RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review  
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    • All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Giant Scale Aircraft - General >> RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review
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    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 12/20/2006 7:06:41 PM   
    waldo


     

    Posts: 38
    Joined: 4/3/2002
    From: Dublin, IRELAND
    Status: offline     		Thanks for the info on the robarts oleos fitted to Flair Stearman. I have no issues with the strength or construction off the stock legs other than the length. The Flair model seems to have legs which result in a very high ground sit compared to real aircraft or other models. The angle of the legs in the front view is spot on but wheel track and leg length look wrong. I'll get it sorted eventually when I get that far in the build.

    (in reply to chasrb)
           Post #: 476

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 12/21/2006 2:59:54 AM   
    Cybertom



    Posts: 545
    Joined: 12/2/2002
    From: Streetsboro, OH, USA
    Status: offline     		Chasrb,

    If you want to take it to that extent you will probably need to contact Boeing or the Smithsonian although I think that's an over reaction. The Flair was created from a full scale Stearman in England. I'll see if I can find the photo of it.

    Because the final version of the kit has the cabanes slightly out of place does not mean the whole aircraft it out of scale. It's probably the best scale Stearman out there. My opinion is that the length of the oleo struts is right on. The wheels however are off. This is to be expected. It's what they were able to find in Germany to put in the kit for a reasonable price. The wheels both you and I bought from Glennis Aircraft are more scale but they also weigh twice as much and cost almost half of the entire kit. It depends on what balance you want to achieve when it comes to scale, practicality, performance and cost.

    I went to England and spent 2-days crawling all over a Gloster Gladiator so I could make one from scratch and be sure that it was accurate. I took a Laser Level (with horizontal beam), a 25ft. Tape Measure and many drawings I had prepaired for the trip with dimensions to be filled in. I found that some of the drawings out there are VERY accurate and others are junk. Stearmans are not that hard to find. Why not just find one in your area and measure it? I have these drawings which I have posted before. They're not from Boeing but I think they’re correct.

    PS,
    Looking at this photo of my Stearman under constuction against 2-full scale Stearman...they look DAM close to me!

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    < Message edited by Cybertom -- 12/21/2006 4:05:27 AM >

    _____________________________

    Real airplanes have 2-wings and round engines!

    (in reply to chasrb)
           Post #: 477

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 12/21/2006 11:23:45 AM   
    chasrb



    Posts: 953
    Joined: 1/12/2003
    From: Warrenton, VA, USA
    Status: online     		Cybertom, thanks for the pics and your thoughts on the build. Yes they are very close to scale and to be honest I want to fly my Stearman not look at it as a trophy, but I also want enough cale detail to look nice on the ground as in the air, because at 200 feet up the details are almost unseen. The overall package is what is in the air. We see great examples of that in the Best scale photo forum.

    I went over the manual I have on the PT13/17 (have you accessed it yet?) and really I wanted to know what and where the hardpoints are for the center cabanes so I'll have an idea as to how to craft mine and to see what the length of the cabanes are too.

    I want just scale enough to be proud.

    Since I live in the DC area, I may take a trip to the Archives and get the info I need.

    _____________________________

    Chasman

    (in reply to Cybertom)
           Post #: 478

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 12/21/2006 1:21:11 PM   
    P-51B



    Posts: 6173
    Joined: 10/11/2002
    From: An Iceburg in, ANTARCTICA
    Status: offline
    quote:

    ORIGINAL: chasrb

    Cybertom, thanks for the pics and your thoughts on the build. Yes they are very close to scale and to be honest I want to fly my Stearman not look at it as a trophy, but I also want enough cale detail to look nice on the ground as in the air, because at 200 feet up the details are almost unseen.


    Chasrb,

    Please remember I am going to appoint myself lead peanut gallery instigator to review your plane, so it BETTER be accurate to within 1/1000000 of a nanometer in all respects.

    (Disclaimer, I am sure it will end up much better than any of my handiwork)

    _____________________________

    In order to think "outside the box", one must first accept there IS a box.

    (in reply to chasrb)
           Post #: 479

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 12/22/2006 2:18:11 PM   
    chasrb



    Posts: 953
    Joined: 1/12/2003
    From: Warrenton, VA, USA
    Status: online     		P51-B You should come by the house sometime and check it out! Then maybe you'll get motivated to open your Stearman Box up and glue some wood together...lol


    _____________________________

    Chasman

    (in reply to P-51B)
           Post #: 480

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 1/7/2007 9:14:49 PM   
    chasrb



    Posts: 953
    Joined: 1/12/2003
    From: Warrenton, VA, USA
    Status: online     		Ok just to make sure I am really still building, slowly, but nonetheless building my Flair some quick snaps of it. For the time being I attached the center section as per the plans with the provided cabanes. I did contact Sea Commander to see if the aluminum tube they sell would be strong enough to us as cabanes + they have great flying wire and mounts. I have not heard back yet from them yet.



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    _____________________________

    Chasman

    (in reply to P-51B)
           Post #: 481

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 1/7/2007 11:41:03 PM   
    Cybertom



    Posts: 545
    Joined: 12/2/2002
    From: Streetsboro, OH, USA
    Status: offline     		Charsb,

    I have several pieces of that tubing in different sizes and my call would be no. It would last for a while but eventually fail. If you compare the strength of the stock cabanes to the tubing your thinking about it's no contest the stock cabanes will be much stronger. Now if we can find the same stuff in Chrome moly now you’re talking.

    Another way to do it is to use the tubing as the shell to give it the right look but actually use steel on the inside for the strength. I'm stuck on my Moth because of the same issue. What to do...


    _____________________________

    Real airplanes have 2-wings and round engines!

    (in reply to chasrb)
           Post #: 482

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 1/7/2007 11:49:14 PM   
    Kmot



    Posts: 7732
    Joined: 6/11/2003
    From: Northridge, CA, USA
    Status: offline     		[Off Topic]

    Robin Trower!?! Wow, you go back a ways!

    [/Off Topic]

    _____________________________

    DRILL BABY DRILL!!!

    (in reply to Cybertom)
           Post #: 483

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 1/8/2007 2:14:41 AM   
    chasrb



    Posts: 953
    Joined: 1/12/2003
    From: Warrenton, VA, USA
    Status: online     		I too was wondering about the strength and I also thought about slipping the tube around a core of hardwood or even alum bar. But as you see I am using the stock setup so far. I wonder if we could get a vendor to make a small run of Chome moly tube at a decent price?

    Yes Kmot that I saw Robin Trower in Germany when I was stationed there in the mid-70's, what a great concert, they even let me on the stage to take photos! That would have never happend in the States.

    _____________________________

    Chasman

    (in reply to Cybertom)
           Post #: 484

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 1/8/2007 3:20:26 AM   
    Cybertom



    Posts: 545
    Joined: 12/2/2002
    From: Streetsboro, OH, USA
    Status: offline
    Charsb,

    Boy am I good or am I good! I found a manufacturer who makes commonly unavailable "STREAMLINE" steel tubing in miniature sizes!!! No stopping us now Chasrb!!! I will be unafraid to fly knowing that my cabanes are made out of 4130 steel streamlined tubing!!!

    Now, we need to measure the width of the cabanes on a full scale Stearman and then get some tubing close to 23% of the width.

    AED Enterprises

    _____________________________

    Real airplanes have 2-wings and round engines!

    (in reply to chasrb)
           Post #: 485

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 1/8/2007 12:10:28 PM   
    chasrb



    Posts: 953
    Joined: 1/12/2003
    From: Warrenton, VA, USA
    Status: online     		Cybertom, how the heck did you find these guys! Wow, I'll check to see if I can corral one of my buds who fly in the Flying Circus here to let me on their Stearman for measuments.

    Are you thinking like me to do all the cabanes in the 4130?

    _____________________________

    Chasman

    (in reply to Cybertom)
           Post #: 486

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 1/8/2007 10:04:18 PM   
    Cybertom



    Posts: 545
    Joined: 12/2/2002
    From: Streetsboro, OH, USA
    Status: offline     		Chasrb,

    Just the cabanes that attach the center wing section to the fuselage. It's under a TON of load when pulling out of a dive. The outer wing struts have nowhere near the load of the cabanes on the center section. Let's keep it as light as we can and beef it up where it counts!

    PS,
    Don't forget to add web shearing to the main spar on all 4-wings all the way out to where the outer struts attach. You don't want your wings ripping off as your Seidel pulls you through the most beautiful power loop you every made!


    _____________________________

    Real airplanes have 2-wings and round engines!

    (in reply to chasrb)
           Post #: 487

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 1/8/2007 10:26:31 PM   
    chasrb



    Posts: 953
    Joined: 1/12/2003
    From: Warrenton, VA, USA
    Status: online     		Thanks I have yet to the taping of the spars. BTW did you fiberglas the wing retainers into the ribs?

    Also I hate to bring it up again, but did yiou ever get access to the manual? It not let me know and I can send you a DVD.



    _____________________________

    Chasman

    (in reply to Cybertom)
           Post #: 488

    RE: Flair 1/4 Scale PT-17 Stearman Review - 1/9/2007 5:49:09 AM   
    Cybertom



    Posts: 545
    Joined: 12/2/2002
    From: Streetsboro, OH, USA
    Status: offline     		No I did not fiberglass the wing retainers to the ribs. During my last dead stick landing I had to land in the rough and the Stearman rolled across a small ditch which caused it to flip over. When it landed upside down the stress of that accident tore the wing retainers and much of the ribs out of the lower wings.

    The next time I build this kit I