using less toxic glue.

I will look seriously at the Sig 1/5 Cub kit. Like I said, I don't care if it takes me until next summer before I am done. I just need something to do since I get very little flying time due to my field being 45 minutes away and my 2 year old keeps me pretty much grounded.

iron eagel

Good luck with the build, you find it goes pretty quick. And if you want to enhance the landing and looks of you model you might want to get shock absorbing landing gear. Scale detail down to the budgees and covers.



http://www.piperj3gear.com/

Don41

If you look closely the next time you use thin CA you will notice what appears to be a small wisp of smoke rising from the wood. A small low volume fan should be used as well. Personally, I don't think the manufacturer does near enough to warn people about this glue. You are sure to get it on your skin from time to time. I wonder if that is absorbed into your body?

45 minutes? Geez you live right around the corner. Try 3 hours (:-). Actually I choose to fly there because it's a large dry lake near my brother's house. It's like having your own personal flying field and also allows me to visit a bit.

carrellh

It is 45 miles to the field where I fly. It usually takes about an hour to get there. I do not have kids, though, so I can spend all day at the field when I go.

A miter box and razor saw is very good to have. Here’s a link to a listing of sawing tools.
http://www3.omnimodels.com/cgi-bin/woi0093p?&C=RAD

You’ll need rulers and straight edges. My sister in law picked up several aluminum, or stainless, rulers at the fabric store (of course she gave them to my brother). I think the longest one is four feet.

Clamps. No matter how many you have, you’ll need more. You can get small nylon spring clams at dollar stores, Harbor Freight, etc. I have a few sliding bar clamps from Nelson Hobby http://www.nelsonhobby.com/clamps.html

Alex7403

SIG kits are very good and parts matching each other perfectly.
the tools i used to build SIG's kit, not all but most of the small tools including the straight building board.
for the CA glue i have spare new bottle tips.
oh, most important tool: a digital camera, a picture worth 1000 words.

good luck.

Showtime100

Some of those look like my dentists' tool set.

The club is probably closer to an hour drive but getting there just takes that little extra something and it is my fault that I don't get there enough. I live on a couple acres in the country, which is nice, but even better is that my place is surrounded by 1400 acres of farm land that I can use. You can't see another house from mine. Unfortunately, there isn't a suitable airstrip anywhere. You wouldn't believe it; not one large, flat, smooth, area around. Everything with potential is either surrounded by trees or 10' corn stalks or telephone poles, etc. Very frustrating because if I could just get off the ground I would have some beautiful flying area. Giant scale would be no problem.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

That razor saw is a must-have item for any building projects. Get one!

Alex7403

to showtime100:
A good hand drill, good twizer, razor saw, small and big rulers that start from zero, lot of C-clamps are the most useful tools, you need a saw even if you have a dremel.
stay away from hobbico hand drill its not worth the metal its made from. [:@]
Arent we closing cavities in our planes? yes some of these came from an Oral surgeon

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

One essential is hinging. There are many tools available, for at least 3 different types of hinges. There are CA hinges, Robart style pin hinges, and the flat plastic or metal hinges that come with joining pins (there's even a plastic version that joins the two halves with plastic, so they're one-piece hinges.)

I suggest you choose your method, and look at the available tools. Perhaps hinge some dummy parts before working on your prized model. That would be time & money well spent.

Alex7403

i use vaselin on the axis of the hinge during gluing, works every time.

iron eagel

The Sig link you showed is only the main page, they don't link to each aircraft. Hopefully you were looking at the 1/5 scale cub, it is laser cut and a joy to build. You will find that the instructions and plans are well done and easy to follow, take the time to read them through a couple of times before you start. You gotten a lot of good suggestions about tools, with the sig kit all you need is a razor knife, drill set, a few small clamps, masking tape, rubber bands, and t pins. A good sturdy workbench is a plus, (the dinning room table has been substituted in the past) just don't get glue or paint on it, you will suffer for it. One thing that you need is a good building board, this can be made of balsa or acoustic tiles, I prefer the large Great Planes balsa one myself.
Take the time to look though the kit forum you will find many really sharp cub builds, along with a lot of good tips and suggestions.
Good luck with your build you will find it very rewarding to build one for yourself.

Showtime100

Yes, I meant the 1/5 Sig Cub. I am following the build thread as well. I wish Sig let you preview the plans before buying.

Thanks for the tips guys. This has been a very informative thread that I will refer back too often.

RoyR

About the tools. Yes, if someone were to buy all at once it would be very expensive. I have been building kits since my first 1/2 A control line 50 years ago and on and off ever since. Most of that time I didn't have extra money and was able to get by with what I had on hand. (Early on, my mothers sewing pins, single edge razor blades, clothes pins and rubber bands instead of clamps, etc.)
In fact when Monocote first came out I gave my wife an excuse to buy a new clothes iron after I got adhesive on hers ironing covering. (plus I got to keep her old iron for my airplanes)
It was also a very rewarding in my early modeling years to be able to use what I had on hand, rather than a specialized tool, and make it work just as well.
The building is the thing. If you love to build you can find a way to make it work. I also love to sand and used to use a block of wood with regular sandpaper. I now have power sanders, fancy sanding blocks and Dremels, but I still find myself grabbing a block of wood and wrapping sandpaper around it every now and then.

I’m not saying hobby tools are not necessary. After years of collecting it is great to come to a point where I need something special and know I have it------- somewhere in my shop.
If you know you will be in the hobby a while, just buy one tool at a time each time you order and pretty soon you will have what you need without a large one time expense.

Over the years my income improved and I finally have a pretty good collection of hobby tools, but they came slow. It was only the last couple of years that I bought a Hinge cutting tool. (Xacto blades served well for years.) and have only this year bought the Dead Center Hole Locator after getting by for years with a pencil to mark the motor mount.

Special tools do make building faster and easier, (The Center Hole Locator is a keeper) but I build because that is half the fun of the hobby. Enjoy it while it’s happening.
If I am in a hurry to get to the other half, Flying, I will buy an ARF.

There are fewer and fewer builders in the hobby today. If you are starting out and want to build, cherish every part of it, even sanding and installing hinges (My least favorite)
Use what tools you have until you can buy what you want. and if you absolutely need some tool you can’t afford or can’t find a substitute for, then someone in the club will surely have one to loan.

Like someone said, what if you do have a crease or a goof somewhere on your plane? When you take it out and see it in the air for the first time you can be proud that up there flying is something that just a few months ago was only sticks and balsa sheets in a box and that you made it happen. It may not be the best looking plane on the field, but keep building and one day you may have the best looking one.
But be proud that here is something you saw come together piece by piece and You made it work.

As Forest Gump once said, That’s all I have to say about that.
now everyone else can say, "Thank God"