chris923

My Feedback: (53)

Lucky,
As far a mods on the TF 51, I put the correct amount of dihedral in the wings. TF is 5-7 degs, the correct amount is 10degs (10 deg is scale.). The you need to ordered the 85 deg blocks for your Robart gear, to get the correct gear position.
Check the treads for the mods on the gear mounts and shear webs in the wing. The last 2 wings I opened to modify, where more sturdy and the shear were put in correct, not like wings from several years ago. I still beefed them up and doubled the webs.

Go with the robart electric tail wheel.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

So, are you saying they have made the retract mount areas of the GS Mustang stronger?

MrTtrn

Hey RT3232,
I just looked at your pics. Is that red silicone on the bottom of the cylinder jug? I hope not, because fuels will eat silicone. Cause it to lose its adhesion and start to leak. Silicone should not be used where fuels can come in touch with it on a regular basis. For your sake I sure hope I am seeing this wrong. Because I know what has to be done to fix the problem.

Teno

chris923

My Feedback: (53)

Yes, somewhat. At least the grain of the webs is running in the correct direction and it 1/8 balsa not 1/16 stuff I have seen in several other wings. The glue joint were better on the gear mounts. I still added stock and epoxy.

WI53072

Lucky,

Anyone at your club flying one of these? What gear do they use. I hear a lot of good about the Sierra gear. Not sure they make a set for your 47? How about tail wheel? is it retractable? Cant wait for the build thread!

GerKonig

Why would you do that? Get the ready to cover version, save some money and a lot of time:-)

Gerry

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

deleted because it was wrong.

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

Build it by the book and you will be fine. A retractable tail wheel is a little heavier than the stock one, which will reduce weight required for the nose. Putting your batteries behind the CG will do the same.I did have to cut a small hole in the cowl to clear the muffler,but it is small.That will also save $$$ As for landing gear I think air and electric both work well,but there is a learning curve with both.I use the air and one thing i have learned ALWAYS attach the air lines with tie wraps to prevent vibration from rubbing a hole in the line.In some areas I put a piece of fuel line over the air line to prevent the same I'll let someone else to advise on the electrics.

I have not found any design flaws in TF P47 ARF 300+ flights

GerKonig

I believe is not good enough:-) It is currently listed by Tower, worth a shot finding out if really interested in doing the finishing on your own...


Gerry

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

Sorry my mistake, I found it. but this is not a court of law

luckymacy

So, for the 47, what pilot figure works well with the cockpit? I heard the pilot bust recommended in the instructions actually doesn't work.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

I've got an "IFlyTailies" WW2 pilot in mine and it looks great. Best Pilots is another option.VQ Warbirds has pilots as well. A quality pilot figure adds a lot to the look.

Hot Rod Todd

My Feedback: (1)

Best Pilots figure is 1:5 scale, and might be a bit large.

The Top Flite P-47 is about 1:5.76 scale, which means that any GI Joe sized 12" Pilot would be the same as a 5' 9" person, about perfect. I have used Gi-joe types before in a full cockpit, and you have to do a bunch of lightening. Drill holes all over the body, replace the legs with foam. You can get them to be pretty light. If you need a bust only, cut him up.
Here's a Zero Pilot Gi Joe doing duty in my 1:5.5 scale Kawasaki Ki-61.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Where do you get G.I. Joe pilots?

rt3232

My Feedback: (6)

Hi MrTtrn

Sorry to be so slow on a reply the ansure is NO the red on all of the bolts screw's is brite red nail polish as a tatatail if they start to lossen, so I don't have to use a screw driver or wrench to check. the red line between the cylender and the muffler is a loc-tite material used on aluminum joints in hi temp area's the # on the tube has warn off over the years so I can't give you that but it sure seals the exhaust port and no gasket I do safty wire the muffler screws even if I have to add a bushing to get the head's out of the muffler.

Hope this helps

Cheers Bob T

chris923

My Feedback: (53)

Ebay

drice45

My Feedback: (23)

Based on my experiences with all of the Top Flight models, I can give you "my opinions":
1) P47. Great flyer. Best ground handling. This one is mine, and is the ARC version with Robart air retracts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ0evW5u-yw&index=45&list=PL-w6RHvwDoPPu2Pqlam9CCz-iPG4B47hX I built the ARC version because I don't personally care for the Tarheel Hal color scheme, and I prefer the Razorback. I did a whole thread on the finishing processes over on RCSB. The thing that impressed me the most about it was the quality of the building done by all those 12-year old Chinese girls. I really don't think I could've built it any better, if I had started with the full kit version.

2) It is very difficult to build a round-engined warbird without needing nose weight. You may want to re-consider that as a hard and fast rule.

3) The Top Flight retract mounts are made from Chinese plywood, and is NOT what we are used to as "Aircraft Ply". I had a wheel fall off on rollout after landing, and the gear did some "skidding" on the pavement. There shouldn't have been any damage. The gear was unharmed, but the plywood mounting plate de-laminated like a crumbly cookie. Quite surprising, so I ripped it all out and replaced it with birch a/c ply, and basswood triangle stock supports.

The upside to having crap plywood on your gear mounts is that if you really do "dumb-thumb" a landing...the gear plates will give, rather than something perhaps more critical...and the plates are easy enough to replace.

4) P40's are a particularly challenging airframe to fly well, especially immediately BEFORE, and AFTER the flying parts (landing and takeoffs). And I don't feel they fly particularly well in between those 2 events. They can be VERY snappy, and are perhaps the most CG-sensitive of the airframes. I've NEVER flown, or seen a P40 flown, and thought...I think that would be a good plane to have. I don't generally recommend P40's for anybody. Ever. But definitely not for someone new to flying scale. Remember...these are just opinions...so please hold off on the snark.

5) P51's can be snappy, and can be a very pitchy with the elevator on final. Once you're used to it, they are great. Heck...it's a Mustang. Who doesn't love a Mustang?

6) Corsairs are pure awesome sauce in a can. I have flown quite a few of these, and nothing commands people's attention quite like an F4U. All Corsairs have a waggle that shows up somewhere during every flight...usually in a sustained medium degree bank turn. Nothing to be concerned about, but can be a bit disconcerting to the novice Corsair pilot. 90-degree rotating retracts add a little bit of bother to the gear equation, and often have a bit more slop in them. The plane is a little bit more difficult to fly well, compared to the P47, but is an excellent flying plane. With full flaps, you need a good bit of throttle to keep the thing flying. Ground handling after landing is pretty straight forward. Takeoffs take a good bit of rudder until the tail comes up.

I wish TF made and ARC version of their Corsair. You are right...the plain blue they are selling does nothing for me. I may end up buying their ARF, stripping, glassing, and painting. It would be worth it.

7) The new FW-190 is perhaps the very nicest looking of all the TF ARF's. And it flies well too...but you're not going to get away without adding more weight to the nose. The one I'm flying has at least 2lbs, in addition to the heavy steel plates that come pre-installed from the factory. However...The FW190 is also NOT for the novice. They don't handle cross winds anywhere near as well as the P51 or the P47. In any conditions, you MUST be 100% focused after touch-down, or you'll nose it over, or side load the gear and collapse them, or if they are electric...you will bend one of the lock shafts...don't ask how I know this.

8) I've never flown the TF Zero. My experience with Zeros in general though is that they are excellent flyers, and have very docile ground handling...but previous posters have said otherwise about the TF...so I will defer to their experience.

Hot Rod Todd

My Feedback: (1)

Nice write up Drice45, I agree with your assessment. I think the Zero will be a good flyer, but they are one of the most nose weight challenged designs out there, so I'm sure plenty of nose weight will be needed. The Mustang might have a few poor habits, but when you consider it is typically the lightest of the bunch I think it may make up for it. If the aircraft is light it provides a wider margin for error in a lot of areas. P-40's can be a bit of a pain, but I love my Zirolli P-40.

WI53072

drice,

I saw your thread over at RCSB, it was extremely informative. It should help Lucky especially the bit about the ply. That cheap stuff is a real problem more and more in the ARF world. We had a guy nearly lose a plane when a motor mount (firewall) cracked! It was as if the ply was not laminated properly.

Paul

Hot Rod Todd

My Feedback: (1)

When assembling the Top Flite FW-190's I took some thin CA and saturated the ply. It is not as good as replacing it, but it makes it quite a bit stronger and less likely to fall apart.

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

Drice45, you said it very well. I have the P40 and it does take some practice to get comfortable with take off and landing,but it flies well when up.The main problem I had with it was keeping the engine tight on the firewall.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

My experience with the P-40 is the same. Great flying character, but much more of a challenge to land than the radial engine fighters. If you are used to a full-stall landing such as you would employ with a primary or advanced trainer, you are in for a bumpy ride. The P-40 needs much more airspeed and a touchdown on the mains.
P-47's are what I fly when I want to relax and enjoy. I fly the P-40 when I need an adrenaline rush!

luckymacy

Thanks a bunch! That's the experience/analysis I was looking for right up front so glad my decision doesn't cut across the grain. I was mulling over the Corsair. For future reference, in terms out how the ARF versions really stack up as far as finished ballpark weight using the common Robart retracts, in what order and about how much weight would these expect to really come in at? yes, I know there's a ton of variables but to make it apples to apples as much as possible just assume the ARF version with a DLE 55 type engine. In other words, a kind of 'out of the box' bare bones version that has retracts.

Just looking at the corsair builder's manual suggested to me the Corsair would be about the heaviest so that scratched it off for me as much as the all-blue finish.

Also, what pilot figure did you use? You model looks fantastic, BTW.

Caveira80

for P-51 and P-40, JTEC is the best match as it fits all inside. you may find it at Tower hobbies.
mine (under rebuilt after a crash landing) was eqquiped with slimline when the pic was taken... itīs an ARC with all modifications to a scale like airplane


just sold an P-47 with an SDS muffler and fits ok! its a little noisy and BIG comparing to the others, but runs great... also, fits totally inside cowl

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Lucky,

You can save yourself about $140 by using the stock muffler on you P-47. Just rotate the cylinder to the 7 o'clock position.