mmattockx

Yes. I don't know about 2, but I'll take one for sure. 2 if that's the way it works out.

Bill, take your time and don't worry about the planes. Take care of those close to home, we will be here when you get back.


Mark

ChrisMH

Heck yeah, I'd take one or a couple. As long as they're dark colors (black is good...). I am physically unable to wear anything white

Chris
15

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

Master Chief, and other bros, I said I'd post pics of the ARF fuse when I removed the cover, well here they are. I also noticed another departure from the scale lines, and IMO, it's a significant one, as far as appearance goes. It's one of those artful lines that makes the YMF, and most other WACO's so beautiful. It's the wingtips on the ARF; the top of the tips curve down, instead of maintaining the straight line of the prototype, and the undersides don't angle up at the tips. I looked at a pic of yours, Master Chief, that I downloaded and it has tips like the original, so apparently somebody at ARFville made a change for some reason, maybe as an aerodynamic concern of some sort.

It's not so terrible I can't live with it, but I'm kinda disappointed that they'd change it. I did make a change to the tips, though. I cut down the braces that hold the tips on, and added a cap strip to the last rib. This way, the braces will not show under the cover. I also put a strip of carbon fiber along each brace to strengthen the tips against the occasional tip strike if you ground loop.

The way the tips are made, if someone really wanted to go to the trouble, they can be cut off and re-done to a more scale appearance. The main wing construct ends at the end of the spar, and the tips are glued on as a separate piece. It's nicely done and very strong the way they did it.

As I have removed covering and messed with the parts, I have found that one of my upper wing halves is bowed. What 's the best way to remove it? Right now I have it lying on a flat surface with weight on both ends to flatten it, but I need to do something to make the wood "relax". The bow is about mid span and goes "up" from the middle to each end. There's no twist (warp), but the bow is enough that you can easily see it when you sight down the wing half. All the other wing halves are perfect.

I also found that the elevator halves have a curl, from leading to trailing edge, one curls down, one curls the same amount up. This is an easy fix, I'm not worried about it, but these things would have made trimming the plane rather interesting.

I have room to create a front cockpit about the same depth as the rear one, but I have to move a small former. What I'll do is make a new former at both front and rear of the new cockpit cutout, then remove the old one, this will maintain the curve of the top of the fuse. While I'm making changes, I'll add some small hardwood pieces to place screws in at the points where the flying wires attach, and I also looked at how to make the H tail more like the prototype (two piece). everything I've closely examined is very nicely fitted and well glued. One thing i haven't figured out is the control rod tubes. There are two for the elevator, no problems there, but there are two more also; one is obviously for the rudder, or both are, but their location (where they exit) is different. No matter, I'm changing it anyway, to make the rudder pull-pull. I've decided not to try to conceal the elevator linkage, but I'll only use one rod. I removed the piano wire joiner between the halves, and will replace it with a carbon fiber rod, which won't twist under load.

I found a quote you'd like, Master Chief. hell, you're probably the one who said it: "There are more planes in the ocean than submarines in the sky."

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

I'm definitely in for two. I'd like to see what you have in mind for a design, maybe a front quarter image of a YMF in a dive, with smoke on, WACO Brotherhood underneath. Just a suggestion, I'm in for whatever. How 'bout we give the funds to the Master Chief to help out in his neighborhood? Man, I couldn't believe what I saw on the news; glad you weren't directly affected, but my heart goes out to those who were.

damifino

HARRYJ is sending me an instruction manual. Thanks Harry for 'helping a Brother out.'

Gimma about 2 weeks and I'll post a shirt design idea. KHODGES- I like the idea of sending a donation to STICKBUILDER's area.

Jim Henley

Put me down for a couple !

old git

Hi Bill,

I'm glad the storm missed you personally. eMail me your snail mail address and I will make a small $s US donation to the cause. I was in contact with dicknadine RCU for a year or two before his house was reduced to "toothpicks" leaving only the concrete front step due to the attentions of Katrina. We have stayed in contact after he and his wife were saved. At 82 he is still building models after a devastating loss of property and lifestyle. It took that to realise just how tenuous our grasp on comfort really is.

Keep up the good work on all fronts.



old git - - - - - - -aka John L.

WACO Brotherhood No. 14.

Stickbuilder

John L and all,

Thank you for your kind offers of help. We (the people of Florida) are pretty up to speed on what to do, and how to get it done when it comes to natural disasters. Lots of practice will do that for you. Basically it requires getting off your fat butts, and start moving and shaking, rather than whining because no one is doing it for you. The cleanup is in progress, and the Church that was totally destroyed is holding services on Sunday morning (tomorrow) on their Lawn. Unlike Katrina, we only had about 6 minutes of warning that a Tornado was approaching. With a Hurricaine, you have days to evacuate. Big difference. We knew all evening prior to the Tornado, that strong storms were forecast for the area. No one ever expects to be M.O.T. for any natural disaster, but here it is, we were it, it got us, and now we get off our fat butts, stand on our two good feet, and idg out and rebuild. Most if not all of the homes that suffered significant damage/destruction were insured. The Local Governments were mobilized immediately, and rushed to the area, to be joined by emergency service units from all over the state. They were there quickly and started to get a handle on things. Power companies from surrounding areas responded to help take up the slack. Curfews were established without protest to ensure the safety of everyone, and their property. The state legislature was ready to work with the newly elected Governor, to get things moving from their end. The New Governor (Charlie Crist) has been here since early yesterday morning, and is forgoing his trip to the SuperBowl tomorrow to be on hand in his State's troubled area. This is the difference between a good strong Governor, and a weak one. The Mayor of Lady Lake was in evidence as well, and not in hiding.

Donations? I think that the best place to donate would be to the Lady Lake Florida Church of God. These people lost everything, and yet they are out there offering their help to those whom they see as more deserving than they themselves. Not where I go to church, but you gotta admire that kind of dedication. I'll get back to you later.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

ps. Please welcome our newest Brother skylarkmk1, Waco Brother #26

Stickbuilder

It's early Sunday morning as I type this out. I truly appreciate all the offers of assistance, and the thoughts and prayers of those in the Brotherhood. I hope to see this thread get back to being active, and about these great old Planes. I'm going to try to get the pieces for the wing traced quickly, and get them posted.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

Jacque

My Feedback: (22)

Even tho I don't belong to the brotherhood I would like two of the T- shirts. I do own two Wacos 1/5 scale. Bill may you have all the strength you need in these times of hard ship.

Jim Henley

Jaque, If you want to belong to the Brotherhood, take a number. That is all there is to it. Stickbuilder has a roster a couple of pages back, and I think number 26 was just assigned. I'm sure I speak for Bill and all the others that we would welcome you aboard!

mobyal

I'd like a couple of the tshirts too.
Khodges --
The pushrod tubes you referred to a couple of posts back? As you said, two for the elevator. And of the other two, one is for the rudder, the other for tailwheel steering. At least according to my manual. Don't have any of it in front of me right now, but that's my recollection.
Al
#66

Jim Henley

Don't know if this helps or not but the G.P. Super Stearman has what looks like a push rod tube for the receiver antenna wire to run thorough. (as opposed to having it externally routed)

skylarkmk1

If anyone has a copy of the build manuals for the Pica WACOs (both the 1/6th and 1/5th) and the Cox/Pica ARF WACOs (both sizes), it would be nice to have them in PDF format for download posted here or at least be able to get a copy from someone. This is a collective effort in resurrecting this classic model and all info is appreciated.

If you do have a copy of any of the build manuals, especially the Pica, send me a PM or e-mail and I will make them available to all. If anyone has any corrections to the manuals, again let me know and I will include them with the manual (s) when I get them. Thanks

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

MobyAl--The pushrod linkage for the tailwheel is all internal, so the extra exit can't be for that. I think Jim Henley must be correct, that an extra sleeve is included for antenna routing, a nice touch, BTW. In the included pics, notice that exits #1 and #3 are symmetric, these are the elevator rods, but exit #4(right side) is further back than exit #2(left side)

It's just a curiosity, though, for me. Due to my inability to leave anything alone and just build it "as is", I'm only using one of the elevator tubes, and the rudder tube that exits closest to the rudder post. I'll move the other tube to the same spot opposite, and make a pull-pull setup for the rudder.

I don't need no stinkin' antenna tube, as this bird is flyin' on 2.4 GHz

I also dropped back 5 yards and punted with respect to the wingtips. I looked clocely, and tried fitting a left side aileron to the right side (and vice-versa), and the curvature is spot-on to the prototype's shape. I cut one of the wingtips off and separated all the parts with a razor saw, relocated the "D" shaped lite ply piece that gives the tips their shape, and will re-cut the braces and add two ribs in the area to airfoil the tip to a proper taper, using the last rib before the tip as a guide. The included pics show the general outine, I still have ribs and braces to make. I figure about 2 hours per wingtip. The great thing is, I just flip and reverse the ailerons, don't have to make any changes to them, except reshaping the hinge surface to make them top hinged.

Jim Henley

Hey Skylark, Where do you fly? My wife and I lived in Ballwin (between Clarkson and Manchester [North of Manchester]) . I had just begun to get started in R/C when the company relocated us to Omaha but did not have time to join a club, before we left.

Stickbuilder

We personally did not sustain any damage. Quite a few of our friends, and customers did however, and they all need your prayers.

Jacque, if you would like to be a member of the Brotherhood, I would be happy to assign you number 27. If you read through the thread, you won't find any list of rules, dues or much of anything else. There is only one rule: The continued love for these old planes. Let me know if you would like to join, we would be proud to have you.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

Jacque

My Feedback: (22)

Thanks Bill ,I will be no. 27 of the brotherhood

skylarkmk1

Jim,

I have been flying with the Twin City Flyers in Festus/Crystal City area (about 30-35 miles south of StL). While I started flying back in '68 as a teenager, and have flown in a number of states and countries (thanks to Uncle Sam's Air Force), the last few years I have not flown much. I was concentrating on sailing (rebuilding a boat and some racing) mostly on Creve Couer Lake and over at Carlyle Lake, IL. This winter I decided to get back into flying and building more (the water has a tendency to become hard and cold this time of year). So far (since the end of October) I have completed 2 planes (finally, started them a couple of years ago), have two RCM plans Ugly Sticks (1 about 3/4 done, the other cut out) on the board, an enlarged RCM plans Supercub (1/5 scale, parts cut) and a couple of other items in the works. I have ordered the AMA plans for the Pica WACO YMF and a WACO E (from M.A.N.), both 1/5 scale, so once I complete the Sticks and S-Cub, a WACO will hit the board.

If you had stayed in Ballwin, the St. Louis RC Flying Assoc. (SLRC) http://www.slrcfa.com/ would have been a good club for you, the feild is in Eureka, with the meetings in the Met Life Bldg on Tesson Ferry.

damifino

If 5/32" balsa sheet is not available, do you go to 3/16" and sand it a little or what? Ready to start the tail feathers.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Stickbuilder,
Sign me up!

I pledge to love, build and fly any style Waco until the day I die.
So help me God!

What number am I?
Edwin

PS - I'll ask my wife to put the people of Florida on her prayer list.

Hughes500E

My Feedback: (16)

I remember going through all this when I started my scratch build. My favourite tool in my shop right now is my Balsa Stripper
I'm about 85% finished with my framing. When I look back and review the entire project, I can only think how great it was including the frustrations.

Someone said earlier in this thread that scratchbuilding is basically crazy, I beg to differ and hopefully the poster of said sentence will try it out.

I used 1/8th sheeting myself. In some areas I laminated!

Stickbuilder

I think that I would rather see you use 1/8" (if you are going to make the tail group per the plan), and add some to the leading edges top and bottom, for both strength, and more important to give the illusion of the perimeter being made from tubing. On my next one, I am going to use a true built-up tail group, complete with split Horizontal Stabilizer, and adjustable incidence. The reason for me suggesting the use of 1/8" balsa, is because it is very easy to build this one tail-heavy, and I despise having to use lead to balance a model airplane.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

Stickbuilder

Edwin,

You will hereinafter be known as Ol' #28.

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

damifino

The called out 5/32" thickness fin and horizontal stabilizer sheet parts are my concern right now. The strips I can handle. I have the smallish black balsa stipper job that uses standard #11 Xacto blades. What balsa stripper do you have? And what did you use for the tail group's sheet parts?

I have an idea to epoxy two 24" X 5/32" rods (music wire) to a piece of MDF. They would be around 3.5" apart and parallel to one another. I can then stick 3/16" balsa sheeting between the rods and sand off 1/32" pretty quick. Might be creating work but I don't want to build it heavy.

Input, Brothers??? Thanks