My father passed on and left me a bunch of R/C airplanes that I would like to use to get back into the hobby that I loved as a teen. One of the planes is a Sig Kadet Sr. that he built years ago, and I want to get it flying again so I can get some skills back before moving on to something a little more challenging. However the problem I'm having is the motor mount that is currently mounted does not fit any of the engines I have on hand that will fly this plane. I want to pull the old mount off, but it looks like it has been epoxied to the firewall and I'm not sure how to remove it without destroying the firewall. The mount looks to be made of aluminum. Any ideas? Thanks for your help.[8D]

Hi

Try unbolting it and giving it a tap with a screw driver. Old epoxy is brittle and it might let go. If that does not work, try a heat gun on the mount, being careful to not get it to hot. Heat softens epoxy.


Vince


Hey 67 isnt that what I said !

Un-bolt the engine mount. If it does not easily come off the firewall. Get a helper to hold the plane. Heat the base of the aluminium engine mount with a monocoat heat gun while holding the mount with plyers to avoid burning your fingers. These heat guns put out about 400 degree air. Gently pull/twist/rock the mount as the epoxy softens. It will come loose without damaging the firewall.

Thanks guys, I'll give it a go this afternoon and report back if I broke anything.
M.E.

Well thanks guys,the heat gun worked perfectly!Now I just have to figure out what engine to mount. Its a kit built Kadet sr.I have available a ST .45 ,An evolution 61 or an OS 90 if I want insanity.Each presents different mounting challenges.

Yes, I just added some details in the event he needed them.

If the OS 90 is a four stroke then any of those engines will work with varying levels of performance. A 4 stroke would be my choice as it can swing a prop that looks like it fits that plane and the sound is ubeatable. The ST 45 would be a good choice if you have fairly light winds in your area and are just learning to fly. The Evo 61 would be about on par with a 90'is four stoke without the sound.

Kadet Seniors have huge wing area and can handle many different engines. I had an ARF with an OS 46 LA. It flew slow-n-easy. I was able to quickly solo as landings and take offs were sooooo easy to manage. The same ARF with an OS 61 FX became spirited. So spirited that it exceeded the wing's ability to stay in one piece. That one I chalked up to "pilot error" because I did not manage the throttle.

So? If you retain a decent amount of "throttle awareness" from your teen experiences the engine size won't matter. If you push the throttle to the wall and leave it - smaller might be more survivable.

Above all - have fun.

Btw - used to work at Main and Goodyear. Where do you fly? And, does your id have anything to do with the AU Zips?

Sorry Seamusg,I didnt mean to take so long to reply.I fly at the Corsair Model Airplane Club,which used to be the Goodyear Model Airplane Club.We just moved to the Kent area from the old fairgrounds due to the metroparks not wanting our hobby anywhere near their new parkland.I also fly down in N.Canton from time to time,but CMAC is closer for me.I live just up the hill from main and G-year blvd here in the heights.Here is a pic from this morning,first guy at the field!
Thanks for the tips guys! I was unsure of my modeling and flying skills after being away for so long,but you helped me brush off those cob- webs and get me in the air.

Is that GRASS - real grass? I forgot what it's like here in Colorado. Raised in N. Canton.

I had my 4Star60 out today. Just mounted a YS FZ 110 on the front - lordy, lordy - not "unlimited" vertical but darn near. Just a note for future builds. I use a Hayes AL60 or AS60 for my 60-sized planes (identical except that the AL is longer - thus the L - and uses the same firewall mount pattern. This allows me use the same engine-to-firewall mount pattern for an OS 61 FX, OS 91 FX, Saito 91, Super Tigre G-90 and the YS. A similar approach might work well for a 40-size plane using a smaller Hayes mount. The Hayes does require that you drill-n-tap the holes into the mount. Just a thought to file away.

Good flyin'!

My Senor had an Enya 53 four stroke.  Flew great.

Wish I still had it.

Chip

Ok guys,I'm back at it again. After a season of flying the Senior, I wanted to move on to a low wing aircraft. I was planning on building a Slow poke 40 kit this winter,but it was too darn cold in that basement! BUT I found one at a swap meet just recently.The covering isin rough shape with lots of patches and fresh hanger rash that needs patched.So I was thinking of strippingit andmaking my own with a new finish.There's a thread over in sportflying showing some cool cover jobs on slow pokes,and I've been inspired. ButI do have some questions.
Such as,how do you recover the control surfaces? Do you cut the old c/a hinges, recover then rehinge? Or can you somehow get an iron down in the gap enough to get the covering to stick?
I want to make it resemble an old am5 Claude japanese fighter from early wwII.Silver body with a red tail.Whats the best way to cover the open turtledeck on the 'poke' with the 2 color transition?
I'm sure I'll have more questions,but I feel like I'm rambling allready,so I'll stop for now.
Here's what I want it to resemble...

Sorry about the splotchiness.The paint program and I werent getting along...

With a little care u can recover ailerons and such while leaving them on. One (theres many) method is to cut notches out of the pieces to go around the hinges.
Watch the wing trailing edge on those when covering it may need some stiffening.