Does the wing have to come off to access this area?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion just like everyone is entitled to choose the power system (gas, nitro, electric) that flies their model. As long as people are buying airframes, regardless of the power system, the hobby will live on. If that stops, we're all screwed. Curiuous, does it make you nervous that electric is slowly taking over the hobby as it has the RC car hobby? As battery technology gets better (lighter, more powerful, and less expensive), electric will gradually follow the same path with RC airplanes so get used to us "all electric" giant scale plane people!![X(]

If you go over to the PT17 Stearman thread which is the same plane minus two ailerons you will find a conversion there. I forget the guys name but he did a real nice job. He also relaced the stock dummy engine with one made by Williams Bros., and made custom scale landing gear as the stock gear is far from scale.

Thank you Super08, I will search. It's sad there are not more biplanes available. I'd really like a large Pitts to convert. I'm stalking that new GP Pitts M12s.

I went and looked, his name is ElecRick. Go to post 131 for his first post.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_29..._6/key_/tm.htm

BTW he made a hatch for the batteries shown in post 140....I'm outta here.

I have lots of electric models, but all lightweights, for bigger models you need big motors, big esc and big batteries and the cost of which would buy you easily a petrol engine which cost nothing to run, I cant see the point other than no fuel to carry.
You just have to have noise, smells and smoke for scale models.

It would not be practical to remove the wings everytime you have to change batteries, you either have to install the batteries in a fire safe charge bag and charge them on board or make a removable hatch at the front cockpit which would be the only practical place on this model

Yep! I guess I'm fascinated by the electric thing...the main reason that it makes it easier to keep them all inside the house...and they are multiplying. When I have to work on one, I can bring it right in my home office/hobby workstation to work on it without the wife giving me any grief about petro smell!!

If no easy access to lipos, then no electric conversion in my book. No charging on board for me either! All of my lipos are charged in a lipo safe bag and stored in a retired ammo case or my fireproof safe. I take no chances. I even check cell balance every few weeks and I have about 2o lipos.

Hi Seamus, seems like we have a lot of models in common!
Electrics will NEVER take over from a decent glow or gas powered large scale biplane, I agree with you, great in my shocky but thats where it ends for me.
Everyone to their opinion but my radial saito sounds right and at least it has a sound!

OK, I know I'm butting in but I also looked at electrifying this model. After reading this and other threads I came to the conclusion that this Stearman just isn't the best candidate for electric conversion. Cost wasn't the issue (I'm going with a Saito radial) but as a bipe there just isn't an elegant way to put the battery pack as far forward as I would like without accessing it through the lower wing saddle. Although that would work, swapping batteries in the field is an invitation to hanger rash.

Yes Gary looks that way, I have a super chippy and used to own a JL Hawk as well
I have the proper stearman though (PT-17) which is what you should have to show off that saito radial better.

Oddly enough, I already have a large e-powered super chipmunk. Also currently building a 55" wingspan e-powered Pitts Python and as soon as Nitroplanes restocks their Pitts model 12, a 60" wingspan model 12, with hopefully an EDF strapped to the belly (if I can pull it off) in honor of the late Jimmy Franklin.

Agreed Seamus but not enough cylinders to look right! The story is I got the Saito and installed it in a WM Giant scale Zero but she sadly went in on the second flight so I was looking for something to install the engine into and a GP kit came up for sale at ÂŁ200 and the engine slides in an absolute treat. My Super Chippy has an SC160 flat twin installed, that's a nice engine also.
Alas I am now hooked on the smell of burning kerosene (or is it the sound of burning?)
For anyone installing a Saito 170 it is essential to use an on board glow system and keleo ringed exhaust system by the way. A bit expensive but the sound and reliability is superb, plus no glow fuel on the airframe! Gary.

Which super chipmunk is that mine is the goldberg one, I have always fancied a larger chipmunk but havnt seen any

It's the CMPro, designed for a 120.

Found some better pics, sorry to hijack SS thread!

Yes sorry guys, great things about these threads how you find out about other stuff.

Someone had recommended a TruTurn AT-6 Spinner, and I can't find the right thread, does anyone know which one fits a G-26? Would that be the 2 1/4" 120 size ?

My SS should arrive tomorrow. I have some time to assemble it before the weather gets better here.

Thanks

Can anyone post a picture of how and where they mounted the G-26 electronic ignition unit? I can't see how to put it inside the fuselage, and I can't figure out how to clamp it down to the firewall yet.

Thanks
I did get the choke to set up nicely., the little knob is accessible in the gap from the cowl.

You can mount the ignition on top of the engine. Look at post NÂş 1491, there are some pics. Is not a g26 but I think you can do the same.
Good work on the choke.

The manual that came with the engine states that the ignition unit can reach 90c, do you think the strap ties will hold up to that? Maybe I could use a long hose clamp? That was where I was attempting to mount the engine, seems to want to fit there pretty well..

Question, I have been considering swapping out my OS 1.20 for my Saito 1.50. Those of you that are running the Saito, how does it work? My flying buddy has a CCRC 26 on his SS, and my 1.20 can't begin to keep up. I'd appreciate any feed back the group can offer. Oh by the way, is anyone running a Pitts muffler on their 1.50, and does it fit or did you have to chop up the airplane?
Thanks again

I don´t know for sure what temp can reach the zenoha cdi unit, but 90ºc seems high to me, maybe in a extreme condition, running the engine at full throttle all the time.
Don´t worry about the strap ties holding on, they will.
BUT, if you want a better solution, use a width (I think that´s the word) velcro to hold the unit, with a latex foam. The velcro will asborb more engine vibrations than the strap ties. You can attach the velcro with a piece of plywood, screwed to the firewall, on each side. I use this method on all my planes.
Hope you can understand the draw.

I got the EI mounted using strap ties, before I saw your drawing. Your drawing is fine, I had some Velcro, I should have used it.

Here, I got all the switches in the front cockpit. I went with dual batteries and switches on this one.

Jim,
I'm using the 180 Saito and it has a lot of power. There are times when I go off course when I'm taking off so I just give it full throttle and it jumps right off the runway. I never had a 120 or 150 in it so I can't really give you a comparison.
On the other hand the Stearman isn't really supposed to be a speed demon. I think the 120 would give you more of scale flight.
So if you really want some speed and your thinking about the 150 you might as well use the 180 and really give it some punch. The 180 fits in with no problem.
I used the stock muffler and it works fine. I have it exhausting out the bottom with an extension. The only problem I had with the muffler is it has a tendency to loosen. I made a bracket to keep it from rotating loose and I also use a little high tempiture Loctite on the treads. Make sure you don’t get any Loctite in the engine.
Good Luck and Happy Landings
Shubova
[8D]

Shubova, thanks for the information, yes the OS 120 flys very scale, my friend and I want to try to do some formation flying, and I need something with more power, I have the Saito 1.50 that I was going to use in a biplane I am building, but that one won't be ready for a while, that is why I was thinking of the 1.50, all I need to do is pick up a pitts muffler. Do you have any photos of your installation posted on the thread? Thanks again !

I have my new SS in the box, no damage during shipping, and ready to begin building in a few months. I am still going through the mental prebuild and making decisions about engines and other parts. I plan to install a DLE 30 for propulsion and use one servo for each aileron ( 4 servo setup) - at the moment the servos woudl be HS-5485 digital servos, the Hitec version of a sport digital servo. Using four aileron servos does not seem to be the popular choice and I was wondering if I might get some feed back with some thoughts about that decision. The new radios make this very easy to do with the ability to trim each servo indepently or to make collective (in the aggregate not the collective pitch on a helicopter) trim changes to adjust for inflight variances. This thread has sure provided me with a bundle of helpful information as well as excitement about this plane. So please, if you have some thoughts about my decision to use four aileron servos, good or bad, please fire away. Thanks

Howard