RE: Balsa USA Stearman  
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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 12/1/2006 4:33:40 AM   
subarubrat


 

Posts: 612
Joined: 4/1/2005
From: Remington, VA, USA
Status: offline 		My fuse is now covered, pinking taped, and primed. It is going to get a flat latex with a poly clear gloss over it. The pinking tape is an evil thing, details to follow.






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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 12/1/2006 4:39:24 AM   
subarubrat


 

Posts: 612
Joined: 4/1/2005
From: Remington, VA, USA
Status: offline 		Pinking tape, or at least what I was using was near impossible. The kit came with a dozen rolls or so and I used part of all of them. You can pull off a few inches or feet and then one of a few failures happen. It leaves it's adheasive on the back of the next layer, or grabs part of the layer beneath, or breaks. Even after cutting through a few layers it may or may not allow you to get a few more inches or feet. If all pinking tape is like this, I need a few more rolls.

Here is a shot of the discarded failed tape



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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 12/1/2006 5:46:42 PM   
GregG7


 

Posts: 55
Joined: 9/29/2003
From: Fremont, CA, USA
Status: offline 		F&M enterprises sells pinking tape that is much better than the stuff from Balsa USA. I attempted to use the Balsa USA stuff on my 1/3 scale cub, but had the same problems you described. I then got the tapes from F&M, and had much better results.

Greg

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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 12/1/2006 8:20:37 PM   
subarubrat


 

Posts: 612
Joined: 4/1/2005
From: Remington, VA, USA
Status: offline 		Another point came up. The stock wheels are fine, but once you drill out the hub to accept the larger Sierra axles it becomes too thin and I actually had one separate. Those of you running Sierra gear, what did you do? Is there another hub, or did you just go to a different wheel?



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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 2/1/2007 4:49:28 AM   
Buzz Kill



Posts: 119
Joined: 1/30/2005
From: Gainesville, GA, USA
Status: offline 		Stearman is coming along nicely, I got the fuse covered tonight and plan on getting the paint on it sometime in the next two weeks. Here is some photos of my cockpit. More to come soon, please enjoy.

Buzz Killingsworth

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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 2/1/2007 11:25:31 PM   
Forgues Research



Posts: 3411
Joined: 12/15/2001
From: Glen Robertson, ON, CANADA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Buzz Kill

Stearman is coming along nicely, I got the fuse covered tonight and plan on getting the paint on it sometime in the next two weeks. Here is some photos of my cockpit. More to come soon, please enjoy.

Buzz Killingsworth



WOW, that is awesome, I lke the cockpit keep up the good work

Roger

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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 2/2/2007 4:45:14 PM   
riph


 

Posts: 37
Joined: 12/21/2001
From: Carrollton, TX, USA
Status: offline 		I am considering a Balsa USA Stearman in the bones and covered with fabric that is for sale. My choice of engines would be the 215cc RCS radial that weighs 13 lbs. Do you think that I will have a problem meeting the 55lbs. weight limit?

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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 2/3/2007 1:09:59 AM   
subarubrat


 

Posts: 612
Joined: 4/1/2005
From: Remington, VA, USA
Status: offline 		No, not if your being reasonable about the finish and extras. I am painting mine right now, had a few issues with getting the gun set right and there are a few spots I am not proud of, but it is getting sorted out. Pics up soon.

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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 2/12/2007 12:03:43 AM   
subarubrat


 

Posts: 612
Joined: 4/1/2005
From: Remington, VA, USA
Status: offline 		It still needs allot of trim and detail work, obviously. Although it looks good so far there is going to be a struggle in rigging this plane. BUSA $@&*# me again with their landing gear. When I did the original assembly and setup of the top section I used the BUSA gear (pre-assembled) and when I switched to the Sierra gear everything was 1/2 inch off as I was assembeling it after painting. The bottom right wingtip was just over 1/2 inch lower than the left. The top section was tilted as well. As you know, the box recepticle for the lower spar is a core part of the wing, to adjust it's position would mean tearing off the covering, and essentially rebuilding most of the wing. There is some play and I am hoping I can rig out enough on each side to get it square. Wondering how this goof could have happened I grabbed the BUSA professionally pre-assembled gear and measured it. Sure enough, one was built just over 1/4 longer than the other. It continues to baffle me how they can do some things so well then ship something so useless.






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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 2/13/2007 3:25:47 PM   
SoCalSal


 

Posts: 913
Joined: 3/5/2005
From: spring valley , CA, USA
Status: offline 		Have you started that engine yet??? If not let me know and I may be able to help you with some pointers on it as I run the same engine on my Waco.
One thing I will tell you....WEAR A GLOVE on the hand you flip it over with. This engine can bite you HARD if it flips back during starting and hits any part of your hand (and it will at times). It is also very very sensitive to the low needle setting after it warms up. Other than that it is the most beautiful thing to hear and watch as it warms up. Very easy to start after you figure out the proper steps to starting it cold. My Waco is 46 lbs RTF and this engine has way more than enough power to fly it WAY MORE it flys my Waco at 1/3 throttel after take- off yet will almost hold it vertical if you like those types of things. If I fly it without doing full power stunts all the time I can get 30 minutes on a tank (1500cc) and still have about 10 minutes of fuel left in the tank on landing.

Good luck with your build, I'm going to buy the Stearman as my next project.

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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 2/14/2007 12:42:20 AM   
subarubrat


 

Posts: 612
Joined: 4/1/2005
From: Remington, VA, USA
Status: offline 		I have run the engine a fair ammount on the bench for the simple pleasure of listening to it. I was prepared for a fussy and high strung engine because of it's complexity but the thing is probably the best mannered engine I have owned. It startes on the first or second flip and has no bad habbits. The only thing I have made sure to keep in mind is that the idle can be set much lower than it can reliably transition to and from. However that idle is still slower and smoother than any other engine I have ever owned or seen.

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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 2/24/2007 7:03:30 AM   
subarubrat


 

Posts: 612
Joined: 4/1/2005
From: Remington, VA, USA
Status: offline 		Can any BUSA Stearman owner please post the CG measurement and wing incidence measurements? Part of my manual got wrecked in a basement water incident and BUSA won't be open till Monday.



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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 3/5/2007 2:40:47 AM   
Buzz Kill



Posts: 119
Joined: 1/30/2005
From: Gainesville, GA, USA
Status: offline 		Slow but steady progress on the Stearman, I am gunning for Joe Nall in May. I should have the boot cowl and tail surfaces final painted this week.

Buzz Killingsworth

Attachments
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RE: Balsa USA Stearman - 3/12/2007 2:45:36 AM   
ditrdigger2


 

Posts: 6
Joined: 2/18/2004
From: maplewood, MN, USA
Status: offline