patfairlane

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Any of you guys know where I can buy the wings for a Byron hellcat...I bought it and a Ziroli AT-6 without wings...Any condition would be fine...Any maker that could be adapted would be fine too.. Please call or email...

Thanks... [email protected] 806-790-3902

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Aloha Gentlemen,
Some bad news this weekend. I stuffed my ESM F6F in and that's all she wrote. Bummer, for she is and was a very sweet flying model. I hit one of the WWII revetment berms with 3 foot + tall grass on landing approach. I knew better too, for when its a bit windy and the west trade winds are in...you need to keep the landing approach a bit high. The revetments create a bit of a roll and turbulence with any East wind. It hit on landing so she was not going fast and little to no damage to the gear, just the airframe. The landing gear were ripped out upon hitting the grass, and one wing snapped in 1/2 out board of the center wing panel. I boxed up the Sierra landing gear and its inbound to Darrell now for repair, and I spent the whole morning trying to find another F6F. So far no one has an ESM kit available and I'm kind of disappointed. That ESM F6F with a PTE 36R was very fast and had a vertical climb that was amazing to witness. She took second in a scale meet and was a very sold model in the air. I'm going to miss this model...and just when I managed to get my PTE 36R to really haul butt. 7800+ RPM with a Master Air Screw 18x10 Scimitar wood prop. Nice growl too and very pretty in the air.

So unless I can find a new ESM F6F, I'll have some spare parts to sell. The cowl is undamaged, accept the cowl ring is broken-TMB has the cowl ring in stock. The canopy is good and so are all the flight controls good. I also found and located a second cowl for the ESM F6F. My fuselage is un-flyable an stress cracks all over the place. The wing is toast too, so I really need a new ARF kit.

Anyone have an ESM F6F ARF kit new in box to sell...? I need to do this again or I'll have to build a model from scratch.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

warhwk

My Feedback: (3)

Bob,
I am so sorry to hear you lost your F6F. It was your posts that helped convince me to get one myself.

I am close to maidening mine, but I wanted to get her in the air first before spending the money on Sierra retracts. I would be in the market if you cannot find another F6f, Corsair, P40 etc to put your gear in.

OldScaleGuy

My Feedback: (2)

Bob, i am sorry to hear that too. Any chance you can rebuild the one you have?

Sorry Pat, i don't know of any. You may be able to modify something from Ziroli plans.

Johnnie Red

Hey guys

I guess that I have to get into this brotherhood since I own and fly quite a few F6F Hellcats.
I have 2 Byron, 2 ESM, 1 Jemco, and in the past I had 3 CMP's that I sold to other fellow modellers.
They all fly even the ones I sold. I love the Hellcats since they are the most stable warbirds that I have flown the last 3 decades.
Happy flying
J.R.

Johnnie Red

Since the pieces you are missing are a couple of foam hot wire cuts, I wouldn't mind to cut 2 wings for you. It would be free of charge since I would like to help you out to finish your Hellcat. The thing that you will have to do is to make the balsa planking and to pay the transport cost.
Unfortunately I cannot help you with the Texan.
Cheers
J.R.

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Dear Warhwk,

I have my retracts back with Darrell now and mailed them out for a full rebuild yesterday. From what I have been told...ESM and the distributer here in the U.S. had a bit of a falling out. That is just a rumor I heard from one gentleman selling ESM kits. I also heard that ESM will be coming out with a new line of kits either latter on the year or early next year...but that too is just a rumor. Maybe they will have another F6F in their lineup.

If I am unable to locate a new F6F, I would be most happy to sell them to you...and for a good price too. I'll throw in the wheels too. But lets see what develops for me finding a new ESM F6F.

I do have a Skyshark F6F .60 size kit to build in my collection of kits...but I'm half done with my Giant Twin Ugly Stick build (Twin 35cc gas engines) and want to finish this build first before I start another kit. I like the 30~35cc class warbirds...not to heavy to handle and just large enough to really get your smile on while flying. I loved the way the model handled in the air and as long as you kept your elevator trim set to what ever speed you were flying...pure poetry in the air. As I moved the throttle up or down...I set the elevator trim each time for that speed. Solid, predictable and it has an awesome presents in the air. Landings are a thing of beauty...but you need to keep your airspeed up and usually flew final with 25~35% power. With full flaps, she would take a slight nose down attitude and with your elevator trim set properly...you could do a squeaker of a wheel landing and look like a pro-even with knocken knees. It was not me so much on the sticks...but how the F6F flies. A great flying model all around.

Aloha gentlemen...
Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

warhwk

My Feedback: (3)

Bob,
Much appreciated and I do hope you can find another Hellcat. You might try http://www.magnumrc.com/ESM-F6F-Hell...ARF_p_227.html

They show it in stock.

But I still get first dibs . PM me when you make that decision.

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay Warhwk,
I contacted Magnumrc yesterday and none are available...neither with T.B.M. I contacted ESM directly by e-mail and they told me to talk to T.B.M.---kind of a catch 22 thing with them. I asked to turn me on to a anyone who may have them and was directed to a hobby shop in England. Shipping charges from England were nuts, so that is not going to happen. There is a company in Florida I sent an e-mail to, but no answer so far.

You will hear from me as soon as Darrell contacts me about my retracts I sent him.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

cessnaflyer54

My Feedback: (68)

Hey Chad, where do you fly at? Just moved to Glendale and need a place to fly!!
Cessnaflyer54

Johnnie Red

Some pics of my F6F Hellcats.

Johnnie Red

And some more.......

proteus_X3

My Feedback: (16)

OldsSaleGuy,
Excellent build on your Hellcat, looking forward to your updates.I have a old Willhobbies/CM Pro 71" Hellcat that a friend gave too me after he lost interest in the project. Chad V build me a partial cockpit kit and drop tank for it and when the weather is warmer I will finish the project.I have it all sanded and primed,but my work shop is too cool for any painting now.I will resume work on it hopefully in the spring.Cheers;Rich

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

More often than not I fly with the Sun Valley Fliers in the north Phoenix area even though I live on the far west side. I am thinking of joining the "Cropdusters" this year since they are only a few minutes away from my home but there field is really not big enough for the larger scale stuff. It's great for the smaller sport stuff though.

Welcome to AZ!

lightning 759

not model related but thought you might like to see fighter collections hellcat departing Duxford to its new owner in the USA ,not my pictures taken off another forum , going too miss seeing her though

Andy

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Apparently Texas is turning into something of a gathering place for flyable Hellcats!

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hi Guys,
I'm still looking for a ESM Hellcat kit...so far all the connections I've found have been out of country with shipping costs that are ridicules. With all of these shipping costs...I may just end up building my Heritage RC kit and power it with a 10 cc gas engine. Nitro fuel here is almost $40.00/gal. and that is crazy too,. I've had the Heritage RC kit for years and now feel my only way back to flying a F6F. I believe Heritage sold to Skyshark, and ever once in a while, these kits come up for sale, but I bought mine direct from Heritage when they were selling the model.

My landing gear is now with Sierra and Darrell will be doing the repair to my gear for me. I'm not a happy fan with the smaller 90 deg. Robart rotating retracts...so I may have to have a new set made up by Century Jet...and that ain't cheap either.

I looked at the larger kits...but to be honest, anything larger then the ESM kit, is to big for me to deal with.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

OldScaleGuy

My Feedback: (2)

Welcome aboard Johnnie Red.

1. OldScaleGuy – Seymour, IN
2. Chad Veich – Litchfield Park, AZ
3. Rbean – Easton, PA
4. Aghost – Amarillo, TX
5. GallopingGhostler – Clovis, NM
6. Redskyhawk – La Crosse, WI
7. wingspar – Redmond, WA
8. tailskid – Tolleson, AZ
9. flyweed – Conroe, TX
10. gesmale – Boerne, TX
11. dgdayton – Fletcher, NC
12. trkpony – Kingsport, TN
13. SRQflyer – Sarasota, FL
14. Ram-bro – Bennington, NE
15. Todd Jackson – West Monroe, LA
16. TXAG96 – Augusta, MI
17. doolittles – Naples, ME
18. Red_Jeepster – Shinglehouse, PA
19. RCHS1 – Stafford, TX
20. top gun reed – Lilbourn, MO
21. Bob Paris – Maui, HI
22. Capt. Dan – Crown Point, IN
23. Sparky – Nashville, IN
24. mad web tv scientist – Salem, OR
25. lightning 759 – Doncaster, UK
26. karl hibbs – Spanaway, WA
27. MAGICBOB – Lynchburg, VA
28. VF84sluggo – Gulf Breeze, FL
29. rcmichael – Greely, CO
30. Owl – Plymouth, NC
31. 2001az – Orlando, FL
32. flatsguide – Marathon, FL
33. mikmarsh – Los Angeles, CA
34. Mooten – Rossville, GA
35. roydefiant – Eden Prairie, MN
36. eiutian – California
37. Mirce – Novi Sad, Serbia
38. Prekin –Olomouc, Czech Republic
39. mike 71 – Norwalk, OH
40. Reini450 – Hennef, Germany
41. C.O. – E. Peoria, IL
42. Check6 – N. Scituate, RI
43. Falkwulf – Fort Smith, AR
44. Hinkley Bill – Hinkley, IL
45. warhwk – Auburn, WA
45. RCPROPSNAPPER – Leicester, MA
46. Oakey – Adelaide, Australia
47. Yoyocafe – Frecericksburg, VA
48. warks62 – Fresno, CA
49. hairy46 – Sinclair, WY
50. gallen – West Chester, PA
51. 760aaron62 – Wrightwood, CA
52. heggen – Wyoming, MN
53. midastouch_73 – Corona, CA
54. lomcevac540T – Salisbury, NC
55. RobMason – Hendersonville, NC
56. trent smith – Hampton Park, Australia
57. Johnnie Red – Athens, Greece

Johnnie Red

Thank you Steve! Glad to meet the band of brothers!

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Aloha Gentlemen...
I have stripped my ESM F6F of all usable parts. I've one cowl slightly damaged, and one brand new, but you will need to install the cowl ring-I've no cowl rings. All flight controls, and the right flap is damaged a bit, but fixable. The canopy is good. I've the tail wheel bracket, tail wheel (foam) and control hardware, as well as the elevator and rudder control hardware. The wing belly pan is ok, but the wing and fuse is toast and in the trash can. Who needs what...? If your into a repair on your ESM F6F or need replacements...I'll donate the parts, you pay shipping.

She was one sweet flying bird...

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Bob,

I would like to purchase the canopy from you. Shoot me an email and we can work out the details.

Thanks!

Chad Veich
[email protected]

OldScaleGuy

My Feedback: (2)

Finally got to spend some time on the Hellcat today. The kit cutting part of my life has been busy for the past 5 weeks.
Got the tailwheel assembly working today.

RBean

Bob Paris, Sorry to hear about your loss. I finally retrieved my Hellcat wreckage from the corn field after harvest. Not much left. I was considering sending the landing gear back to Sierra but since no more ESM Hellcats seem to be available I don't see the point. I'm still ahead of you. I've got four Hellcat kills to my credit and you only have one.

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay RBean,
No matter what is said...it was one hell of a party... : ) I loved flying that model and it really was impressive in the air. Everyone at our field would stop flying and just sit back and watch that F6F tear up the sky. I managed to really get it to take off straight down the runway and the landings were a thing of beauty. I will truly miss this bird...

I'm happy to hear that you finally found your Hellcat, but sorry to hear of your loss. When mine went in...it took the wind out of my sails, but life in this here hobby. I do have a Heritage F6F kit and its for .60 size engines...so lucky that now there are 10cc gas engines available... : ) I've another project to finish then may build the Heritage kit. Until then...maybe ESM or some other out fit will come out with a 30~35cc class F6F and if they do...I'll have the landing gear and balls to assemble another kit. The Zioli kit is just to big, and with the fiberglass fuse and full balsa kit, not that difficult of a build. But its just to big for me to handle and heavy...but I looked at the numbers and it was doable for me, but I just don't have the room for any kit much larger then the ESM F6F.

I'm sending off my canopy to Chad in Arizona on Tuesday and I've lots of good ESM F6F Spares for anyone willing to pay shipping costs. All the parts I'm giving away to keep the fleet flying are in Post 402.

Most the guys in our club fly Mustangs, Spitfires and other WWII models. None really flew the Hellcat...but once folks witnessed just how sweet flying this model was, the ESM kits flew off the shelves. I've looked every where to find a kit and found several in Europe and Asia...but the shipping costs put the kit over $1k...and that is ridiculously expensive for me. I am getting my Sierra landing gear rebuilt...just in case I find an ESM kit in the future or a new 30~35cc class F6F is produced. I got to hand it to Darrell at Sierra, his landing gear is a work of art.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

midastouch_73

My Feedback: (27)

Anyone have any suggestions for balancing the ziroli hellcat? Is to big for a normal cg machine and that other Vanessa hanging with strings deal doesn't seem practical? Im using a DLE 120. Any ballpark nose weight figures? I have a homemade cg machine I've used before although I now know to use about a pound less of nose weight when I use it.. I think the slight affidavit in my garage floor causes that....