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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 11/10/2012 10:25 PM   
curtrc


 

Posts: 68
Score: 100
Joined: 4/14/2012
Last Login: 1/30/2013
From: , GA, USA
Status: offline 		SHE FLEW!

Taxi and ground-handling was good and predictable.

Take-off was easy with no surprises.. was pretty hard to keep her on the ground!

Was nice and gentle, even with no dihedral, of course that also meant a tendedcy to just stay where I put it, but that was the idea

Once I had her trimmed I tried a few basic aerobatics and WOW. Tracked the maneuvers like it was on rails. No hesitation or obvious bad habits. Had some engine tuning issues which resulted in a dead-stick but the glide was gentle and smooth. Gear held up great even with a minor bounce. No tendency to ground-loop that I was able to detect.

I'll post the video as soon as I edit it together!


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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 11/11/2012 12:16 PM   
golliher


 

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Joined: 11/11/2012
Last Login: 11/11/2012
From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA
Status: offline 		 Congrats on the maiden!   It was a treat to see it fly yesterday.   I only hope the video turns out ok.   Now that I've found your build thread and see the history.. wow.   

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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 11/11/2012 3:25 PM   
AA5BY


 

Posts: 1969
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Joined: 9/7/2006
Last Login: 5/24/2013
From: White Oak, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Great news about a good maiden. Looking forward to the video. Congrats on a project culminating in such a good outcome.

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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 11/11/2012 4:18 PM   
rgunder


 

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Joined: 7/14/2005
Last Login: 2/24/2013
From: Vista, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Great job, congrats!

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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 11/14/2012 3:40 AM   
curtrc


 

Posts: 68
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Joined: 4/14/2012
Last Login: 1/30/2013
From: , GA, USA
Status: offline 		Okay here it is- http://northarc.com/maiden_flight.wmv

It's not exciting, and the engine is tuned horribly (I know that now, I didn't know it then) but even so the design was a joy to fly, I was nervous but somehow not the "shaking in my boots" nervous that I usually am, because the response was so positive and solid. It may not look it in the video but I felt completely connected to everything it was doing. except for the bounce

Looking forward to getting back out there and getting the engine tuned right so I can try some more daring stuff and not be fearful that the engine will cut out at any moment.



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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 11/14/2012 11:04 AM   
AA5BY


 

Posts: 1969
Score: 153
Joined: 9/7/2006
Last Login: 5/24/2013
From: White Oak, TX, USA
Status: offline 		It looks to fly very well and don't fret about a bounce on an early flight... your entitled to time to get familiar with the plane and beyond any jitters associated with the maiden of a self designed scratch build.

The engine ran fine and if it was a bit fat... far better than to suffer heating up on a maiden flight and perhaps dieing.

Thanks for sharing your adventure in both the build thread and the video. Wishing that the plane gives you many hours of enjoyment beyond the great satisfaction thus far enjoyed in the design and build.

If this is your first original design... welcome to a fraternity of those who have made similar efforts and enjoyed similar accomplishment.

Great effort to wit you should feel proud.

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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 11/20/2012 10:38 PM   
packocrayons


 

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Last Login: 4/30/2013
From: Stittsville, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		Do you happen to have plans in PDF format?

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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 11/21/2012 5:03 AM   
curtrc


 

Posts: 68
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From: , GA, USA
Status: offline 		 I've had about half a dozen requests for the "plans" now so I'll just make it known here that I do intend to provide them.

Right now the design is literally a 3D model with the details all in my head. Exhastively researched, but I can hardly scan in a pile of notes.  I would like to annotate a few important bits and emphasize some parts of the design being a bit more crucial than others.

I will make available for download PDF details of all the important 1:1 views suitable for building the Dash, as well as 2D cad drawings suitable for laser-cut and I can strongly reccomend the service I used with rgunder, he was fast, precise, and very reasonably priced. The design he has on file will work but there are a number of important refinements I would like to add so give me a small bit of time to iterate on that.

At least one builder wanted a scaled-down version? Sure if you want, but I don't know how much sense that makes, the point of this build was that there were no 3D models of this size. There are bunches slightly bigger (Great Planes makes an ARF)  and I'm pretty sure there are some smaller ones, but now that I think on it all the ones I'm thinking of are electric. bah. can't call it a pitts unless it's growling at you, IMO.

Give me a week or so depending on workload. If anyone wants the full digital 3D model, PM me and we can talk, it represents a metric buttload of work and I don't know if I just want to give it away.



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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 11/22/2012 9:53 AM   
Coight


 

Posts: 1
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Joined: 11/12/2012
Last Login: 3/5/2013
From: , AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		Beautiful job of the design and build.  I'm just starting new to RC planes but already having a go at a scratch build using the free plan that comes in the RCM&E magazine.  Hopefully one day I'll have the experience to do the same as yourself and create something unique as you have done.

So what's on the drawing board next?



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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 11/30/2012 1:56 PM   
curtrc


 

Posts: 68
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Joined: 4/14/2012
Last Login: 1/30/2013
From: , GA, USA
Status: offline 		Making modifications to the design, taking into account the build, its going to be a zillion times easier the second time around, mods include:

- Split bulkheads and part squaring so the main fuse can be built upside-down on a flat surface, ditching the two-tube jig (which didn't work all that well)
- Frame rails extended all the way to the firewall for added strength. I did this as a mod on the A
- Adding notches for stringers in the front fuse I had neglected to add the first time around
- Wingmounts reworked to reflect how I actually had to build it
- Tail design modded slightly to reflect how I had to build it
- Now that I have a better feel for what a laser-cutter can do, removing a lot of extra weight.

I want to rework the front/rear fuse joining, but it would be damn hard since I would have to rework the entire center-section to account for the radio box curving outward instead of being square. The benefit is trivial, basically the removal of 4 squares of balsa, and I'm not entirely sure I want to do that, since they are nice cushions for the lower wing, and handy mount points in the radio area. (I attached the smoke pump to the upper ones, fit like a glove) I will likely do that for the Dash-C, if there is one, I don't want to change TOO much away from a design I know works and flies well.

This is going to take at least another week, and chances are I will be building a second one "some day". or at least order a short kit. Anyone else interested? The more I can put together the lower the cost ends up being. I expect the figure to be in the neighborhood of $200-$250, whatever the cutter quotes, I'm not trying to make a profit.

And here is a random pic from the new design


Attachments
Click to see fullsize image.
Click for fullsize


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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 12/8/2012 7:50 PM   
curtrc


 

Posts: 68
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Coight

So what's on the drawing board next?



In the catagory of "always wanted" I've now checked both the "biplane" box and the "designed my own" box.

Sherman! Set the Wayback Machine to... 1983. I was on my first large boy scout camporee, when I heard a buzzing, looked up, and saw: An R/C  flying snoopy doghouse. It was the first R/C aircraft I had ever seen (remember those times before the Internet?) and I was entranced. I wanted one. Its probably one of the main reasons I got into flying in the first place.

I never did make one. It's fundamentally a bad aircraft design I guess, haven't encountered a kit for one except for the FlyingThingz one: http://flyingthingz.com/products/doghouse.html which does look pretty good.

So yes I want to design and build my own. I have several design constraints that may make the design ultimately impractical:

- It must resemble, at least in profile, as closely as possible a Snoopy+Doghouse. No engines hanging out the front.
- Landing gear likewise hidden/retracted
- Stable such that some aerobatics are possible

As rare as these are, I know I am following a well-trod path full of both failure and success. I've done some research and read a few posts. I'm planning to throw down some kind of configuation once I have the design straight in my head. I'll start a new build thread on it if I go forward.



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RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12 - 12/10/2012 1:39 AM   
AA5BY


 

Posts: 1969
Score: 153
Joined: 9/7/2006
Last Login: 5/24/2013
From: White Oak, TX, USA
Status: offline 		I was surprised to hear that the tube jig for building didn't go that well. Building inverted using a forward box works well even if the box tapers aft, though probably heavier than formers only. I built an original design last winter that way. As you are thinking, it was built inverted to the stage of the forward round former and upper fore and aft turtle decks and hatch but can come safely off the board by those with no concern for staying aligned.

I'll offer my build pages for your reference.

http://pages.suddenlink.net/arlyn/30cc_ss.html



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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD >> RE: Scratch Building 1/4-Scale Pitts Model-12
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