i was wondering if you guys could give me a few pointers on where i could find some info on a warbird kit. i would like to find somthing to build from scratch in a few months to a year. i may have a woods class and the instructor said i may be able to do an airplane. so if you guys have some suggestions or some resources i could read upon that would be great.

Welcome toothman,
you may want to check the kit building forum, lots of build threads and info about laser cutters.
plans to build from scratch you can find on: http://www.rcmplans.com/
and more
check also the warbirds forum.
I didnt want to just send you to links, but its a huge subject that broken to pieces in nutshells in these forums.

Alex

Before taking on a scratch built warbird, you may want to do some sort of kit where most of the parts are pret-cut and you have step-by-step instructions. This will allow you to learn about the basics of airplane construction.

Have you flown before? If not, Iwould recomend a trainer airplane. That way you could learn the basics of building and then flying if you want.

Some examples are:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXDJB9&P=0
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXJ557&P=0
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXFG11&P=0 (I'd say this one is the best bet)
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXJ558&P=0

Also find an RC club in your area. I bet there will be some good builders there ready to help out and give advice. You can enter your zip code here: http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx

Once you've built a kit or two then take on that scratch build. It can be a very interesting and satisfying hobby.

Iwould second Chucks' plan. Personally, Iwould go with the 60 size because the parts are larger and easier to manipulate. You could have either one of them framed up in 2 weeks, with no prior experience. This would give you the opportunity to see way the pieces are cut, and the materials they use to make them with, the quality and consistancy of the wood, etc. Ihave the LT-40, and it is a great starting tool. Good luck!

Build thread on the LT-40

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3439708/tm.htm

Another aspect of scratch building that has not been mentioned is the wood. If the model is being built with the intent to fly it, it will need to be built out of lite ply's and balsa wood which depending on what plane you choose can get into some money.  If it is going to be display only, then you might be able to cut up some wood in the wood shop for your parts. If you do build a scale model, please understand that as mentioned, it would not be a good first model for you to learn on. Good Luck, Dave

Since he said he's looking for a "KIT" I believe he misused the term, "Build from scratch"

i already have a trainer and i am in the prosses of learning. i did missuse the from scratch. im looking for a KIT and i may not even start the building for at least 4 months. if i do a kit tho i want it to be a nice warbird so its somthing i would injoy flying and it will be different.

Look at the Great Planes kits.  They have a few warbirds, and their instructions in the kits are usually superb, making them excellent for the first time builder.</p>

Brad</p>

Yes, if you want to build a warbird, try the Great Planes Mustang 40

You're not ready for flying it, but it's a good build if you have your shop teacher to help.

im realy wanting a F4U corsair. the one from great planes is smaller that i would like. would the Top Flite F4U Corsair - 60 be a good one? im a simi good builder. pretty handy and am a very fast learner. also i would have some help from a woods instructer. or if you can find an easyer one that is like this that would be awsome. wat im looking for is somthing with flaps and retracts and looks nice.

The Top Flite Corsair kit is a very good kit. However, I don't recommend that you start building with that kit, regardless of your woodworking skills. Just like in woodworking, building a kit is something that you develop your skills as you slowly start with simple projects and move to more complicated ones. The same is true in kit building. There are skills that you will develop as you work from easy kits up to more complicated ones. My best advice to you would to start off with a kit such as a Sig 4-star or a Goldberg Tiger II. Building kits like this will help you develop the basics kit building skills that you will need to successfully build the Corsair later on down the road. Without these basic skills there is a good chance that mistakes can be made while building the Corsair that could resort in a crash. And yes, kit building skills are different than what you have learned in your shop classes, however your classes will help you to better understand what's going on as you learn to build kits.</p>

Please don't think that I'm trying to be harsh or hold you back, but just the opposite. I want to see you succeed and that's why I'm suggesting you go this route. I'd hate to see you sink time into building the Corsair only to see it crash because something simple was missed.</p>

Hope this helps</p>

Ken</p>

thnx for the suggestions. one thing tho is that i do not have loads of money hanging around that i can buy 2 planes. and ill be going to college with in the next 2 years and i need all the cash i can get also that leaves very little time to build and fly two airplanes enjoyably. so i guess im asking, Do you think that a person like me can effectivly build a corsair?

How about bashing a sport plane kit to resemble a warbird? You can do a lot with a Sig 4-Star. I've also thought that the GP Super Sportsters would be a good platform to make a sport plane that resembles a WW-2 fighter, especially some of the Russian stuff.

Another idea is a Cub. Golderberg makes a nice cub kit. These were used by the military in WW-2 and given a different designation of L-4. Cover it in olive drab with invasions stripes and markings, add some scale detail, etc. Not only will you have a genuine warbird, it'll be a plane you'll likely be ready for after you master your trainer.

Get a few simpler kits under your belt then go for that Corsair.

I understand what you are saying here, Iput myself through school too. But the issue here is that if you try to build an advanced kit without learning the skill needed it's a good chance that theplane isn't going to survive. Or maybe not even finished as building an advanced kit can be frustrating to experienced builders, and a beginning builder might just give up completely. And if either of these happen then you're really just throwing that money away because the plane is a loss.

You ask if Ithink a person like you can build a corsair. Without firsthand knowledge Iwould honestly say that Ivery seriously doubt it. It goes back to my previous post. Building an advanced kit takes skills that can only be developed by experience. I know that sounds harsh, but that is not my intentions. I'm just laying it out honestly so that you have on illusions or misconceptions. For me to sit here and pump up somebody with false hope only hurts that person because then they think they can do something that they really can't do. I hope you understand that Iam only trying to help you. I do want you to successfully build and fly the Corsair. But you have to do all the steps to get there.

Have you contacted a local club?Many times clubs will have buidlers that will be more than happy to sit down with you and teach you how to build. It might be a way for you to get the skills and experience you need without spending a ton of cash.

here is the info on your local club

SMOKY HILL R/C FLYING CLUB INC

ALAN VON FANGE
1036 MERRILY CIR
SALINA KS 67401
Phone: 785-825-5757


Give them a call and explain your situation.

Hope this helps

Ken

tooth.............</p>

I am currently building a TF .60 sized Corsair. It is my first attempt at kit building and I can tell you that i definately would do my build process much differently. I built according to the directions starting with the tail and then went straight to the wing like the manual shows.If I could do it over again I would have built the tail sufaces to get an basic idea of how to work with the wood and then went straight to the fuselage so I could have had a better understanding of how to get everything straight and true. The plans and instructions are pretty straightforward but if you have no experience you may miss some important building tips that will add up to hours of frustration and head scratching. By the time I finally got the wing done I was pretty sure I had messed it up but I seemed to have beginners building luck and it turned out okay (not perfect but acceptable). My wingtips measured out within a 1/16th of an inch and no twists. The fuse seemed to pretty much fall into place and I can now start attaching the horizontal and vertical stabs, then the moving surfaces. A long hard road for me as i started with ZERO building experience. I am hoping to have mine done by the end of next month and then the proof will be in the pudding........
In answer to your question, I say yes it can be done but I canassure youit will not be easy and in some parts not enjoyable at all. If you have faith in your skills then you can give it a whirl and at worst you will have some good experience and at best you will have something that can last for years. Can a first time builder build a advanced level kit? Yes, but be prepared for many hours of study on the net and in the forums. Without the resources available I seriously doubt anyone could "fake" thier way thru such a complicated build. Every step when building has to be planned so that 10 pages later in the manual something lines up or attaches properly.
Everyone has given great advice and I for one should have listened to the advice they are giving you now. Had I known how hard this was going to be I probably would not have tackled such an advanced kit. Good luck whichever way you decide but I can attest to how difficult this build is................... after 6 months i can finally see a light at the end of a very dark and winding tunnel.


__________________________________________________ ___________________________________</p>


Of all the things I ever lost....................................... I miss my mind the most!
</p>

do any of u guys have any suggestions on plane kits that dont look like a boxy trainer and look like a real plane? and it must be a kit that somone with no plane building experiance.

Like Imentioned before, Goldber aniversery edition Cub. Not too difficult to build and can be finished to look like the military L-4.

<font size="2">

I've put together a list of planes that make good trainers and second planes. All of them on the list are proven planes that are well suited for successfully letting students learn to fly, or advance to a second plane. Check out the list here</p>

 Looking for a trainer- what's available. (Updated 01-03-2009) [/link]  </p>

There are a good amount of kits on this list as well as ARF's. Take a look at it.</p>

Hope this helps</p>

 </p>

Ken</p></font>