NCIS

Maybe?[img][/img]

NCIS

Well this sucks! I tried everything to get these pic's posted! I QUIT[&o]

Sorry Guys,

Gibbs

NCIS

Once more.

NCIS

Sorry Everybody, couldn't get one to post and I left the site for a few minutes and came back and oh know look at all those pictures. Well I don't think you need to see anymore.LOL

Gibbs

RVM

You put a lot of time into that finish. I really like the landing gear fairings!

Overpowered

My Feedback: (14)

Any of you guys have any spare cowls for my old Goldberg Chipmunk.


Ripped the old FG one off after several hundred flights. It's really looking ugly but still a flyer with several extra pounds of glue holding it together. A cowl will make it look better at let's say 30 or so feet.

Even one of the ABS ones will look better.

Eric

NCIS

Try to order one from Fiberglass Specialties!

Gibbs

RVM

Sorry for the lack of updates guys. Been really busy lately.

I have finished sheeting the wing and I put in the servo mounts for the ailerons. I'm very unhappy with the wood selection on this part. Some of the supplied sheeting was hard as rock. I went ahead and used it anyway, though I probably should have replaced it with lighter 3/32" since I'm gonna have to sand the crap out of it anyway.

The ribs taper down to the end of the wing, and this taper is not even. That is to say that the ribs were not cut in an even taper. So, the sheeting undulates up and down to conform to the rib shapes. Lots of filling and sanding will be required here. I'm using NHP balsa filler right now but when my order of microballoons comes in I am going to finish up with it.

I still have to make the wingtips out of balsa. That shouldn't be too hard. I'm going to save the center wing fairing for one of the last steps, as I want to make sure I fit it to the fuselage well.

I finished the horizontal stabilizer, and have it hinged up and bevelled (not glued in yet).

I have just a few pictures, but they are still in the camera, which is not anywhere near me right now. The wife has it somewhere I believe. Anyway, I'll post up the pictures as soon as I can.


Some updates to the hardware:
Switching to Saito .91 for power, with a Slimline Inverted Pitts.
Using DS811 servos everywhere except throttle and rudder. DS821 on rudder and not sure yet for the throttle. Probably still going to use the DS285.

NCIS

RVM,

When I built the Purple People Eater, all the wood was great and the ribs were cut right. You must have gotten a bad kit. The one I bought had been sitting on the LHS's shelves for at least 5 years that I can remember before I finally broke down and bought it. Sorry to hear the troubles your having with the kit.

Gibbs

RVM

Was yours laser cut? I don't think they started laser cutting until around 2002 or 2003. I could be wrong. I do remember that my diecut kit fit together much, much better than this laser cut kit has so far. There are several pieces so far that do not even begin to fit the plans.

NCIS

Mine was old maybe more than 5 years. The box was almost worn to the point that you could barely see the picture of the plane on the box top from sliding it in and out of the shelf so many times. Mine was die cut but I think they must have just replaced all the cutting knives. It was very easy to punch out the parts and the edges were very clean and crisp. Most fell out themselves. Mine was a joy to build and all the balsa was perfect. It all fit together nicely. I think quality control has gotten worse over the past decade for sure. Again I'm sorry your's is giving you fits![]

Keep on building,

Gibbs

donkey doctor

Hello; I found some older pix of my Chippy, I thought someone might like to see.

RVM

Nice model Donkey!




Alright, an update. Still no pictures to post.

I finished all the sheeting and installed both servo mounts.

Just as I thought, the wing required A LOT of sanding and filling to even out. Enough that the supplied wingtips don't fit properly. At this point, I just want to finish the plane as quickly and as painlessly as possible, so I'm not going to carve my own wingtips. Since the plastic ones don't fit anymore, and I'm not carving any, I'm simply going to leave them off.

I am very, very disappointed in the parts quality. I am the type of person who will readily admit mistakes, so to be sure that I was not unfairly bashing CG, I decided to go back over the wing and see if the build problems were my fault. I found nothing that I did which would lead to the problems I've been having. Yes, I have made a few mistakes, but nothing major.

Right now I'm waiting for the inner TE to dry, then I'm going to hinge the ailerons in. After that, I'm going to sand the ailerons flush with the wing. I'm considering layering 1/16" balsa to a few thin spots to even out the airfoil shape and to strengthen the sheeting a bit. If I do this, I may have to put a piece over each rib cap as well. We'll see. My perfectionist side is waging a war with my irritable side over whether the model is worth trying to keep "perfect"... not sure how that will turn out. To this point, the irritable side has won more often than it has lost.

Another interesting point worth mentioning: the wing is horribly imbalanced laterally. On many past kits, I've weighed the wood to try to keep things even, but even on the ones I did not, I never ran into a balance problem this pronounced. I have to move the lateral CG about 1.5" to the side of the center of the wing to balance it. *sigh*

NCIS

RVM,

The Super Chipmunk is a great plane and you don't want to do anything but your best. I'm building a Great Planes 60 size Cub right now that has parts missing, warped spars and you name it. The instructions are crappy and I feel like just saying forget it. When I get fed up, I just walk away from it for a few days and forget about it. It takes that long for GP to send me the missing or bad parts. When I go back, I feel better and my perfectionist side comes out. You have to have wingtips or the plane will look awful. It only takes a little while to shape a balsa wingtip. I don't understand the problem with the plastic ones, mine fit right. You must have gotten a bad kit. I know my GP Cub kit is bad. This separates the good builders from the novice. Hang in there.

Gibbs

donkey doctor

Hello; Yes I have had to compromise perfection on a few kits for the sake of gettin 'er done. Don't allow frustration freeze your progress. I don't try for perfection anymore, it just takes too long. I haven't had to conceal any major problems and I find that the plane flies great even with less then exact scale lines. It can all be hidden in the covering anyway. We do this for fun, not frustration.

RVM

I've been taking week-long breaks from it. I'm thinking about buying a Fliton Extra 330 to fly while I work on this.

The plastic wingtips don't fit because I had to sand the sheeting on both leading edges down to about 1/64" at some sections to get the various undulations and whatnot out. I'm trying to get it filled back in a bit with some microballoons, but don't think that's going to work. I knew before I sheeted it I should have used consistent 3/32" balsa instead of the garbage they supplied. [:@]

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

I used balsa tips. Super easy.

RVM

Yeah it's really easy, I just don't know that I really care that much anymore.

parrthd

hey robert, if that things giving you that much trouble, i'm sure we can round something up that you can fly between now and the time you get the chipmunk finished. let me know if i can help.

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

Oops. I read back a few more posts and realized that you were feeling frustrated. Hang in there. The fuselage goes together very fast and it sounds as if the wing is nearly done. Your Chipmunk is closer than you think.


Or............


I have a bonanza on the bench right now that I haven't touched in about 7 months. Thats just the way I build. I'll bust my butt on the model for a month or two and then walk away for 6 months. Here in Houston, the summer heat has broken and the flying is great, but the yard needs work from being neglected August and July. So there is no building here at my house either. Go fly. If you don't have another plane, then buy an ARF. Don't force it if you don't feel like it. Its suppose to be fun. You can come back and finish the Chipmunk later.

RVM

Thanks, but it's cool I'll figure it out. No telling how long it's going to take to finish it.

RVM

It's not that it is a difficult airframe to build. It's pretty easy. When the parts fit! hehe Hopefully the fuselage will come together well. The fuse is easy to build so if there aren't any problems like I've had in the wing then it should go quickly.

I am seriously thinking about getting an ARF since I'm only working on the Chipmunk once or twice a week right now. I need to get my planbuilt Extra going dangit!

Nerevar

Anyone know where I can get a replacement canopy for the CG Super Chipmunk?
The paint ran under the masking tape and ruined mine. (3m tape)

Thanks,
Ramon

Nerevar

Not good news for me. [&o] My local dealer found that the ONLY place to get this is from Carl Goldberg - and they will only deal with individuals for parts. And now that Lanier has taken them over, that isn't a pleasant prospect at all.

On their web site, they list the canopy as being $14.95 - BUT THE SHIPPING IS SHOWN AS $11.84!! Which makes a total of $26.83. And that's just for a little clear piece of lightweight plastic to be shipped just a few miles.

They are in Georgia and I live in south Tennessee, just a few miles above Chattanooga. Something is wrong with their shipping calculator, or they are price gouging on shipping. I hope it's just their shipping calculator.

I have emailed them about a canopy. I guess we'll see (hear) what their response is.
If they answer, I'll find out - then tell you.

I hope the news is better than what it said on their web site. We'll see.

Ramon

Nerevar

To ANY thinking of getting this, or any other CG product, read and be aware of the following.

[sm=thumbs_down.gif].... more bad news. [sm=angry_smile.gif]I just got a reply back and they (Karen Butler) said that the cost was what they charge. [sm=48_48.gif]And that they use UPS for shipping.

I bought this kit back when they first came out. Back when Carl Goldberg still owned and ran the company. Back then they were one of the best. Now - well, it's a shame that what was such a good company has degenerated to what it is these days. I don't know if this airplane will ever be finished or not. Maybe someone else, that cares about the hobby, will acquire CG. Then I could get the canopy and finish it. Some would say - it's only (so many dollars). But it's the principal of it now.[sm=punching.gif]

They were sort of forced into doing right by the man in Texas with the dud 40 size stick ARF. His wing broke - You can see his thread in the ARF section.
Maybe this is some sort of sick "get even" by them, for my supporting him in his fight with them.[sm=angry.gif]

Oh will ....... If this is the way they want to be, it just strengthens my resolve and makes me not like CG and not want to buy anything else even associated with that name, or Lanier.[sm=punching.gif]

On to other projects !!!

A Midwest Das Bipe Stik is waiting on the building table now.

Ramon