Just recieved my Flyin' King kit from Bruce Tharpe.

I've built his Venture 60 and that flys really great!

If any body out there has built the Flyin' King and can offer any tips or mods, it would beappreciated.

IS IT BUILT YET?

The Flying King was my first Tharpe kit. I have since build several of each of the models he offers.

I would :

1) Make it a tail dragger, and use at least 4 inch main tires.

2) Build and use the flaps. What a blast.

3) Consider using a light weight 4-stroke, (Saito is my choice) .91.
With a 14 - 6 APC prop, you will love it.

Very impressive to build, and one of my most favorite planes to fly.

Let me know if I can help further.

Tim

Feb 07 2003

BTE Flying King.

I just got the kit, read the instruction, try to understand before I roll my sleeves. Many questions came, but slowly I figured it out.
However, I would like to know, listen and learn from all of you for any tips, any difficult angles which involving to built the Flying King.
Any ideas, any help will be appreciated.

Tiep

You may want to take a look at this site. It has some great tips and pictures of finished "Flying King" ships.
http://www.flyinking.com/

Haven't built one myself, but a flying buddy did. He goes right by the letter of the law while I being some more experienced, I usually bash any kit a fair amount and sometimes literally.

He went down in a Hayfield and the fuse pretty well broke up behind the wing. Some wing damage, nose damage and minor damages all around. I finally got him to bring it over to my workshop and we rebuilt it in about 8 hours. I could have done it in 3 but two takes longer and I work a bit more diligently when helping other guys. After getting the fuse jigged in a line-up, just CAed lots of breaks, short pieces and then replaced/backed-up and-or spliced about all of it.

Anyway, I suggest making triangle gussets to fit behind all the joints in the fuse open area. I used scrap 1/64 plywood for them. Use alp. resin mostly with a spot of CA to pin them and you will have strong joints.
The back of the wing is a bit frail at the fuselage. We beefed that structure with some 1/64 ply overlay and underlay.

He couldn't tell any difference in the flying qualities and now almost a year and he works it out every so often.

Here is my Flyin King.
It looked and flew gooooddddd.
I love my FK, how about you.

T. Tiep

I recently converted my Flying King to a tail dragger and upon rebalancing it I found it tail heavy. I had to add 14 oz. to the nose to get to balance ! Nothing was changed except the landing gear. The balance point is per the plans. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Not surprising. You removed a heavy nose gear/wheel from ahead of the CG and added a tailwheel assembly well behind the CG. Not much you can do other than shifting the batteries, fuel tank, or engine forward. On the other hand, the Flying King should be able to handle the extra 14 oz if it wasn't built heavy to begin with.