Anyone and Everyone,

Anyone have any leads or ideas on a good scale bushplane kit? I am looking for something in the 70" to 80" span and wuold love to find a C180, C185, Supercub, Maule, Husky, Citabria (could be modified into a Scout), C170, etc. I know there are a couple supercubs out there, but they are all bigger than I want and I definately don't want an ARF. I have been building for 20 years and can't stomach the ARF craze that has taken over the hobby (although, there are definitly some really high quality ARFs coming out as of late).

I have been contemplating a Top-flight C182 and then modifying the empenage and rear fuse to make it a 180/185. Has anyone done this or seen it done?

Any ideas are appreciated...looking for a winter project to be ready to fly off the snow at the end of the winter and then on big inflatable Dubros this spring and summer.

thanks,

Darin

RC
Unionville kits out of canada has wood kits for bush planes.Norseman,Otter,beaver,and I think a couple of others.They make them in two sizes-6 and 8 foot.Definetly a builders kit.
Jeffo

Get the Great Planes 60 size Cub and then order a Super Cub cowling from fiberglass Specialties. Get the Float kit when you order the plane from Great Planes. There both on Tower Hobbies. The Cub has a 90" wingspan and the floats are 41" long. A 91 4-stoke will fit inside the cowling except for a cut out you have to make anyway at the bottom of the cowling's front for air. I'm building one now for the same reason. Makes a great Bush Plane.

Gibbs

Gibbs,

Already been there done that except with the 40-size. I agree, it does make a good bushplane and I should have kept mine. Fiberglass specialties has the PA-18 cowl for the 40-size as well and I also put the 1/6-scale robart scale gear on mine...oh, and made it a two-piece wing. I have built 7 or 8 cubs (3 of them PA-18s) now and would like to do something different. However, I almost placed an order for one of the GP 20-size cubs tonight. I would be making the same mods to it to transform it into a supercub like I did the 40-size. I really don't have a vehicle to transport anything much larger that the 20 size at the moment and I am tired of the really big stuff anyway...I want something smaller that I can fly off the golf courses in the winter and feel ok about it (well, I guess I should say "have others people feel ok about it"). Here is a picture of my 40-size I did. I think it turned out pretty good even without the wingstruts installed...

The SIG Citabria is about that size. I'm bashing one into an Aeronca Champ right now. Dzl

Dzlstunter,

I have considered this kit and would be bashing it into a Scout...would simply be the addition of flaps and taller gear. How is the kit in your opinion. I have heard it is really outdated. I can't imagine it is more outdated than the Ikon N' West kits and I have done 3 of those...actually, they are not just outdated, they are really crappy kits! The model ends up looking nice and can be built very scale but the materials provided leave a lot to be desired. I imagine in the Sig Citabria case, it is simply outdated...I have yet to have poor quality from Sig. Let me know your thoughts on the kit.

Darin

"I have considered this kit and would be bashing it into a Scout...would simply be the addition of flaps and taller gear. How is the kit in your opinion. I have heard it is really outdated. I can't imagine it is more outdated than the Ikon N' West kits and I have done 3 of those...actually, they are not just outdated, they are really crappy kits!"
I'M NO EXPERT ON THE "QUALITY" OF KITS, BUT THIS ONE HAD TO BE ONE OF THE LAST ONES THEY DID BEFORE LASER-CUT TECHNOLOGY. IT IS DIE-CUT, BUT THE PARTS ARE DONE PRETTY WELL. THE MANUAL DOESN'T QUITE MATCH THE PLANS, AS THE PICTURES WERE TAKEN BEFORE THE NEW PLANS WERE DEVELOPED AND THE KIT IMPROVED. WOOD QUALITY IS TYPICALLY SIG: HIGH; THOUGH I DID HAVE TO RIP A COUPLE OF NEW SPARS SINCE THE KIT ONES WERE BENT A LITTLE TOO MUCH TO FIDDLE WITH. THE INSTRUCTIONS SAID TO SORT THE VARIOUS STICKS BY SIZE BEFORE BUILDING--GOOD ADVICE! I HAD 13 DIFFERENT SETS OF STICKS--AND THE LAST ONE CONSISTED OF 3 WHICH HAD NO OTHER MATCHES IN THE BOX! IF YOU POUR OVER THE PLANS, IT THEY ARE QUITE ENOUGH FOR A DECENT BUILDER TO COMPLETE THE MODEL, BUT THE THE MANUAL HELPS A LOT FOR BUILDING SEQUENCE; BUT BE CAREFUL OF RELYING ON THE PICTURES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MANUAL MAY OMIT SOME THINGS THAT ARE ON THE PLANS, SO READ THE PLANS CAREFULLY--WITH A MARKER IN HAND! I, TOO, HAVE NEVER BUILT A LOW-QUALITY KIT FROM SIG.
Let me know if you decide to build it, maybe I can help with some detail or two. No matter what you decide, good luck, Dzl