ronbell

Thanks Bradley, I hope that I don't make that mistake but I can see just how easy it would be. I wish there was a practical way to incorporate a squat switch that would disable the gear servo when the aircraft is on the ground - I'm not sure that anything small enouh to fit on the oleo scissor mechanism would hold up for long; certainly wouldn't survive too many of my landings!

Also, I seem to remember reading early on in this thread that JB Weld does a better job than epoxy for the hinge brackets. However, I must admit to liking your idea of using countersunk screws. I'll definitely consider that.

Ron.

norm

Guys I assure you JB weld does the trick. I brought this un earlier in the thread and it is back in 2007 and still hold and will rip apart the nacelle of the door. Piercing the nacelle is not a good idea since it will be appearent. It is sometimes hard to beleive that glue is a better fastener than a screw or a nail, but it is true!

Normand

ronbell

Thanks everybody - I am now feeling a LOT more comfortable about the whole air retract and gear door situation.

Another question ... The air fill coupling has a piece of the small air line attached that runs to the compressor. What is the best way to connect this line to the compressor? It has a regular tire valve coupling, the sort with the lever on top. It will need to be pretty solid to take 100+ psi of air pressure.

Ron.

djstar39

My Feedback: (4)

Ron,

In your Robart air kit there will be a brass coupling (fill chuck) that mates up with the 'tire valve' (fill valve) that you have mounted on the B-25. I take a piece of Robart air hose about 2 feet long and connect one end to this brass coupling and I attach a duplicate of the tire valve end that you have mounted to your plane on the other end of the air hose. The brass coupling screws into your tire valve on the plane and the other end of the air hose with the extra tire valve connects to my portable compressor. I have one of those car jump starter / compressors that I use at the field.

I can't remember but I don't think the Robart air kit has this extra tire valve for you to do this and I had to order it extra.

I'm sure others have different ways that they do this. This way works for me.

Heres a link that shows you a picture:

[link]http://www.robart.com/products/fill-valve-fill-chuck[/link]



Dave

djstar39

My Feedback: (4)

FWIW, I used this thread and the one from RCDon referenced above as my bible for building this B-25. Outstanding tips in the RCDon thread!!!

Dave

ronbell

Thanks - I knew there was a puzzle piece missing. Luckily, I still have the Robart valve from the air kit as I aminstalling this one in the plane...

http://www.rcscaleproducts.com/retract_acc.htm

Interesting that the Robart part is 3 times the price, oh well.

I have also read through RCDon's thread in detail - lots of great info there too!! Since I expect that I will make multiple passes through this aircraft, probably one each winter, adding more scale detail, I have made careful note of his approach to doing sequenced gear doors. I might want to add brakes too. Currently, my most limiting factor (in addition to $$) is that I am out of radio channels; I already have 2 channel expanders in use with the 9 channel RX. Perhaps my luck with lottery tickets will improve (it can't get worse) and I will be able to upgrade to a 12x system, or at least an 11x with a 12 channel Rx - we'll see. For now I have more than enough to keep me out of mischief for a while.

Ron.

djstar39

My Feedback: (4)

Solved my channel problem by using two Transmitters / Receivers.

ronbell

Mike,

I finally got around to doing the canopy mod using canopy screws from Fortune Model Products, #4 fender washers, and 3mm blind nuts. I had to build up the structure a little for the blind nuts but you can't see it from the outside and it will pretty much disappear once painted black. Here are a few pictures.

Ron.

djstar39

My Feedback: (4)

Ron,

That reminds me... I have to replace my canopy. When my nose gear pin let go, it pulled the gear door off and splintered some of the wood inside. SR graciously sent me two of the spring hinges and I used thin CA to repair the splintered wood inside. Worked great! Until I turned it over and saw that I had used just a bit too much CA and it ran down and onto the canopy. Results: Frosted canopy! [:@] I tell folks it's some weathering... no ones buying it.

Dave

ronbell

Nice try Dave, but I can see it being a tough sell

Advantage Hobby has them in stock - I just bought a spare in case I scewed mine up. I didn't so if you can't find one then let me know and I'll send you the spare - hopefully I won't be needing it for a while!!

Ron.

djstar39

My Feedback: (4)

Thanks Ron! I actually think I have another somewhere. I did buy an extra set of machine guns. Managing to break them off! [:@]

ronbell

Changing those gun barrels looks like it could be a real pain, especially the ones in the chin bubbles. I wonder if it would be practical to glue in some rubber grommets so that the barrels just pushed in and could be removed during storage / maintenance?

djstar39

My Feedback: (4)

Havn't had a problem with the chin guns... mostly the rear and the port waist gun. The rear from folks bumping them (including me) and the waist gun from the way I carry it when loading and unloading. It catches on my shirt. Guess If I were more careful, it wouldn't be a problem.

Far_high

Hello to all!

For almost 2 month i surf the internet looking around to find info for my project to purchase a B-25....My first pick was a ESM B-25 but my local hobby shop did not reccomend it since the parts where maybe hard to get if some misaps happened.

last week i finally ordered the Top flite b-25 and this morning i found this awsome sources of info. I am so please to be able to start my project having you guys giving expert info on how to build and setup this plane. You guys are so good!

I am new to this hobby, last december i made myself a gift of buying an airplane. So far the B-25 will be my 4 th plane. i have 35 flight so far in extreme winter condition. i made a landing strip on a frozen lake at my cottage.

Now i am building a twin "trainer" to practice before going with the big one.I am modifying a twinstar II installing landing tri gear; bigger motors with 3 blades propsand flaps.

I also have the RF G5.5 simulator at first it help me started in the hobby with my nexstar ep and then with my Switch airplane.

for sure i will ask a lot of questions but bare with me it my first big project. so far i think i grow very fast in this hobby i love electronic and gadget like installing a beacon transmitter to find my airplane if lost etc...

i wish to help feed this thread and long life to this thread.

Patrick

PS: Normand live at about30 min from my home maybe we will have a chance to fly our b-25 together!!!

djstar39

My Feedback: (4)

Welcome Patrick! And congratulations on picking this fine aircraft! I can tell you that she is a dream to fly if you respect her and do everything possible to avoid an engine out situation.

Normand is awesome and helped me a lot on this so I would go buy him a beer(s) and pick his brain!

Dave

Far_high

Thank Dave

Sure i will pay him a beer from all of you guys!...

i am glad to be able to exchange with you ! i will post pics and info on my build and also list of my equipment so feel free to commant as usual!

thank

Pat

djstar39

My Feedback: (4)

No problem Pat. I have found that everyone on this board is very helpful and just want to see more B-25's in the air! If you have questions or get stuck anywhere, just ask.

Dave

ronbell

Welcome Patrick!! - there is a wealth of helpful information on this thread and a great bunch of folks who are always willing to help and advise. I am about 1/3 of the way through my build, taking it nice and slowly. I am already in love with this plane - you made a great choice, as did we all.

Please buy Normand as many beers as you can afford - he deserves every one of them !!!

Ron.

ronbell

I have a question regarding fuel filler valves...

I have been planning to use the Dubro filler valves and it looks like a few of you more experienced folks are also using them. I have them on my scale helicopter and one of my other planes, but both are only a few months old and only flown a few times before winter hit.

I have now had at least three people at my club telling me to avoid them like the plague as they will soon start to leak and cause inconsistant engine runs!! As an engineer this doesn't make much sense to me - it seems that if they are installed at roughly the same height as the fuel tank outlet and carb input then due to us running positive pressure fuel systems the worst that a leak could do would be to vent a little fuel, not allow air in and hence upset the fuel/air mix getting to the engine. However, I hesitate to ignore this type of advice.

Could anyone who has used the Dubro fuel fill valve for a reasonable period time please comment on what their experience has been?

Thanks,

Ron.

norm

I'm passed out by now with all those beer wish!

thanks guys, HiC I'm having another one!


Cheers,

Normand

Weeso

Hi ronbell
I don’t know which Dubro you are talking about but I am using the Robart
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...C%2FB%3Eler+ii
but not using it on my B-25 using it on others it is great and easy to use

gregory.aldrich1

My Feedback: (9)

Hey Ron,
I wanted to comment on the filler valves you were asking about. I personally have used both the "Dubro" and "Great Planes" easy fueler valves and had one problem in the last six years. First of all, you should try to mount the valve at about the same height as the filler neck and carb fuel nipple, but it would work in another place as well. Generally speaking, I mount them on just about every plane I build, even trainers. Why, because they are convenient. I try to mount them in as close a line as possible between point a and b but sometimes it's not possible. For instance, on my 60 size "U-Can-Do" I had to mount it much lower down the cowling because there was no place to mount the darn thing. Funny thing about the "U-Can-Do", the filler neck on the tank is, by design, way higher than the carb on a Saito 100, so mounting the easy fueler lower didn't do anything bad that the tank placement hadn't already done. I did mount it at carb level though. Anyway, I run a Saito 100 in that bird, inverted of course and I rarely have a problem with the engine stalling. Now I say rarely, so it does happen on occassion. Usually after the plane has sat and I have had to "re-adjust" for the season. But generally speaking, don't have issues. But one time, after topping off for a flight, on the "U-Can-Do", I finished up and started chatting with a fellow club member and eventually saw fuel running down the leg of the table the plane was on. Turns out, when I pulled the filler nipple out of the easy valve, it didn't re-seat and because it was mounted so low the fuel started to siphon from the tank and run out the valve. Now, if this happens, you'll know before you get off the ground because your engines wont run. By being stuck open in the filling stage, the valve is then stuck closed in the running stage. So, other than that, I had to replace a valve that was stuck because the plane had been sitting for so long in my Father's garage and he didn't do maintenance. Anyway, the valves are nice and I prefer them in all my planes. Some guys at the field hate them and most of the old school guys swear by a three line setup and wont even consider anything else. I say, to each his own and whatever works for you. I like 'em.
Now, having said that, I decided NOT to install them in my Mitchell. The reason why? Because it is a item of convenience that can be deleted, therefore removing a chance it MIGHT fail and cause my bird to die. Not that I don't love them in most of my planes, but this one is long time building and thousands of dollars invested, not hundreds and I just want to make sure I do everything I can to keep her aloft. It's the same reason I bent and decided to install dual glow drivers at nearly a hundred buck a piece! Same reason I bent and decided to install a gyro at 150.00 dollars. Neither of those things were planned and I figured I had it all figured out without them. I mounted the Saitos where the carb was just slightly lower than the tank neck and I consider myself to be fairly decent when it comes to tuning four strokes since most of planes throughout my run in this hobby have been built with four strokes. Can't beat the sound and the "wow" factor. The instructions lay out how to install a three line system using a small piece of brass tubing to secure the fill line to the cowl so there isn't a floppy fuel line hanging out of the nacelle and I decided to go with the "tried and true" three line set up. Besides split fuel lines, if mounted properly, a three line setup is the most direct way to get fuel to the carbs. I even hesitated on installing filters because of worry of an obstruction, but I did it anyway because I am tired of tearing down carbs because of particles causing tuning issues. It's just a matter of removing one more component that COULD fail and bring my very expensive, very time consuming project down in a crash. That is all. I will tell you though, I did buy the easy valves for the Mitchell and planned on using them, but after reconsidering and realizing they were only a convenience, I opted to delete them from the build. As long as the fill line isn't dangling from the plane causing it to look weird, I couldn't see why a three line setup was in anyway bad. Infact, it makes sense to me to eliminate as many chances as possible that I would encounter a problem. Hope that helps.
Lastly, welcome Pat. I too have used this thread, obviously, to develope a game plan as to how I would build my Mitchell. Only unfortunate part has been, the more advice I take away from this thread and apply to my own build, the more money it costs! LOL But at this point, what's another few hundred, right? Good luck on your build and I must say, your very ambitious building this one as your 4th plane. You got a bigger set than I friend! I've been around a little while and have built dozens of planes and I am still puckering thinking of that second when I power up and "Go for it" for real. Being a medium class citizen and a single daddy to boot, money is not abundant and this project has taken over a year to come together financially and several months later after gettign everything I need to build her, still dragging on. Much luck to you and it's definitely and good thing you are using the simulator and practicing with a smaller twin. I use the RF 5.5 as well and I think it will help me to fly this one better, but couldn't afford to buy a trainer twin to practice for real. I'm hoping the skills I do have with singles and warbirds will help out when I actually do fly her, as well as a pre flight, in flight, landing and shut down check list so I don't forget to hit this switch and that switch when I am suposed to. And as far as buying Normand and beer, I wish I could as well but the gyro he made me buy broke my bank! LOL, but I'm there in spirit, .
Ya'll take care and happy flying,
Greg

Far_high

First of all thank greg and all othersfor the kind word!

you are right when you say that it is a big project for a neebie like me but since i started i grown quite fast since i love this hobby so much! it is addictive and cost a lot of money! Like drugs!imagine i started 27 of december 2010 with electric flyer and now i am switching to glow...and have to purchase all hardware that need to come just to make theses 2 engines started!

For the fueller valve

It fun that you talk about the filling valve because i purchase exactly the Dubro to put on the B-25. I also puchase an other set from Slimline manufacturing Glow Excel Fueler Complete they look more "engineered" and durable than the Dubro one.

Now i am not sure after reading the comment what i will do at the end.

Next tuesday when i will get these 2 sets i will look and post my "first impression"

Pat

Far_high

For Fueller Valve

I order the Robart not the Dubro My bad!

BTW if you want to see my frozen landing strip and video of flying my switch trainer hit this link! I will put for sure thid hd cam on my B-25

http://vimeo.com/19505564

happy viewing!

norm

I was just looking at Pat's video,

I will gladly take all the beers offered by you guys from Pat as I think, judging on his symptoms, that he is one of us.

Normand