Trainer build - pictures
 

Pictures of trainer being built.

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

One more

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

Nice looking PT! These pics are fun 'cuz they take me back to my first PT kit.

Have you picked out a color scheme yet? I went with a white fuse and purple over the wing. (Kit kinda looked like Barney the dinosaur [:-])

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

Brings me back to glueing both my fingers to both sides of the Vert Stab on my Corsair making sure it was streight and even! :)

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

It reminds me of when I used to build on the Kitchen Table! LOL

Great Pics!

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

PT60 Wing being built.

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

PT-60 More pictures building the wing.

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

Why not add 1" to rudder and elevator and pin the CA hinges?

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

Adding stab and TE plate and a little fiberglass.

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

More trainer build pictures.

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

Two more pictures and I'm ready to start installing fuel tank and radio.

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

Wow! That is sharp looking! What did you cover it with? Is that paint?

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

It is covered with Cub Yellow and True Red Monokote. The windows are a black Monokote trim sheet, and it is pinstriped with a black 3/32" stripe of some type of iron on covering. I'll get another picture with additional pinstriping on the tail and leading edge.

Thanks for the compliment.

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

Aaww... You have no idea how bad that makes me want to go out and buy a SIG Kadet Senior Kit! Man tha was a blast to build! :-)

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

My compliments on finding the right size cups and books for gluing on your stab. Actually, you did a great job, and it plane looks great.

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

The only thing I would question is placing books on the Stab to hold it down while glueing. If the Stab Saddle isn't perfect, the Stab will be glued on crooked.

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

Gluing the stab on always makes me nervous. How about some good tips for accurate stab alignment?

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

Thanks for all the pictures...I enjoyed them. Looks like you did a great job and the finished plane is very sharp looking. Wish my wife would let me build on the kitchen or dining room table!!!

auto5man

Engine break in. - Magnum XL-91RFS 4-Stroke
 

Friday night I broke in the engine. This is my first four stroke so I was not sure what to expect. I cut a piece of half inch dowel to use as a chicken stick. I've seen how the four strokes can kick back and cause bruised fingers and was not up for this experience with temperatures heading for single digits. I planted the plane restraints and placed the plane in position. The radio gear was not installed yet so I had a control rod going from the throttle to the top of the wing. I pulled the van up to provide light. I choked the engine and applied the glow starter. The high speed needle was open per the instructions and I did not touch the slow speed. I turned the engine over a couple of dozen times with the chicken stick and nothing happened. I got my electric starter out and with the attached battery pack it would not turn the engine over. I got my jumper cables out and attached my starter to them. With the additional juice and a kick of the prop with my foot it turned over. I spun it and spun it and spun it and finally it barked to life. As I pulled off the starter it flung the rubber cup. About the same time the engine died. I spent several minutes looking for the white starter cup in the snow and finally found it. I put the starter back on the engine and it started easily. It appeared to be running fairly lean so I richened it up two full turns. I ran it for five minutes at about half throttle and shut it off. I went back in the house and browsed RC Universe for the prescribed ten minute cooling off period.

For the second five minute run I leaned the engine out 1/4 turn and it started easily. I played with the throttle a little this time and was surprised to find that even though the engine was very rich it transitioned smoothly. It could not have responded to the throttle any better. In the five minute run it consumed about four ounces of fuel.

The third run was about the same as the second. I was getting quite excited about the beautiful throttle response.

I went back outside for the fourth break-in run and as the engine barked to life the throttle assembly came out of the carburetor. The rotor screw had backed itself out. In order to tighten the screw with the engine in the plane I had to remove the carburetor. The required allen wrenches were included with the engine, so I did not have to search for tools. I did have to cut one wrench down to clear the firewall. I did notice that some of the carburetor screws also appeared loose. I tore the carb gasket during the disassembly process, so I applied a little RTV and reassembled the engine. With the additional cooling time the engine took a bit longer to start this time but again ran flawlessly.

The last two five minute break-in runs went smoothly. I was quite excited by the potential I saw in this powerplant.

I wonder what the windchill is behind a 14x6 prop at 5000 RPM with an outdoor temperature of 12 degrees?

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

Looking for one more degree of washout and radio installation. I held the wing warped about three additional degrees and shrunk the covering to get an additional degree of washout in the right wing.

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

Man plane looks sweet.. How long did it take you to build? Also good to here break in of the 4 stroke went well. What radio system you gonna put in?

RE: Trainer build - pictures
 

I put a fishing line and tied it to the glow plug and ran it all the way to the back of the fin. I put the engine as straight as I could. I put a small level on one side and put some weights on both side untill it was level and let it dry. It seems to fly ok.

Nice job your the plane, is that your first?

PT-60 Maiden flight
 

I started building this plane on Feb. 22. It was a partial kit. Eight of the die cut balsa sheets were missing so I had to fabricate some parts. Saturday morning the plane was ready for its maiden flight. When we got to the field one of our friends was already there. He warned us that the wind was wicked. He had already put in one flight and he warned us that he had already been across the flight line. Our field runs east - west and the wind was coming out of the south. There are trees on the north and south and a south wind tends to swirl between the tree lines. The wind was probably 10 MPH with gusts to 20. His comments did nothing to calm my nerves before a maiden flight. I fueled the plane, watched another friend fly a PBF, smoked a cigarette and finally decided I could not think of any other reasons not to get it in the air.

The plane handled nicely on the ground. The tail wheel bounced a bit, but it was very manageable with full up elevator. I usually take off by slowly increasing the throttle to full and then adding some up elevator. This is what I planned to do, but the plane was in the air before I hit 1/4 throttle. Fearing a stall I immediately powered up. I now know that this was unnecessary because the plane flies very well at 1/4 throttle. The plane was climbing a whole bunch. I had to add six clicks of down elevator. I added one or two clicks of trim to the ailerons and she was flying flat and level. I played with the throttle a bit. The new Magnum XL-91RFS four stroke responded to my commands with no hesitation. I was showing my radio to the other fliers to show that I was flying at less than 1/4 throttle. I put the nose up and entered a stall. The PT-60 fell off gently towards the belly with no bad characteristics. I tried to put it into a spin but it just did a lazy roll. The center of gravity was set up at or slightly beyond the rear of the recommended limits which should have increased the tendency to spin. I tried a loop into the wind and it tracked nicely. Rolls were smooth with very little change in altitude. I lined it up for a landing and reached the end of the runway at about 20 feet. I chopped back the throttle to idle and expected it to drop toward the runway. This plane floats like crazy. With no elevator input it was still 15 feet above the runway when I reached the other end of the long runway. The plane did have a tendency to roll away from the wind gusts, but it was easily corrected with a little aileron input. On the next pass I added a bit of down elevator on the landing pass. It still wanted to float and I was fighting the cross wind a bit. Before the plane passed us I forced it down. The landing was quite hard, but I stuck it to the ground in front of us without a bounce.

The other fliers estimated the flight time to be six or seven minutes. I checked the fuel level in my 14oz tank. It was still more than 3/4 full. It looks like this combination could be good for nearly a half hour of lazy flying. My thoughts were that it was a great flying plane and the oversized four stroke should keep it from becoming boring.

Second flight and third flight CRASH
 

For the second flight the plane took off nicely. I expected it to leave the ground before I hit full throttle and this time it did not surprise me. It climbed out gently and for this flight I experimented with the performance of the Magnum four stroke. Several hammerheads. The plane still stalled toward the belly and required a little rudder to bring it over to the side. It had no tendency to drop either wing at stall. I played around with a lot of vertical maneuvers. The vertical was limited only by my ability to keep the prop pointed up in the gusting winds. I'll need a calmer day to see if the vertical is unlimited or nearly unlimited. The Magnum engine responded to my requests without ever hesitating even when I slammed the left stick from idle to full throttle. I got done playing and brought it in for what one of the other fliers called a "bouncy bounce" landing.

For the third flight I had become quite confident in my engines performance. I let the plane taxi for ten feet (no more than 20) then slammed the left stick to full throttle while feeding in up elevator. The engine instantly hit full song and the plane left the ground vertical. I realize that this is not a recommended takeoff procedure (especially with a trainer) but it was appreciated by the other fliers. For this flight I experimented with the self recovery capabilities of the airplane. I was impressed. I had put it in many different attitudes, pulled the throttle back to idle and released the sticks. Each time it returned quickly to level flight. I commented to the other fliers about how nicely it recovered as I made a left to right pass down the flightline at about 50 feet. I was planning to experiment with inverted flight on the next pass. I was about 60 degrees around my left hand turn and had corrected back to the right with the ailerons when the plane started a slow roll to the right. It was headed over the orchard toward a residence. The roll took about five seconds. The plane did not respond at all to aileron input. When the plane completed the roll I powered up and pulled up elevator. We saw the plane rise over the orchard, but I lost it as it rolled to knife edge. The plane was headed toward a residence so I powered down and let it go in. There was a sickening sound. We found the wing and tail in a tree and shook them out. The fuselage was laying below the tree.

One of the ailerons that came with the kit had a terrible warp to it. I had soaked it with water and weighted it overnight twice to try and straighten it. The LHS did not have any aileron stock of the correct size so I used it. I pulled the remaining warp out with the hinges and glued the root end securely to the torque rod (I thought). When we investigated the wreckage we found that the root end of the aileron had pulled up and bound the ailerons.

I know that if I don't quickly start repairing the plane it will end up in the parts pile and never be repaired. I am anxious to play with this plane more and there are several people interested in buddy boxing with it. I think it will be an excellent platform to use to introduce others to our hobby. Since this thread has drawn interest, I suppose I will continue it with a repairing the PT-60 segment.

Finally starting the rebuild
 

Evaluating damage