RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Marcus I'm moving to Santa Catarina, you guys are having way too much fun.

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Yesterday when I was posting in another thread I think the RCU system crashed. I received back a couple of pages of computer code rather than what I posted. I guess things like this happen from time to time.

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

I found this in The Clubhouse: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4203376/tm.htm

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Seems that Sir Harry Crashton was at it again, he must have got sidetracked a little because usually, he and his fellows Ian Spinner and Bernard Outlaw are always together - this inseparable trio is better known as Spin, Crash and Bern...

Marcus

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Russel, you´re welcome. You won´t regret it. We are 30 miles from the sunny coast with it´s white sand beaches and in the midlle of a beautiful valley. Hot Summer, mild winter.

Got Google Earth? Try to find Blumenau (that´s my town) in the greater Florianópolis Area. Gaspar, that´s whee the Club is, you can see it from the satelite photo. Another reference is Navegantes airport.


Marcus

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Ok, going to attempt to load some pics as i was having difficulties earlier.

I currently have 4 projects going.

The pics showing my tail feathers, should my ele trim be cut out longer, I'm trying to get it right before I cut. I'm including a pic of our Citabria trim to go along. Is this the same tail as a SD? Still some final sanding to go but I'm trying to stop fretting over the easiest part of the plane.

I also have a Chip Hyde Vision rebuild going from last weeks date with a tree (and the ground).

Yesterday I got a present in the mail, a little OMP yak profile plane. I needed a small funfly to designate only to club funflys and this airplane will be perfect. I will have to pause my work on the SD for 10 days or so to get this guy together and covered.

Finally, my Sunday afternoon commitment. My Father's RV-10 build. (That's Pops standing safely in the plastic chair)

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Hey Russel, nice pix.

As for your questions, for modeling purposes, yes, it´s basically the same tail. Actually, it´s basically the same airplane except for the wing profile and tips, and the absence of flaps. Of course, there are many more differences but they refer to engine, instruments, structure etc.

I am including a very rough drawing of the tail so you can see the size of the trim tab. Yours should definitely be larger. As you may see both in the pic and on the fullsize, the trim tab is as long as from the elevators inboard edge to the second diagonal rib, and it cuts along that line. Draw that lines on your plan and cut along.

Congrats to your dad for that beautiful aluminum job!

By the way, Ken, how´s your buddy´s fullsize Spacewalker coming along??

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Don't know what happened either... Marcus, Nice pics and I went to the websites and checked it out. Looks like a good time had by all. Cool Russell glad were ok... How's the wings coming along.... when you get to the wing tips, Ken and I built them out of a balsa block, shaped them, and hollowed them out. We found this was easier than the way wendell did it. Or you could make them out of fiberglass like Marcus did. Not to mention the balsa block stands up to a hit better than plan ones would.

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

I only made them of fibreglass to make them as scale as possible, and to be able to make more of them.
If I did a one-off job, probably would have built them up and covered, just simulating the separation line and the screws.
Actually, the work involved to make the molds and the FG parts is much more...but the result of course well worth it.

Marcus

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Balsa block for sure, I'm familiar with the process and it certainly looks to be easier/faster.

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Here´s a pic of the Kroma engine I bought. Sorry it´s not 100% clear.sometimes the shutter doesn´t activate autofocus correctly.

Marcus

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Nice marcus... It looks nice and compact. Should fit in the cowl nice. Now, where to put the ignition battery.

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Marcus, it shore is purdy. That red ought to add 10% to the horse power. :)

All kidding aside, it is a very modern and light weight looking engine and I would make every effort to use it if it were mine. I doubt that you will even have to modify the cowl. If you have a test stand, try it out.

I'm sure you must have talked to some folks about your Quadra by now. Any theories as to why it won't run?

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Bob, since the Quadra is a heavy engine, and the model balanced right on the spot with it bolted onto the nose, I guess I'll have to add weight when replacing it by the Kroma. Therefore, I guess I can use the useful weight of a big ignition battery right behind the firewall or even behind the motordome...I think I'll have a bigger problem (re)locating the choke and throttle servos, since due to the Kroma's carb these functions are in an awkward position.

Ken, I don't have to modify the cowl, it's big enough to house the engine. The only thing I'll have to modify is the mufller, the Quadra has a rear ehaust port and the Kroma has it on the right side of the cylinder, therefore beind installed inverted it's on the left of the plane's nose, the opposite side of the scale exhaust. But my friend who did it for me originally already told me he'll do the mods.
As for a test stand, I'll only need it to run the engine in, but this can be done inside the plane as well...

Will start to install the engine next week, will post pix.

Marcus

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Ken, I asked an engine expert to take a look, and he found some dirt in the carb - ok, I should have checked more proficiently.
However, this is not the problem. The engine is hollow, has no compression anymore...turning it with a big starter brought it to a few pops, but it didn´t keep running.
The compression went so low that when returning back home, carrying the model on the roof of the car, at 65mph the prop started to turn, slowly, but complete turns....I watched the shadow beside the car...incredible.
Besides that, even before leaving, when talking to Chyp Hyde (when those pix were taken) I noticed also that the spring starter was slipping...all in all, a quick decision: take it off of the plane, and either keep the carb, plug, magneto, ignition as spare parts or have a machinist overhauling the cylinder, sleeve, piston, whatever, trying to save the engine for a smaller, sport model.

Will see...
Marcus

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

"Ya gotta know when to hold em and when to fold em" I have a junk box with several engines in it. In my humble opinion that Quadra is old, heavy technology and not worth the expense or trouble to fix.

I'll bet that you sure attract attention when you are hauling your SD that way.

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Yeah, I think I gotta fold´em and keep the pieces as spares...

You betcha.
Actually, when the horizontal stab and elevators are removed, the beast fits nicely into the SW, facing rearwards and the tailwheel resting on the armrest between the two front seats.
But it´s too much trouble for just 20 miles from home to the field.
For longer trips of course it will be disassembled and travel inside the car.

See ya

Marcus

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Well Guys.... I won't be talking to you till monday. I'm going on a Band field trip with my Daughter to Virginia Beach and won't be back till sunday night. It's supposed to be beauitful here this weekend. Well, family is first, flying second. There will be more beauitful days to come. Have a good rest of the week and weekend!!!!

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Hey Bob, enjoy it. Yes, Family first, flying second, work.... if/when time allows.
Just kidding...

I am going on a hiking trip with my family this weekend, it's another extended weekend, so I am leaving friday evening and returning monday late afternoon. So no flying for me too.

Marcus

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Hi Marcus
I was told that you are the Super Decathelon expert? I am considering the Dynaflite Super D for my first scale competition aircraft (Believe in the KISS principle) Could you give me some ideas on where i could get scale documentation and pics.
Thanks for your time and trouble
Regards
A3

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Well, A3, thanks for the compliment...I can tell you I learned a lot about the SD during the course of this project:
gathering information, pictures, enlarging the plans, planning the mods, building, finishing the airplane - flying yet to be done, I have to replae the engine as you may be aware of, if you read the thread.

What can I tell you about the SD as a scale competition plane? excellent choice.
Dynaflite SD? Even in Stand-off Scale the standards are very high these days, so to be able to place well you´ll have to be prepared to make a few but relevant mods to the kit.
I am not an expert in the Dynaflite SD itself, but I can tell you you´ll need a few major changes in your kit;
a) wingtips: Pay attention to shape and planform;
b) Landing Gear - pay attention to both shape (front view) and planform (top view). You probably will have to replace the flat dural strip by a new one, tapered from the fuse to the wheel, and slightly bowed when looked from the front. Wheel pants must fit ove the legs (cut out) not just bolted on like on sport planes;
c) Pay attention to the shape of the pilot left window, as well as of the door window. They´re different, the left window is slightly smaller than the door window. Also the Windshield cannot be just a piece of plastic glued on, it must have a fairing (can be painted on) and you gotta imitate the black steel frame inside the windshield;
d) build jury struts for the wing struts, even if it´s only a bent wire secured with flanges on the V-struts and just inserted into tubes under the wing - the effect will be fine;
e) be sure the aft top fuse is bowed like the original;
f) replace the bent wire tailwheel by a scale-like unit, like the Klett-Unit, and use the large unit, not the 60-size-unit, SD´s have a rather large tailwheel;
g) cover the plane with fabric rather than plastic film, and paint. If you don´t want to go the extra mile of painting, use colored fabric like Oratex or Solartex to cover your model, and use either the Decals supplied with the kit or better yet, mask and paint the starburst scheme.
h) last but DEFINITELY NOT LEAST replace the cowl by a more scale-like, even if you have to shape your own mold.

I quote my own post from a while ago:
"The most distinctive feature on a Citabria or Decathlon, is their engine cowl, specially the upper and front side of it, with that square looking air inlets (resembling a deepbreathing horse´s nostrils) and the crankshaft tunnel, also the oil cooler scoop, which may vary a bit from model to model (the earlier Citabrias had the radiator inside the scoop).
If the cowl looks right, all of the other details like wing profile, wing tip shape, wheelpants, and even the rear fuselage shape, if mistaken, can and will be forgiven by the onlooker, but it the cowl is wrong, no correct wingtip shape, profile or wheelpant will save that awkward wrong look. I have seen so many wrong cowls: Goldberg Decathlon, Midwest Citabria, Dynaflite Decathlon to name just a few. These kits may be excellent to build and fly, so this is not a degrading oppinion, just a miss that should be corrected. And they can and will fulfill most modeler´s demands. This discussion includes also the aftermarket cowls for the WH design, which started this thread, after all... "
The complete discussion can be foung on page 105 of this thread, my post is #2603 dated 3.21.

After that, hone your thumbs because flying is the major scoring part.


Well, hope to have helped...

Marcus

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

A3, second thought and actaully aswering your question:

I have a set of excellent 3 views (copy of ones already proven in competition) and lots of pix. I can prepare you a CD with all that stuff, if you wish.
Send me an email with your street address so I can send you the CD.

You can also find a lot of pix at www.airliners.net , at google or yahoo or alltheweb.


By the way, what´s your real name? we use to call each other by our real names...

Marcus

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Marcus... I found A3 asking on another thread and pointed him to you..... Hope you didn't mind.

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

So you´re the one...no problem, as long as I can help someone, it´s fine.
Thanks.

Marcus

RE: Hostetler 33% Decathlon
 

Marcus... How's the engine install going?