Reaction 54 Jet Kit
12-20-2005, 02:19 PM
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RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
Mine are a combination of both. rounded at the front then blending into a sharp edge with some carbon fibre set into the ede of the tip and along the trailing edge of the wing. Saves some hangar rash. One thing i did do on my second model was to hollow the tips. I know i got a huge pile of dust, dont know if I saved much weight but it made me feel better!!.
Regards
Regards
12-24-2005, 11:42 PM
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RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
Hello and Merry Christmas,
I finally finished covering my Reaction 54
Since this was my first experience covering an entire plane of this size, I decided to use Bruce's templates. I used Royal Blue instead of Insignia, Dark Red and Cub Yellow instead of Yellow. This was a great kit and Bruce's instructions are the best. After about 40 hrs of Monokoting [&:], I can finally start assembly work. I will be using a P60.
Mike
I finally finished covering my Reaction 54
Since this was my first experience covering an entire plane of this size, I decided to use Bruce's templates. I used Royal Blue instead of Insignia, Dark Red and Cub Yellow instead of Yellow. This was a great kit and Bruce's instructions are the best. After about 40 hrs of Monokoting [&:], I can finally start assembly work. I will be using a P60.Mike
12-25-2005, 06:14 AM
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RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
Hi Dave,
Best wishes to you and your family. Well we had out Xmas lunch in 30 degree C heat. I guess yours is a little colder. Good flying in 2006 to all R54 owners. My Wren supersport R54 is really going well. We have a Total Fire ban here in Sydney at the moment so there will be no Jet flying for a while. I guess I will have to learn how to fly with a propeller again.
Regards
Best wishes to you and your family. Well we had out Xmas lunch in 30 degree C heat. I guess yours is a little colder. Good flying in 2006 to all R54 owners. My Wren supersport R54 is really going well. We have a Total Fire ban here in Sydney at the moment so there will be no Jet flying for a while. I guess I will have to learn how to fly with a propeller again.
Regards
12-25-2005, 06:24 AM
#733
RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
ORIGINAL: TommyWatson
Hi Dave,
Best wishes to you and your family. Well we had out Xmas lunch in 30 degree C heat. I guess yours is a little colder. Good flying in 2006 to all R54 owners. My Wren supersport R54 is really going well. We have a Total Fire ban here in Sydney at the moment so there will be no Jet flying for a while. I guess I will have to learn how to fly with a propeller again.
Regards
Hi Dave,
Best wishes to you and your family. Well we had out Xmas lunch in 30 degree C heat. I guess yours is a little colder. Good flying in 2006 to all R54 owners. My Wren supersport R54 is really going well. We have a Total Fire ban here in Sydney at the moment so there will be no Jet flying for a while. I guess I will have to learn how to fly with a propeller again.
Regards
Not to bad here in Cleveland, Ohio. 35 degrees F and rain. "Ya don't haveta shovel rain!" Glad the Christmas lunch went well. 6:20AM here and looking forward to our traditional Christmas breakfast...cold cereal in those little single serving boxes. The kids loved 'em when they were younger. All three home from college at this time.
Take care and enjoy the warmth!
Dave Rigotti
12-25-2005, 06:35 AM
#734
RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
Hi Mike, your Reaction 54 looks great, I can really appreciate all the work you have done covering, it is no easy job, but the results can make you very proud of your accompishment.
Rcpete
Merry Christmas and a safe new year to all .
Rcpete
Merry Christmas and a safe new year to all .
12-26-2005, 12:58 AM
#735
RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
Hey Tommy, are you using the electric brake on your R54? I got on to Bruce Tharpe, very prompt reply re the wheel brake combo, and was wondering how well the brake works. I'll mostly be flying off grass with a 20 lb model. - John.
12-26-2005, 01:25 AM
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RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
G'Day John,
I have had all sorts of brakes on my R54's.
On the first one I used the Kavan Electric brake. It was OK, I would not bring you to a screaming halt but it would slow noticably( have a look at the my Video on bruces web site and as I taxi back you can see me use the brake), and would hold at well over idle power. In fact on grass I find I need a lot of power to get the model to move at all on good close mown grass. I used an 8 cell 500 mah pack I had spare. You need the nose weight anyway. I then fitted some "Compact Unibrakes" on the main wheels. Not much more stopping power on grass. I sispect there is a bit of wheel slip. So I have gone back to the Kavan brake and It works for me. The R54 lands so slow you really don't need brakes at all.
On the new one I have a "Compact Unibrake" on the nose wheel. It seems to work just the same as the Kavan brake.
The Kavan brake takes up a bit of room on the axle, but it works OK.
You are going to love your R54, My new one with the Supersport really has spectacular performance. You can just cruise past at <Half throttle, go to full throttle and go vertical for as far as you like (Well as far as I can see anyway).
Regards
I have had all sorts of brakes on my R54's.
On the first one I used the Kavan Electric brake. It was OK, I would not bring you to a screaming halt but it would slow noticably( have a look at the my Video on bruces web site and as I taxi back you can see me use the brake), and would hold at well over idle power. In fact on grass I find I need a lot of power to get the model to move at all on good close mown grass. I used an 8 cell 500 mah pack I had spare. You need the nose weight anyway. I then fitted some "Compact Unibrakes" on the main wheels. Not much more stopping power on grass. I sispect there is a bit of wheel slip. So I have gone back to the Kavan brake and It works for me. The R54 lands so slow you really don't need brakes at all.
On the new one I have a "Compact Unibrake" on the nose wheel. It seems to work just the same as the Kavan brake.
The Kavan brake takes up a bit of room on the axle, but it works OK.
You are going to love your R54, My new one with the Supersport really has spectacular performance. You can just cruise past at <Half throttle, go to full throttle and go vertical for as far as you like (Well as far as I can see anyway).
Regards
12-26-2005, 10:52 AM
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RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
Hi Pete
I'm also building an R54, I'll do the same as Mike, who by the way did an excellent job on his and use Bruce's color scheme. It was the best kit I ever built in all aspects, the manual was easy to follow, the material was of the highest quality and Bruce's service is quick and friendly. I came up with an easy way to drill the wing dowel holes and would like to share it, I know it's too late for some but it might be useful for other projects. As you can see in the picture, it's a very simple tool, all you have to do is drill a small hole the size of the piano wire at the end of a drill bit, I used 3/32in. but you can use just about anything. Make the hole approximately 1/2in deep, surprising enough a bit is easy to drill, at that end anyways. Use a propane torch an silver solder the piano wire into the bit, it took me five minutes to make the tool and only a few seconds to make two perfect hole. Steady the bit by holding the end with your fingers, I couldn't show it while I was taking the picture. I was also very impressed at Quinte by John with his R54, he also stopped at our local club on his way home, he amazed everyone.
Gaston Boissonneault
Hanmer
Ontario
Canada
I'm also building an R54, I'll do the same as Mike, who by the way did an excellent job on his and use Bruce's color scheme. It was the best kit I ever built in all aspects, the manual was easy to follow, the material was of the highest quality and Bruce's service is quick and friendly. I came up with an easy way to drill the wing dowel holes and would like to share it, I know it's too late for some but it might be useful for other projects. As you can see in the picture, it's a very simple tool, all you have to do is drill a small hole the size of the piano wire at the end of a drill bit, I used 3/32in. but you can use just about anything. Make the hole approximately 1/2in deep, surprising enough a bit is easy to drill, at that end anyways. Use a propane torch an silver solder the piano wire into the bit, it took me five minutes to make the tool and only a few seconds to make two perfect hole. Steady the bit by holding the end with your fingers, I couldn't show it while I was taking the picture. I was also very impressed at Quinte by John with his R54, he also stopped at our local club on his way home, he amazed everyone.
Gaston Boissonneault
Hanmer
Ontario
Canada
12-26-2005, 10:57 AM
#738
RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
Good morning guys, and Merry Christmas (a day late) to all of my R54 friends! The kit has been on the market for about a year now and I could not be more pleased with the response and the quality of people who have gravitated towards it. Thank you all.
Mike, that Royal Blue is growing on me! It really looks great. What many of you may not know is that Mike has very experience with building and covering. But he has been taking his time, and as you can tell from his shop, he appears to be meticulous about his work. That is not an easy covering scheme, even for long-time Monokoters, but it looks outstanding to me. Congrats, Mike!
Mike, that Royal Blue is growing on me! It really looks great. What many of you may not know is that Mike has very experience with building and covering. But he has been taking his time, and as you can tell from his shop, he appears to be meticulous about his work. That is not an easy covering scheme, even for long-time Monokoters, but it looks outstanding to me. Congrats, Mike!
12-26-2005, 11:00 AM
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RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
Hi pete
Sorry everyone, I guess I better find out the proper way to download pictures, I just went to file and clicked on " click here to unload " browsed found the files and cliked ok, the files wer approx 50 KB, I'll try agai if someone can help.
Thanks
Gaston
Sorry everyone, I guess I better find out the proper way to download pictures, I just went to file and clicked on " click here to unload " browsed found the files and cliked ok, the files wer approx 50 KB, I'll try agai if someone can help.
Thanks
Gaston
12-26-2005, 01:44 PM
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RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
Bruce
I finally figured it out ( hard to believe I fly jets ) I was clicking on preview after uploading the picture and then clicking "ok"
I'll post a couple other tips shortly, I like your methods in the manual but I'm just too lazy, I guess. Thanks again for your help during the construction of my R54, I wish more manufacturers and suppliers were following your footsteps.
Gaston
I finally figured it out ( hard to believe I fly jets ) I was clicking on preview after uploading the picture and then clicking "ok"
I'll post a couple other tips shortly, I like your methods in the manual but I'm just too lazy, I guess. Thanks again for your help during the construction of my R54, I wish more manufacturers and suppliers were following your footsteps.
Gaston
12-27-2005, 11:32 AM
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RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
Well I guess it is about time I start posting some pictures of the progress I have been making on my er uhhhhhh Reaction. I never do things the easy way and quite frankly it is ashame that I didn't use any of the fuse bulkheads or some of the other beautiful parts in this kit.
The first modifications I made was to the wheel well area. I am using Robart 530 retracts with Skymaster Hawk struts. I am going to use 3 1/2" main wheels and a 2 5/8" nose wheel. Here is some pics of the retract area. I angled the plate so the struts would be 90 degrees to the ground and actually tilted the retract itself back too.
The first modifications I made was to the wheel well area. I am using Robart 530 retracts with Skymaster Hawk struts. I am going to use 3 1/2" main wheels and a 2 5/8" nose wheel. Here is some pics of the retract area. I angled the plate so the struts would be 90 degrees to the ground and actually tilted the retract itself back too.
12-27-2005, 11:38 AM
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RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
Also for the wing I will be installing wing tanks and I had to make a balsa "wing tip" for the tip tanks to nest into. I used my table saw and cut a "cove" cut to the desired radius and depth into a balsa block I have had for years.
12-27-2005, 11:48 AM
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RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
I made numerous fusalage design changes to alter the shape. First I lengthened the fuse from the front of the wing forward approximately 12". It will make it much easier to counterbalance any tailheavyness. It is evident from the first picture that the F-5 bulkhead is notably tapered. From the front of the canopy opening forward was also redesigned to give a nice rounded jet shape. I planked that area with 1/8" balsa stripped to 1/4" using a technique I saw on RCScaleBuilders.com.
12-27-2005, 11:56 AM
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RE: Reaction 54 Jet Kit
And now for a preview of the "Reaction". There are a few members here that have been clued to what I am modeling (a scale subject). I will retain the exposed engine/boat tail for ease of use and practicality. But I had to have a clear canopy...............Can anyone gues the aircraft I will be modeling?
