Hello,
I'm planning on getting a Guillows Cessna skyhawk kit.
Has anyone tried adding rc and .049 engine to it ?
If so how did it do.
thanks,
theaugerfiller

I'm guessing that you haven't flown RC before. If that's the case, a Guillows kit converted to RC is NOT the way to start.

Guys who've been flying for years have trouble with these conversions. And when they do fly, they are twitchy and difficult to control.

Do a search here for "trainers" or "beginner" or "first plane". You'll get a lot of good info.

You can also go to the electrics forums and find out about small foam electrics as trainers. But they're not really any cheaper.

I'm sure this isn't the answer you were hoping for, but....
Good Luck,
Dennis-

Just finished a conversion of another Guillows kit, the Javelin, to electric RC.
Absolute blast to fly---hands off trimmable (makes sense, it was designed as a free flight airplane). This one would make an excellent trainer. 2.5 ounces all up weight covered in Reynolds wrap. DJ Aerotech MPS-1A power system, my own small elevator and rudder added. 40 minutes flying time on a 250, 2 cell Li-poly battery.
If you'd like more info, let me know.

Not meaning to contradict Dennis, but the Guillow's Cessna Skyhawk was one of my first successful R/C planes. I built R/C back in the '70s but never solo'ed any of my models (that survived ). It wasn't until about three years ago that I got back into it seriously due to getting bit by the micro electric R/C bug.

First I built the Guillow's SE5a and then decided to convert it to electric R/C. I tried teaching myself how to fly with it but crashed it every flight until it was too damaged to easily repair. At the same time I had built the Cessna 172 also as electric 4 channel R/C. I actually taught myself on the Cessna and had my first completely successful flights with that model flying it at a local sports field. That model flew for a couple dozen flights before I discovered what snap-stall spin-dive was . I had gotten confident enough that I mistakenly increased the elevator throw to try to give it better aerobatic capability. This was casing it to snap on application of hard elevator. I crashed it nose first into the concrete from about 50 feet up. I still have it though and will repair it and fly it again one day .

Since the Cessna was one of my first electric conversions, I had a lot to learn and built it much heavier than it needed to be. Nevertheless it was still a good flyer, if a bit fast. If I did it over again I'm sure it would come out far better.

Check out my web page on it if you think you might want to try an electrified version: http://bellsouthpwp.net/g/e/geraldod/skyhawk.html

Funny you mention the se5, that's one of my last creations converted to e-flight, it flys well, I modified the wings, ditched the dihedral and went with brushless and lipo, I was barely able to stuff all of the gear into it.

I'm finishing up a guillow's 200% scale cessna 108 eflight build at present and I have the skyhawk kit that I plan upon building and converting to e-flight next. That kit is very impressive and it's set up by default with all of the control surfaces pre-planned and pre-die cut, so will make an excellent conversion.

The javelin, I also did 200% scale e-flight conversion, it flew well, be it, I didn't do enough modifications to it strength wise so it's in need of a decent amount of repair, not so much from flying it as much as my cat tried to use it as a climbing post.