Minnreefer

I know that there are a lot of questions like these, my friend and I want to build a kit together, it would be a first kit for both of us. We are both newer pilots, I have 3 years under my belt and he jsut has 1/2 year. He currently has a 4* 40, I don't, but I don't think he wants to build another one. We are both looking at either a sport plane or an non cub scale type plane, maybe a beaver? I would prefer a plane that I can use an OS 61 on.

I am thinking about:

1. Chipmunk

2. Sig Somethin extra

3. Tiger

4. other??????

Thanks

dragonov3

My Feedback: (3)

The Ace Cloud Dancer .60 is a really nice plane. Easy to build and flys awesome. Simaler to your 4*40. The something extra is also nice but requires a .40 size engine. A.60 would be to much weight. I built the Chipmunk, something extra and the cloud dancer, chipmonk is a little more involved to build but still a very nice plane if you take your time building it.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Don't lie to us Jon, we know that you don't have any friends

I don't think the Ace Cloud Dancer .60 is still available as a KIT, but you can't go wrong with the Goldberg Chipmunk or the Tiger 60

Minnreefer

I did not see the cloud dancer as a kit.

I have to bribe him with fuel, does that count as a friend ?

smkrcflyer

Go with the Chipmunk. There is one on ebay now, item number 270485927592.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Minnreefer

How is the chippy for a first build? I have a Hog bipe in the box waiting to be built, bt I would rather not mess up on that plane.

Jon

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

The Chippy is not difficult at all

outdoorhunting

Go with the "Chippy" !! They are an easy build & fly extremely well. On landing it will have to come in a little "hot" compared to the 4*. Mine has lasted me going on 3 yrs. ( It must be an easy plane to fly) hahaha

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Not at all! The Chippy has flaps! Drop the flaps and she floats like a trainer.

outdoorhunting

Flapssmaps !!! Only sissies use flaps!!!!!! hehehe

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Flaps RULE!

outdoorhunting

If ya can't land it hot, take her around again !!!!

TFF

Ultra Sport 60 or a Kaos 60 if you want something pattern like, but to be different I would pick the Goldberg Ultimate. Easy to build and easy to fly.

twn

The goldberg Ultimate. Easy to fly, perhaps if you keep the rates low. Easy to build not so much...

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_9018718/tm.htm

Minnreefer

Thanks guys, I am leaning towards the Chipmunk, I don't knwo why, but I love those planes, I also like the Kaos and the Ultra Sport, but I want something fairly easy for a first build.

Jon

jimamosn8cah

Did someone say Chipmunk build?

I've get this one about 65% completed. I agree with your assesment that there's something about the Chipmunk!

It is actually a fairly easy build, as it comes in the kit. However, there are some things I did to the kit to try and make it even better:

1. I Bought the aftermarket fiberglass cowel
2. Actually, I ditched all of the plastic parts, and replaced with Balsa wing tipe & light ply for the rest The one thing I didn't like about the chipmunks that I saw was the way the plastic looked after a year or two.
3. I installed a pull-pull rudder control
4. I changed the tail wheel so that it was driven from spring connections to the rudder to isolate the rudder servo from the tail wheel.
5. Power: Saito 100!
6. Dual wing Servos. This allows Flaperon operation if needed (I've heard it's not)

One other note, I've seen reference to week landing gear mounts in the wing, so you may want to re-inforce this area bit (better ply ribs?) and have it well glued. I did not see these notes until after Ibuilt my wing, so we'll see. But, I didn't notice any significant diferences in structure between the Chipmunk, and say, the landing gear in a Tiger 2.



Actually, I would have probably had it completed by now except that I crashed my Pulse XT. I then proceeded to build a new fuselage for the Pulse, which meant Iactually had to draw some plans for one!

Have a great time with the build, and please, post some pictures of your progress. Also, please post if you have any questions regarding the kit, or something that I did with mine.

Dead eyes

My Feedback: (1)

I vote Tower Hobbies Uproar.

TFF

I like the Kaos and Ultra sport for first builds, but with the Ultimate, I built the kit in a week and a half. I bet a friend i could build it faster than he and his new ARF kaos; I beat him by 3 weeks.

EscapeFlyer

My Feedback: (1)

I think Mike will be crushed if you don't build the chippy, dude.

[sm=wink_smile.gif]

Brian

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Build the Chippy Jon. here are my recommendations:

Keep the plastic parts, they will make the build easier.

The only "Major" mod I would consider is to switch to dual aileron servos. I usually recommend going with a single servo for ailerons as two servos on a plane like this is overkill, however, the only thing I didn't like about the engineering of this kit was the bell crank for the ailerons. You can skip this mod however, by using ball links on the bell cranks.

One of the really cool things about this plane is the cowl. It comes in a left and right half that are supposed to get glued together by adding a piece of scrap ABS to the inside of the seam. But my dad found a better way to do it that I wish like hell I had done on mine:

Instead of gluing the two halves, just glue a few strips of scrap to one half and then screw the other half to the strips. This way, if you ever need to make adjustments to the engine, you can remove just the one side of the cowl (or both sides) without removing the spinner and prop! This is a MAJOR time saver!

There is even one spot where the cowl touches the forward-most tip of the engine mount. You can drill a hole there and screw the cowl right to the mount to help keep vibration down.