supersparky

My Feedback: (21)

I would really like to get into warbirds, the spitfire in particular. I would really like to do the ziroli spit but I just cringe at the price of the retracts. I just can't bring myself to spend more on the landing gear than I would on the motor (probably a MT80). I know some of the guys on here will want to say "if it's to much you should do something smaller" or any of those kind of things, I don't care that's the one I want to do. Yes I know I will have 1000.00 plus into it most likely but I just wanted to bring the price of the retracts down from the 500.00 range that the robarts are. I don't intend to compeat or weather the spit just want it to look right and a warbird with fixed gear is not "right". Any help finding cheaper gear or some other soultion would be helpful.

STUKA BARRY

If you think the Robarts are expensive, stay away from the Darrells gear. Although, you get what you pay for. I just purchased Darrells Meister FW-190 gear for $650.00 Just for the mains. You might want to check with Lenny. His Shindin gear are quality too for less money. He's probably tooling up right now for Nicky's Spit.

LAWNDART65

You could talk to Gene Barton. Gt80 is not a engine for this plane. Cowl shape it wrong. 3w-85 or da-85 would work. You will have G in the engine, g in gear and tires and a g in the electronics. and a g in the kit, cowl cockpit glue ect. I lost count of the g's but you get the picture. John

P-40 DRIVER

Building any kind of warbird, you can figure on a 4 way split between your motor, plane, retracts, electronics. Figure it will take you 2 years to build it, and your total cost will be about $4000 dollars if you do a decent job, use new stuff and don't have any of it in stock. I have thought long and hard about how to build one of these planes on the cheap, It can be done, but you won't like the compromises you may have to make. I think if your patient and have a spare $100-$200 per month to throw at it, you will get there. Just save up and get the proper gear for the plane.

STUKA BARRY

Gene Barton would be a good source too. The engine mentioned is an MT-80 which is a single, not GT-80 which is a twin. No twin will ever fit a Spitfire except an inline. By the way, Nick has designed this Spit to use the Zenoah G-62 a $375 engine.

91zulu

My Feedback: (2)

http://www.airpowernet.com/twe3/index.php?cPath=4_43
Don`t know how good your building is but you can try these retracts and get 1/2 inch legs from Shindin . I will be using these in my Meister ME109 which use the same gears like the Spitfire. Now this I think do not come with air lines, tank or any of the other stuff just the retracts. Kind of break up the cost of getting it all at once.

NCIS

P-40 DRIVER,

When did you last build a Giant or Monster Warbird for $4000.00. I will have over double that much just in my radial engine for my 124" Ziroli Corsair. Granted it is a Monster but the price tag on it will be $1000.00 or more just for the main gear and by the time it's all said and done I'll be lucky to get out for $10,000.00 to $15,000.00. Plus a DIVORCE!

supersparky,

Take up WWII Fighters. No retracts and cheaper smaller engines. They are just as cool as the WWII Fighters and you can keep your wife. Whether that be good or bad.

Barry
www.canopyrailsforwarbirds.com

I had to start a business just to support my hobby.

91zulu

My Feedback: (2)

Is this warbird made of gold and platinum . Folks have built giants for far less. Only way a giant comes out that much is using the most expensive of everything. Guess some folks do that because they have the money to do it. I could remember back in the 80s and 90s there were giant scale warbirds. Not as much as today but they were out there. I know they did not cost that much ready to fly back then. So why do they cost that much today. Back then they were no digital servos, and many things that guys say today you MUST use or else. Many used Futaba 148s and large hi torque servos through out. And you know what , they flew very well with no problems. So now why do guys use the most expensive stuff when building giant warbirds today? I guess it feels safer. Not going to prevent a pilot error crash though, you can bet on it. That is the #1 reason for a crash 99% of the times not cheaper or bad equipment. There are cheaper ways to building a giant scale warbird. Just don`t jump to buy the expensive stuff out there because someone tells you how great it is. There are tons of cheaper quality parts out there to buy.

NCIS

zulu,

Price out a 25 hp radial engine with a double row of cylinders! Have you priced out what it costs to make everything yourself or have some one do it like a 48" cowl you can wear as a jacket and an aluminum framed canopy with plexiglass? Priceless!!! The 80's were 30 years ago when the price of gas was under a dollar a gal. How much does it cost now. It's near $3.00 a gal here in WI. I don't think you are aware of how big a plane is that is over 10 feet wide and over 100" long. Weighs 75 to 8o lbs. I don't think I am going to use cheap equipment in it. I have been working on it for 2 years and it isn't even 1/2 done. The stab is as wide as a 1/8 scale Warbird wing.

JMHO,

Barry

P-40 DRIVER

NCIS, I would think you would be able to finish up that P-40 for about $4000.

NCIS

P-40 DRIVER,

The P-40 will come in under that. I was talking about my Ziroli Monster F4U-5N Corsair. I think the P-40 will be around $3,500.00. I really don't consider that to be a Giant though. I think 100" should be a Giant size plane. Plus he was wanting one for a little more than $1,000.00. That just can't be done! Don't you agree? Remember the plans and wood all cost money too.

Barry
www.canopyrailsforwarbirds.com

P-40 DRIVER

Barry, Yes, I think he has no idea whats involved in getting one of these in the air. I think if he invested in an 89" ESM Spitfire, he would be in the $2000 range, which would be a whole lot cheaper and a whole lot less work then the Ziroli. I know I don't have the time or money to build one of these, having done a whole lot of research before giving up on my Idea of building a Ziroli. I bought the plans to the P-40, F8F, cut the kit myself, Bought a used G62, Some used Hitec 645 servos etc. Trying to do it on the cheap, I just could not commit the time and the constant stream of money one these projects demands. My basic thought on this is; if the money is an issue, you can't afford it. My other thought is tha; if you can't afford to watch it crash, you can't afford it. I certainly have the ability to build one of these, time and money is a different issue. Family, work etc must come first.

supersparky

My Feedback: (21)

I would consider myself an excellent kit builder although, I have never done a short kit. The build is not a problem or concern to me nore is the price, I have 3 50cc birds 2 3D and an Aeromaster which I yank on a lot more than I should, (top speed was 112 and radar out of a 45 dive). My best friend has a p47 and f4u both top flight glassed robart and g62 so I am aware of the cost I guess I'm just put off by spending more on the gear than on the motor, thats all. Yes I also know you should not cheap out on the gear since that is the number 1 place to have problems on a warbird. I'm not heart set ont the zeroli but it must be a spitfire and it must be over 80 inches. I have even considered getting one of the wing makers GS spits and pealing it to glass it but that would probably head ta 30cc and I would like 50cc or bigger. I may have to check out the ESM bird mentioned.

P-40 DRIVER

Retracts are a painful/expensive part of the warbird world. I personally consider myself a sport modeler these days so I can skip the retracts, flaps and paint on my planes and still have a P-40, Wildcat etc to fly around. I've done all that stuff in the past and its just a pain in the you know what. I enjoy the scratch building and design end of it more then the finishing end of it. Check out that ESM, I think its exactly what your looking for, and the retracts are reasonably priced as well.

Dash7ATP

An old friend of mine did a really nice job on a Yellow Aircraft Spitfire. See below. (Where are you, Greg?)

It's worth looking into,.

Joe

supersparky

My Feedback: (21)

p-40 driver you were right on the money, that ESM spitfire is exactly what I was wanting. The only thing that would make it better would be fiberglassed wings, but as long as I'm careful fabric should hold up just fine. Thanks for bringing this brand up to me, had herd of them but did not know they had a larger one. And yes those retracts are MUCH less painful but still look like they should be good.

91zulu

My Feedback: (2)

http://www.meister-scale.com/Spitfire/spitfire.html

There is also Meister scale Spitfire 96" wing span. There is a glass fuse for this plane too. If you are lucky there is the Pica Spit that shows up on ebay every now and again. There is a short kit for the Meister Spitfire , the build is easy. I`m building the Meister Me109 102" and its a breeze. You can get the short kit and break up the cost getting wood and other things a little at a time. Century has the gears for the Meister too, a bit expensive I think for what you get that's why I`m leaning more towards Airpower gears. Cheaper and look stronger. I had the Century gears in my Pica Spit, they are a pain in the ***** always a problem with them.

Try these folks too. They have some good strong retracts.
http://www.eurokitlucca.it/Old_Site/...l_frameset.htm

BTW .. Dave Platt also has a 81" Spit which is like the Pica 1/5
http://www.kitcutters.com/Pla/PlaSpitfire.htm

91zulu

My Feedback: (2)

Sorry 88"WS

fw190

My Feedback: (37)

I saw on Shindin Machine that you can get 1/4 scale spitfire retracts for $365, I have a smaller one on my Taylor and it works just fine.

P-40 DRIVER

Glad that solves your problem, I would probably purchase it through VQ Warbirds because they have a real good reputation, although it will be dropped shipped from the dist. which is not TBM anymore. [link]http://www.vqwarbirds.com/[/link], [link]http://www.vqwarbirds.com/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=83&osCsid=d13d1ccfd2fe26adc0b6ef540c053dd1[/link]