donnyman

YES, what is offered isn't much and is too expensive, but it maybe the beginning of a comeback, It appears to me more effort needs to be place on creating a interest to construct something as a matter of pride or something. People as we well know, don't want to build anything anymore. None the less it is good to see Heathkit isn't completely gone!

donnyman

Looking at the pace of evolution in aviation during that period is quite interesting it did not take a lot to produce a superior craft that would be superseded in a short period of time.
I have a flight simulator program (RED BARON) that peaked my interest in the WW1 aircraft, the Spad 13 became my favored plane of that era to fly.

The problems that manifested during WW1 parallel many of the problems we experience today especially with quality control.

acdii

This is so true. Occasionally I catch something on HGTV, not that I want to, it just happened to be on while I was waiting for something, and these people are gushing over $600K homes, and then wanting to spend another $100K to "renovate" or add on, yet they don't have a clue how to do it themselves and then when it is all done they are strutting around like peacocks as if THEY did the work. It's disgusting really. I make good money but can not afford a $600K home and throw another $100K into it, but when I do something around my house, I do it, and CAN take pride in what I do. Painting my daughters room this weekend, she is helping and teaching her how to trim, and she got it right off the bat.

Telemaster Sales UK

My Big Guff short-kit, referred to in Post 6128 is on its way!

I have admired the Big Guff for decades. Designed by Dr Walt Good, who designed several early r/c designs including the Rudderbug, it was one of the first models to win a competition for radio controlled models in the late Thirties. When I built my first r/c model, a Junior 60 in 1988, I was influenced in my choice after having read Peter Russell's "Vintage Model Aeroplanes." No ARTFs then, you had to build your own models and Peter Russell was a regular columnist in the best-selling British magazine, "Radio Controlled Models and Electronics" or RCM&E for short! In his book Mr Russell is effusive in his praise of the flying qualities of the Big Guff so I have finally put my money where my mouth has been for a long time and ordered a short-kit from Laser Design Services. http://store.laser-design-services.c...roducts_id=400 Apparently the proprietor has sold another five short kits of the Big Guff so I am now a member of quite an exclusive little club. I plan to cover it in Solartex and to power it by a Laser 70. I have a Laser 80 sculling about doing nothing too. I could fit that, and being much heavier than the 70, it would help with c/g problems which are encountered with such short-nosed designs. However, a Laser 80 would seriously over-power the model especially when you consider that Peter Russell's Big Guff was quite adequately powered by an early open rocker OS 60FS.

I have tracked the kit from Texas to Chicago to Charles De Gaulle airport so it should be delivered within the next few days. I'm feeling quite excited about it and I'd better withdraw some cash to pay for the Value Added Tax and any Import Duties! Picture of Peter Russell's Big Guff below, Walt Good's original was orange all over and it is exhibited in the Smithsonian Museum.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Does anyone here have small pieces (think scrap) of Monokote Aluminum or Silver and/or Ultrcote Brushed Aluminum and/or Silver they could part with? I'm trying to replicate the finish on an airplane that is part brush aluminum skin and part fabric with what looks to be silver or aluminum colored paint. Its had to tell on the computer looking at the color samples they post.

Joe Fisher

My Feedback: (4)

I got curious about Big Guff this is just too cool. This is true pioneering. https://outerzone.co.uk/planfile_sup...56_article.pdf

donnyman

Don't get your hopes up but I may have what you need I have a box of scrap Monokote ETC. I'll look.

donnyman

That article is one of the best I have ever seen on the Guff and it's creators. The electronics of this hobby was and is beyond my grasp though I tried several times RC success escaped me until the early sixties. The Guff itself was way ahead of it's time in design, it looks rather rustic but has all the proper dimensions and moments equal to our present day birds. A 40-60 size engine of today would be more than enough power for gentle flying.

I had fun reading the advertisements in that article also, 25 cent for a Guillow kit? I wish!

Telemaster
Keep us posted as you progress with the build!

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I remember my first Comet kit cost a whole dollar!!!

acdii

I can't remember that far Back LOL. I remember those sheet and stick planes with the rubber band and prop and had quite a few of them. They flew pretty good too.

Joe Fisher

My Feedback: (4)

I built the Comet kits that were sheet balsa $.25 and the glue was $.10 Used the lead glue tube for nose weight. It was a big deal when I discovered sand paper. Then I discovered the built up and tissue and to Mom's shurigin dope.

donnyman

All of my attempts to put together a stick built model turned into disasters, I knew so little about cutting into balsa and crunched the little notches. The solid models didn't fare any better, and the glue needed mystified me. I may of had a mental block because my dad built beautiful birds, he tried to teach me but my brain would not accept the info. to be honest the quality of my stick built models today leaves a lot to be desired.

I don't remember the brand name of the kits except maybe Comet but the most significant planes in my life were a spitfire and a f4f wildcat both assembled by my dad. The f4f as I remember was about 36 to 48 in. span and to me it was huge, I think it cost $3.50? For my family that was a lot of money in the mid to late 1940's
probably more like $0.35 cents.

Telemaster Sales UK

donnyman

No work monday's? how does that work?

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

They show up to work just nothing gets done!

Telemaster Sales UK

The French working week is only 35 hours and many businesses are closed on Mondays. A two-hour lunch break is not unusual. To be fair many enterprises are open til 19.00 in the evening.

This may be the reason why Frenchmen live longer than Americans! Mind you so do Englishmen and Irishmen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ife_expectancy

Telemaster Sales UK

My Big Guff short-kit arrived safely and in good condition from Bob at Laser Design Services yesterday morning at 10.12 local time. 1 metre rule lends scale to the plans.

Two days to get from Texas to Chicago O'Hare, six days to clear customs in Paris and a further five days to travel the 220 miles (353 kms) to my house in La Creuse. Vive La France! Mind you, four of those days were weekends and two were Mondays.

It cost me an extra €38 in taxes and import duties (S43.35 US or £33.82 Sterling.)

It's certainly big enough with its eight foot span, five foot six inch fuselage length and fifteen inch chord! ( 2.4 metres, 1.58metres and 38cms respectively.) I have a number of decisions to make about its construction. The wing as built by Walt Good had two full-depth 1/8" balsa spars at approximately 25% and 75% chord. For me to replicate this method would involve cutting each one of Bob's lovely laser-cut wing ribs into three parts. I am going to modify the construction to a more conventional 1/4" square spars with shear webs in the postions where the original spars were, but should I use balsa or something a little stronger like basswood for the spars?

As for the fuselage, I think I am going to build it as stock. Sherwood Heggen's version over on RC Groups https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...light=Big+Guff is certainly stronger with its plywood doublers and 1/16" sheet covering but I think I am going to go with the original structure; 1/4" stick fuselage, forward section covered in 1/16" sheet balsa, grain vertical, and the whole thing covered in 1/32" balsa grain horizontal. I haven't used 1/32" balsa since I built a competition free-flighter called a Gossamer about fifty-eight years ago which was not a success, but if I crash it I'll break it anyway and if I can't fly a three-channel vintage model after thirty year's flying experience, I should give up the hobby! I may extend the side cheeks to allow for the long crankshaft of the Laser 70 and incorporate a little extra downthrust as the Laser may be a little more powerful than Sherwood's Saito 65.

Some claim that you could simply build a stick fuselage and reinforce the nose with ply doublers then cover the fuselage in silk, nylon or Solartex. Doubtless this would work but would it still be a Big Guff?

As for the radio installation I will use standard servos as far forward as possible to actuate the rudder and throttle and fit a micro servo in the tailplane for the elevator. I could easily fit a standard servo on its side in the forward fuselage for the elevator and use closed loop cables but the "up" cable would have to exit the fuselage well forward of the tailplane and it would look rather unsightly in my view. I will probably go for an HS 82 MG metal geared servo for extra peace of mind. I know I will not be performing aerobatics with this model, it's just a belt, braces and piece of string sort of thing.

I have followed Sherwood Heggen's build log with great interest and he has already privately given me some advice on the build. If my model comes out as successfully as his I'll be very satisfied.

Once I get three repairs out of the way and finish off a Baron I intend to give as a gift, I'll make a start.

Any advice will be gratefully received.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I guess 38 euros is the comfort tax for living in your part of France? Its like the paradise tax that seems to be added to everything when living in Hawaii.

donnyman

Telemaster

The Guff will consume balsa as well as time, take pictures and show us your progress.

trainermaster80

My Feedback: (5)

O.K I GUESS I QUALIFY FOR THAT AS I AM 90 YEARS OLD. MY FIRST MODEL WAS AT 5 YRS OLD WITH THE HELP OF MY MOTHER. IT WAS A MR MULLIGAN SMALL RUBBER POWERED MODEL, WE FLEW IT OFF THE BACK PORCH OF OUR 2nd STORY APARTMENT. IT FLEW UP QUITE HIGH OVER THE GARAGE AND WAY OUT INTO A VACANT LOT . WOW! I WAS HOOKED AND CONTINUED TO BUILD MODELS EVEN TO THIS DAY. I FOUNDED 5 MODEL CLUBS AND EVEN BUILT MODELS WHILE I WAS IN THE ARMY DURING KOREA WHEN I WAS IN JAPAN.
ALL OF MY MODELING FRIENDS HAVE PASSED AWAY EXCEPT ONE.
NOW, I NEED HELP FROM YOU GUY'S
I NEED A CAN OF SPRAY PAINT TO FINISH MY DYNAFLITE SUPER DECATHLON. EVEN A 1/2 OR 1/4 CAN WILL DO. TRUE RED LUSTERKOTE IS WHAT I NEED. I HAVE CONTACTED TOWER & HORIZON AND ALL THE LOCAL HOBBY SHOPS.
CAN ANY ONE HELP?
THANKS TRAINERMASTER80
[email protected] thanks!

Telemaster Sales UK

To quote from Peter Russell's book Vintage Model Aeroplanes when referring to building the Big Guff, pages 24 and 25, "Although there is a lot of it, the structure is quite straightforward,needing no special techniques, though the way sheet after sheet of wood disappears into it takes a bit of getting used to...."

donnyman

Trainermaster80

Welcome! I cannot help you with the paint you seek I have had trouble also but I found The hardware store paint "KRYLON or Rustoleum has served me well. .........good luck.

donnyman

Yes It will gobble a bunch of balsa..........And I have noticed the airfoil appears to be for low speed so adding too much power could be a problem, of course the throttle can compensate .... just a thought!

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Sorry to hear of your paint troubles Trainermaster80. I was looking for Lustrecote for a while and you couldn't find it even before the bankruptcy and sale. Ultracote dropped their matching paint several years ago blaming it on the difficulty in shipping in small quantities. I don't expect Lustrecote to ever return. I agree with Donny on the Rustoleum/Krylon idea. I will say I prefer Rustoleum over Krylon however, they are owned by the same company. I would stick to what you can find in those brands. I think once you try it you'll like it.

Mike

ARillos

Trainermaster80, here is a link to PPG DCC paint. Its epoxy, sure fuel proof. Hope it helps. Alex
Charles River Radio Controllers - PPG DCC Paint Match Ref