TCrafty

I've had a Kadet for a couple of years and it was quite used by several other owners before I got it. It had some square stock and ply used as a motor mount. Due to a deadstick and some inappropriately timed wind, it was officially time for a new one. I just got my kit and in opening the box, I noticed a set of motor mounts. When did THIS happen? I'm looking forward to the build (spending some quality time with my dad- the builder of the family) so I'll have another Senior to fly. He rebuilt my old one as it wasn't too badly damaged but there are a few things that I'd like to do differently on this one. Change the wing, make it a tail dragger and possibly, class it up a little bit. Thinking of a thunder tiger 91 or a Magnum 91 on it. Definitely a 4-stroke, whatever goes on it. Just curious when the motor mount became part of the kit.

JCOKEEFE

My Feedback: (2)

[8D]Why would you want to put a .91 or larger on a Sig Senior Kadet???
The aircraft is designed for a .48 to .53 four stroke.

flynte

I bought my kit in '86 and finally got around to building it 2 years ago, so I'm assuming it always had one. Drop or ditch the dehedral and build in some ailerons.
I did put a 61 2c on mine and it pulls around great.

flynte

Edit: Found a pic of the build and it was the 2 piece alum mount as rainedave mentioned.

rainedave

My Feedback: (1)

I believe the Kadet originally came with the Sig two-piece aluminum mount. The newer ones have the reinforced nylon type. Although, it's possible that the earliest kits used maple mounting beams, my plans, which look original, show the aluminum mount.

David

TCrafty

Very interesting. I'm starting to wonder when my first Senior might have actually been built. It's definitely not a metal mount. I might have to take some shots of the mounting and post here for posterity.

I've heard all the oohs and ahhs about having a large engine on the plane and when I first got it, there was a 50 Saito on it. It flew around fine. Funny thing though, it was only after I put the 91 OS 4-stroke on it that I started to have folks say that they've never seen a plane fly so slow. Yup, SLOW.... Just cuz it's there, doesn't mean that you've got to have it full throttle all the time. Folks still talk about my first Senior at both of the fields that I frequent and not about how fast it goes. They talk about its stability and smoothness, even when puttering around the field.

I'm thinking of doing a build thread on the build up if anyone might be interested. It will have a different slant to it as this will be my first kit and it'll be a great way for my dad and I to spend some time. We'll see.

flynte

I like the power on my Senior for pulling large outside loops and I love doing near verticle landings on the breezy days

flynte

TCrafty

OH yeah! I LOVED my first Senior and I'm eagerly awaiting my second. I hear folks all the time about how over-powered the plane is but, if they ever took the time to fly it, they'd be hooked and I'm not talking about 3D or anything like that. It's just so responsive, flies so slow and smooth and sounds great just barely turning that big prop with that 4-stroke. On a cold day, you could count the puffs out the exhaust with every pulse. LOVED THAT STUFF!!!! Here's a picture of the first Senior.

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

I suspect that many folks would do anything else before dealing with drilling/tapping/aligning metal motor mounts. Especially where there is no clear advantage for doing so. I've used the metal motor mounts because I was too cheap to spring for a nylon mount. I don't have access to hard rock maple for engine bearers. Without that type of wood, the wooden bearer type of mount is doomed to die a premature death, even with lots of fuel proofing.

I was not a Sig kit fan. When I buy a model, I want the parts cut out, not printed on sheet balsa (long ago). I also want an easy to use engine saver mount (glass composite) that will break before my engine does.

The folks at Sig have always had too much bleed through of full scale aviation design practices (decalage) for my taste. I always end up eliminating their full scale trim solutions and by the time I get done, I could have scratch built my own design at less expense and much faster. Their later kits were a massive improvement, in my humble opinion.


Ed Cregger

TCrafty

Thanks for the input Ed. Being a new-comer to this sport only a few years ago and a noob as far as building, I find it interesting when someone can share their info/experiences. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled to see if I can find any clues as to when this plane was constructed. I'm sure it was in the metal mount years at least. I'm really looking forward to getting my new Senior in the air. Should be fun.

Ed_Moorman

My Feedback: (1)

Engine mount! Engine mount, are you kidding me! When did it get ailerons???

When I first flew one, it was 3-channel and an early, pre-Surpass, .40 4-stroke pulled it fine. The thnig was mostly Monokote and air.

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

None of my Kadet Seniors (I've only had one!) had ailerons, Ed. Didn't miss them either.

Mine was powered by an HP VT49 by RJL. That was plenty of power, once takeoff was over with.


Ed Cregger

flynte

Right after I broke out the saw .

flynte

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

Because it's FUN to put larger motors on airplanes and hot dog them around.

If you saw me flying my LT-40 doing rolling circles around the sky, would you ask me, "Why are you flying aerobatics with an LT-40?" ?

'Cause it's FUN!!

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

[sm=lol.gif]

TCrafty

I was just over at dad's comparing the new kit with the original plane and I'm going to make a similar mount like what is on the old one. It fastens to the firewall and the sides of the fuse and is a sheet of ply, glued on three sides with a notch cut out for the engine and blind nuts underneath for the engine mounting bolts. I was wondering how I was going to beef up the firewall to help hold the engine but this seems to be much stronger becase it is mounted on the sides as well as the firewall. I'll have some pics as soon as I can but so far, this seems to be the best way to help hold the engine at bay. I really want to go with a four-stroke but those pesky SuperTigre 2300s are such a deal right now! Can you say hand launch!

Live Wire

TC
Just thought you would like to no that a spin off of cadet was the Spadet Senior. Look just alike with sheeted fuse,and 4 channel operation. Both are good flliers with the Spadet a little heavier.
You will never get it to balance with that engine , and it is way to much engine for the plane when you can fly it wit a good midrange engine. I have built 4 Senior Cadets and 3 Spadets and you have your hand full with a 61 2st or a 91 4st Good Luck

TCrafty

Appreciate the luck Livewire.

I can tell you that you CAN balance the plane with that engine. I had one in it and have put a lot of flights on it. Flew it this weekend actually. I did have a mishap with that plane a while ago and my dad ( the master builder of the family) rebuilt it since it wasn't wrecked badly at all. A friend of mine took some video of the plane flying and I'll have to see if I can get it from him and post it. I can attest that I love the way the plane flies with that engine combo and many folks might be surprised to see how calmly and smoothly it can fly. Slow even. It's just nice to know that the power is there at the blip of a throttle stick. In fact, I'd say that typically, I fly slower with that 91 than another fellow with a Senior with a smaller engine. I see a lot of guys full-throttle bank and yank but that's typically not me. You might be surprised to see what is possible, many guys at the two fields where I fly (Propbusters R/C in Lakeland and Imperial R/C in Mulberry, FL) have been. The Senior is a great design.

Ed,

"once takeoff was over with." Says it all right there Ed! Seriously, I hate to sound like a broken record and I'm not a salesman for anyone but this combination has endeared itself with me and many folks who have seen it fly. I SERIOUSLY want to get some video up for you all to see. Then maybe you'll agree that 1) the Senior CAN survive with an engine like that and 2) if the engine idles good, the whole RPM band is usable, not just the top end.

flynte

TCrafty knows where he's going [8D]. You can balance in some nose wieght easy. This thread has me doing some digging now for some of the build pics [sm=teeth_smile.gif]
I built in the radio gear on the aft side of fuse with a hatch below for batteries to allow for full area in the fuse for bombay or camera eqip in mind. Also cross braced the back of fuse top and bottom. Turned out that I had to put batts deep foward with wieght [sm=72_72.gif]. Could probably add camera gear in the place where I thought the batt would be and ditch the dead wieght up front [sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

flynte

TCrafty

Good stuff Flynte,

I'm wanting to keep the rest of the plane as light as possible and was thinking of carbon fiber gear but seening your set up, I don't think that I would gain that much benefit from the added cost. The design of the tailfeathers is going to add some tail wieght so my servos will most likely be toward the front. Going to the LHS for some more supplies!

bigtj10

My Feedback: (1)

Ed, I don't know if you still are active on here but I just wanted to say how much I have appreciated your columns on flight maneuvers and someone said once that you were going to put all those columns into a book; anything ever come of that? Also, I did not know of your interest in Sig seniors? I too am 77 and not thinking about heaven just yet either; on my way to the field now to fly a foamy pusher - electric so not so much field equipment to haul around - I have neuropathy in my feet and legs and therefore I don't want to have to walk a quarter of a mile out to retrieve a plane that didn't land where I wanted it to land; too much information maybe?

bigtj10

My Feedback: (1)

My kit came with a metal motor mount back in 1983 when I built it; had a 40 size engine then even though it called for something less but I have changed engines several times - now using a Magnum XL 52. When I first built it, I had to add a lot of weight to the nose - an old 12 volt battery post cut in half, one half on each side of the engine.