Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
09-24-2005, 09:57 PM
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Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
Like many modelers who like to add extra touches to their planes, I'm "scaling up" this very nicely made ARF. I hope to post pix on the completed critter...maybe even do a long-promised article for RCU...but I find that I have no books or photos that show any detail. Can anybody suggest a website where I might get some views of the plane? Thanks. Jerry
09-24-2005, 10:33 PM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
Do a google search and use images. There are scads of Stearman pictures on the net.
I just bought one of these planes last weekend. I think I'm going to recover the fuse with cub yellow to make it an all yellow plane. My bud bought the same plane at the same time so I dont want the two of them looking exactly alike.
I just bought one of these planes last weekend. I think I'm going to recover the fuse with cub yellow to make it an all yellow plane. My bud bought the same plane at the same time so I dont want the two of them looking exactly alike.
09-25-2005, 12:52 AM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
BobH...I can tell you from experience, you don't want to have two identical planes in the air at the same. a fraction of a second's inattention and I wondered why the heck my plane was suddenly not responding to my controls...when I heard that dreadful, loud crashing and suddenly knew why. That was three years ago and my "buddies" at the field still kid me about it.Jerry
09-25-2005, 06:54 AM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
I have removed the gray covering and replaced it with yellow, made the tail surfaces trailing edges thinner, and added false ribs.
When repainting the cowl, I found the Lustercote would not cover the gray. I had to use some yellow acrylic enamel to provide a basecoat.
When repainting the cowl, I found the Lustercote would not cover the gray. I had to use some yellow acrylic enamel to provide a basecoat.
09-25-2005, 10:33 AM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
I have no doubt that two identicle planes in the air at the same time won't cause problems!
Not sure if I will make false ribs or not... I have this Scale plane that I'm trying to finish so I just want something to fly around. I do have some Cub Yellow by Perfect paint, I'm sure that will cover the cowl nicely.
I'll be curious to see how you removed your monokote. I plane to use my heat gun to warm it up and pull it off while its heated (where it begins to sag), but not shirnking heated yet. If you know what I mean.
Not sure if I will make false ribs or not... I have this Scale plane that I'm trying to finish so I just want something to fly around. I do have some Cub Yellow by Perfect paint, I'm sure that will cover the cowl nicely.
I'll be curious to see how you removed your monokote. I plane to use my heat gun to warm it up and pull it off while its heated (where it begins to sag), but not shirnking heated yet. If you know what I mean.
09-25-2005, 04:17 PM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
To remove the Monokote I just cut it and pulled. In the areas that ere a bit stubborn I used a heat gun to loosen up the glue. One little hint-- If you are going to put a red band around the fuse, cut it off in one piece to use it as a pattern for a new one.
09-25-2005, 11:14 PM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
HalH...I like the effect of the elevator trim tabs. The changes in color scheme and markings are nice too. I recall seeing a review on this ARF wherein the writer said he'd used a 90 degree brass elbow to approximate an air intake on the top right of the cowling. I like the idea of introducing some air into that dead air space, but I want to see a picture of what the full-size intake really looks like. I'll check the library tomorrow.
09-26-2005, 09:31 AM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
Why not make your elbow from balsa? It is just so simple to do.. Cut a rectangle of balsa the right size and then draw the shape on the side. Cut the balsa away and then sand to shape. A few coats of filler and you can paint it. The good part about this method is that you get the correct size and shape you need and not just somethign the hardware store has in stock.
09-26-2005, 09:42 AM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
You're right, Bob...but first, I gotta see a picture of what the real critter looks like. So far, no luck on that quest
Jerry
Jerry
09-26-2005, 11:03 AM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
Here are some pics of my Stearman, Hope they help. If you would like more detailed shots let me know and I will be out at the hanger sometime this week and shoot what you need to see. I hope to get one of the GP stearmans this winter and match it to my real one, I will be watching this thread to see how yours turns out. Good luck!
PS I have higher quality shots of these if you want them emailed, I just didn't want to post larger pics in the forum.
PS I have higher quality shots of these if you want them emailed, I just didn't want to post larger pics in the forum.
09-26-2005, 11:41 AM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
Go to www.airliners.net/open.file/925014/M/ for a pretty good picture of the scoop.
09-26-2005, 11:54 AM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
SJMILLER,
Would you give us some shots of the engine from the front and side? I plan to make a Ziroli Stearman in the future and this would help greatly.
Thanks Carl
Would you give us some shots of the engine from the front and side? I plan to make a Ziroli Stearman in the future and this would help greatly.
Thanks Carl
09-26-2005, 02:52 PM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
Oh I don't know. I think the Robart might require the big Ziroli Stearman. I had my sights set a little smaller (77"). Of course that might save time building a dummy motor though! Of course I would need a garage and bigger truck/van/trailer to haul it around. Its a good thing I have a toyota pickup and its bed is my limiting factor. I could get skinned alive otherwise. The Stearman is still five or six builds away even then.
Carl
. Of course that might save time building a dummy motor though! Of course I would need a garage and bigger truck/van/trailer to haul it around. Its a good thing I have a toyota pickup and its bed is my limiting factor. I could get skinned alive otherwise. The Stearman is still five or six builds away even then.Carl
09-26-2005, 04:24 PM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
Carl...Nick Ziroli is an old friend of the man who owns our local hobby shop. On his way down to Top Gun a few years ago, Nick flew his PT-17 with the 7 cylinder Robart at our field along with his Skyraider. What a beautiful sound that radial makes! The hobby shop has one of the Robart radials for sale and, every so often when I need to be tantalized, I rub my nose against the showcase glass and look at it. I know that even if I broke the bank and bought it, I'd be unable to put that plane/engine combination at risk. [
]
]
09-29-2005, 11:28 AM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
Hey guys,
Here is a link to a page I put the pictures on. I tried to get some good overall shots and close-ups. If you want something specific let me know and I will get them for you. very interested to see how your work turns out so I can steal ideas for mine this winter :-) Good Luck!
Here is the web page
http://www.lamamco.com/smiller/Hanger.htm
1st time to build a web page, so if it has problems please let me know so I can try and fix them.
Thanks
Stan
Here is a link to a page I put the pictures on. I tried to get some good overall shots and close-ups. If you want something specific let me know and I will get them for you. very interested to see how your work turns out so I can steal ideas for mine this winter :-) Good Luck!
Here is the web page
http://www.lamamco.com/smiller/Hanger.htm
1st time to build a web page, so if it has problems please let me know so I can try and fix them.
Thanks
Stan
09-30-2005, 05:10 PM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
A picture of the GP Stearman sans covering. I removed it because I wanted have mine in a Yellow Fuse. scheme. I have a roll of Cub Yellow and will begin to recover it soon. It appears as though the formers are laser cut, a good idea!. For the most part the wood looks good and is nicely sanded.
10-03-2005, 10:01 PM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
I was able to get mine to this condition. Recovered the fuse and tail. Then took a mouse sander with the scotch brite pad and sanded the monokote to dull it down. Reworked the pilots. Painted in rivet detail and weathering. It looks like fabric. I've recieved a lot of comments on it. Even won a "Pilot's Choice" award with it at a local fun fly. I really like the way this model looks and flys.
10-04-2005, 09:31 PM
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RE: Great Planes PT-17 Stearman
I bought a GP PT-17 in the summer, and am doing an electric conversion for it. AFAIK, mine will be the first electric conversion of this particular ARF. I too, plan to strip the gray parts and recover with the 'proper' color--yellow.
I got the plane as a scratch/dent sale item from Tower, so it was missing the cheesy dummy engine--no big loss, as I wasn't going to use it anyway. I just ordered some 1/5 scale Williams Brothers dummy Pratt & Whitney cylinders from the reincarnated Williams Brothers Model Products this week, and have an idea in mind on making a dummy crankcase.
I've found that the P & W cylinder makes a fair representation of a Continental cylinder if you mount it facing backwards, i.e. with the pushrods aft. I did this on my 1/8 scale Aerodrome PT-17 (N2S-3), and the effect is very convincing. You can see it in the October issue of Model Aviation, in the SEFF article. The builder's name is mistakenly attributed as Kurt Bengston, but it's actually mine. [8D]
I plan to do something about the splayed-out landing gear as well. The gear legs' down angle is way too wide for scale. I have looked at some large scale oleo struts from VQ models, and a drawing I found on Robart's site for the Dively Stearman gave me an idea for (hopefully) adapting them to the GP Stearman airframe with some basic fabrication, machining and brazing work. I hope it works. If not, I will just rebend the stock gear to get the right stance and call it good. There will be some other scale enhancements for the plane as well.
I have collected a rather extensive pile of Stearman photos from various web sources while doing my smaller Stearman that show various scale details, including the intake scoop. If anyone needs a photo of any scale feature, chances are I have a shot or two of it. I have photos of about every Navy color combination there ever was too.
Rick
I got the plane as a scratch/dent sale item from Tower, so it was missing the cheesy dummy engine--no big loss, as I wasn't going to use it anyway. I just ordered some 1/5 scale Williams Brothers dummy Pratt & Whitney cylinders from the reincarnated Williams Brothers Model Products this week, and have an idea in mind on making a dummy crankcase.
I've found that the P & W cylinder makes a fair representation of a Continental cylinder if you mount it facing backwards, i.e. with the pushrods aft. I did this on my 1/8 scale Aerodrome PT-17 (N2S-3), and the effect is very convincing. You can see it in the October issue of Model Aviation, in the SEFF article. The builder's name is mistakenly attributed as Kurt Bengston, but it's actually mine. [8D]
I plan to do something about the splayed-out landing gear as well. The gear legs' down angle is way too wide for scale. I have looked at some large scale oleo struts from VQ models, and a drawing I found on Robart's site for the Dively Stearman gave me an idea for (hopefully) adapting them to the GP Stearman airframe with some basic fabrication, machining and brazing work. I hope it works. If not, I will just rebend the stock gear to get the right stance and call it good. There will be some other scale enhancements for the plane as well.
I have collected a rather extensive pile of Stearman photos from various web sources while doing my smaller Stearman that show various scale details, including the intake scoop. If anyone needs a photo of any scale feature, chances are I have a shot or two of it. I have photos of about every Navy color combination there ever was too.
Rick