KitBuilder

My LHS has a number of old NIB kits on his back shelf. Since I started back in the late 70's I have an affinity for these tpes of models. I wasn't planning on buying a kit but picked up the Craft Air Firebird kit. I remember it being advertised etc back in the day. I know it won't perform to todays similar kits / arfs but does anyone have knowledge of this model.. either building or flying. The wood looks to be in fantastic shape though the short edges of the plans about an inch or two in are a tad brittle. At least no one else on the flightline will have one . I'm planning on building it stock unless are there are any known issues needing updates. i got it for 69 beans. he's going to be putting out what he says are many many older kits he has in the back room early next year Can't wait to see what shows up
Mike

If anyone is interested.. i googled craft-air firebird and found this rcuniverse link from a couple years ago. Seems like it's a winner with some larger control surfaces.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_48...tm.htm#4879539

XTOL

Yea...that was my thread. I still have the Firebird kit but
never got around to building it. Last year I built a Hog Bipe
and this winter Im building a Bridi UFO from the RCM plans.

But...I still plan on building the Firebird in the hopefully
not too distant future.

Mike Hammer

MILDBILL-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

If you have read the other thread, then you've read what I have to say about it. I still have that one & love it almost as much as the ultra sports. I have since found another kit, so I have one as a back-up incase the experation date of my current one approches too quickly. Bill

KitBuilder

Thanks for the info.. after looking over the plan.. I htink I'm going the slightly convext the flat hatch in the front to give it a lil nicer look. The Bridi UFO... they don't make'm like that anymore! Looks fast sittin still.

Free Bird

Here's a pic of the ad that appeared many moons ago. Hopefully this will get you going on a build thread!

BTW - What else does your LHS have on the back shelf? I'm always looking for old kits. TIA!

FB

KitBuilder

I remember that ad !!... I have the tail (vertical and horizontal) built.. basically it's solid balsa pieces butt jointed togeter, and the fuse is just about done. lots of solidbalsa that sheet that requires shaping in this kit.. Was thinking of cutting some lightening holes but I'm going to leave it stock. I've never had a plane with landing gear in the wings. Seems nice and wide so ground handling should be nice. I was thinking of glassing / painting everytihng but the wing since it's all solid balsa though I haven't done that before. I have an Evolution 46 in my fourstar and a magnum 52 4 stroke. The 52 would sit the prop a good 1.5 inches out past that shown on the plan so I may go with the Evo ringed .46.

I'll go check what he has since he did say he was going to bring some out... I saw the old Soar Ace, I think the ken willard Headmaster and some others.

KitBuilder

I started the wing tonight and included a pic of the root and tip rib as I have a question. The wing has a rearward sweep from the leading edge but I lined up the ribs at the tip for the pic. Instructions say there is a spacer to put under the tip rib. This is my first symetrical wing which is also swept rearward. Ideally I am assuming the wing should be built with the tip rib centered top/bottom in relation to the main rib however the spacer is not high enough to exactly center the tip rib top and bottom on the root. The tip rib will be about 1/8"+ low assuming it's built exactly. Is this standard to have the tip rib slightly lower on wings where the ribs are all not same dimentions? Not sure if I explained this cleary [sm=confused_smile.gif] I have an older version of a wing jig and I think by stacking the ribs as if the spacer was at the tip and drilling the holes may be the way to go. I noticed by putting the spacer under the tip and just piecing everything together the middle sagged a bit and putting a piece to fit midway was a little cumbersome.

MILDBILL-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

Hello Mike, I went out to the barn & opened my kit to see what it has. I found a taper'd lenth of balsa 3/8 x 3/4 that would be pinned down on the board at the spar location. Then the spar will pin to it, & this is what sets up the vertical taper (root to tip)on the wing. The spar tapers rearward from the fuselage center line.(center of the nose cone to the center of the rudder.) the leading edge tapers rearward steeper than the spar, & the trailing edge tapers forward. The tip rib may rest lower than center in referance to the root rib, but as long as the ribs are set 90 degrees to the building surface, they will be correct. The dihedral will be set up in the root ribs angle'd in at top,(from 90 degrees) & sanded to acheve the 7/8 at each tip before joining the halfs together. Bill

KitBuilder

Great.. thank you... I understood and agree with all you said except I don't have the tapered dummy spar in my kit on which to lay the bottom spar for actual building in the correct setup I guess that's why I'm having some issues. I'll see about making one up.. I've got plenty of scrap balsa sticks, etc.

Thanks for looking..I couldn't understand why it was so difficult the figure out what they were saying on the wing setupt... having that tapered spar would have made it obvious. Thanks again for looking it was a big help.

Here's what I have so far

MILDBILL-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

Looks great Mike, I had built mine back in 1999, so memories fading as to exactly how it was done. I do not remember having any problems though. I did cut lighting hole through the fuselage & tail surface's. There's alot of wood & strenth back there & I wanted lite as posible. I did mine tail dragger to give prop clearance for the 70 fourstroke I used. I even out fitted for ski's so winter flying is possible too. great airplane, you should like it alot.

KitBuilder

thanks.. I understand now why symetrical wings have "tabs" on the ribs in newer kits to keep them postioned correctly. With the spar rising out toward the tip and these ribs being tabless this is presenting quite a challenge to to keep the ribs set horizontally and correct prior to glueing. I'm using Mercury thin and it doesn't seem to be giving a good bondt so I guess I may have an old batch or sometihng. Going to switch brands so I can better tack things in place as I go which will help in keeping the alighment correct.

MILDBILL-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

It has been too many years ago for me to remember exactly how that wing is built, but this might help you Mike. The pics are from my crummy cel-phone, but I hope you get the idea. I find the center (front - back) of each rib & draw a center line. Then put 2 pins along that line & rest a level on the pins, then space the rear of the rib up with scrap balsa glued on to keep the rib level with the building surface. Works great even with the spacers out towards the tip. The ribs stay put nicely as you build more of the wing until the structure is strong enough to hold it's own shape. Bill

KitBuilder

Funny... that is similar to what I did... the instructions say to draw a centerline on each rib for liniing up the leading and trailing edge which also have CL's drawn on them. What i did was rubber band with a small elastic a level on the centerline of rib and ca'd the ribs in place while i held them.. worked fine. So I now have the ribs and top and bottom spar in place. The pic is after the 0 to 3/8" angled dummy spar was removed The notches in ribs 3 and 4 are for the landing gear block assembly.