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Scratch built Cessna 170

Old 02-16-2004, 08:29 PM
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johnatwork
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Default Scratch built Cessna 170

Hi all, I just about finished this Cessna 170. Got a few questions for you pro's out there. I haven't built a model over 45 years, so I feel proud of this one. I had a 30 year old set of Jetsco plans which I enlarged on the computor to a 72" wing. I figured out the rudder, stabilizer and added ailerons. Installed an old Futaba FP-T6EN with an RP-6D receiver and 4 FP-56 servos.

Then I get the idea that all the flyers here in British Columbia Canada are really against AM Radio gear so I will have to change to FM. Question: Can I change the connections on the servos to suit the FM receiver or do I have to replace all the servos? I was thinking of using an XF-631 Transmitter with an R-700 receiver.

As I have never flown an R/C i will need to locate an instructor, but they don't seem too happy with AM system. Question: Is it just because it's an older system that they don't like it, or am I in for a nose plant if it is used?

Here are some pics;
http://www.alexisarts.com/images/cesna%20170%20top.jpg
http://www.alexisarts.com/images/cesna%20170%20side.jpg
http://www.alexisarts.com/images/ces...ll%20front.jpg
http://www.alexisarts.com/images/ces...top%20rear.jpg
http://www.alexisarts.com/images/ces...70%20front.jpg
johnatwork
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Old 02-16-2004, 10:52 PM
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Mike James
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

That's a very nice looking plane, and especially impressive since you've been away from building for so long. Welcome back.

Radios for model aircraft are now mostly FM and narrow band, so your radio may not only be out of date, but may be technically "illegal", as far as flying within AMA guidlines. It might also be more subject to interference from other modern radios. I'd hate to see you put a plane like that in the dirt. so my advice is to check on getting your radio updated, or buy another one. It will last for years, and is a good investment.

The current document on frequencies is at http://www.modelaircraft.org/Comp/frequency.htm

Hey, build some more, and show us the photos!
Happy flying.
Old 02-17-2004, 07:28 AM
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Dago Red
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

Im very impressed, yery pretty plane, keep up the good work, hope it flies as good as it looks.

BTW--I hears that they quite updating the older Futaba radios here a while back, was that true, or a rumor? I have 2 older Futaba golds ones laying around
Old 02-17-2004, 11:33 AM
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johnatwork
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

Hey thanks Mike & Dago for the comps. Most of all thanks for the advice. I had no idea that a radio could even be upgraded although this one may be a bit too old for upgrading. So it sounds to me like the radio is the villan here. It's not the guys flying the thing. Safty would be my biggest concern. If 8lbs of anything hit a person at airspeed...wooah! it would be a tragic thing.

Still not sure what to do bout the exhaust....gotta ponder it some more. Any ideas are certainly welcome. Question: Any thing wrong with a 90 deg. bend in the exhaust at the engine? I notice that all the fittings on 4 strokes seem to be aprox. 45 deg. If I could use 90 deg. I could make a neater setup within the cowl.

Thanks again for the advice on the radio.
Johnatwork
Old 02-17-2004, 12:39 PM
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Johng
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

A while ago Futaba was looking for old gear to add examples to their archive. The gear you have would fit that profile. You could snoop around their web site to find out if they are still looking for stuff.

Anyway, yes - you have museum pieces. The good news is, a radio with better capabilities will cost less than you paid for that one.
Old 02-17-2004, 12:43 PM
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johnatwork
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

Thanks Johng,
My wife thinks I'm an antique so I they actually want this stuff it may prove to her that antiques are worth keepin around.

I will check that out, many thanks,
johnatwork
Old 02-17-2004, 04:21 PM
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

All good info so far.

Nothing wrong with a 90 bend but try to keep the bend radius as wide as you can manage. No tight corners or plumbing elbows. That's to get the best power but if your model is light and the engine strong a few lost RPM due to a "bad" exhaust system won't hurt anything.

Our Canadian MAAC, like the AMA, has adopted the narrow band frequency scheme as you've already seen here. Your old radio may or may not be legal. If it IS legal then it will have a gold sticker on the rear of the transmitter to certify it as being narrow band. If it doesn't have that sticker you are out of luck. Technically it's NOT the AM or FM issue but the narrow band requirement that is the issue. But clubs sometimes have their own ideas about what is acceptable and what is not. If the guys had lots of interferance problems in the past with AM sets then they may have set up their own local rule. A new radio is probably a good idea anyway if you plan on sticking with the hobby for a while. Batteries die of old age and stick gimbal pots and servo feedback pots become dirty with corrosion and stop working properley.

Yes you can buy new pigtails that can be soldered onto your old 3 wire servos so you can continue to use them with a new reciever. Just solder the red to the red, black to the black and the other to the other (usually white for futaba but sometimes other colors for other brands) for the signal lead. If they are very old I wouldn't trust
Old 02-22-2004, 03:56 PM
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

Hi friend...
Do you want to exchange this plans with me?
Old 02-27-2004, 07:41 PM
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johnatwork
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

Hey chutt ,
I'd be happy to trade plans .... what have you got?

I'm very interested in building a scale Bipe that I can install my Magnum XL 61 into. Because I am strictly a beginner again after 40+ years of being away, I need it to be a real gentle flyer though. Was thinking about enlarging a set of plans for a British SE 5A, but I don't know if it would be a gentle one to fly.

My set of plans are enlarged from an old Jetco kit I once built. I will have to clean them up a bit before supplying. Plus I had to make a lot of mods because of it's size and R/C mods. These mods are mostly in my head, so I'll have to write as many as I can remember up to help you out.
Old 02-27-2004, 08:52 PM
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CafeenMan
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

Excellent job on the covering. What did you use?
Old 02-28-2004, 01:01 AM
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

your going to freak out... BUT i have a very old hand scratch built cessna 170 as well built by an old man who passed away this year at 92!!! monokote covered im stripping and recovering it mine has full flaps as well will post pics soon
Old 02-28-2004, 12:54 PM
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johnatwork
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

CaffeenMan; I used Cub Yellow Super Monokote. I applied it with an old Sealing iron and a heat gun that I use here in my Art Gallery. The tight compounds were really hard to do, but the rest went pretty well. As this was the very first time I have ever covered with anything but tissue, I read all the threds here on R/C that I could find. You guys are terrific at offering advice on "how to". Many kudo's on ya all. The markings on the plane are all painted on with Tremclad and I don't know if they will last. I just painted the fiberglass cowl that I had made with Tremclad also, so I hope it will last. Once I finish all the markings I will post a pic.
Old 02-28-2004, 12:58 PM
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johnatwork
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

P-47 D PILOT; Looking forward to seeing the pics. When you list them, give us some details as to w/span, weight all in, power plant etc. Let us know how it handles in the air when you get it finished. I'm still learning all I can.

I still want to build a scale Bipe. I just love the looks of these older basic planes.
Old 02-28-2004, 04:36 PM
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

john, mine has approx a 75in wingspan and mu fuse is 4foot, was covered in silver monokote with blue stripes... am stripping it now sanding the silver off and will recover in a bright red with white accents, will post pics soon, mine is powered by an old "os" 50 2 stroke with a wooden prop the engine is an old one but never ran was new in the box when the ol man gave the plane to me looks just like yours only the 2ny cessna 170 ive seen, mine also was scratch built from hand no kit here.... yours looks great....
Old 02-28-2004, 04:39 PM
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

also john, my cowl was hane carved, did i mention that mine has full flaps? cant wait to see how it lands... ill get you pics soon as i get my brothers dig cam....
Old 02-28-2004, 05:47 PM
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johnatwork
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

P-47 D PILOT; Yes you did mention "full flaps". I couldn't decide weather to do flaps or ailerons...I chose ailerons. Hope that wasn't a mistake. Guess I could make the work as flaps without too much trouble. Which is better?

I too carved a complete cowl at first, then I got to thinking that a fiberglass one would stand up better to particles in the air stream. (hopefully not pieces of the guys plane that took off ahead of me). Don't want to tangle with a Canada Goose neither, they have a bigger wingspan than my Cessna!

Looking forward to your pics
Old 10-21-2004, 04:32 PM
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

I was just looking through the old Jetco 36" Cessna 170 kit and thinking about converting it to electric R/C. I have an old Sig 72" J-3 Cub that was intended for .19-35 2 stroke power. You didn't mention what engine you are using in your 170 but it looks large. I would recommend that you find a veteran scale model flyer to advise you and get it ready to fly then test fly and trim it out for you. Then he should get you up in the air and let you get the feel of it. Re: Modern RC Gear- I would recommend a Hitec Eclipse Transmitter and a Berg III 6 Channel receiver. You can buy the transmitter the receiver alone. Make sure your servos are smooth and reliable and buy some new inexpensive standard ones if in doubt. Your battery pack should be new also. The Berg receiver has a number of new features that will protect your plane from interference and null signal conditions etc that are beginning to cause crashes.
Good Luck to You .
Old 10-28-2004, 07:34 PM
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johnatwork
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

e-challenged,
I think it would be neat to convert the 36' into electric. It just seems cleaner. I enlarged the 36" plans and then built my 72" big brother. I am planning on using a TT91 four stroke to pull it as it weighs 8 1/4 lbs all in. I added ailerons, got rid of my AM radio gear and am planning on using my new Futaba 6 channel, new batteries and servos.
Haven't flown her yet, still practicing on my G2. I did take the wing off and taxi around the lawn though. On the G2 Simulator I can get um off the ground, fly like the dickens ... just haven't mastered the landing yet so I won't even try it till I can land em too. Will definatly take your advice and have an instructor check it over and test it out in any case.
I will let everyone know how it handles once it's airborn.
Johnatwork (The Balsa Beaver)
Old 11-28-2004, 11:51 AM
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

The late Bill Effinger (W.E. Technical Services, and before that, Berkeley Models) produced plans for a 170, but the fiberglas cowl he specifies on the plans is from a company that seems to be out of business. Anybody heard of Fiberglass Masters in Goodview, Virginia? Or does anybody know if someone else might produce a 170 cowl in 1/6 scale?

Geoff
Old 11-29-2004, 10:37 AM
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

The Jetco 36" span version was a bit slab sided. I have been producing the 72 inch span Berkeley (and SIG) version which has more rounded fuselage sides.

As for cowl, the original version was made up from big balsa blocks. At the time of the last of the SIG versions there was a fiberglass cowl available. Subsequently, there was a 2" scale version of the Bird Dog available (but not by either of the noted) which had a fiberglass cowl. The real Bird Dog uses a different engine and cowling, but the supplier used the same cowl for both model A/C.

Since that time, there have again been a couple firms listing a 2" scale Bird Dog cowling, but I have yet to see one in my hand. We have sold quite a few Cessna 170 semi-kits based upon the Berkeley kit, and due to non-locatable sources, have specified on the plan that the cowling be made up from balsa blocks as per original.


Wm.
Old 10-19-2006, 07:14 AM
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

im having a very old berkely cessna 170 restored by a master builder friend of mine, was stripped down to bear bones all points checked, was originally built as a free flight kit, then had a o.s. 50 2 stroke in it with flaps and converted to rc when i got it from a man in his 90's who built it in the 80's i think.

has scratch built all wood cowl flaps ect, stay tuned for updated pics from restoration now with pitts in cowl o.s. 61fx swinging scale prop will post finished pics and in flight pics.....
Old 10-24-2006, 11:25 AM
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Mike Emilio
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

I have a new Berkley Cessna-170 drawing. These are the original 1956 drawings. 50 years is up, so there's no more copyright on them!

I'll burn off a bunch of copies, "within reason of course" for anyone that wants one. I don't imagine it would be more than, say, $10.00 at Kinko's.

As an option, I can get them blown up to any size.
The original Berkley is for a 53" model, but blowing them up to around 70"-72" span would be common.

PM me for my address if interested.
--------------------------------
I have to edit this to remind everyone that I don't mind doing this if it helps out, but please don't ask me to pay your postage.
Include maybe $5.00 for postage in Canada, or about $6.00 for postage to the US. (Envelopes I can get for free, for now)

Also, let me know if your after just the original Berkley size, or blown up to some other wingspan.
Old 10-25-2006, 11:08 PM
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Mike Emilio
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Default RE: Scratch built Cessna 170

P-47 Pilot . . .

PM me your address. I'm going to send a print of what I have to you for free. Actually, it didn't cost me much to get a bunch printed so I'm going to send them out for free to everyone that sent me a pm/email. It still came to a few bucks but what the heck, Christmas is comming!

Only one thing though, I goofed on this a bit. When I got the prints in I noticed that they were Cessna-172, and not Cessna-170. I don't think there's much of a difference between the -170, and the -172.

Anyways you lucky 10 people, enjoy!

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