Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

I have a Pica Waco 1/5 scale kit that I am going to start on this fall. I also have a Saito 170 radial that I was plannig on using. Is this going to be enough engine? There are a couple of these planes in our club they are using Super Tiger 2500 and the new Saito 220.


Harry

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

I've seen this plane fly with a 120 fs and a G23. You should be fine.

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

Engine size is not as much of a concern as balancing........planned a Moki 1.8 ended up with a Quadra 50....the Moki needed almost 2 lbs of nose weight

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

I just did a search and found this report on the Waco. Have you started building yours yet? I have had this kit for about six years. I built the wings about two years ago and I set it aside. I have pulled it back out and I have started building the fuse. It is my plan to get it done this winter. It should be a beauty. I have seen these fly with 120 four strokes. I happen to have a Saito 150 that I plan to use. It should be more than enough power to fly it scale like. R/C Report has done two product reviews on this kit. One was built using a Saito 120 and the editor's, Gordon Banks, built his with an OS 1.08.

How are you coming with yours?

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

mine fly's with power to spare with a Satio 180.

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

Laserdude,
I haven't got started yet, just moved and waiting until after the holidays. From what I have been reading it is a fairly fast build. I'm glad to hear the Saito 170 radial will be big enough but I think I will be adding quite a bit of nose weight to gat it balanced.

Thanks caliboss,
How much weight did you add to the nose?



Harry

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

Keep me posted when you start building it. From what I have done so far I would say it just the opposite of a fast build. There is a cazillion pieces and this is an older design. I modified my fuse to have the front formers build around an engine box instead of the using the engine rails. I didn't want to mount the engine upright as it willprotrud through the cowl. Now it will be mounted at about the 7:00 position. This took some thought and scratch building. Since you are using a radial I would guess that you will be doing some else.

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

I did not add any wieght to the nose. i did not use the rails either, added a piece of ply to the front and used blind nuts. you will love this plane, dont give up on it, i respectfully disagree with the fast build , it is a lot of work, but then i am a noob.

mine is 15 lbs. dry, i coverd it with super coverite and then went over the coverite with mono coat. it looks awsome and the feel of the covering is nice and smooth, I love this plane so much I bought another on ebay.

The plane is very strong, I bounced it off the ground once on a bad takeoff, it hit hard and no damage. I wish i could add a pic for you to see it. i dont know how to do pics here. if you send me an email addy and remind me of what we are talking about i will send you one.

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

Well i got two pics on here but they are sorta large, hope you can see them ok. the pict dont really do the plane justus.

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

Wow! Great looking Waco and Eagle. I've used monocote before and I've used fabric and painted it but I have never used momocote over fabric. Why would you do that? What did you gain over just using monocote? I have been planning to use solartex and paint it. Did you use the stock set up for the tail wheel? That design bothers me some.

Also, tell me about the Eagle - another one of my favorites. Is it the Great Planes ARF? What engine do you have in it?

Thanks

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

Looks great calibosss. I am planing on using Solartex and paint it with PPG automotive paint. I'm sure the monocoat is strong when you put it over the Solartex but I think the paint will have the same effect. I want the texture and weave of the fabric to show through the paint. I know the paint and sealer will probably make it a little heavy but as long as it will fly scale I'll be happy.




Harry

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

Is the 1/5 scale version the one with about 72" top wingspan?
One of the guys in the club built the 72" version and used the RCV91CD. He used it because it fit totally inside the cowl, and he was looking for very scale performance. Compared to most of the models I have seen it seems underpowered but the owner loves it. He says it flies exactly like the real thing. It is beautiful in the air and on the ground.

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

Thanks guys, I pour my heart and soul into my planes as I can tell you do as well.

First abut the covering. painted fabric is a great idea, ive seen some work that way and it looks great, scale as you can get. BUT I cant paint to save my life and the mess would bring down the house. I wanted the plane to be strong as possible, i am not the best pilot, but the real reason was so i could start and stop monocoat colors without a rib or stringer under the seams. but as it turned out after I got the coverite on it I found a picture of this waco which has two colors but is seamless. i mean i did not stop the white and start the purple, the second color (purple) just goes right over the white. It sorta was a after though or mistake. however when you touch the coating it feels real expensive with the two layers and is very durable. no wrinkling either after hours in the sun or months in storage for winter.
you dont have to worry about it flying, you do have to worry about getting it to descend though, mine wants to float forever, perhaps i need to work on the top wing incidence. my first few flights needed the entire runway and we have 500 feet of north south runway here in Webster ny.

The Eagle is another of my true loves, she is a great planes ARF. I know, ARF yuk, BUT these days the arfs are getting so good and this is such a pretty airplane I just fell into the dark side on this one. Just kidding , I own may arfs but I still build kits for therapy, lol. She has a Fuji 50 on her firewall, now ive read all the dirt on every engine you can come up with and they all have ups and downs, this fuji never stops running, is a little heavy but I needed the pounds anyway. price is good and has electric ignition. spins a 20/10 @ 7200rpm's and pulls the 20 pound eagle around nicely, a little better than scale on the power to weight ratio. I used hi-teck digitals on the tail and JR sport servos on the wing, i dont have the specs in my head but all servos are in the 50 dollar each range. All my planes these days are getting PCM recievers.

The eagle flies scale, its not overpowered, you must fly the plane, if you are responding to what the plane wants to do, you are doomed. however once you get a handle on it you feel like you are flying the real thing,I tend to have a vivid imagination and slip into fantasy while flying so for what it's worth. I joy in the sky, taking off is a bit challenging just be sure you have the right prop and things set up just so, run it down the field as far as you dare and get the speed up, let it lift on it's own if it will and if you need to add a smidge of elevator, it will tork to the left so be ready with the ailerons and rudder to keep her striaght. Landing on the other hand is a challenge beyond challenges, a real monster if you havn't done your homework. power on half throttle, angle of decsent, speed, altitude and distance from the threshold of the runway are critical. I have had eight or ten good landings and two or three controlled crashes,lol. busted up the fuse three times, now i am on the third fuse and is waiting for a warm day for another flight. I'll be on the g2 flight sim all winter keeping my skills warm. I could run on for pages about flying Sorry if I run on to long. Just one my thing. I was at an open house here in my home town (rochester n.y.) and two guys were flying the GP 1/3 pitts together, It impressed me so much I am hooked, i've had disasters and I have had successes, there is no turning back now. It's like a first date, gotta do it again.


Thanks for the compliments and kind words
Al

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

yes the 1/5 waco I am talking about is 72", I am not familiar with the rcv91cd , i'm a bit of noob to rc just 3 years. my 180 saito fits in the cowl with just a small opening at the head, 1 and 1/2 inches square or so . as far as power goes, It is an apples to apples thing, I mean if you are looking for scale flight you might feel underpowered. thats what makes it scale, the real deal was a fight of power and weight. Your friend loves it that way for that reason I believe. either way its all up to you and what makes you happy. sometimes i feel as though my scale planes are gonna fall out of the sky, and that makes my hair stand up! cool huh?

Al

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

The rcv91cd is a four stroke engine from England that has some sort of rotary valve arrangment that makes it very low profile. According to the rcv web site it is about the same height as a standard 52 four stroke. It turns a 14x6 prop about the same rpm as an OS91 Surpass.

Paul's cowl only has a hole for the exhaust tip and one for the needle adjustment. Since he needed nose weight anyway he uses onboard glow so there's no hole for the glow plug. After the fabric went on he covered areas that would be aluminum on the full scale with "panels" made out of some type of poster paper. He used glue dots to make rivet heads. He made aileron covers out of thin aluminum cookie sheets to look as close to the full scale as possible. He painted everything with the paints Jerry Nelson sells. The plane is gorgeous.

After seeing "scale" planes, typically warbirds, that take off in 10 feet it just surprises you to see a model that actually uses a lot of runway to build up flying speed. Paul has the skill to fly a model that does not have great power to weight ratio. My skills and reation times are low enough I need some reserve power. You're right that it comes down to what you want out of a particular model. In additon to the Waco, Paul has a Gee Bee Dreamer Bipe. With a 46 two stroke, this little plane is a screamer. It amazes me that he can fly one and then the other with no problems. There is such a difference that it seems it would be hard to switch from one to theother but he has no issues doing it.

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

Thanks Al for all of the information. I am really pumped about getting my Waco built now. I read R/C Reports review of the GP Christen Eagle last night. They had similar remarks.

Thanks again!

RE: Pica Waco 1/5 engine
 

You are welcome dude, my pleasure, I like the plane so much I have a spare new in the box just in case, and i understand there is one 4 sale now on ebay if ne1 is interested.