Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

I don't think you will have any issues with the aileron authority raptureboy, they look plenty large to me and it looks like you can get plenty of throw. My .02 cents anyway!

raptureboy

Thanks Chad coming from you I will take that 2 cents Carry on ! (sorry the pictures are so big,I don't have a clue what happened)

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Just a note to let you guys know that I have completed the construction gallery for the wing center section.

http://www.hellcat.cwvmodels.com/csect.html

I will be adding the gallery for the outer panels over the next few days if all goes well. Trying to stay ahead of the pack here but I'm running in about 10 different directions!

Tko310

My Feedback: (7)

HI
JUST WANTED TO ADD A LITTLE UPDATE
I HAVE THE WHOLE PLANE PAINTED AND MOST OF THE HARDWARE INSTALLED ENGINE SERVOS MAIN GEAR SWITCHES AND TANK IS ALL DONE. CHAD AND I HAVE EVEN WEATHERED THE PLANE. JUST NEED TO HOOK UP THE AIR SYSTEM AND CHECK IT FOR LEAKS, ADDITIONALLY I NEED TO INSTALL THE TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY.
PLUG IN ALL THE SERVOS SET UP THE RADIO AND INSTALL ALL THE LINKAGES AND WE ARE PRETTY MUCH READY TO GO
I AM HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS WEEK AND POSSIBLY TEST FLY THE PLANE ON THURSDAY OR SATURDAY.

HOPE EVERYONE IS ENJOYING THEIR BUILD. AFTER I COMPLETE THIS PLANE AND GET THROUGH THE AIRSHOW THE FOLLOWING WEEK I WILL BE FINISING UP THE SCALE ACCESSORIES I PLAN TO OFFER FOR THIS KIT. JUST A FEW MINOR THINGS TO DO REALLY.

UNCLE JOE I WILL BE CALLING YOU SO PEOPLE NO LONGER HAVE TO SUFFER WITH MY PHOTOGRAPHY.


TIGHE O'MEARA

mech9

My Feedback: (49)

Tighe,
Did you cover how you made the guns? They look great!

Cheers Rob.

Racinrc14

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That looks fantastic. The almost OCD treatment of the rivets really turned out well. Nice job, Tighe. Looking forward to hearing how the little gasser hauls it around. Are you planning on sticking a dummy radial in the nose?

-Tommy

Charles, AC6WU

My Feedback: (80)

Thanks for the encouragement with the pictures. A GREAT job! Lots of work paid off.
]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] (Oops, cat on keyboard) Can't wait to get started on mine.

warks62

My Feedback: (140)

Tighe it is really looking good. The weathering is making it all come together, GOOD JOB! Did you make a tailwheel retract yet?

JohnMcGowan

My Feedback: (15)

Good stuff guys!!![sm=thumbup.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif]
I too will be waiting to hear how the "little gasser that could" performs. It will be so much cheaper to operate than glow.
Im going to the SouthEastern Model show in Perry Ga this Friday and Saturday, this place is HUGE and is held in 3 Ag. type buildings with well over 300 tables in each building, so I just may look for me a small gasser while Im there.
Ti, what cc and brand is your engine btw? You may have already covered it, but tell me again
Thanks,
John

* edit* .. I went back and found the engine info, its a RCGF 20cc rear carb, right Ti?

Tko310

My Feedback: (7)

HI ALL
THANKS FOR THE COMPIMENTS! I AM REALLY HAPPY WITH HOW IT IS TURNING OUT

LETS SEE MECH9
THE GUNS ARE MADE FROM BRASS I WILL DO A LITTLE SOMETHING ON THEM THE ARE PRETTY EASY AND REMOVE ABLE

RACINRC14 - THE RIVET DO REQUIRE THE INGESTION OF A FAIR AMOUT OF "LITTLE BLUE PILLS" OR MAYBE THEY WERE PINK....... WHATEVER
THEY DO ADD ALOT TO THE PLANE.
RANDY I DID MAKE A TAIL WHEEL AND IT WORKS WELL. HOWEVER I AM GOING TO MODIFY THE DESIGN A BIT TO FIT IT TO THIS AIRFRAME BETTER WITH THE REMOVEABLE TAILCOVER AND ADD SOM BRASS TO STRENGTHEN THE WHEEL MOUNT
I ALSO MOLDED AND CAST SCALE HUBS AND TIRES FOR THE TAIL WHEEL FOR CARRIER PLANES. THE HUB WORKED OUT GREAT BUT I DID SOMTHING WRONG WHN I CAST THE TIRE MATERIAL AND IT DIDNT FULL HARDEN.
JOHN IT IS THE RCGF 20CC REAR CARB FROM RC AERO http://www.rcaer.com/ HE IS THE DISTRIBUTER FOR THESE ENGINGES AND HIS CUSTOMER SERVICES HAS BEEN GREAT THOUGH YOU DO PAY $10 MORE THAN FROM TBM

I WILL LET YOU GUYS KNOW HOW IT GOES AND STAY TUNED FOR THE GUN TUTORIAL AND SCALE FEATURES
BACK TO THE SHOP
TIGHE

Tko310

My Feedback: (7)

Hey I forgot to answer a question about he radial.
I will be putting in a Tiano radial after i get the glass cowl and figure out the cooling needs.

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Time for a flap update! I've completed the flaps on one side and am satisfied that they will work properly. I stated way back when I started this project that the Hellcat was a relatively simple airplane with the exception of the flaps. I stand by that comment! If you plan to add the flaps be prepared to spend some time fiddling with them. There are a whole lot of angles all coming together here and getting everything lined up with even gaps and no binding is an exercise in patience. Having said that, they could be simplified beyond what I have done here by deleting the fixed pyramid shaped section between the flaps and moving the seperation of the two flaps out to where the dihedral break is. That will be up to each individual. I need to finish up the drawings and make the laser files for the parts and they will be good to go. Just FYI, there will not be a great deal involved with the flap kit as the parts are easy enough to make by hand and I have a hunch that each installation will vary somewhat. For those who wish to cut there own parts I will provide a PDF file of the plans and parts to anyone who asks for it for no charge. On to the pictures.

PS - I will admit that this first attempt is a bit Frankenstein-esque in its' execution. I made a few mistakes along the way as well as just changing a couple of things and as a result there is alot of patchwork going on. The other side will look cleaner (and take less filler!) but you won't know the difference when it's finished, at least I hope not.

mech9

My Feedback: (49)

Very Nice Chad!
I should expect no less.[sm=thumbs_up.gif]

Cheers Rob.

raptureboy

WOW !! You are amazing,Chad it's like the difference between my 7th grade wood shop project and a Louis the 14th desk ! I just opted for the more simple wood shop version on mine as seen in my prev post. Great job indeed,I'm really enjoying this build.

cold_reboot

My Feedback: (20)

I can't help but ask because I'm about to pop Chad.... Any design work done on the Dora?

Your Hellcat flaps look great!

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Thanks for the kind remarks guys, much appreciated. I'm really glad the flaps are just about done as I would very much like to get back to work on finishing up the prototype for the upcoming airshow season. (Plus I need to stay ahead of the group!) Our first show is in less than two weeks so I'm already too late for that one. Where does the time go?!!!

Cold,
Nothing to report on the Dora yet other than I've collected a TON of information and have been sifting through it to try and learn all the nuances of the 190D. That ain't easy! Seems like the Dora was constantly undergoing improvements and parts were being supplied from every corner of Germany and each manufacturer did things slightly different! I've got a couple of contract design jobs I have to get done first and then the Dora will start moving forward. Thanks for asking though, your anticipation keeps me motivated.

p 40

[sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif]
[X(][X(][X(][X(][X(][X(] magnificent Chad, and 'beautiful. Hello Gianluca

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

I have completed the drawings for the flap option, including a template sheet. I will have a laser cut parts package available but have not nailed down a price yet. It should not be much as there is not a lot of material involved. As stated earlier, if you prefer to cut your own parts a PDF file of the flap plans and template sheet as seen below are free for the asking. Any print shop should be able to plot them for you. If you are interested in the laser cut flap kit (which will include printed plans) then please send me an email at the address below. Now I can get back to work on my prototype!

[email protected]

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Good news gents, the cowl mold is done and we are ready to go into production on the glass cowls. These are going to be produced by Vic Catalasan who does some terrific glass work. If you're not familiar with Vic's stuff please visit his site at www.vicrc.com to get an idea of what he's capable of. To be sure these little Hellcat cowls will be no sweat for him! If you're interested in purchasing a glass cowl for your Hellcat please let me know ASAP. These will be made in runs as making them "onesie-twosie" is just not economical so I need to know how many to order for the first run.

Introductory price will be $40 and that includes the shipping in the lower 48. This price may go up with the next batch once we have a better idea of actual labor and materials costs so get your order in now to lock in that price.

Charles, AC6WU

My Feedback: (80)

Chad,

Please include a fiberglass cowl with my kit when you send it. Just add the cost onto the total.

Best regards,

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

The Postman delivered a much anticipated "goodie" box from Mr. Vic Catalasan today. I was not disappointed to say the least. Vic has done his usual fantastic job and the new glass cowls are very, very nice.



Of course looking nice is only half the equation. They have to fit nice as well. To that end I delivered one to my good buddy Robert so we could have a look at it on the front of his nearly finished "Super" Hellcat warbird racer. It's a perfect match and we could not be more pleased with the results. Much thanks to Vic for taking on this project and for providing a top quality product. Most likely I will not offer the vac formed cowling any longer as the glass cowl is light years ahead in quality and durability and will only add about $25 to the cost of the kit.



Since we are on the subject of Robert's Hellcat here is a pic of his Monokoted wing. It's near impossible to get a good pic of a shiny black object but pictures don't do this thing justice anyway! If you have ever worked with black Monokote you know how tough it is to get it on free of scuff marks and other imperfections. Robert has done his usual superb covering job and anything that looks like imperfections in the picture is simply reflections of all the stuff sitting around in his garage. This thing is going to be gorgeous!



Robert wanted a civilian scheme for his airplane since it is going to be a racer and really needed a spinner in order to be able to put a starter to the YS 1.40. That's a tall order as there have been very few civil painted Hellcats and even fewer with spinners. In fact the one shown in the slide show at the link below (black and red) may be the ONLY one that meets the criteria. Fortunately it is an attractive scheme which should be relatively easy to see going around the pylons.

http://www.rebuildtsunami.org/jrs_hellcat.html

Next are a few pics of Tighe's Hellcat during taxi testing. Unfortunately some gear issues prevented a test flight but I think Tighe is getting them worked out and it should fly soon. He did have it on display at our local One Eighth Air Force event over the weekend and it got lots of good feedback.





Lastly I have made some progress on my prototype to include getting the upper fuselage exhaust outlets installed as well as the wing tip lights. I am quite satisfied with the finished exhaust outlets but not satisfied with the amount of work it took to get there. Most of the issues were related to the fact that I waited and installed them after the fuselage was finished. It will be much easier to install them during construction so I recommend you decide early whether you would like to have them or not. I will cover their installation on the web site when I get to the fuse consruction.



The (non-functional) tip lights are a nice bit of "eye candy" that is relatively easy to accomplish and I will cover their installation on the web site as well. An easier way would be to simulate them with paint if you wish to expend less effort executing them. Of course, they don't have to be there at all really! Here is the starboard light ready for primer.



Look for more updates soon and please make sure to contact me and get your money in if you would like to be included in the first run of fiberglass cowls. Thanks gents!

Charles, AC6WU

My Feedback: (80)

Hey Chad,

I just received my kit in the mail...It looks great...now I'm waiting for the wood order so I can start building. It looks like a remote sliding canopy is doable with little weight penalty, I'm working on it anyway.

Many thanks,

Sharpeye22

Hi Tko310 and Chad,

Is the cockpit kit ready and if so what is the cost?

Larry

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Thanks for the heads up Charles. Please look it over carefully for any shipping damage and let me know what you find. I'll get replacement parts out ASAP if any are needed.

Larry,

The kit for the full cockpit has been Tighe's baby thus far and I really don't know for sure where it stands. I know there were a few plugs that Tighe wanted to "finesse" a bit in order to get a bit cleaner part but beyond that I don't know much. I will see Tighe on Thursday and will try and remember to get an assesment from him on the time frame for availability and estimated cost. Of course he may check in here himself before then and tell you what you need to know.

I will still be offering a kit for the partial cockpit for those who do not wish to install the full depth unit. With any luck I will be executing that in my prototype over the next couple of weeks and it will then be available for purchase as well.

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Hi guys,

A quick update regarding the web site. I have added the first half of the construction for the outer wing panels to the gallery. Should get the rest of it done over the next week or so. I've also added a "Tech Notices" page which will cover any alerts or changes to the construction as they pop up. If you are building the Hellcat please be sure to check it for updates once in a while. I will also post any technical notices here in the group build thread but, in case you miss it, it will always be available on the site. At this time there are only two notices, one in regards to moving the servo tray to make room for the full cockpit and a second about adding some ply doublers to the retract mounting area of the wing. About the latter, there has been some concern regarding the strength of the retract mounts and especially so for airplanes that may end up heavier than recommended. When you start adding things like a full cockpit, flaps, gas engines, etc. it is very easy to get the weight beyond the 11 pounds stated on the plans. Not to worry, I think the airplane will handle the weight OK in regards to flying. My good buddy Bob Frey flew his Brian Taylor Hellcat (same size) at 14 pounds and said it flew fine. Not that I recommend you strive for 14 pounds! Quite the contrary, I think that a lighter airplane at the expense of some detail is much better on a model of this size. Either way, adding the ply doublers is good insurance for very minimal weight gain and I recommend their installation. They are very simple and shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to make. I will try and send out a PDF file of the parts to everyone who has ordered a kit but, if you don't receive it for some reason, please drop me a note at [email protected] and I will reply with the file attached.

Outer wing panel construction gallery:
http://www.hellcat.cwvmodels.com/panel.html

Technical notices page:
http://www.hellcat.cwvmodels.com/tech.html