I just purchased the new Waco ARF from the Hobby People made by Global. Has anyone heard any positive or negative about the new plane since they fixed the problem with the landing gear? I sure would appreciate your feedback.

Bruce

As far as I know there were a few minor issues, but saw one fly recently and it was a fine flying airplane with a happy owner! Been trying to look it up but it doesnt show up on Hobby People's site anymore. Is it discontinued? Should have been a good first bipe! oh well[]

I owned the plane since it first came out. I loved the plane. It is very light and well made. Only issue I had was the landing gear. You have to reenforce where it slides into the fuse. Run a couple peices of wood length wise and put a this peice of ply to the back side of the sloted area where gear sides in. Mine was totaled when my pilot came loose and took out the rear elavater stab and it hit hard. I will have a new one soon. FLys great on a 91 4 stroke... Can go as low as a 72 4 stroke. I used the bigger motor for nose weight. It is still for sale. just have to put in sportsman aviation waco in search. For sale at www.bigboystoys.theshoppe.com or somthing like that have it for $219 cludes shipping. Video of my Bip in flight. http://24.93.12.92/RAMS/movies/BarbieBipe_250.wmv

Thanks for the info! Nice video! It looks very realistic in the air!

I had over a hundred flights on mine, it was my favourite plane to chuck in the back of the car and duck out to the field for a few quick flights. I used a Magnum 70 four stroke which was plenty of power to fly it very scale like on 1/2 or less throttle, it needed full throttle to pull a nice big loop from level flight but I found the 70 sufficient and it balanced at 4 & 3/4" without any extra weight.
Unfortunately I broke my number one rule about not letting other people fly my planes and wouldn't you know it the first time I did it someone else flew my Waco into the ground![sm=crying.gif] But I loved the plane that much I went straight up to the hobby shop and bought another one! [sm=lol.gif] I don't think I've come across anyone online here or at my flying field who didn't like owning or seeing the Waco, in fact I was the first at my field and now at least 3 others I know of have gone out and bought one after seeing mine!
I never had a problem with the landing gear, even after quite a few shocker landings (initially anyway, I got better!). I often wonder whether it had a lot to do with running the lighter 70 FS rather than the 91 or 100 that most people have put in them.
Anyway, it is well worth the money and you will enjoy it!

Cheers

Da Orc

Thanks Bull for the terrific video clip and thanks Orcrest for the glowing report, I have been considering one but had not seen one in the air until the video clip, or heard many reports on them (only about the landing gear) they certainly look nice in the air. I hope it wasn't your Barbie girl that took out your first Waco Bull??.
Is there anything special I need to be careful of while building the Waco, did you have any trouble setting up the connector rod for the Top and Bottom Ailerons?? If I get one and am pretty sure I will it will have a Magnum 75 2s in the front, should pull it easily and not have too much weight up front like you suggested Orcrest.

Thanks Guys.

Great looking plane. I should have mine up as soon as the wind and snow stops. I appreciate the feedback.


Bruce

Bruce .... Just make sure of the CG, better to be just a touch nose heavy then tail and it doesn't need as much throws as you might think. If it's a little tail heavey or you have too much throws it can be a hand full. I know from experience. I flew mine for a while then added the pilot and made it tail heavy and it was a tottaly different plane. That's not to scare you, because if everything is set right it's a *****cat and a wonderful plane to fly. Good luch with your's

Thanks for the advice. Your reminder brings back some not so happy memories of not checking the CG. I have a Goldberg Extreme the was the hardest beast I ever flew! It's still not completely tame. I put a Saito 100 in my Waco. I'm trying to figure where to put my remote igniter and remote fuel filler right now, do you have some advice? For awhile I will be flying without the cowl sense the engine is new. In my opinion the Waco is the best looking plane I've ever seen and I don't want to mess it up. I am very willing to take your advice.

Bruce

I put the fuel filler dot right in the middle of the red stripe of the cowl on the right side of the plane if your facing it. While I was breaking in the motor I just used a zip stripe and tied the fuel line to the motor mount. The remote igniter I just epoxied a small block of wood the the fire wall bottom left side and mounted it to it. "I didn't have the plug in type". I have a saito 100 in mine too and it was great. I used a big Groupner 4 stroke paddle which made the motor sound great and so much pull it was unreal, could fly on next to no throttle use very little fuel and fly forever. thought about switching to wood, but my saito ran so well on the groupner I decided to leave it alone. I had too big a prop so would only get 8700 RPMs. Was always going to switch it but flew and ran so well I decided to it alone.

A note on mounting the Cowl... The saito vibrates the hell out of the cowl and where the screws mount it will crack. So if you make the holes for the screws the size so the fuel tube just fits through, then cut a small O ring to fit in it, then slide the screw through it and tighten it. The fuel tube will expand and make a perfect buffer for the screw and it won't crack the cowl.

Everyone who I ever talked to always had to do some down trim after take off so expect to do it.

Couple picks of my plane and 1 on my other fav planes DR-1 just because I like it!!!

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Thank you for all the great information. You have some wonderful ideas. I noticed you put your engine on a slight angle where I went completely inverted. Was the reason to have the muffler straight down, or did I miss something? After break in, you can bet I'll try another prop. Right now I purchased a 13-10 which was Saito's suggestion for middle of the road. What size prop are you using?

Bruce

I forgot one thing. Did you cut out for an air inlet?
Bruce

Bruce, i thought I'd jump in here. I've had a Waco .60 for a year now and it's really a nice flying biplane!! Mine has an OS 91fs in it and has plenty of power. I'm turning an APC 15/6 prop. It may be just a bit much for a 91fs but it flys real nice with that prop. Your Saito 100 should handle that size prop real well. Larger prop looks better with the big cowl. I mounted the engine at a 45 degree from vertical to get the muffler out the bottom.

I also got new bolts,washers and locking nuts for the wing struts from Ace hardware. I leave the wings on all the time so I don't have to assemble it at the field. Just put in the back of the truck to get it there.

Good luck and hope you enjoy the Waco!

Hi!.
Here are my Waco 60 using Saito FA-100 with 16-5 Zinger wood prop.(high rpm 9,000)
And also, 15-6 wood prop is good !! (high rpm 9,400)
Waco is soft flying at 1/2 throthle potition and funny!
I'd adjustmented aileron upper and lower connect linkage. It's very nice and I can adjust more wide angle..

I haven't put a lot of detail into the plane, just made some practical choices. Personally I've found the standard aileron throws give a very crisp roll rate without having to modify them, but to each his own. Here's a few pics, hope you find something useful.

1. I really like the look of the spinner but really I'm just lazy and don't like hand starting, especially hot engines
2. Fuel filler - I could have hidden it down the side but it kind of reminds me of a radiator cap where it is
3. I just used electrical tape to hold the gear block in
4. I also replaced the strut nuts with nyloc nuts and hex sockethead bolts

Here are some cowl shots. I haven't had any problem with overheating. I used rubber canopy grommets from a Raptor helicopter to hold the cowl screws and stop the cowl cracking, also for the highspeed needle extension exit. The engine is at 45 degrees from inverted so that the muffler comes out the bottom and the Magnum 70 four stroke with an APC 14x6 is plenty to fly it.

I put the switch inside the cockpit. I didn't like the security of the aileron connectors, I also found that the metal rods would expand and contract slightly with temperature changes so that the upper ailerons would always be out of alignment. I changed them to heavier metal rods, put a z-bend in the upper end and a metal connector on the lower and have had no further problems.

Oh and before anyone gets too picky Wacos do come with spinners...and jet engines!

LeeKitAi, the pilot you have looks perfect for the plane! Do you know where I might find one?

Thanks for all the help. Your plane looks great! All this information has been very helpful.

Bruce

Timoteo,
You can find the pilot head in Hobby lobbys wep site.
http://www.hobby-lobby.com/

Good luck..

Thanks leekitai, found it! I love the Internet!

Actually it was Barbie that took out my plane. I just epoxied her to the Balsa inside the cockpit. After time with the wind hitting her she tore loose the Balsa she was epoxied to and hit the rear stab / elivator and riped it right off the plane... Needless to say it didnt fly well with only half the stab & elivator...

Though I already ordered a new Barbie and new plane will be ready by spring....

Leekitai, your pilot is the same one that comes with the Seagull Spacewalker II. I'd recgonize her anywhere......


Andy

One question, how do you put afterrun oil in the motor with the cowlings?