Posts: 592
Joined: 4/26/2002 From: Duncan,
SC, USA Status: offline
Your correct the FTE radials are a little heavy,you also have to beef them up with lite ply on the back or they will tend to crack between cylinders which adds even more weight, but if you paint them the way that Frank explains to with the spray paint they are beautiful and are hard to beat for looks. I'm am also using a TF dummy that I had laying around for years versus the one that came with the plane, which is really kind of lame. The FTE radial is better used on a 30 lb plane where your going more scale and have the engine to push the extra weight. I had one in my Ziroli 92" p-47 but it weighed in at 35 lbs. and had a 75cc motor pushing it It's a great looking dummy but on second thought it is too heavy for this particular frame unless you really need the extra nose weight.
< Message edited by fryfly -- 1/1/2008 10:09:11 PM >
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Posts: 174
Joined: 8/15/2006 From: , MT, USA Status: offline
Boltman, maximus, or anyone else, have you made anymore progress on your planes? Maximus I am really interested in what you did with your landing gear. Did you use larger wheels than the ones supplied with the kit? Is there a way to work the inner door mod that you made other than with the air cylinder? I would like to do the same thing on mine but don't have air retracts.
Posts: 143
Joined: 12/9/2001 From: Centerville,
UT, USA Status: offline
Slowglow, the wheels are bigger. They are 4.5" Dubro Treaded Lightweight wheels. The doors could be operated by a micro servo mounted in between the root rib and the next rib out, which I contemplated doing, but it would take some effort to get everything set up just right for the proper amount of travel.
Pics below are of tailgear doors. I took the factory gear cover and filled in the slot and screw holes with glass and epoxy then cut it in half on the bandsaw. With the offset hinge shown it will work well.
I have already a G-45 and I want to use this one insted of a G-38. Does anyone have pictures of the installation of a G-45? Wich muffler are you using?
Posts: 143
Joined: 12/9/2001 From: Centerville,
UT, USA Status: offline
Well it's not major but takes some thought and preparation (measurements) before you start. What I did was take a compass and draw a circle 5'' in diameter, or you could use anything in the house that is close to that diameter, on some card stock or thick paper. I then cut that out and lay it so the centerline of the circle lines up with the centerline of the retract mounts and clears the first rib in from the root rib by about 1/8". You can get the measurements of where the side of the rib is by measuring through the hole in the root rib and then transferring that measurement to the bottom of the wing. Trace the outline of the circle on the ultracote with a fine tip sharpie. This gives you a reference where the wheel well will be. I then enlarged a drawing of the actual P-47 gear doors from a three-view I had until they covered the 5" circle. My doors go from the spar almost to the back of the leading edge. I printed them out on card stock and cut them out. I then traced around them onto the bottom of the wing as well.
The great thing about this arf is that they sandwiched the existing fiberglass wheel well between the wing sheeting and the leading edge and spar. This helped out alot because you can use it as a lip for the gear doors to rest on. I then took the dremel with a cylindrical cutting bit and cut around the 5" circle. When this is done you can just tug on the old wheel well and it will pop out. I then cut the sheeting with a hobby knife around the perimeter of the gear door outline. Then you just kind of pop the balsa sheeting loose from the fiberglass under it. This leaves a fiberglass shelf all the way around the gear door outline. I then took the dremel and trimmed the fiberglass around the outline left in the balsa leaving about 3/16" of the fiberglass forming a lip for the gear doors to rest on when closed. This is the white lip around the opening as seen in the pictures. Then you just take the dremel and auger away the ribs that are in the way so the wheel and struts clear when retracted. Then trim the fiberglass lip back until it's flush with the rib so you can hinge the inner gear doors to the rib. It is plywood so you can just glue in some wood to the back of the rib for the screws to go into to hold the hinge in. I made the outer doors by laying some clear liner that you peel away from monokote on the wing in the same location as the retracts but between where they mount and the tip of the wing. I then painted some epoxy on the clear liner and put down a piece of 3/4 oz. glass a inch or two bigger than the gear door pattern.
I then painted on some more epoxy then a layer of 5 oz. cloth, more epoxy then a layer a 2 oz. cloth, more epoxy, then a final layer of 3/4 oz. cloth. When dry this puts the proper curve in the door to lay flush with the lip you made. I then traced the pattern of the gear doors from the card stock onto the glass that I laid up with a sharpie and then cut them out with some heavy duty scissors. Then I epoxied a layer of 1/32" ply to them on the top surface. When that was dry I trimmed it back to match the glass. When done this makes the door very rigid and very close to the same thickness as the bottom wing sheeting so the doors fit fairly flush. I hope this makes sense. If it doesn't do not hesitate to ask questions.
Maximus
< Message edited by Maximus-RCU -- 1/6/2008 12:47:29 AM >
Posts: 174
Joined: 8/15/2006 From: , MT, USA Status: offline
Do you have any pictures of the plane sitting on its enlarged wheels? I would like to see how it looks compaired to a stock one. I think that I understand what you are saying. If when I get the this stage I am stuck I will not hesitate to ask you for help.
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> RC Warbirds and Warplanes >> RE: New 81" P-47 ARF coming from Hangar 9 
RE: New 81" P-47 ARF coming from Ha... - 
If when I get the this stage I am stuck I will not hesitate to ask you for help.