joeflyer

My Feedback: (48)

I've got my fuse pretty well framed up. It took longer than expected because of all the changes I made. I ended up making all new formers. The fuse is 1/8" wider in the middle to accommodate a Dubro 80 oz. tank. The tank is also about 2" longer than the supplied 60 oz. one, so the rudder and elevator servos are being moved to the back, behind F8. The rear of the fuse is about an inch wider to accommodate the servos and linkages. The rear hatch is eliminated. A new hatch will provide access to the servos from below behind the engine.

A 24 oz. smoke tank was added below the ECU shelf. The ECU and Retract Controller will be mounted on the shelf in front of the tank.

I had to revise the nose gear mount and formers. I have an extra Falcon 120 canopy that I want to add. I should have planned better, but it looks like I'll have to cut down the front hatch for it to look right. I hope this canopy isn't too large for the plane. If it doesn't look right I'll have to find something else.

I still have to finalize the location of the receiver, UAT, switch, and shut off valve. There is not a lot of room in this plane. I wish I had made the whole fuse about an inch wider while I was at it.

Joe

Woketman

My Feedback: (6)

JoeFlyer, that canopy looks stupendous!!!! Love that! Do it!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

CARS II

My Feedback: (7)

I'm in.

I now have a closer to me a flying field ( I flew there like 12 years ago ) that allows turbines but the runway is somewhat short for heavy jets, the reaction will do just fine there.

I will go with Bruce's main idea for the jet, keep it light, I also want a slow flying jet and a light jet is a slow landing jet, I will build it per the instructions with a K-60 as the power plant, the only thing that I'm planing on doing different are the wheels because I have them, 2 1/2" BVM .

I send Bruce an email regarding the availability of the kits and he has it in stock.

Ken Park

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Bruce

My build is going very well almost finished the wings

As of note for guys building with the Electric Robart Retracts - Thanks for the update on making a cutout on Rib R7 - I found if you put a 3/4" hole 2-1/4" back from the bottom main spar your retracts will now fit nicely

Also noticed the wire legs seem to be mounted up instead of down? Is this how they come from Factory?

BruceTharpe

My Feedback: (1)

Yeah, the wire struts come from Robart in the wrong position. Think they did it for packaging, the set screws are not very tight. Loosen the screws, rotate, re-tighten.

Ken Park

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks Bruce

Iam enjoying the build - Did a short Time lapse video of myself doing the leading edge stock - I used the Masking tape method I saw others doing - Mini HD Mobius Movie Camera was set for 5 sec shots -
I used Medium CA on Leading edge and then Gorilla wood glue for rest - Sets up in 25 min - Very strong and easy to work with stuff

https://vimeo.com/115652849

BruceTharpe

My Feedback: (1)

Hey Ken, Liked the vid - very dynamic. I'm a little woozie...

joeflyer

My Feedback: (48)

I set the fuse aside and went back to working on the wings. One is done and ready for joining. I'll start sheeting the other wing tomorrow.
You can see how I revised the wingtip compared to the plan. Servos are side mounted inside the wing.

Joe

lhatton

My Feedback: (1)

Quick question for you guys.
I'm getting close to primer on my paint job. Have painted the inside of the inlets with the bottom side against the wing made of 1/32 ply are yet to be closed up.
My question is interior paint.
I'm guessing thinned epoxy all the interior or in the tank compartment as minimum. Was thinking about painting the interior to seal it, looks really hard to spray even with an Abrush. really concerned about kero undermining my paint job from thru the wood.
Recomendations?

Les

bobparks2

My Feedback: (1)

My standard for such things is to brush with epoxy finishing resin, with a relatively wet coat, so its shiny when cured. I did the tank bay, the area ahead of the engine, and the area under the canopy hatch as far forward as the bulkhead at the back of the nose gear bay.

Yes, it was worth it. I had the fuel overflow tube come off its fitting once, and pumped in a good puddle of fuel before I noticed. I just pumped out most of it, and wiped with some paper towel and let it dry for 15 minutes and flew it.

I would prefer a low viscosity, un-thinned resin for this. (Bob Smith or Z-Poxy finishing resins are both good). I do a heavier coat than I like to do with thinned resin. With thinned resin, I would do 2 coats.

Bob

oliveDrab

Do you have a picture of that?

Square Nozzle

My Feedback: (1)

Currently I do not have any pictures of the jets packed into the truck. If you can wait till May - June and ask again, I'll load for our first jet rally and get a picture then.

oliveDrab

So it sounds like you are able to stuff your Reaction 54 and at least one other jet into the back of your 97 Dodge Dakota. I've got a 2009 Nissan Frontier, also with a 6' bed and a topper. Sounds like I can stuff it in diagonal but not sure I can get another plane on a shelf on top. I've got the shelf ....... just haven't tried this yet. Maybe I could get a 4-Star 60 on the shelf or a Night Vapor .....lol.

lumpy649

My Feedback: (75)

I'm to the point of having to decide on the final finish of the 54, I was going to glass it but was convinced to keep it light so now I'm considering Solartex. Solartex states fuel proof, may I assume that to mean K1, and Jet fuel also?
Thanks,
Gary

Square Nozzle

My Feedback: (1)

In the years that I have been flying the R-54 I have never been convinced that the plane needs to be light. Certainly, paint weight vs film covering is a non issue. Every film covered plane I see begins to look like C-R-A-P when the film wrinkles and the edges lift. Granted, painting is more labor intensive but the end product is well worth the effort.

Olive Drab, when I pack my R-54, the nose fits into a folded blanket in the right front corner of the truck bed and the empennage, with little boots over the tips just fits into the left rear. Very little room left. therefore the tip protection. The stab tip covers compress slightly as I close the tailgate. Planes as large as my Yellow F-22, Reaction X or my Pilatus PC-21 have plenty of room above on a shelf. The "shelf" is nothing more than a padded pair of 1 by 2's clamped to the bed rails with the nose of the planes resting on a pad through the cap window and through the truck sliding rear window. The semi inflated bicycle tire inner tube compresses between the truck cab window and the truck cap window to block out wind noise and the occasional rain.

joeflyer

My Feedback: (48)

My wings are done and it's starting to look like an airplane. My next task is to add inlets to the fuse sides. I haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to construct them yet. I'm debating between 1/32 ply or 3/32 balsa.

They'll look something like this:

joeflyer

My Feedback: (48)

I gave up on the idea of having triangular shaped inlets and went with an easier to construct rectangular cross section. They're constructed out of 1/8" lite ply and covered with balsa, 1/8" on the top and 3/32" on the sides. I'm not quite done yet plus have some shaping and sanding to do. Here's what they look like so far.

joeflyer

My Feedback: (48)

Lumpy,

I just noticed that you live in Lancaster, NY. I grew up in Depew and went to High School in Lancaster. Are there any good jet flying sites in the area? If so maybe I'll bring one next time I'm in the area.

I'll be covering my Reaction with Monokote. I have two other Monokoted jets and they've held up fine for well over 200 flights each. Plus I have a couple of gasoline powered planes covered in Monokote. I don't know about Solortex, but neither fuel bothers Monokote.

Joe

lumpy649

My Feedback: (75)

Hi Joe,
Born and raised here in Lancaster...probably die here too!!! Class of '76. I belong to Pine Hill Raiders, they fly out of Pine Hill Airport in Albion ,NY. Great bunch of guys out there, and also a very nice facility. It's a private airport with @ 3000 ft paved runway, probably about 30-40 ft wide. Wide open farm field across from the runway. There are a few jet pilots out there, I'm just starting to venture into jets. Never flew one. My reaction is all framed up. Needs all internals installed and covered. A good friend of mine was building it for me, he has over forty years of building experience. He also just got laid off from the local hobby store. He got upset over the layoff and told me he didn't want to finish the 54. So now I have it back...need to get busy and finish some current projects ( boomerang nano) before starting the 54 back up. I want the 54 to come out nice, so I think I'm going to stick with the original plan and glass/paint it. Pm me when you'd like and I'll send you my email/phone # if you get back to these parts. I'll get you out to Albion.
Later,
Gary

Ken Park

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Gary

I won't ask how you got the handle "Lumpy649"

Almost done the build on my own Reaction 54 about 1/2 way through the fuse build - great to see the bottom of that box of wood.

Hey - I've found a new location to fly Jets near ya and hope you can pass this on to your fellow jet buds in NY State we got a event list on RC Flightdeck - just search for Canadain event easy to find www.rcflightdeck.com

lumpy649

My Feedback: (75)

Nice part of the world up there Ken, I really enjoy the 1000 Island area. I also used to get up to the Kawartha area quite a bit, many friends up there. As for "Lumpy", I can't remember how I got it exactly, but I think it came from my father in law and the Leave it to Beaver Show!

Ken Park

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Bruce

Building the fuselage - Doing the boat tail - I read the instructions that say the sides fit into the slot on the sides of the fuselage - But the parts really don't support that part of the instructions? - The parts given do build nicely giving you the ply boat tail sides that are flush with the fuse

BruceTharpe

My Feedback: (1)

Hmm, looks like you made a mistake. The grooves in the balsa sides should have been on the exterior, not facing the doubler. What you ended up with looks good, but is not as strong as it could have been. You might want to add some triangle stock on the inside to help tie the lite-ply boat tail sides to the bulkhead.

Ken Park

My Feedback: (1)

Yup can see my mistake now! - Slots are on inside vice outside - will beef it up as suggested

b.bixel

My Feedback: (123)

I purchased a J600 turbine this weekend, with 1 hr run time, for a very good price (IMO). The guy tossed in a R54 airframe for "free". The 'Money'Kote looks pretty rough, but it's pretty cool regardless. Now I'm going to need some of those electric Robarts!

Regards,
Bart