Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
06-16-2011, 08:04 AM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
Thanks, rcten. I guess I was kind of asking the question tongue-in-cheek. Most likely I'd go with the lazer short kit for the very reasons you mention. These builds sure do look nice and bring back some fond memories of seeing the Sterling PT-17 in the air. It's one of my wife's favorite airplanes so I'll have to find a plan and build her one...at least that's what I'd tell her...LOL!!
Soft landings,
Joe
Soft landings,
Joe
06-16-2011, 08:56 AM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
Thanks for getting back to me on this. Yes, it's flying season but I am in my research phase in preparation for fall when I dig out the tools and start smelling balsa dust. Been preparing to do the Stearman for past 18 months as my father flew the H- out of them in WWII. Naval instructor pilot, saw an awful lot of these with wings torn off, standing on their nose, lying on their back. Now he's gone and I have had the hankerin' to build and fly one for many years. 2012 should see mine in the air. Come fall, I'll be watching this thread closely for both yours and Nintendo's continuation. Sure would hope more are building this kit now it's available and affordable. Keep 'em flyin'
06-22-2011, 08:07 PM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
Hey guys - still alive and well in SW Washington. Stearman is close to the maiden flight only lacking completion of the left side interplane struts and fabrication of a couple of windshields. Any help with a good way to do the windshields would be appreciated. Here are a couple of current status photos. Thanks for the nudge. Once this rain quits and our flooded flying field drys out I need to be ready for flying again. Kind of a wet spring (understatement) this year. Regards, NM
06-26-2011, 07:15 PM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
It looks like you went ahead with the tubular interplane struts on this one. At one point you named the company and size of the aerodynamic tubing. Found the 5/8 inch streamline aluminum at Tower Hobbies (item #LXR856) or K&S Item 1104. Thanks for the build and the follow through. I begin the vintage kit this fall after nearly a year's worth of research.
06-27-2011, 07:52 PM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
gumppy
I have used the aluminum tubing before with good results. I put wood in the ends to prevent crushing when tightening the bolts. Please post pics of your Stearman to encourage others to build. Here is one of my favorite shots of mine. Regards, NM
I have used the aluminum tubing before with good results. I put wood in the ends to prevent crushing when tightening the bolts. Please post pics of your Stearman to encourage others to build. Here is one of my favorite shots of mine. Regards, NM
06-28-2011, 11:54 AM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
If you can get your camera into that area and if the camera will focus on a macro-level shot, I'd appreciate a good look at how you attached the interplane struts at the wings. The metallic brackets you came up with earlier should provide plenty of anchor for the struts and I expect you attached the strut to the side of that bracket rather than relieving it into the middle of the wooden plug at the ends of the struts.
Not to be making any promises but I have been tempted to power mine with a SAITO FA-90 3 cylinder that I got on e-bay. If not, I'll probably use a O.S. 108 FSR that needs some cleaning up and polishing.
Not to be making any promises but I have been tempted to power mine with a SAITO FA-90 3 cylinder that I got on e-bay. If not, I'll probably use a O.S. 108 FSR that needs some cleaning up and polishing.
06-29-2011, 05:04 PM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
gumppy
I cut a slot in each of the wooden plugs before inserting them in each strut end. They came out pretty good. I'll get a pic for you. Regards, NM
I cut a slot in each of the wooden plugs before inserting them in each strut end. They came out pretty good. I'll get a pic for you. Regards, NM
07-05-2011, 02:02 PM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
Here is a pic of the strut end detail. I cut a 1-1/2" long piece of plywood and carved it to shape for a plug. I then cut a 1/2" slot in it (bandsaw) and then epoxied it into the end of the streamline tubing. Worked out pretty good. Please post progress photos if you can. (sorry the picture quality is poor) Thanks, NM
07-05-2011, 05:42 PM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
It would be really great to be able to get a laser cut kit. Ihave been looking for an orginal for a while now. However, I am not looking to spend an " arm and a leg" for either. As for the landing gear bending, that is a good thing. Something has to give. Some people beef up the landing gear, and then have an off field landing. Oh where is my gear? Oh there it is over there with the other half of the fuselage. Build em to fly, not to crash, and learn to fly. Most do not know how to land a plane, but drive it to the ground. Hey let us all know the outcome.
ORIGINAL: vmsguy
OK,
I finally did it. I got everything gathered together and shipped the unbuilt, still in the box, Sterling Stearman kit to Ed at Lazer Works.
http://lazer-works.com/index.html
I shipped it via Fed-Ex today. (Friday, May 15th)
My apologies for lack of alacrity. I could've, should've sent it weeks ago.....[&o]
I thought I'd post this thread to both inform y'all of the shipment, but also as a collection point for information on the short-kit and what's needed to complete the plane.
First, what I shipped.
I shipped the complete kit. Instructions, plans, materials, decals. I did NOT ship the vacuum formed parts, those parts were the cowl, radial engine, and wheel legs/pants.
The original kit does NOT include wheels, so you'll need to find 4-1/2" wheels.
I suspect Ed will receive the box sometime around mid-week next week. Usually it takes him a few weeks to convert a set of plans to a short kit. Once he gets started on it that is... I have no idea what it'll take for him to do this conversion/replication.
Other tidbits I've discovered so far.
1. Fiberglass specialties (http://www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com/) makes a cowl (ST-3). Whether they make other parts, like the radial engine or wheel pants/legs, not sure.
2. Robart makes replacement struts for this bird. I came across one thread saying stock landing gear had a tendency to bend.
That's about it for now... As I get updates from Ed, I'll try to post them.
If others have information to add, especially about the plastic parts, please feel free to add them....
OK,
I finally did it. I got everything gathered together and shipped the unbuilt, still in the box, Sterling Stearman kit to Ed at Lazer Works.
http://lazer-works.com/index.html
I shipped it via Fed-Ex today. (Friday, May 15th)
My apologies for lack of alacrity. I could've, should've sent it weeks ago.....[&o]
I thought I'd post this thread to both inform y'all of the shipment, but also as a collection point for information on the short-kit and what's needed to complete the plane.
First, what I shipped.
I shipped the complete kit. Instructions, plans, materials, decals. I did NOT ship the vacuum formed parts, those parts were the cowl, radial engine, and wheel legs/pants.
The original kit does NOT include wheels, so you'll need to find 4-1/2" wheels.
I suspect Ed will receive the box sometime around mid-week next week. Usually it takes him a few weeks to convert a set of plans to a short kit. Once he gets started on it that is... I have no idea what it'll take for him to do this conversion/replication.
Other tidbits I've discovered so far.
1. Fiberglass specialties (http://www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com/) makes a cowl (ST-3). Whether they make other parts, like the radial engine or wheel pants/legs, not sure.
2. Robart makes replacement struts for this bird. I came across one thread saying stock landing gear had a tendency to bend.
That's about it for now... As I get updates from Ed, I'll try to post them.
If others have information to add, especially about the plastic parts, please feel free to add them....
07-19-2011, 06:11 AM
#262
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
"I think this is "sell your Sterling Stearman month" over on the Bay. Take a look, there's a wide selection."
Might this thread have had anything to do with it?:-)))))))))))))
Les
Might this thread have had anything to do with it?:-)))))))))))))
Les
07-19-2011, 06:21 AM
#263
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
It could. I'm almost tempted to sell my full kit. I think it the last one that Tower had. Awful wood typical of many a Sterling kit. I did find two other Sterlings (SkyLark and Yak 9) that I built when I was in my teens in the 60s. Talk about pictures being worth a thousand words and memories.
Ray W
Ray W
12-17-2011, 12:26 PM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
Hi, were back to work after a long vacation. Creating molds to make fiberglass landing gear cuffs, carb intake and tail wheel cover using the
plastic parts as the form, also starting to apply sheet medal to front end.
plastic parts as the form, also starting to apply sheet medal to front end.
12-23-2011, 09:02 AM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
Molded the first landing gear cuff in fiberglass, it came out OK and surprisingly fits over the Robart gear mounting system.
12-24-2011, 06:31 AM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
Speaking of the Robart gear, I just started my stearman (from the orig kit), where in the build do you need to make the changes for the robart gear.
I just started the fuse and want to know how far I can go on it before I need to stop. I don't have the gear yet so don't want to build myself into a corner.
I just started the fuse and want to know how far I can go on it before I need to stop. I don't have the gear yet so don't want to build myself into a corner.
12-24-2011, 08:15 AM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
Hi xxwolfyxx, After you first put fuselage halves together, do not attach E6 thru E9 yet until landing gear is in place. Also when I jointed the fuse. I epoxied F2A in front of F2, this will strengthen the gear mounting and allow you to use blind nuts if you prefer. The Robart drawings which accompany the gear will give dimensions for making 1/4 in. mounting plates for gear, this is why I placed F2A in front of F2 . It would set the gear back too far. The plans show building the fuselage in two halves. If I were to do it over I would glue the bulkhead halves together and build the fuse. as a whole using supports mounted out from your flat work table at each bulkhead setting L7A/B on top of these supports. This way everything will be square and no twist to fuselage. Post 220 shows the gear mounting and post 230 shows what I'm referring to for building the fuselage, but you'll need a support at each bulkhead. Hope this helps, ask a many questions as you want, glad to help.
Rick
Rick
01-28-2012, 10:18 AM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
Hi NM, The yellow is ultracote cub yellow, and the gray is aluminum flashing from Home Depot, it's attached using contact cement, better be where you want it the first time, there's no second chance. Speaking of, I presume you have flown your PT-17,,, well? A few more picts.
02-26-2012, 08:17 AM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
Life comes at you sometimes - I am moving, so my Stearman is on hold at the flight line - so to speak. This summer I will get it going at the new location. Keep up the good work. Regards, NM
02-26-2012, 08:26 AM
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RE: Sterling Stearmin, PT-17, lazer reproduction
xxwolflyxx
Check out posting #'s 64, 95 and 115 for pictures on how I did the Robart gear installation. It worked out good for me. Regards, NM
Check out posting #'s 64, 95 and 115 for pictures on how I did the Robart gear installation. It worked out good for me. Regards, NM