rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

I have been looking for a suitable nice looking airplaneto enlarge, modify and re-draw the planspossibily for a Moki 150 radial engine.. First thing was to decide on a airplane to take on. Going through the buy & sell pages I found a Travel Air Mystery Ship kit with a fiberglass fuselage which I purchased for the project. Since this kit has minimun number offormers in the fuselage it well be a bit more complicated than enlargeing the plans. This airplane has a 70" wing span which I well increase by 70% to 122" span, which well make it a 1/3 scale size, the fuselage well be made to accept a 15" diameter cowl.. I have researched and looked at some videos to make sure that this particular kit planeflys relatively good first before decideing to build it... I havepurchased other kits before for my projects and sold them after getting the measurments and details to draw my build plans
The Mystery Ship was called that because it was kept under canvas so no one could see it before the race, it was the winner of the 1929 Thompson Trophy Pylon race beating out the best that the Army and Navy had with a speed of well over 200 mph.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

The first step on enlargeing this particular model from 70" span to 119" is to take the plan and mark off and draw in where the formers well be on the new built up fuselage for this airplane. I well need to make up new formers of proper shape, since this fiberglass fuselage does not have formers which I can enlarge.

LesUyeda

Since this is a fiberglass fuselage, I have been known to build a clay dam around the area that I intend to place the former(over 1/2 of the fuselage); pour plaster of paris in the dam. When the plaster dries I have 1/2 of the former, and can go from there.

Les

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

LesU-Very accurate way of doing it but far to much work for me, I have another way of doing it.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

As for the fuselage formers I marked off where I want them in the new airplane and took some construction paper and trimed it to fit inside the glass fuselage, next step is to trace outline of the former on the plan, and it well get enlarged.

Avaiojet

There is a tool that body men use to get contours correct. The tool may not have the dept you're looking for? However, it may do 75% of the fuselage thickness and the rest, top and bottom, could be just drawn in. I have this tool.

There's another tool that you can bend, but stays in place, like a flexible french curve. This would work out well.

I have Fred's 1/4 scale Mystery Ship kit mostly framed up. Fred's models are nice flyers.

Fred was a good man and designed great kits.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

Avaiojet. I did not post it but I also used a flexable french rule and a contour gauge, The blue thing is the flexable rule that holds the shape and the black rectangle handle has bunch of wire shafts which when pressed against something takes its shape. Glad to hear that this is going to be a good flyer since I am going to invest in a Mokial 5 cylinder radial engine for it.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

This is the type of thing that comes up, such as how to spring load the landing gear.. the kit setup may be fine on a smaller aiplane but would not be adequate with a 10+ pound engine in the cowl., this is the simplest set up I could come up with, any metal fabricators out there?

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

I have all the formers cut out and traced, I took the modified prints to fit a 15" dia. cowl to the print shop and had it enlarged 70%, the picture well give you a idea of size difference from the original glass fuselage.

Avaiojet

Those are exactly the tools I was referring to.

Per your request, here's a few photos of my gear to the Reese 25% kit.

Interested in mine?

clandestoy

My Feedback: (112)

Avaiojet, that's a nice looking set of gear, but I like rcwarbuilder's design for the landing gear more than the original kit design. I think rcwarbuilder's would provide more suspension and greater shock dampening to the airframe. Especially since he will be enlarging the plane to a much larger scale.

Do you think it would be expensive to have them machined out of aluminum, and do you know of someone who does that kind of work?

Avaiojet

Fred Reese would have done it that way if he thought it was a better set-up. Same with the design of the Gee Bee gear. Coppied after the actual airplane. The spring actually controls the movement. Last thing you nees is for the gear to bottom out. That would be like having no give at all.

Aluminum machining isn't necessary because weight isn't a factor. Here's a photo of my Gee Bee Z gear.

Models are getting too large.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

Avaiojet, now this set I like and I can incorprate into a larger gear, thanks george.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

Ok, another issue, Fiberglass specialties has a 16" diameter cowl I was going to use on theMystery Ship which well have a actual span just over 120",,, after talking to them I find out that the cowl is the wrong shape... they do have a 15" cowl which is the shape I can use so I have made another set of plans enlarged to 110" spanto fit this cowl as well,,, now after looking at this 110" plan the Moki radial well over power it for sure ( it would be a good plane for a G62 up to about 70cc engine if any one is interested in the plans),,,
As you can see between buying the original kit for refference measurments to make the parts outlines and couple copies of enlarged plans I have a few hundred dollars in this project and I have not finalized the build plan yet for this airplane.
I have placed a order for the 15"cowl with the entention of cutting it open lenght wise and stretching it open and glassing the opening to get 16" and proceeding with the original 120" span airplane with the Moki 150 radial engine. I should have the cowl in a few days to look over and consider my next step.

clandestoy

My Feedback: (112)

I have a sachs 4.2 that would be an excellent fit for that new size bird. Interested, let me know? I need to start getting some cash together for a GT-80 for that Vailley Focke Wulf I told you about.

ARUP

There is a very nice Travel Air 'Mystery Ship' build on RCScalebuilder.com. The modeler details a very nice model with functioning landing gear. You can lurk for free but create an account in order to do so. I don't remember the forum or thread but should easily be found. Prolly under 'scratchbuilds'. Good luck. I love the raceplanes!

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

There you go, anyone interested in the 112" plans, here is a good 4.2 Sach's at a good price for the airplane.

clandestoy

My Feedback: (112)

There are actually 3 builds over there, all fullof good info.

Travel Air Mystery Ship 1:3.7 http://www.rcscalebuilder.com/forum/...s.asp?TID=8861

Travel Air Mystery Ship, 1/4 Scale http://www.rcscalebuilder.com/forum/....asp?TID=10506

Travelair mystery ship http://www.rcscalebuilder.com/forum/...ts.asp?TID=251

Avaiojet

Am I the only one that had trouble with the top link above?

I would have to check my 25% Mystery Ship cowling, but I believe it tapers. I wouldn't even consider buying a cowling to use as a start.

"Lost foam method." Been around for many years. Works great for one or two cownings. I suggest you look into it.

Although it's a small model, only 55" in span, I made this cowning using the lost foam method. I'm sure there's Threads.

Also, what the hey is going on? Did RCU change their photo format? Why are my photos so large?

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

Nice little, airplane if I were a little closer I would try to get it to finish so I could get a flight in on it.

Avaiojet

The Gee Bee Z in this above photo was built for R/C, from a Paige Aviation kit. Many mods.

I'm changing it to CL. I believe it will last longer if I do this. [sm=bananahead.gif]

LesUyeda

"Am I the only one that had trouble with the top link above?"

Not really a problem, but you have to be a paying member to access it.

Les

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

I got on as a sign in as a basic member, if I want to post pictures I have to join for $20.

Avaiojet

I checked my drawings for the Mystery Ship. I believe it was the "R" model that had a tapered cowling. By the looks of my drawing the cowling is straight. I could check my kit.

cloudancer03

My Feedback: (22)

I get all excited when the mystery ship appears.its a plane who's time has come for me to build.every fall I drive over to the neat fair and one of the ships that always gets my attention is the mystery ship model R..the 70 inch ship you are enlarging sounds great.but try finding a fred reese kit.

have you or anyone got plans I can buy as I would love to build a 70 inch mysteryship .