Todd Jackson

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Hellcat56,
In mine I have a G-62 and it is ok but I am running a scale exhaust system and not sure if it is hurting me any on power.The sound it has is great and looks really scale like on a low pass.I had Dynamic Balsa cut the wing for me but all I used was the outer panels and I built up the section on the center of the fuse.The only 2 things I really did different from the plans was I made the canopy removeabel to do all the installation through plus it helps with the removabel firewall. I got another wing tube and let both of them extend into the fuse to a mounting plate and using a 1/4 20 bolt to hold the in place. Good luck

Todd

wulf190

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Todd, got some pics of the scale exhaust and wing connection your talking about? I love the foam wing panels. After working through a foam wing on my IMP Dora, I'm sold on the foam concept as light and strong for my future wings. I took my Spitfire wing templates to Brian at Dbalsa to get a foam wing cut for it, but don't have it yet. I think the wing will be lighter and stronger and better designed that the original one. The Dora wing has to be half the weight of the Ziroli Bearcat wing in a similar state and they're alot closer in area than in weight. What's the all up weight of your plane Todd?

Todd Jackson

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Mine came in about 32 pounds.Hope yours flies as good as mine you will have a blast..Keep us post on your progress with it and the Bearcats..Todd

wulf190

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Not mine Todd, but it doesn't change my expectation of great flight success. I hadn't planned on the surrogate parenting of these planes while they're being built having the sort of pull they do to build one of my own like them! These won't be my last Ziroli builds. I've had the Stuka plans for a long time now, and they're literally screaming at me from the tube now. Everything's been fantastic for all the builds, great customer service and products. Really makes the experience worth the effort. I had held off the Stuka thinking, gee, I should wait, because that's a big plane/project etc.. It looks easy now......well almost. The Stuka would be one of the German planes not yet in the stable for Chuck and I which seems kind of ridiculous in the midst of all the other ones there already.

hellcat56

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This is for everyone who has built or flown a Z hellcat
What engine do you use?????????????????
Todd
I have been told the G 62 is not enough --but now you are changing my mind
did you have to add a lot of nose weight with the 62??????????
32 pounds on a G 62 would seem marginal was it??????????????
Thanks
Lawrence

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

At the very least, the plane will need the heaviest motor you can find up there. Tendency for tail-heaviness as I can see it on the plans and the layout of the plane will be greater than that of the Bearcat I think as the Bearcat is a really short plane altogether, so the short nose coupled with the short tail maybe will help to counterbalance somewhat. The Hellcat has more going on in the back and the nose is similar in setup to the Bearcat, so I like the thoughts on this one.....Brison 6.4 twin mounted at an angle.

Here's a shot of the center section layup with nothing glued..

Chilipecker

My Feedback: (37)

I've got an American Eagles Bearcat that I would like to trade for a Ziroli (or American Eagles) Hellcat (or Corsair, or Skyraider).

Nothing has been started, has the canopy, glass fuse, cowl, belly pan, and wing fairings, along with foam core flying surfaces, and of course plans and instructions.

Got it on trade... I've got a Ziroli Bearcat about 75 percent framed, and since the wing is one piece, shipping cost prevents me from selling it and quick building the American Eagles.

langerl

My Feedback: (5)

Hi Wulf!
I'm enjoying your progress so far..... Still waiting for an answer from you on the new length Air Wild servo leads for the panel wings. I still can't make up my mind on the paint scheme; RN or USN. Got any druthers? I just picked up the Squadron Signal Fleet Air Arm pub. Seems to have the exact scheme Nick Z Jr. put together for his '94 model. Looks interesting.....

From the looks of the mock up center section I see a wheel mount rail. Did you cut out the modified reinforcements yet or is that the stock rail?

Keep up the good work.

Enjoy.

P.S. I haven't seen much progress on Chuckswim's site. It seems to have stopped at the Empinage. You been in contact with him recently? He was installing a Brison 6.4 in the Bearcat. I'm curious how he's progressing.

regards,
langerl

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

Sorry about the measurements Lynn, I'll get them to you directly here tonight.

I'm cutting and sanding and mounting the reinforcement blocks today. I got one done, three to go. I used hardwood instead of the 1/2" ply thinking threads would work better in the hardwood vs. the ply. Looks like I'll have to sand some off of the outboard L-bracket to get it to slide in between 4B and the outboard rib, but I've not held it up there to see yet. I'm inlined to mount them and just use a little jig I have to drill them out rather than try to align them on the press before sanding the top to the airfoil shape. Should be simple enough to use a centering tool and get the holes straight as access in unhindered. What's in the pic is just the prelim trial of an unsanded block making sure it matches with plans. Should look nice and tidy when it's all together. Doing some boring laminations and stuff today...nothing good for pics yet.

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

This ought to do the job on the retracts. Pretty bulletproof on the first two. Clamped 'em overnight and was careful to remove any glue as I just hate those little runs and messes that alway seem to inhibit something in there[>:]. Second set today for outboard ribs. Hardwood wears out sandpaper and sawblades quick.[].

Still more with the c/f L-brackets on the outboard sides.

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

Almost forgot Lynn.... Looks like the extensions work out to 2 24" and 2 18" for the ailerons which leaves a little extra for working with at the center joint with the servo lead itself on there. Tough to really tell, but I think this is plenty. You know I've got a home for the ones already here should you happen to...ahem....not need them for any reason .

Mike

langerl

My Feedback: (5)

OK! I'll order the servo extensions as soon as possible from Air Wild. Anything else you can think of while I'm at it?

The hardwood gear rails look STRONG. Are you having any problems executing the mods we drafted (aside from the c/f L brackets)? I'll be very interested in your technique for dead plumb drilling and tapping the bolt holes in the rails ! Sounds like quite a challenge.

Let me know if there's anything else I can get from Air Wild....

Good luck and happy building.

regards,
langerl

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

Thanks,

I think we've got it covered Lynn. Yes, they do look strong, Herculean in fact. I figured out I can totally cheat on the retract holes with the Robart hinge point drill jig....that thing is one of the BEST tools for 5 bucks out there. I've liberated it before for some little tasks outside of it's assigned hinge point duties with good effect, probably none as good as this one though. With a center punch we're all good I think. Part of the reason for using the hardwood was that I thought it would give a little better thread bite. The holes through the hardwood for the lines were no easy drill with the Forstner bit though....patience there...I think they're like 7/8" in diameter, and I figured to make them the same size as the ones in the ribs. Doing the rest of the reinforcements tonight on the outboard ribs and will get to the c/f rails after. No real pushing on this part as it's all clamp and wait type processes on the stronger glues used in these areas.

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

Center section well on it's way now. Retract blocks and mounts complete and glued in. Used the Hysol in spots necessary for it with good effect. My first time using this stuff, I do like it when its set, which the process of is a little different than normal epoxy it seems. First, much thicker, no runs, which is nice. Overall bond time is longer than epoxy with setup much more gradual and the stuff seems to undergo a slight color change it appears (or it just dries without the same sheen as when wet). Strength is great. My one complaint is that it is a little difficult to make nice clean applications with, due to how thick it is, as I like nice clean epoxy joints without stuff running all over (this doesn't) and with the ability to put it right where it's needed. But I got a little better applying as I'm using now as I'm learning how to apply it and what to use for the various spots it goes in....a little learning curve, but it works great on the c/f stuff following BVM's directions on putting these things on.

Retract area looks tough huh Lynn? Short of 1/2" aircraft ply for the outboard parts on the c/f braces, and having used the hardwood on the inside, I took the liberty of swapping it out to some 1/2" pine that I had on hand. Seems about the same for toughness and weight I think, so hope that's alright with you. You can see from the pics though that it's pretty much bulletproof. Still the thin c/f on top before sheeting too to shore things up nicely. Really going to give some good bite to the top sheeting with the broad surface to glue to. Chuck and I both think that the 1/4" nylons are too wide for the setup though, as it we don't think it leaves enough wood (1/2" rails) to put them into, and, maybe more importantly, the holes in the retracts themselves and the bolt heads might be too big for the width of the mount bracket. As there's six of them in there, we think that 10-32 nylons are a better choice and would still give you lots of strength with ability to make sure there's enough material on the retracts and the blocks themselves. I'll do some looking and checking and if the 1/4's don't seem like a problem on the retracts themselves they'll probably work, as one of the reasons for using the hardwood was to provide some better material to thread into for the bolts, so I'll do more research and keep posting on this little tidbit. Just some thoughts before the setup starts.

langerl

My Feedback: (5)

Hi Mike,
Re 1/4" vs. 10-32 nylon. Since I can't really SEE what the issue is, you may use your discretion as to which bolt size to use. Come to think of it, when I was imagineering the gear mounts, I do recall the holes in the gear as a bit too small for 1/4". I suspect 6 x 10-32 bolts should be strong enough for the mains.
The look of the model center section is very Grumman - massively strong looking. As you say, I don't think the gear mount rails will ever fail; now its more likely I'll tear a wing rib out of the main spar before that happens. I keep replaying in my mind the WWII shot of the F6F landing on the carrier...smashing into the island and the only thing left of the airplane after the accident is the intact fuse from just aft of the cockpit to the cowl and engine. When the wreck stops skidding on the deck, the pilot just gets out and walks away. No big deal... "A bit of the old El..." if you know the reference. The model looks the same way.
Still mulling over the paint scheme. Maybe I'll talk to Nick Jr. and see what he says.
The Air World servo leads have been ordered. You should see them in about a week or so.
Keep up the good work!

regards,
Lynn

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

Have the center section framed and glued together now. In the planning stage I had considered that there were to be some pieces that would have to be cut that weren't on the cut template sheet, or that might not have been in the kit--having learned a little about this in the Bearcats. Feeling a little sassy, now that I've come across my first part to fit this description--WMB-1! Makes it a lot easier to not go piling around in the kit parts forever trying to find a part that's not there when you suspect that this is a perfect one of those little cut it yourself deals. Makes a guy happy to have the planned for supply wood to fill these purposes.. Not much left then before moving on to those barn door outer panels.

IFLYRC-RCU

My Feedback: (28)

Asked a couple of times by Mr Hellcat, what engine ? I am using a Brison 5.8 Here is a picture of it on my Z Hellcat. Can swing a 24 x 12 3 blade well for nice scale speed OR go to a 24-12 for super fast performance [ Zoom ! ]

Notice the shelf with a chunk of lead over the engine. Yea, keep the tail light !

Wulf : Keep er moving ! Great progress so far.

Edit: Make sure to add a foward cowl mount too. The cowl is large and heavy! This will help it stay mounted long term and not vibrate loose. I added a verticle pc of hardwood over the centerline of the engine and installed a blind nut. Then I glassed a 1/4 inch thick pc of wood to the cowl with a through hole. Keeps it all sercure. ( Well for 23 flights anyway )

A couple of in flight pics just for fun.

hellcat56

My Feedback: (21)

to IFLYRC RCU
Beautiful cat
I really like the enging shot, that help eveyone out a lot
Looks like it flys as good as it looks
What is your weight on the plane
I learn something every day around-the local engine boss have been tell me the G-62 should have a 22x10 only
Obivously you are flying great with the 24x12
I am inpressed
keep up the great work
If you have any more building orflyin pictures I would certainly like to see them
my email is [email protected]
Thanks
Lawrence

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

A few shots of the center section prior to doing some sheeting on one half. Looks like 10-32's Lynn. You see how close the holes are, and this seems to be the size the holes in the gear are already drilled for.

Beefed up center section weighs 3.5lbs on it's own without gear in it...ouch. But it's forward of the CG due to the reinforcement on gear, so not too worried here.

t_burley

My Feedback: (59)

nice work bro [sm=thumbup.gif]
look forward to building mine, or maybe get you to
build me one

Ram-bro

My Feedback: (101)

Wulf, sorry I havent been back to you on your 190d, I get to easily distracted. Did you check out this site over on the other thread http://home.comcast.net/~rich2001/osa/ ,that Hellcat could use a folding wing and cowl flaps.....

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

Thanks Todd. No sweat Ram, and thanks for the link. I'm also finishing up a Corsair of my own, and lit up when I saw they offer a little switch to sequence a mechanical door linkage with an air retract system...very cool. I was going to set it up to just flip two switches, and have to remember to flip open the doors when I want to drop the gear, so for 50 bucks I could have some peace of mind in not having to remember now. I've seen that little thing for the cowl flaps and it's pretty neat too. There was a Bates Bearcat build thread on the site here a while back that showed a really nice linkage for cowl flaps and how to do them using pivoting u-joints that looked to be from an r/c car setup...nice operation. However, it looks like something that even with a plan and the goods would take a ton of time and fiddling and swearing at (something I get a lot of practice at) to get it right. Doing a couple of the flaps wouldn't be bad, but to do them all....I blanch at the time required to get it right. The cowl on the Hellcat is beautiful though, so I'm sure it can be helped out in some way to better it even more and make it a nice focal point with reasonable effort, so not too worried about that. Weight will start to become a factor as well with sliding canopy, reinforcements, pilot, full scale cockpit, dressings, drop tank hard points, details, etc.. It's already buying clothes in the Husky section.

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

Fighting off a bad cold, slower progress this week, but on the mend, I hope for a few huge building days this week. Should have the ctr. section done later today. Man this thing is wide. I thought I edge glued a lot for the Bearcats, but this one's another piece of sheeting wider than that one. Glue goes fast when doing all the sheeting. Hope to get the outer panels going today. They'll seem super easy after the ctr. part. Also learning my lessons from the Bears, sheeted the flap as a separate piece to ease cutting it off there.

wulf190

My Feedback: (19)

practicing the old heat 'em and sheet 'em technique on the top with alyphatic glue as there's a lot of surface there and I didn't think the tractors and Tonka Trucks and sandbag technique would be quite as efficient. Came out good...

langerl

My Feedback: (5)

Hi Mike,
Time to display my ignorance . What'sa "heat'em and sheet'em..." entail? And how do you apply pressure to the sheeting to hold it to the ribs while the glue sets up?

Glad your feeling OK again. Man that cold bug is nasty....

vr,
Lynn