invertedthoughts

Iwas getting ready to put a Spiderman head in my Extra 300 but damn it feels heavy, even with the head drilled out, probably around 1-1.5 oz.


Let's see some of your pilots and if they changed the flight characteristics because of their weight.

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

Well, I've got two Ninja Turtles, a Winnie the Pooh, and a regular human. All too light to have any effect on flying. I'd like to put a full-body quarter-scale pilot in a cub I'm finishing, but can't find one that would work. (It's a Navy NE-1.)

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I try to always put a pilot in a plane. I can't stand seeing people put dolls and little toys in a plane. Maybe it's just a me problem but I feel it destroys the looks of a plane. I never say anything to anyone about it though. I also feel it's your plane, you can do with it what you like. Only thing I see that is as bad as a toy is no pilot at all.

invertedthoughts

Gray Beard, I bet this guy really gets under your skin:


http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/for/2497897428.html

biam

certainly! A pilot is part of it, they have to be a williams brothers and, proper scale.The worst mistake I have made pilot wise is putting one in trainee seat and letting him fly my cub, he seems to like it so he will stay there. I have five on active duty now with four more waiting for assignment

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

No pictures but I put a solid rubber Homer Simpson bust in an ARF Diabolo one time without double checking the CG afterwards. (I had flown the airplane sans pilot for a long time.) It did a beautiful half snap on take off but the inverted landing was a bit tough on the old girl! Lesson learned.

jetmech05

I am with Gray on this one, I don't like seeing toys in cockpits either...but it is their airplane.....the only time I ever said anything, was to a friend who never put a pilot in a plane. He said to him there was no need to have a pilot. He was the pilot.
I grew up building scale models I detail my pilots......but this just me

yel914

Ya, I'll second(or third) what Gene said. I find Ken and Barbie dolls to be a good fit for most 1/6th scale planes. They're heavy, but look better than most I think. Besides, it's really fun to cut the bodies up! With not too much effort, a head can be made to rotate in sync with the rudder. Here's my Venture 60 with a Ken doll.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

It doesn't get under my skin, it just looks stupid as hell to me and I feel it cheapens the looks of a lot of nice planes. I usually see it in newer pilots planes. How many Snoopys and Barts have we all seen. Even those made for RC planes pilots that look like someone just punched them real hard look dumb to me. It's a choice thing, not a big deal, I just think it's stupid looking. I have a lot of good friends that will do it and they are happy with there pilots and think they are cool. Choice is a wonderful thing.

Redback

I cut Barbie and her girlfriend in half to pilot my Midwest Super Stearman.

After I had done I couldn't bring myself to throw away those long slim legs and cute buns, so I still have them in the workshop somewhere.

Am I sick[:-]

Terry

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I too am an L&A man but I like photos of women in my shop, kinda old school thinking. I feel that the pilot in a nice model requires a bit of thought, usually thinking ahead. I had this pilot in mind before I ever opened the bottle of glue. I put too much thought and work into a plane to use a toy or doll for a pilot. The pilot was hand painted for me by my friend and building partner Dan4 some years ago for a special plane. The plane is long gone and the pilot has sat three other planes in it's past. A true survivor. All of my pilots are hand painted and look like they belong in a plane. Nothing cute but they make my planes pop.

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

I have always either had a pilot or a canopy you can't see through. I have, to date, only used Williams Bros pilots, more due to the ease of getting them than anything else.

huck1199

They may have a pilot Barbie; if not they should!

invertmast

My Feedback: (23)

Pilots (i have 3, 2 are identical) for my 1/7 F-14:



And the pilot for my 1/5 FW-190:

rye

My Feedback: (10)

hi in vertmast
who makes the tomcat pilot and where do u get them thanks rye

scooterinvegas

My Feedback: (1)

Under my canopy it is full:

-Current sensor
-GPS
-Ground speed sensor
-GPS variometer
-Artificial horizon sensor
-Temperature sensor
-RSSI sensor
-G-force sensor
-Infrared control sensor
-Autopilot navigation.
-IMU sensor
-Barometric pressure sensor

No room for dolls or toys.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Hundred dollar bills would take up less room and you could get a snoopy in there.

jp_boud

My Feedback: (2)

Being overly picky, a scale pilot always has something wrong with it. (either looks cheap, paint is off, or that fancy Navy pilot is wearing Airforce gear ) It's easier on me to let my young son (who builds with me) to pick out my pilot. Sometimes he does good and I get Optimus Prime and a green army guy, other times I get a three eyed alien from toy story. As long as the cockpit isn't empty, and my son keeps building and flying with me, I don't care what is in the plane.

TBONE6

Don't know who owns the jet, but Buzz Lightyear just looks fitting in a futura.

orbsah

If you have a kid becoming interested in flying, definately let them choose the pilot. Anything goes, toys, dolls, stuffed animals, etc. At this stage, it's not about you, it's for the kids. . . . .

Otherwise. . . . I prefer a realistic human figure at the proper scale.

jp_boud

My Feedback: (2)

....and if I have to be completely honest ... while it looked good right after I finished it, two trips out and I have wrinkles in the ultra sport right in front of that alien....I can (temporarily) deal with that on a fun and cartoonish plane, but if it were a true scale aircraft I'd have to rip it off and start over now! It's way too hot in the garage to deal with that right now!

Jim_Purcha

My Feedback: (8)

My son liked the Snoopy (not my plane). Cellar Dwellar Hobby Fun Fly at the WRCC field.

Jim

GerKonig

Thank you for posting, there is 2 of us:-) I fully agree.

Gerry

Jaybird

I have put several paper versions of myself in my electric planes...color pictures from all four sides and the top made into the base of a pyramid and hardly any weight. I have used Williams brothers plastic busts and some of the Hangar 9 rubber ones. My latest project has one of the Great Planes civilian pilots and I added a microphone boom and headphone cables to it.

Jaybird

frets24

My Feedback: (15)

If it's a scale plane or a warbird then I agree and there is a strong argument for not diminishing the plane with an out of place pilot figure. If it's a sport plane, with no full scale counter part, then make it fun