Hi guys,
A quick update regarding the web site. I have added the first half of the construction for the outer wing panels to the gallery. Should get the rest of it done over the next week or so. I've also added a "Tech Notices" page which will cover any alerts or changes to the construction as they pop up. If you are building the Hellcat please be sure to check it for updates once in a while. I will also post any technical notices here in the group build thread but, in case you miss it, it will always be available on the site. At this time there are only two notices, one in regards to moving the servo tray to make room for the full cockpit and a second about adding some ply doublers to the retract mounting area of the wing. About the latter, there has been some concern regarding the strength of the retract mounts and especially so for airplanes that may end up heavier than recommended. When you start adding things like a full cockpit, flaps, gas engines, etc. it is very easy to get the weight beyond the 11 pounds stated on the plans. Not to worry, I think the airplane will handle the weight OK in regards to flying. My good buddy Bob Frey flew his Brian Taylor Hellcat (same size) at 14 pounds and said it flew fine. Not that I recommend you strive for 14 pounds! Quite the contrary, I think that a lighter airplane at the expense of some detail is much better on a model of this size. Either way, adding the ply doublers is good insurance for very minimal weight gain and I recommend their installation. They are very simple and shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to make. I will try and send out a PDF file of the parts to everyone who has ordered a kit but, if you don't receive it for some reason, please drop me a note at
[email protected] and I will reply with the file attached.
Outer wing panel construction gallery:
http://www.hellcat.cwvmodels.com/panel.html
Technical notices page:
http://www.hellcat.cwvmodels.com/tech.html