Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Hello All,
My good buddy and painter of my scale projects, Gerry Dupont, is starting on a kit that he has had for many years. He is a professional scrimshander for a living and a incredible model builder for a hobby. He is not a member of RCU nor is he interested in personally doing a build thread (he hates to type) so I told him I would do the thread for him. You will be able to follow along with the build of this beautiful Royal kit. The float plans are the ones originally designed for the Top Flite Zero and power will be an OS 81A. Below are his words that he wrote for our RC clubs website.


Fellow club members, modelers and wingnuts, Well here you have it......... A REAL kit in all its glory, lots of balsa and
ambiguously printed instructions with NO helpful photographs. ( And no break-off tabs under the wing rib trailing edge to aid in building the wing with wash-out! ) But it is what it is...... A 1977 issued
ROYAL .60 - .80 two-stroke sized kit of an A6M-5 Zero. I'll be constructing this kit with many modifications to be an A6M-2
Nakajima Rufe, complete with stretched wing and vertical stab, as well as a few "enhancements" for weight reduction, looks and especially "fly-ability". Ted Brito has offered to post construction photos and a cursory text on R/C Universe as the build progresses. This has been a long time coming, what with this kit being a Christmas present from my ex-wife in 1979. Some things should not be rushed and there's NO time like the present. You're all welcomed to live vicariously through my efforts, head-scratching frustration and hopefully pleasant outcome and if the very thought of this undertaking make you ARF-ers in an "instant world" nauseous, then hang in there and let the balsa dust fly. Wish me luck, patience and endurance to go the distance on this one. I'm definitely going to need it!

I have attached some of his scrimshaw work and a picture of his "new" 1977 kit! I also included pictures of the last two planes he painted for me.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Ted,
Very cool,, you guys beat me to it.

Subscribed,,


p.s.
I have the construction article scanned in .pdf for the MAN Rufe plans (most of it) if you need it,, too big a file to upload here

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Excellent timing chaps!!!! I have a Meister A6M3 Zero which I'm planning to convert to a Rufe. Any chance of a pic of the float plans, no rush really. Are you modding the rudder too?

Subscribed with great interest, Ian.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Great entry. I am on.
**Neons** Bob

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Ian, here are a few shots of the plans

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Those are the same "Ruff" plans my buddy is using! LOL I guess they couldn't spell "Rufe". He told me he also has the whole construction article from MAN so we won't need a copy of yours. Thanks for the offer though. I'm going to try and help him as much as I can on anything he needs but I'm in the middle of restoring a 84' military blazer to a civilian everyday driver. My wife gave the order "no planes until the blazer is done". :(I'll still try and get there when he needs the help.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Tell me about it,, my wife's desire to have a working kitchen again is really slowing down my winter model building ;)

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

I have a new in box Rufe made by the sane people that made the Royal Zeros.If interested let me know .

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Tora6, sent you a PM.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Nice scrimshaw work! I have built a few ships-in-bottles. One of the Elissa in a Pinch Scotch bottle was stolen from the Galveston Historical Society's Maritme Museum ship of the Elissa. It was donated to be displayed on the Elissa and some 'big wig' took it when he was dismissed or quit the museum- so I was told.
Anyway- back to the build! Subscribed!

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Scale only 4 me, are those plans still available? If so from where as they look like they'd give me all the info for my conversion!!

Cheers, Ian.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

For some reason Model Airplane News doesn't sell them, at least they're not listed on their site.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

No I couldn't find them either after taking details from one of your pics, I don't suppose you, (or anyone for that matter!!) have a spare copy I could buy do you!!??

Heres hoping.

Cheers, Ian.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

I can see about copying my buddy's plans. The shipping to the UK might kill you though. I think it runs $8-10 per sheet to copy at the local copy place. I think it's two sheets. Scale only 4 me could tell us.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

I recently shipped a set of plans rolled in a tube to France,,, it was $33,, folded it would have been $10,..

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Very interested, folded wouldn't be an issue since I'd need to be redrawing them to 1/4 scale anyway. I'd be great if I could get a copy though I'd need a pice first if possible. I'm a little wary of postage since we've just bought a set of EDO 1/3 scale plans from BUSA, plan was something like $27 but the shipping a whopping $45 or so. All for two sheets of paper!! Those plans look well designed and would enlarge without too much redesign, though I'd have to make it all removable. I've put out some feelers for a set of plans on this side of the pond but I very much doubt I'll find some as everyone I speak to haven't heard of the conversion plan either, so I will almost definately be asking you kind fellows for some help.

Many thanks chaps, Ian.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Like Tom said, folded, most likely in a 8 1/2 x 11 manila envelope, wouldn't cost that much USPS. Let me find out about copying them. I know my buddy currently has them pinned up and might not want to take them down. Do you need them right away or after his build? I will ask him about letting me copy them.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

My buddy has had a set of float plans made up and they are available in anyone else would like a set.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Tailfeathers: As per the printed instructions, I jumped right in to a quagmire of alignment and fore and aft shimming on
every rib in the stab, making sure center lines drawn on each rib lined up with the center lines drawn on the
inside of the leading and trailing edges already pinned in place. (Even the leading edge had to be shimmed to
match the center line of the trailing edge. Die-cut rib tabs alone would have made all this much easier.) pic. # 3487
Pic. #3488 shows the two solid pieces of elevator stock glued together before planning and sanding into one another.
#3490 displays the finished product but I feel its too heavy. I'll be enlarging the small scale diagram shown on the
plans to formulate a built up set of elevators w/ scale rib location which will ultimately be fabric covered.
#3489: How's THIS for instructions? A few photos and check-off boxes would really help here!

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

I would love to get a set I have the Zero plans the floats would be super cool.

the Royal kits leave allot to be desired when it comes to instructions, its a far cry from a Top Flight instruction booklet for sure, looking forward to your build progress, having built a Royal kit you need to work from instinct the plans are the source of most of the info for these builds

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

The instructions for the Royal kits are about as good as the ones for the Sterling kits, it quite common for the older kits to be like that, back when everyone was a builder. I found quite often with both I would have to replace some heavy balsa on critical components, sheathing was the wood that was a bit heavy in my opinion and quite often I substituted contest balsa for what they gave you.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Hi, I was wondering if you still had the rufe avalible. Willing to pay good $. thanks
royalhfarms

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

At this point, the stab has been flipped over to sheet the other side. It had to be shimmed up 5 ways to Sunday because not
only is the taper front to back, as was the case with sheeting the first side, but the leading and trailing edge is tapered side to
side. Everything got razor-planed and sanded to shape before this second side got sheeted so it would match the tapered
fully symmetrical airfoil as shown on the plans. This 4-way taper can be seen in the shot where the second sheeting has been pinned in place. Once dried overnight, all overhanging excess gets razor-planed and sanded flush around the perimeter. The solid
balsa tip blocks get glued in tomorrow and then the leading edge gets sanded to an airfoil shape. More to come. G.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

The photo 3502 shows the lay-up of ribs, etc.on the base outline of 1/64th ply, some of the ribs already shaped and others in
their rectangular outline awaiting the razor plane and sanding block. # 3504 is the finished job. At this point I have to flip both
halves over and do the very same mirror image on the other side. I'm hoping with all the main pieces already cut from the side
just completed, this other side won't take quite as long.

RE: Royal Zero Kit Build into Rufe
 

Nice job fellers, very neat and tidy building;) Chistech, did you get anywhere with the plan copy? Also, does the beautiful Kingfisher operate off water, would love some more info on that masterpiece when you get a second.

Cheers, Ian.