Zor

Mark,

Great Hobby just opened a store locally.

Sopwith Pup 1/6 scale $177.99 plus 13% tax
Sopwith Pup 1/3 scale $366.99 plus 13% tax.

All Canadian dollars.

Zor

senrak

Mark,
Maybe I am niave or unimformed. But why can't you buy direct from BUSA and pay shipping?

3136

Hi Senrak,
well if you were an agent for a manufacturer and you stocked their line then the manufacturer undercut you and sold direct to customers in your country you would be annoyed wouldn't you?

It comes down to appointing dealers that don't put too high a percentage on the products.

Sadly Australia is a small market and most manufacturers don't really care about us here.
If we do get a few affordable kits it's because some importers aren't too greedy.
I know importers get them at trade price and ontop they have transport fees, but almost double the price seems a bit off balance.

Regards Mark

jmatusic

My Feedback: (16)

Mark, Yes there is shock absorbing in the gear. There's a slot about an inch long on the end of the gear where the axle can spring up and down. The waxed thread wound in the middle of the axle is to add support to the wood bracing the two steel spreader rods. The two windings nearer the axle ends are actually steel wire painted black. They act as pivot points for the steel axle rod to flex giving the gear the shock absorbing action. I experimented with the location of axle end windings to give what I think is the right amount of absorbsion. Before using the steel windings, I tried rubber O-rings around the axle ends however they did not provide enough spring action. I'm still concerned about how well the gear will hold up on landings. I reinforced the gear near the wheels with thin ply sandwiching the steel bracing also. I welcome any suggestions that will improve the gear. Also intend to add the silk scarf to the pilot!

senrak

jmatusic,
Your model looks great. Nice work. I love the detail.
I have found that although I may have the skill to produce models like that, I am not a good enough pilot to keep it from being destroyed by the occasional hard landing. The one inch of travel you have allowed would never be enough to allow for my lack of flying skill.

Mark,
I get all that about importers and dealers and maybe laws that govern it all. But still, twice the price. They would have me building everything from plans. Have you tried buying from Balsa USA online, or asking them for help with the dealer.
I am lucky. The BUSA factory is 1 hour drive for me.

ESM, Black horse, BH, I don't understand

Regards, Dale

3136

Hi Dale,
sadly that's just part of being in a monopoly.
ESM is an arf line also Black Horse, (BH is just an abreviation for it)
Ikea (the furniature company) are notorious for it as well, their stuff here is double what it is elsewhere.
All the importers say is that shipping and taxes make up most of it, however that's B/S as some imported products are the same price as other countries sell them for. (ie Black horse arf kits)
Another example I just thought of, Horizon in USA have the hangar 9 incidence meter for $59, here they are $109, I did email them and again I was told they can't sell direct to Australia.
We just have to put up with getting boned on everything here.
This was my first kit in 20 years so I just bought one in a box, if I do another I'll do it from plans.

Anyway it's getting a bit of topic, so I'll stop my rant.

Regards Mark

Nergall

Sounds like you should take your next vacation out of country and stock up on some RC stuff!

Galhaven

Hi Mark

I've been watching this build for quite a while now.

I had a similar experience with Horizon Hobbies not exporting to Australia.

Check out HOBBY ZONE. It looks like another outlet for Horizon. They have everything that Horizon has and they ship to Australia. Their prices are exactly the same as Horizon and they are fantastic to deal with.

I have had to get some Hangar 9 and Zenoah bits in a hurry. Less than 2 weeks turn around to Ambarvale, SYDNEY.

Check them out.

Cheers

Graham M.[8D]

3136

Hi Graham,
thanks for that, it's a pity the agents here like their ivory backcratchers so much.

Regards Mark

P.S I'll look into plans for the dehaviland dragon next I think, (not a very common one)

ALO 111

Almost done with the rib stitching

3136

Hey ALO111, I have the same dash kit from mick reeves you have, I'm about to start the fuse and it looks like a lot of the plywood crutch plate needs to be cut away to open up the area, did you strengthen it up to compensate for that?
Any ideas on what to use for ign switch on the dash?

Your stitching looks great, I wouldn't have the patience for that though.
I was going to use pinking scissors and do strips of solartex and iron them down, a few months off that yet.

Regards Mark

KDBrown

My Feedback: (1)

As Iam getting ready to solder my landing gear, I can't help but notice your placement for the landing gear connection. It is very high above the axle location compared to what my plans show, and where I plan to solder. My gear solder location is much lower, closer to the actual axle ocation than what you are showing. Is there a specific reason? Is your front main gear 90 degrees to the fuse rather than offset towards the rear slightly?

Muskoka dad

My Feedback: (5)

HEY KD BROWN IWONDERED THE SAME THING WHEN I DID MINE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE PLANES THAT ARE FINISHED THEY ALL SOLDERED CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM.
I SOLDERED MINE JUST ABOVE THE AXLE, AND HAS A SWEPT BACK LOOK COMPARED TO THE FUSE. I ALSO ADDED A SPREADER BAR. THE GUYS ON RCSB THAT BUILD THE
THE BUNGEE GEAR ALL SOLDER CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM.

HOPE THIS HELPS

LATER EWAN

KDBrown

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks Ewan,
I do see that that out-of-the-box bends to the gear are such that soldering higher up will create a flush fit. To solder lower will require some slight bending and adjusting to create a flush fit of the two gear pieces. However, the plans do state to make adjustments. I think I will solder lower as shown so the wood strut pieces look appropriate and closer to the axle.

3136

Theoretically if you solder higher up it will bring the wheels forward, I haven't looked into it yet, but do these pups have a tendency to nose over?
If so I would be inclined to bring the wheels forward, but if in doubt go by the plans.

Regards Mark

Muskoka dad

My Feedback: (5)

HEY KD YOUR WRITE ABOUT THE WOOD, THATS WHY I DID MINE LOWER. COULD'T REMEMBER WHY. I JUST SCREWED MINE ON AGAIN AND THEY ARE ACTUALLY 90 DEGREES TO
THE BENCH. IF ANYONE IS WORRIED ABOUT THE ANGLE FOR NOSE OVERS, YOU CAN ALWAYS SHIMETHEM AT THE REAR MOUNT AND KNOW ONE WOULD NO. MIGHT MAKE FOR SOME
GREASED LANDINGS. I ALSO LOOKED AT MY HANGERNINE PUP AND THEY ARE SWEPT BACK ALITTLE.

LATER GUYS EWAN

ALO 111

HI there 3136 I cant remember exactly how i changed the cockpit area but i did cut away most of the front former and then built one in front on that . I also cut away almost the entire crutch just leaving the sides. I strengthened the side of the cockpit aswell. I can try take some pics from the bottom that might help if you like.

3136

Hi ALO 111, no that's ok your description helps.
Thanks Mate
PS but I always like pics and maybe someone else might benefit from them so if you could find the effort by all means do so.

Regards Mark

3136

Here is my pilot and dash so far, it needs an ignition switch.

Regards Mark

senrak

Hi Guys,
Pushing the wheels forward on the Pup makes the model more stable on the ground. Tying the rear piece closer to the axle as the plans show and therefore pulling the axles back is more scale like. But, they are also way wider than they should be to be scale. When you ad a cross bar to make it look more scale they don't have any spring on landing. The reality is there is very little about the landing gear that is to scale at all. If these were static scale models we would be building them very differently. Heck, the real bird had an airfoil that was concave.
I have seen these planes nose over and tip side to side during taxi, on take off, and landing. At the very least that can be an embracing moment, and more likely a broken twenty dollar prop. If I can make these airplanes handle better by fudging here and there, I'm going to do it. I need all the help I can get when I'm at the flying field. Besides, once the wheels are mounted you will never notice the angle of the landing gear.

Good Luck,
Dale

yellerchamp

My Feedback: (42)

I have just started a 1/6 build of the pup, are there any guys here who have built this kit? I chose it because its my first and because of the room I have to build. When finished I have a 1/4 scale pup, but thought I could learn on something a little less expensive. Any help would be appreciated. I did build a trainer 20 years ago but it was nothing like the busa kits. I wont be posting any pictures, I dont want anyone getting hurt falling off their chair laughing. thanks.....dan

ALO 111

Looking good ! i made ignition switch from old press stud as used on leather goods and a broken piece of something else ( i have no idea what it was )

Zor

Hope you do post pictures ___dan

I promisse I will sit on the floor before looking at them ___

Zor

gbman

My Feedback: (4)

Will a Laser 120 be enough engine for the 1/4 Pup? I'm in the beginning stages of my build.

senrak

I would think it a little small. Is this an engine you know and trust? I have heard varying reports.

Dale