Hi badger: Sounds like you have had a few rough experiences with this plane. Hopefully, that is past and you can enjoy it in the future. What is the "fix" you are talking about in regards to the nose gear? Want to know in case I have that experience.

I haven't had much time to work on mine. All control surfaces are complete, the fuse and wing are now complete. I installed the upswept tips with screws from the outside
in case I get some hangar rash. I have also added a 1" wide strip of balsa from leading edge to trailing edge where the tip joins the wing. That way I can cover the tip installed
and have a "grab" site. I will cover the tips going out onto the wing( the 1" wide strip) about 3/4" on this strip and then when I cover the wing I will overlap it about a 1/4". If I have tip damage later, I can merely slice the cover down this added strip, remove and rebuild the tip and go on.

I have cut and installed 3/32" balsa from former F-4A (rear of canopy) all the way to the tip of the plane out over the horizontal stablizer on both sides.

I have the alieron and flap servos installed and the engine and receiver/battery compartment fuel proofed and painted with with LusterCote.

I am going to completely assemble the plane with all equipment, then laterally balance it and then remove whatever is necessary to cover.

I will post some pics tomorrow of the progress, so far. I have taken the pics, but the batteries in the camera need to be replaced before I can download then to the computer.

I have really enjoyed the flight reports you guys have been giving. The cowl is coming. I have the big block temp glued on and have
routed out the side pcs. so my .61 will fit. I wish they had come up with a fiberglass cowl for this thing.

Do any of you know where I can purchased some aerodynamic covers for the aileron servos?

Later

Jim V

Here's my Contender. O.S. 61 FX. Always thought the Contender looked like a 50's jet. Scheme is the F9F Cougar from the 1954 Korean War movie "The Bridges at Toko Ri"

Stan Potter
Grapevine, Texas

Spotter, that is a terrific looking Contender. I really like the way you did the cowling. I can't tell from the pics, is
your engine sideways or inverted. How is the cooling? Did you assemble the control surfaces and then cover?

Attached are some pics of my build, thus far. I extended the rudder, going straight down and added 1/2" to the width
of the ailerons at the wing tip end. I am going with the upswept tips, as you can see.

Tell me a little about the flight characteristics and what size engine are you using? I am using a .61 OS FX.

Great looking plane and I like the scheme. Mine is going to be bright yellow on top, with 1" yellow/black
checkers on the bottom I am going to add some black and red striping is various places. I am not too far
from covering. I want to complete the plane, assemble, latterally balance and then dissasemble and then
cover. This will be my first real covering job. Will be using UltraCote. My first build in 45 years or so.
Used to build control line with silk and dope as a young teen.

I would appreciate any tips you might have for me. Let's hear the flight reports.

Thanks Neighbor to the East. My OS .61 FX is mounted to the side, built up balsa enclosed, using a plywood spinner back plate and balsa blocks forward of the firewall. Old RCM article. Much nicer than a screw on plastic cowl. And fun to make. 5.5 pounds using Titebond and epoxy. No CA. Monocote insignia blue and white. Balances with the battery behind the pilot.

Cover stabs, all control surfaces, then attach. Assembly and gluing hinges should be the last part of assembly. I bought Harry Higley's book on film covering. Perfect instructions for this plane. Great technique on covering those wingtips. Cover them first, in pie-shaped pieces. Don't forget to install that leading edge tip block. Seal all hinge lines with iron-on, top surface. Seal overlaps with trim solvent and a q-tip.

Throw away every screw from the kit and use bolts with nuts or blind nuts. And Loctite.

Make sure the tips are straight while covering. The light ply can flex when covering is tightened.

hHi Spotter:

Again, that is a terrific look Contender. Thank you for the tips. I will follow your advice.

I ordered, received and have looked at the Top Flite MonoKote "Secrets of Covering With MonoKote" CD. I will be using UltraCote, but the covering principals are the same.

I screwed the upswept tips on with six screws on each tip. I screwed them on from the outside in case I damage a tip
I can remove the tip, rebuild, recover and go on without distrubing the wing covering. I will cover the wing with tips installed. If you notice I added a 1" wide strip to the outboard tip of the wing from leading edge to trailing edge, on both top and bottom of the wing. This will enable me to cover the tip, top and bottom with a 1" wide grab surface on the wing. Then I will cover the wing overlapping the tip covering by 1/2".

I will take your suggestion and cover all the movable control surfaces before I install. However, I have already installed
a glued the hinges to each surface, the trailing edge, the verticle and horizontal stabilizer. I used the DuBro plastic
hinges with the cotter key. After covering and at installation I am going to use .046 wire instead of the cotter keys.
1 pc. .046 thru all hinges on each control surface. I hate those individual cotter keys.

Did you cover your hinge gaps?

Those pictures I asume were taken at your flying field in Denton. I would love to come fly there sometime. Our field is
an old reclaimed city dump. The grass is nice, but it is lumpy in places. I am just learning to fly. I am flying a Hangar 9, Alpha 60. I have not soloed, yet. I love building as much or more than the flying. I have a AT-6 and a Great Planes
Super Decathalon 40 to build next. Can't fly any of them, but I will someday.

Thank you, again for your help. Would love to see you fly the Contender. If you ar ever near Longview on a weekend,
come visit. Give me a PM and I'll give your directions. Maybe you could "buddy box" me.

Later

Fellow Contender Owner's:

I finally got around to the cowling. Because I have installed a .60 OS FX, a lot of material had to be removed from the
side pieces. Also, if built according to the plans, I would never be able to remove the engine with out completely tearing it apart
(trashing it) in the event of major engine trouble.

So, I elected to modify it some. The pictures show the finished product. I have screwed (recessed) the two front
blocks on, and the bottom (functional scoop). I will have to cut the covering to access, but that's better than breaking
glue joints. I made a deck or shelf between the functional scoop and the fuselage, so that the air flow is directed
toward the rear of the engine compartment. I fuel proofed the inside of the scoop and painted it black.

The plane is going to be covered in bright yellow with 1" sqs of yellow and black on the bottom of the wing
and control surfaces. I am about read to begin covering the control surfaces. I have used single pcs. of
4-40 rod for each control surface for the plastic DuBro hinges instead of the cotter keys on all control surfaces.

I am going to assy. and balance before I cover with all equipment installed. Laterally and axially.

Wish me luck on the covering. This will be my first complete job. I really think this kit is a bit much
for a first timer. That cowling is a @#*+*.

Jim,

Nice job on the cowl it looks real good! All the effort you've put into the build will be worth it in the end.

Regards
Mike

OK guys, I'm getting this kit tomorrow and will be undertaking my first kit in 15 years, I am thinking of going with balsa stock wider ailerons and rudder instead of the built up ones. If you could offer a size for the ailerons and rudder I would appreciate it. I built one about 15 years ago and the plan ailerons just did not do the job. I sold that plane [&o] and am now back into the hobby. This thread has been great information.

Scooter,

Look through this thread. The small ailerons were a commonm target for modification. They taper from root to tip. I did not install any wingtip at all, mine is just chopped. I increased the tip width by 1/4" and left the root width the same others did much more. Mine rolls quickly enough for nearly any sport pilot. Chopping the wing tips probably helped as much as increased aileron area. The stick built surfaces are certainly lighter then solid balsa so why buy more wood? This plane tends to come out tailheavy if using a 45 sized engine. So adding weight in the tail with solid surfaces will only worsen the problem. The Fuse aft of the wing is overbuilt and lightening holes help you here with the tail weight problem. Consider some of the tail weight reduction detailed on this thread.

Scott

I am putting an OS 65 LA for an engine, so tail heavy won't be a problem, I will build up the rudder wider and the ailerons wider, and the optional flap. I am concerned about no wing tips, what is the effect of no wing tips?? Anyone??

How well would a tiger G-51 peforme. this is my second plane want to make sure is not a dog. Thanks for any help

Stan,

Brubaker would be proud! Tri gear retracts of course?

Badger5964,

My Contender has an OS46FX in it and it was definitely not tail-heavy.....as a matter of fact I had to add weight to the nose to make it balance. The 46FX has enought power to really move this plane around so I don't understand the need to "over-power" this plane with a 61. It is a great flying airplane built as stock.

Just my two cents,
Andy

If you have to add weight to the nose.... wouldn't that mean it was tail heavy???

Quote:

From Top Flight web site...
This is a 30th Anniversary Gold Edition Contender .60 Sport Model Airplane.

Building this plane with a 60 size motor is stock...

Well gumhead......ya got me there........had a brain cramp I guess........

But a 60 would be even worse. I know what it says about being 40-60 but the
46 really pulls it around smartly and with all the hogging out you have to do to wedge a
60 in there, one would have to wonder if it's worth it. All I was really trying to say without
being negative is that there is a tendency in this hobby to want to overpower everything and
that makes for a less than pleasurable flying experience. My son used to try to put a 40 in a
20 sized airplane and then wondered why it was such a handful..........he eventually figured
that one out.

Cheers,
Andy

Well, it appears that I still have my head between my cheeks..........sorry for the confusion (mine), should probably not have gotten out of bed this morning.

All in all though I'd say the Contender is one of my favorite planes. I was looking at some old photos the other day of a fun fly that my son and I attended in around 1980 and there sitting on the groung was a Contender and I didn't even realize it until recently. I bought mine several years ago and did it just like the boxtop. It gets a lot of attention at our field.........last time out I turned it too quickly and skuffed the wing tip. Now it's not so pretty but a little missle red Monokote and she'll be as good as new.

Andy

Well, Oldtyme, I am not offended. I used the OS .61 because it is the only engine I had on hand and did not want to purchase another. You were right about having to remove a lot of material from the side of the cowling. I finally
figured out a way to build it so I can get in it, later if necessary.

If I had it to do over again, I would probably elect to purchase a .46. I modified the cowling somewhat as you can see in the pics above. I really didn't like the shape of the original. That is just personal preference and no slam intended.
With the .61 in there I could not round off around the spinner like the plans.

I appreciate all of the comments from Contender owners. I think we must be a unique bunch. I am getting so old, 62, I probably won't be able to fly the durn thing, anyway. I am still on the trainer and will be for at least the next few
months. I don't get to go fly often.

Thanks, again.

Safebet, thanks for being so cordial. I am old too..........63 and was really amazed that I had never
seen a Contender (that I knew of) until Tower brought them out. Just for fun, I built it exactly like the plans and finished it like the box cover panel lines included. I used 1/16" wide automotive striping tape and it is still in good condition. I'm like you.........I don't get to go flying often so almost every flight is like my first. With the stock ailerons I (we, my mentor and me) found out that you had to use high rates to get it to roll decently. One thing I really like is how it slows down with that big flap deployed.

Well, gotta go to work,
Cheers,
Andy

scooter,

Chopping the wingtips is more roll rate and speed. However the upswept tips detailed in the plan were to combat the roll opposite rudder. When left rudder is applied the plane rolls right! I'm not much of a rudder flier so this does not bother me.

Oldtyme: Thanks for your response. I would like to hear more about your flights of the Contender. I'm so
glad us old guys can do this hobby. It is so much fun.

I added 1/2" width the the ailerons at the wing tip end. So, in effect, a probably added 20 to 25% more aileron
surface area. I, also, took the jog out of the rudder. I ran it in a straight line. Probably 10% more. I am using the
upswept tips. I kinda liked the looks, and I was told it help avert what Badger was referring to, and also tip stalling.

As soon as I complete, I am carrying to the field for my instructor to maided. I can't wait. I really like
the looks of this plane. I was so fortunate to find this kit on E-bay. If I could find another, I would buy it.

Andy, if you get a chance post a picture of yours for us. I would enjoy adding it to my collection of favorite planes.

Sincerely,

Jim,

I think I did send you a few pictures last year. If not I'll be glad to if you can send me your email.
I don't seem to be able to post pictures here.........don't know why but I tried and my son tried to
help me but to no avail. Anyway, check your archives and see. My old identity here on the Universe was rcandy.

Cheers

Oldtyme, you certainly did, and I still have them /the beautiful red and white job. Thank you.

oldtyme,

When you reply in threads do you click the "post reply" button or do you use the "fast reply" box at the bottom of the thread? You cannot upload photos when using the fast reply but you can by using the "post reply" option and then selecting the link just below the reply text box i.e. "Click here to upload images and files!" Then another window opens where you can browse to the file location on your machine, select the file, then click "OK" to upload the image.

Hope this helps. [8D]

js3...........hey thanks! I'll give it a try. The pics are not on this computer but when I get on my other
one I see how it goes..........thanks again for the good info.

andy

You know, I've thought about retracts. Might as well fill the whole fuse up. It can be done, tho. Gear would be much shorter, but the sixty would work fine with a small diameter three blade. Too much power now, anyway. Air tank? Bury it in the wing, or paint and hang it (them) as drop tanks, hmm. I also wanted to get rid of the stock silencer. Maybe a Pitts, redo the woodwork behind the spinner. Tri retracts ad a pound, approx? So, at 6.5 lbs (I was wrong by a pound in my earlier post) plus one is 7.5 lbs, area of 660 sq in, gives a wingloading of 26 oz/sq ft, up from 22.5. Very acceptable. Boy, it would be tight.