The Flyin' King has been out quite a number of years and lot of people have built them. I am starting this thread to show, when completed, a few changes I am making to the kit. Presently a bomb bay/candy drop mechanism is being built. I have a couple of Hobby Lobby's plastic bombs that may go on wing racks. This is my third BTE kit(previously Vortex and Venture). May 16th started taking items out of the box. May 23rd, one week's work.

See Post #17 below(today's date) for Maiden Flight Report

Cool, I have seen A few at fly ins but never seen one built.

ARE YOU USING CA FOR THE BUILD OR A COMBINATION

Hey, post lots of pictures, thia is a plane i am interested in.

I'm using med CA in a lot of places(wing and stab construction). Bulkheads, landing gear mount, motor mount bulkhead, and other designated areas I'm using 30 min epoxy.

Very interested in the build. Be sure to post lots of pics.

Later this year I plan on scratch building a scaled down the twin flyin king for 2 91 4 strokes.

Here are pics of my prototype candy drop box. I will use it until after the build is finished when time allows making a better looking one. After building the original height of the box, I decided to relocate one fuse cross brace and then was able to make the box taller. Hence, you can see the added section at the top. The internal measurements are 3 1/2" wide X 7 1/2" long X 6" high. Also, there will be a cover hatch on top to preclude anything spilling out and into the fuse prior to release.

End of week two finds the ailerons and flaps built. The fuse is finished, the wings joined. Now the fun part. Trying to place the equipment to keep CG in range using the Saito 120. I'm using two aileron and two flap servos. Each on separate channels. With the bomb bay, I'll be using 8 channels initially.

What's the secret to retiring so us others can have more build time?

Lower your standard of living, eat 99 cent JR Bacon CheeseBurgers at Wendy's and sometimes splurge with a $1.00 sundae at McDonald's. Then send Tower $400 for an order of parts. Life is good!

Three weeks and two days have passed with a lot of work and thought about equipment placement. All the parts are covered and assembly begins. Maybe in a couple of weeks she will have flown.

Oh, the pilot is getting to know his plane.

abd,

Very nice. Looks a little familiar!! Post a report once completed and once flown, if you would.

Four weeks and one day, 29 days, after starting the kit, she is done. About two weeks ago I stopped flying my Venture which is now my every day flyer. We all know that every airplane has an expiration date and I wanted to be able to photo all three Bruce Tharpe planes that I had built during the last 11 months. The Venture is an everyday flyer. The Vortex(Delta) is only for when I feel like an adrenalin rush. So now the Flyin' King is added to the fun side of the equation. Last night we had neighbors over for dinner and cards. They knew I was building the plane, but had not seen it. My wife said I should put some candy in the bomb bay. So while showing them the plane, I said "Watch this." I flipped the bomb bay switch on my transmitter and out fell a hand full of mints. They were duly impressed.

Another thing that is really impressive using the JR X9303 transmitter is the flap down and up times. I programed two seconds travel time. The flaps now extend and retract slowly just like a real airplane. Two seconds to the intermediate postion and two more seconds to full extension. Some down elevator for the flaps has been programed, but flight tests will be required to determine the proper amount of elevator trim for flap extension.

Today or tomorrow I will do the break in of the new Saito and hopefully this next week she will be airborne.

Here is a link to the Venture build, http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_67...tm.htm#6792792

Here is a link to the Vortex build, http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_13..._5/key_/tm.htm . My build info starts at post #102.

Here is a link to Bruce's site for all his planes, http://www.btemodels.com/flyin_king.html

That's a nice family of airplanes ya got there Congrats on the beautiful FK

I like the story about serving candy at your dinner party!

I'm curious to hear about what you think of the slowed flaps. Sounds good, but my concern is with the elevator mixing. If the elevator mix does not come in slowly like the flaps, it might be hard to keep the model from dipsy-dooing during flap extension. Then again, maybe it won't be a problem at all. Try it at altitude first! Let us all know...

Bruce, the flaps and elevator move together. Therefore, the elevator repositioning is in sync with flap movement. One of the fancy features of the JR X9303.

I'm thinking you should've bought stock in the company!!!! A little addicted huh?

Today she went for her maiden flight and then another flap/elevator trim test flight. First impressions: 1) I am going to have to learn her yaw characteristics on takeoff. I fly a J-3 Cub model and also the BTE Venture. So tailwheel takeoffs are not something new. The small rudder compared to the nearly eight foot wing is going to require "learning" this airplane. Not a problem, I'm sure, but every airplane has a "best" way to takeoff. Maintaining good directional control was a challenge on the two takeoffs. This problem was not during the initial part of the takeoff, but as it was transitioning to flight. I don't use full power on my takeoffs as this puts in a lot of torque and less time for directional corrections. Fortunately, it takes off at a rather slow speeed. 2) I have not flown a trainer type aircraft in quite a while. It was a new learning experience to realize that when the plane with dihedral is put into a turn, if the controls are neutralized, it will roll back toward wings level. But other than those two items, it was a good day.

The baseball sized wiffle balls dropped from the bomb bay onto the runway were a big hit.

I used the plane's instruction manual recommendations of 1/4" down elevator for full flaps in the flap to elavator transmitter initial setup. After the first flight test, I needed to increase the amount of down elevator for the intermediate and full flap positions.

Bruce says the plane should come out at 10 to 12 pounds. With the overweight Saito 120 with J-tec mount and 6 0z of lead in the tail and the huge Dubro 5" wheels(1 lb total) my plane is 12 lbs 14 oz. Not to much of an increase for a plane this size. I used a Dubro 20 fuel tank and I think that will turn out to be enough fuel for some rather long flights.

F-16 WpnsTech, have you been talking to my wife? You sound just like her! I quess I just like his kits. They are good quality and if you desire, little changes(bashing) are easy to do. The first two planes(Vortex and Venture) were very stable solid flyers. After a few more adjustment/familiarization flights, I'm sure this big FK will fall into that same category.

I have to agree, Bruce makes the best kit around, bar none. I've got another Venture 60 still in the box waiting to be built...few other projects ahead of it though.

This is and updated flight report for the FK. The "pilot" (me) has learned to fly the bird. The rudder is certainly big and effective. Bruce, I'm sorry for the rudder comment in post #17 above saying the rudder was small for the airplane size. The rudder is fine. After getting the right amount of aileron to rudder mix, she now turns and flies just fine. Another rudder observation, on high rate(near full rudder available) the rudder will just about turn the airplane sideways. I know some of you really good pilots will say rudder mixing is not needed. And it isn't. However, I have spent most of my adult life flying planes that had yaw devices or rudder coordination devices installed. I know we can do it the old fashioned way, but technology can be fun to master. I still do it the old fashioned way with some of my RC planes and in a "full scale" 62 year old tail dragger that I have been entrusted to care for.

But back to the FK. Full flap landings are a piece of cake. Half flap takeoffs work really well. Now that I've flown three of BTE's planes, my favorite is the Venture(Bruce, how about another Venture run? I'd buy one or two.). The Vortex and FK are tied. However, the Vortex and FK are totally opposite. The Vortex fast and sprinkled with adrenalin. The FK is more sedate.

Oh, and every time I take the FK up, the guys all stand and wait for whatever is going to be dropped from her bomb bay.

Great to hear that you have grown to appreciate the FK.
The Venture 60 was on my someday list and it caught me by surprise when it was discontinued.
If Bruce were to make another production run I would buy one too.
In fact I would prepay to be on the reserved list.

Well as for me it required working 41 years at the same place!

If you've ever been to YVR, I may have fueled your "bus".

I have got to do that mod of yours for our club's Fun-Fly's!