Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe?  
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> RC Scale Aircraft >> Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe?
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Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 11/30/2003 2:43:06 AM   
Xrod



Posts: 204
Joined: 11/26/2003
From: Eglin AFB, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Guys, I'd like to get your views on which kit to get. Both these planes fit the bill for looks and price (both about $125) I plan to use a TT .91 fs. This is my third RC plane. I have CL and full scale experience, and am a good builder. What do you think might be better suited to this engine and which is the better flying airplane? I appreciate any thoughts or views that you guys can share.
       Post #: 1

RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 11/30/2003 3:08:20 AM   
Ernest-T



Posts: 169
Joined: 11/9/2003
From: Lewisville, NC, USA
Status: offline 		I've flown both, but only built the Pica WACO. Both are good fliers, with the EAA bipe being more on the acrobatic side, and probably a little faster in the air. The Pica WACO is a real builders kit...........basically a box of sticks, but builds a really light biplane. I would suspect that the BUSA kit is easier to build, based on other kits from there that I have built. The 91 will be more than enough power for either (I know you will have to cut a hole in the cowl of the WACO to fit it in........not sure about the EAA).

I would lean toward the EAA bipe if you want easier building, and maybe more acrobatic (translate to a little harder to handle in the air), and the WACO for a nicer looking (IMO) slightly more sedate flier with lots of variations and detailing possibilities if you are into scale stuff.

You can't go wrong with either,

Good luck!


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Martin
AMA: 240487

(in reply to Xrod)
       Post #: 2

RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 11/30/2003 12:59:24 PM   
stefanP



Posts: 228
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: southington, CT, USA
Status: offline 		Only gripe I have about B-USA is that the planes useally come out tail heavy.I have built a couple of there kits too.have fun,stefanP

(in reply to Ernest-T)
       Post #: 3

RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 11/30/2003 1:27:33 PM   
Xrod



Posts: 204
Joined: 11/26/2003
From: Eglin AFB, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks for your response. I never thought I would be so lucky as to hear from someone that had flown both of these models! Based on your posts I have decided that I should get.....BOTH! I'm going to start with the Pica kit though and at a later date try the EAA Bipe....It has some pretty lines too. I am interested in aerobatics, but think that there are other planes better suited to the task than a biplane. The sight of a nice biplane with a good sound (four stroke), and scale flight characteristics (dive to pick up speed for a loop and float over the top).....well you know where I'm going with this. Any ideas on where I can find a 1/6 scale dummy radial for the Pica kit? Do you recommend the cockpit kit they sell? Thanks for the help.

(in reply to stefanP)
       Post #: 4

RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 11/30/2003 3:11:55 PM   
GarySS


 

Posts: 1653
Joined: 4/11/2002
From: Center of the Flyover States,
Status: offline 		If you are true to scale you will need a 7 cylinder (not 9) radial. Actually only 6 are needed assuming your real cylinder qualifies! Some sources are linked below:


http://www.aerotechmodels.com/dummy.htm


http://www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com/CATALOG.HTM (Fiberglass specialties has some Dummy engines)


http://www.williamsbrosinc.com/release.html

(in reply to Xrod)
       Post #: 5

RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 11/30/2003 3:48:07 PM   
Ernest-T



Posts: 169
Joined: 11/9/2003
From: Lewisville, NC, USA
Status: offline 		I converted my Pica WACO UPF (as built from the kit) into the more rare ZPF-6 version which has a closed rear cockpit and open front cockpit (although most of the time the front cockpit was covered). I do not know about the cockpit kit offered for this plane, but suspect it would enhance the scale detailing. I do recommend replacing the ABS cowl and wheel pants for Fiberglass ones. And you may want to go to a larger size wire for the landing gear (especially if you fly off grass).

I currently fly mine with an inverted Enya 90 with on-board glow system.

I believe that Top Flite also makes some dummy radial kits for cowled engines (front half of engine only).


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AMA: 240487

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RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 12/2/2003 12:29:39 AM   
swooper



Posts: 251
Joined: 11/25/2003
From: Victor, ID, USA
Status: offline 		Can't comment on these specific kits, but from building a Pica Jungmeister die-cut kit, want to recommend getting the laser-cut updated kit. It's gotta be worth some extra expense to avoid cutting out and sanding every part to shape. The parts were FAR from dropping out of the sheets. There are still some die-cut kits around, I'd ask which it is.
The cockpit kit for the Pica 1/5 Waco consists of lightweight vacuum-formed panels and seat. The panels line the cockpit sides and floor, providing some detail. Worth the $? Probably a scale competitor will want to build everything from scratch while a sport flyer won't bother with any of it. So the cockpit kit seemed best for someone wanting to "kind of" detail the plane without spending a lot of time on it. I'd assume the 1/6 cockpit kit is very similar.

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RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 12/2/2003 4:54:34 AM   
Xrod



Posts: 204
Joined: 11/26/2003
From: Eglin AFB, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks for all the advice. I went ahead and ordered the Pica kit from Quantum for $125. I wouldn't be surprised to find that it is not the laser cut kit. Pica kits from the manufacturer are more like $200, I wonder if that makes up the difference? I'll post back and let you know. In a way, I'm a bit afraid to work on an all out scale effort until my flying skills improve! At my flying field, the few scale modelers spend months building, and then crash their creations on maiden flights (perhaps because they are so busy building that they don't practice!) I don't want this to happen to me. I think I will fly it, see what it needs and what I like and don't like about it, then build another one to scale. That is unless I find another plane that I like better. The SE5 looks nice! Thanks again.

(in reply to swooper)
       Post #: 8

RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 12/4/2003 11:12:03 PM   
Xrod



Posts: 204
Joined: 11/26/2003
From: Eglin AFB, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Just wanted to let you know that I got my kit from Quantum Models..the Pica Waco YMF-3 for $125 with free shipping, and it is the new laser cut kit. I think thats a pretty good buy and I'm happy with it. Lots to build now. What exactly is meant by "stand off scale" ?

(in reply to Xrod)
       Post #: 9

RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 12/11/2003 7:07:07 PM   
rcmiket


 

Posts: 1648
Joined: 12/11/2003
From: El Paso, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Pica kits build and fly well.The woods always good stuff.Ive seen and flown several Wacos they all flew well even the ones on the heavy side.Picas then to build tailheavy so watch the rear end.Cutting lighting holes in the aft formers will save a bit of weight.Ive built ther Mustang and T-28 plus their new small F-4U and you will enjoy working the kit.Hope you like to sand.Good luck.

(in reply to Xrod)
       Post #: 10

RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 3/6/2004 2:04:03 PM   
Garthwood


 

Posts: 494
Joined: 5/2/2003
From: mississauga, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		A bit late to comment on this thread. I too bought the Pica Waco 1/6 scale from Quantum. A very good price for this kit. It's quite a handful to built. I started to build this kit in January of this year, so far I finished the top wing. I stopped because I got a Funtana for Christmas and completed putting it together recently. So now I'm back to the Waco. Not a kit to be rushed, the manual has no pretty pictures to guide you. One has to think ahead during the construction of this kit, but in the end it works out.

My hold up on this kit is the decision of whether I should have two wing servos (bottom wing, one on each side) in lieu of the single servo as on the plans. It won't look scale like, but I'm more interested in seeing better handling and response. This is a nostalgic bi-plane and hate to see it destroyed. A friend of mine has one of these and he opted with one servo but with more torque, flies great he says. Any comments out there in regard to wing servos ?.

Garthwood

(in reply to rcmiket)
       Post #: 11

RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 3/7/2004 1:47:39 AM   
TomCrump



Posts: 2246
Joined: 4/7/2003
From: Traverse City, MI, USA
Status: offline 		I have the 1/6 Pica WACO kit. I plan on a servo for each side of the bottom wing. I don't like the idea of one servo, no matter what the size, for four control surfaces.

Can't wait to get started, but have a Focke Wulf to complete first.

< Message edited by TomCrump -- 3/6/2004 8:48:36 PM >

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RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 3/7/2004 2:25:18 AM   
Ernest-T



Posts: 169
Joined: 11/9/2003
From: Lewisville, NC, USA
Status: offline 		I've built 2 of the Pica WACOs and I would recommend putting a servo in each wing. Keep in mind that there are ailerons in each wing connected together. Although a good high torque servo could probably push all 4 surfaces around, each of those linkages is a point of possible failure.


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Martin
AMA: 240487

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RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 3/7/2004 2:34:03 AM   
Xrod



Posts: 204
Joined: 11/26/2003
From: Eglin AFB, FL, USA
Status: offline 		My Waco is built and has had her maiden flight! I was surprised to see this thread pop up again. Mine has a Thunder Tiger .91 fs, and sounds and looks great. I used Solartex fabric. I haven't wrung it out in the air yet because I'm not sure that I trust the clips that mount the interplane struts. I can transport the plane assembled in my Explorer, so I think I will safety wire those connections. I also used the single aileron servo (Futaba 3004). The roll rate is slow despite having four of them. I am having problems with the airlerons centering properly. I wonder if it is not enough torque, or if the extreme slant of the aileron connect struts has something to do with it. I am thinking about going with a higher torque servo or mounting one in each wing. Rudder authority is huge! Makes for interesting take off rolls and high speed ground handling with the closely spaced gear. I noticed that I needed a lot of up trim and borrowed an incidence meter and found that my horizontal stab has a +4 degrees incidence. Hate to remove the stab so will probably just live with it. Wish I had used the meter while building. I fear no kit after building this one. Good luck.
Steve

(in reply to Xrod)
       Post #: 14

RE: Pica 1/6 Waco vs. BUSA EAA Bipe? - 3/7/2004 2:38:36 AM