Baldeagle

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I desided to build the Kate from 2 views, Thanks to David Foster. and using a plastic model too.'
I started with the tail feathers. The horz and vert stab were built from 5/8 by 3/32 balsa strips. With a 1/4 leading and trailing edge. I build them over the enlarged plan. Then sanded them to an airfoil shape. Draw a centerline arround the outside edges. That gives you something to sand to and keep it even.
The rudder and elev are built over 1/16 balsa sheet with 3/32 strips as ribs by 1/4.. Build top and bottom before sanding. 1/4 leading edge. Then set my tubing between two 1/8x 1/4 strips. Then cap the leading edge with 1/4 balsa. The tubing is for my wire hinges.
Hinge materal . Plastic tubing, Piano wire or aluminum wire and phanalic board cut for hinge materal. After shaping leading of the rud and elev cut slots in scale location just past the plastic tubing. Cover ONE side of the elev and rud with 1/16 balsa . extend the trailing buy 1/4 in. Now cut a slot in the vert and horz stab for your hinge about 1/4 x 1/16. It should end up by a rib to clue to. With the hinges in the rudder with the wire in place put the hinges in the slots.Clamp hinges to the ribs. Check for clearance both ways. Glue hinges to the ribs. Now cover the other side with 1/16 balsa extend past the trailing edge to match the other side. They should work nice and free with no gap to see. Do NOT glue in the wire. Now you have a removable surface. I put a J hook in the end to hold it in place.

CoosBayLumber

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A good year ago, there was someone over at RCSCALEBUILDER that was doing a Building sequence log of one also. But his were from some available plans.

Cannot remember much else about it, but have you gone there and investigated?

Wm.

Baldeagle

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WM I check over there some time ago,no luck. Did find a set of plans for the Jill about 48 in ws.

Baldeagle

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Got the wing done. I used Aero shaft through the ribs to keep the wing straight. The center cection is flat on top with taper on the bottom from the ribs. I used the same hinging on the ail and flaps as I did on the tail.

The fus is built over 1x4 blocks to keep it straight. I added a 1/8 balsa doubbler to the wing saddle area. I made the wing fillits from 1/16 hard balsa on the bottom and 1/16 soft balsa for the top curved area. On the front where it raps arround the leading edge, I cut 1/8 soft balsa to make the filler instead of using bondo or wood filler. It worked out good. Just use yellow glue it is easier to sand. Now I have to work over the CJ retracks to get rid of some of the SLOP

Baldeagle

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And a few more.

Baldeagle

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Try again

Baldeagle

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Got the fush and wing glassed using polyu. Made the cowl from 2in blue foam glued together then used some all thread through the middle and clamped in the drill press and sanded it to shape . Then glassed it. Put pannel lines using primmer sprayed next to masking tape. Added rivets. Made a canope plug from 2 pieces of 4x4 wood and shaped sanded and primed. almost ready to pull the canope. I will have some pic tomorrow. Rich

Darren40

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What's the span of this project? What are you going to power it with? Always nice to see uncommon planes modeled. Looking foward to seeing more photos of your progress.

Baldeagle

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Darren The kate has a ws of 77 in. I am going to use a YS120 fs for power. I usually build bigger planes 85 or so. I had the retracts and the motor sitting arround. I got some paint on it today. will post some more pic this weekend . Rich

eroc144

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Great work! Very nice seeing someone take on a "less famous" warbird build! More pics please!

EG

Baldeagle

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I made a canope plug for my Val from blue foam. It worked and easy to sand, but took a lot to get it to a finish stage .. Making the plug for the Kate out of a 4x4 wood was a lot simplier and made a better plug. After pulling the plastic canope I used the plug to hold the canope for sanding and masking off for painting. I desided to go with the yellow instead of a nother olive drab warbird. The yellow is a softer yellow than what the pic showes. Now I need to camo the top of the wing and tail with brown and green.
This is 1/8 scale but the cowl is small 5 1/2 dia. My Val cowl is small to for a big plane 84 in. I used crome plummers tape to simmilate doors and hatches. More to come. Rich

Baldeagle

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Thanks EG I do like something different. Got the camo and the black nose done. I ordered stencil from Gary at Get Stencil. I threw in a couple pic of my Val 85 in ws. Rich

Baldeagle

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Got a little more done . Made wheel covers from 1/16 ply and then covered them with a coke can aluminum. I will wait about a week before I put the flat clear coat on. Topflite ultracoat. It weighs under 15 lbs ballanced. Still have to make the torpedo out of 2in blue foam. Still have problems with the retracts working. Might have to buy a set of Robarts. The paint is all latex from Home Depot. I first painted the plane silver then yellow over the top of the silver. I dought if I used a pint of paint total.[img][/img]

Baldeagle

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This just about finishes this one up. Made the torpedo from 2in blue foam. clear coated and got the retracts working. Now if the wind will everquit blowing. Next maybe an Oscar or a Mig 3 or an La7. Don"t have any Russian planes yet.

eroc144

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It looks great, and the torpedo really ices the cake! Let us know how she flies.

Do you have any idea why the Japanese used that camo scheme? I would think bright yellow would attract attention for a torpedo bomber...

EG

Baldeagle

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Thanks EG. I really don't know why they used this color sceme. It was flown off the carrier SORYU on Dec 7 1941. The info I have is from PROFILE pub no 141. I hope no one takes any offence. I just like building different planes. I have several camo WW11 planes and the yellow just hit me right. I will post the flight. Hopefully Saturday. Rich

Baldeagle

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Sometimes you get lucky. The Kate flies like a big trainor. I brought the YS 120 to life, double check everything, pumped up the retracts ready to go. Headed into the wind, not much about 5 mph, advanced throtal, she is tracking straight. added up elev and she lifted off in a nice gentle climb out. Leveled out added 2 clicks of up elev 1 click l ail. The 120 pulles it fine, I throtled back a little to a more scale speed. Retracts retracted, made several passes. Lowered the gear slowed it down and put in some flaps. To my supprise it didn't balloon. Added a little power and set up for final. Chopped the throtal to above idel and let her settle in. Just before tuchdown I added a little power. She settled down on the mains. On the roll out one gear colapsed and it scratched the paint on the bottom. Second flight pretty much the same thing. Time for some different retracts.
I am real happy with the Kate. Maybe a bigger one next. 1/5 scale.

JIMARRINGTON

Rich,

Ever get the Val in the air? The Kate looks great. Now alls you need is a Zero to have the full complement from Pearl Harbor.

Jim

Baldeagle

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Jim I did take the Vall out the same day.After messing arround with the motor for about an hour or so I gave up and flew the Kate. Some how I had the gas lines switched . I have run that motor several times here at the shop with no problems.
You me a Zero like this one. It is a Platt Zero I built several years ago. Haven't flowen it lately. I also have Ki 61. from a IMP kit. no pic of it. I am working on plans for an Oscar that I might build. I have a set of blown up Royal Oscar plans. Haven't decided yet .

Baldeagle

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I finally got it to work. As you can tell I love to build.

JIMARRINGTON

So I see you already have a Tora Tora Tora squadron. I would love to get a copy of the plans for the Kate if you have them available.

Jim

Baldeagle

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Jim my plans are just a 2 view blowen up. I did draw all the ribs and added a couple fush formers. Nothing much on the tail section, The way I build the tail I don't need rib patterns. Now I wish I would have made it bigger. I would be happy to make a copy of the plans I have. They can make it any scale you want. The cost would be just what they charge me and postage. Thanks Rich

JIMARRINGTON

Same size looks like would be perfect for a Zenoah G20. Do you think it would fit in the cowl? I know the cowl for the Val is mighty small. The kate seems to have a larger one. How much would it cost me for the plans? I have so many now including the plans for the Val that I want to build and not enough time. Although a big warbird that flies like a trainer might be able to move up the list as I am just now getting into large warbirds. My first, yet to fly, is a partially restored Midwest Texan. I started a thread on it on the warbirds forum but got sidetracked to finish a Dyna flite SE5a. I also have a set of plans for a 60 size Zero by Robert Sweitzer. I think that was his name. I will get to all of them eventually. I love both the Val and the Kate. I put together a plastic model of the Kate many years ago. Was inspired to like them ever since I saw the Confederate Air Force replicas at an air show 20 years ago. We got to see them up close and they also performed an air raid reenactment. I know they were converted Texans but they sure looked mighty close.

I am jealous of your runway. Ours is tiny in comparison and ringed with trees. Works fine for the 3D guys but makes for difficult landings for warbirds. Have to bring em in steep and fast. Flaps are a must to slow them down.

Jim

Baldeagle

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Jim The Kate has a small cowl 5 1/2, I don't think the G 20 would fit. The 120 sricks out pretty far. The G20 should fly it fine. I think thet charged me 16 or $18 . There is 3 big sheets. Have you built from 3 views before?
The flying field is NICE when we get to use it. Lot of asfault.
Jim I will get some pictures of the plans this weekend and post them. That way you will know what you are getting. I used a plastic model to help build the Kate. They are handy. Rich

JIMARRINGTON

I have not built from 3 views before but I have scratchbuilt over 8 models and enlarged and converted several FF plans to electric RC. I almost always modify something on a model that I build so I think I can probably handle it.

I am committed to going all gas on the models that I build. I am so tired of cleaning up glow fuel. And I no longer have a local source for it so it has become prohibitively expensive. If the G20 sticks out then I would just have to live with it. Until large electric batteries come down in price, I'll live with the gas motors sticking out. The convenience outweighs the negatives. Look foward to the pics.

Jim