Hi Wayne,

The options for the firewall are to do with varying sizes of motors/overall length. I just positioned mine over the plan and used the appropriate size to have the prop washer in place as per the plan, this ensures the cowl cheeks are the correct length. With the isolating mount I had to carve a fair amount from the inside of the cowl to get a good fit. This is nothing to the razor blade work on turtle deck and cowl that is yet to come. Just carve away anthing that doesn't look like a US1000.

Hope this helps,

Colin

I think I understand now. The side plan is only for an OS 1.08, but the firewall is moved back about 1 3/8'' for the ST engine. And as you move back the firewall is taller.

Right?

I was having trouble figuring out the height, but I don't have to cut it down for the Super Tigre. (I think)

Wayne

Hi Wayne,

You are correct.

Cheers,

Colin

Looks like you're moving right along on your build! Looks nice! I have an Ultra Sport 60 that I built almost 12 years ago. It is my longest surviving RC airplane. I started out with a Super Tiger motor on it. Big mistake. I had the Super Tiger G-90 on mine. What a piece of junk. I really know my way around a nitro motor. I'll never buy another Super Tiger. Just my advice. If I were you, I'd spend the extra dough on the OS 1.60. I now have an OS .95AX for my US60. OS is awesome. My US60 is by far the nicest flying plane I've ever built. It's like it's on rails. I can only imagine how nice the US1000 is. I keep looking for a US1000 kit for sale, but keep missing the deals. I might just build it from scratch.

I'm currently building a US40 kit that my wife bought me for Christmas. These really are great kits. LOTS of sanding though. I build in my garage here in Alaska. A couple of weeks ago, I came inside for dinner and hacked up a bunch of US40 balsa dust all over the table. I now have to wear a face mask. Anyways, I have been working on it since Christmas, but am only now just finishing up the wings. I'm installing some pneumatic, Robart retracts with robo struts on this one. I spent about a week working on each retract. I finally finished them up tonight. The pneumatic retracts are a VERY tight fit. I have to join the wings together and then move on to the fuselage. I am installing a Jett .56 motor. Should be a pretty sweet plane when I'm done.

Anyways, your build looks great, especially for your first one! I have a couple projects lined up after my US40, but if I haven't found a US1000 kit by the time I'm done with my next two, I'm going to build a US1000 from scratch. Here's a pic of my US60 when it had the ST G-90 installed. Again, please spend the extra money for the OS. My US60 has mechanical retracts. I think I'll upgrade them to some pneumatic retracts as well.

Spring nipper clothes pegs work well for this kind of job. Your wing doesn't wind up weighing 28lbs while the glue sets either!.

Well, I had some time to play again today. I glued up the stab base, which was a lot of little pieces, and got out the formers gluen up the dowell plate for wing insert. And I got the engine mountet to the firewall which turned out to be one of the tougher parts of the build.

Also I Glued the fuse together and I am waiting for all the glue to dry now. For most of it I used yellow lockweld glue, which is same glue we use all the time in the shop.

I sure appreciate all the coments so far.

Wayne

Anyone have an US 1000 kit for sale NIB? I can't find one and want to build! Thanks, Mike

One way to avoid some of the required sanding on an US to to get a Great Planes Power Plane. One of the handiest tools ever in building a balsa plane. It shaves the wood right off. The depth is adjustable too. There is a lot of sanding around the nose area and underbelly and it works great.

bob

Good lookin Seamaster you've got in the background. I've got one framed up right now. Just gotta join the wing and do some other small but time consuming things. Post up some pics of it in the Seaplanes Forum.

The US 1000 is one plane I want to build someday. My Dad gave me an old US 40 that Im restoring as well.

That is an OLD Seamaster in the back ground that I have not put the guts in yet. I hope to get it together this summer and try it. It seems heavy to me (I have not weighed it yet). Has an old Como 50 on it. I would wonder if that is enough engine.

Wayne

It'll be plenty. The Seamaster is a fantastic seaplane and can easily handle extra weight

Well, I stole a little more time this evening, works keeps getting in the way of play.

I picked up some 30 minute to glue in the wing hold down plate anf the firewall. After sanding on the wing hold down plate it seemed to fit good. I didn't like the very soft balsa triangles that was in the kit, so I made some with poplar for under the wing hold down and behind the firewall.

I also like the idea in the instruction book to put a antenna guide tube in the bottom of the fuse, so I drilled 3/16 holes and slid in a tube for that. Hope it is not in the way of anything important.

I think I am ready to sheet the bottom of fuse now.

Wayne

I took a little more time this eve and sheeted the bottom

Wayne

After reading your first post I was going to say, "Before you add the bottom sheeting, double check that the rear fuse is straight"

Too late now

It's looking really nice!

Hope so. I still had it pinned down to the tile.

Wayne

Looks great! My first kit was also a US, though the .40 size. Probably a tricky kit for a first build as I, and I'm sure you, found out. But the end result is worth it. I LOVE mine.

Thankyou.
Actually,so far, it has not been as bad as I thought it would. At first when you open the box and look at all those parts it is intimidating, but if you follow directions the parts seem to disappear rather quickly. AND the good part is that it is much more fun to build than I had even hoped.

Wayne

Wait until you get to all of the shaping and sanding! That's when it gets tedious. But its not so bad, and the end result is more than worth it.

You are probably right, however it only took about 5 minutes to shape the wing tips with a DA sander and 100grit PSA paper.

Wayne

Woops! I unpinned fuse from plans and found that the fuse tops was not completely into the fuse sides. I don't know if pic is good enough to see but about 1/16'' is sticking above towards the back on one side.Only about 2'' of the aft part of fuse top is bad. Will this create a problem? The book says to sand flush. Do I sand flush and reinforce on inside? I tried to break loose but it will break other things first. Joint seems very strong.

Wayne

Wayne, if i am correct in what I see from your pic & your describing it, it is the rear part of the fuse. top that is not flush with the top edge of the fuse sides, correct? If so then I would not worry about it. This section will be behind the "backrest" that sits on top of the fuse top & it will also be covered when you put the upper turtle deck sides on the top of the fuse sides. so the uneven surface will not affect anything at all & will be hidden from veiw. The build looks great so far. I am just finishing up the wing on mine & have the tail feathers built & will be starting fuse. tomorrow. Bill

Thanks for the reaponse. That puts my mind at ease. Yes it is only the back couple inches that is too high

Wayne

I'm confused, do you mean fuse bottom? The top would be the curved turtle deck part. If it's sticking up a bit can't you just push it down and glue it with a little CA?

No it is the fuse top, which goe under the canopy.

Wayne