Keithy

Nice photos. Plenty of detail in those models. I have not bothered with the stitching, or pinking either. I know that a real scale enthusiast puts in as much detail as possible but at my stage of life putting many hours into that sems a bit of a waste of my time, because I am likely to stack a model due to slow reaction time and I'd be more than a bit sad to see that amount of work written off in a single bingle. I just get so much pleasure from flying and seeing the model from a distance. As well as converting mine for electric power,I opted for a 9g. servo in each wing to operate the ailerons. A luxury which we did not have back when the kit first came off the production line. I think that even with the Lipoly batery, my model is a tad lighter than it would have been with .60 glow engine, silencer and 100mltank of fuel.Today's small servos also make a big difference. The only thing that I am disappointed with in this model is the method of rigging the flying and landing wires. I intend to do better with that problem, wish I could find some miniature turnbuckles that are not too expensive to buy. So far, I have only been able to trace turnbuckles that are too big and also quite pricey. Requiring twelve of themis, at that price, beyond my resources. I will continue the search. Before I retired, I could have made some in mylunch breaksat work
At thetime when Ibought the kit, I was building a Hawker Hurricane from Dave Platt plans. I had reference books and was able to put in quite minute details. The model looked superb but it was heavy and dificult to fly accurately. At the time, I think the largest glow engines available were .60cu i and that was a little underpower for my finished model. Even so, it did not die in a crash. When it became a bit oil soaked and too heavy to fly at all, I gave it to a young boy who's Grandfather had been a RAF pilot in WWll and flew Hurricanes. He had his Dad suspend it from the ceiling of his bedroom. That was about 13 years ago, so I wonder what eventually happened to it.
Life is great, isn't it!

ARUP

Hiya Keithy- Glad to hear your SE is such a nice flying bird! Hey Jaybird- nice airplane. I built one of these 30 years ago so it's fun to see you folks building them!

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

I think using electric on this plane is a good idea.. I have the kit.. still new in the box..pretty old but in good shape. I also built the duncan hutson kit a few years ago.. Its a bit bigger at nearly 1/4 scale.. the SE5a is a good flyer.. pretty stable etc.

Proctor and Mick Reeves are the only two that make turnbuckles for smaller kits. Since there are 16 flying wires and 4 landing wires.. you need a lot!

Jaybird

My plan is to do the rigging on the second one similar to the one I built using Du-Bro 2-56 size pull-pull cable sets. One end of the nylon coated cable will have a fitting secured to a wing or fuselage hard point and the other will have the clevis and threaded coupler with a jam nut that clips into a fitting. Once the plane is rigged and the cables tensioned, it can be quickly taken apart by unbolting the interplane struts to take the tension off the cables and then unclipping the clevises. Once that's done the top wing can be unbolted and the bottom wing removed. The cables stay with their respective hard points and the interplane struts come off completely. It worked really well on my first one and even though they are much larger than scale they are fairly inexpensive and easy to adjust. I've used the same system on a 1/6 scale Concept FLeet and it looks good.

Jaybird

Keithy

I replied to this thread yesterday but it seems to have not posted, so here goes again.
Jaybird, that's a nice looking model!
It had not  occured to me to use the wiring method that you describe above. I assumed that the struts would not come un-popped whilst the wires are installed. Of course, there is obviously some flexibility in the structure that does allow that to be done, so when I get home, no prizes for guessing what will be happening to my SE5. Thanks for opening my eyes with your brilliant method[8D]

Jaybird

The struts are secured as well. On the Fleet above there are four slots that the ends of the struts slide into and at each "N" point there is a 2-56 bolt and blind nut. On the SE5a I have installed 4-40 threaded brass inserts into the spar where the one of the screws that would hold the nylon plate down would go. The cables will be attached to a hard point beside the strut mounts. I think this picture shows it pretty well. On one side is the head of the 4-40 socket head bolt. I will trim off the other side of the metal bracket once everything is is rigged and adjusted so it won't be seen from the wing tip.

I had spent many hours with the plane blocked up on the kitchen table (it's right in the manual) trying to get the wing incedences to match up and adjusted the lengths of the interplane struts over the last few nights. I then discovered when I stood it on it's nose that the top and bottom wing formed a "scissor" looking down on them. So I spent last night adjusting the cabane struts and bracing to get the top wing in the right position and will now have to adjust the lower wing mounting to do the same. This plane has been repaired several times and didn't always get put back together true and square. It won't be perfect, but it should be pretty close...a lot closer than if I hadn't sighted down from the top!

Jaybird

Jaybird

The alignment is much better now with the lower wing mounting holes redrilled. The diagonal measurements from the tail to the wings are quite close and should work well. I'm now ready to start rigging the landing and flying wires and then between the struts. Once that is done I'll start installing the radio gear and engine.

Does anyone have other pictures to share? I'd like to see some of the other kits.

Jaybird

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

My Duncan Hutson sE5a built nearly 6 years? ago.

A good flyer powered with a Saito 150.

barzini

My Feedback: (4)

Someone gave this model to me.It was hanging in his office for years.I put a four stroke engine in it and flew it.The covering is so old and brittle that I am going to recover it.Attached is a picture of it. Not sure what I will recover it with or if I can get decals.
Barzini

Jaybird

Looks great and has nice detail. The one I built I covered in olive drab and white Solartex (worldtex) iron-on covering. I painted the red and blue stripes on the rudder over the white covering. The large and small roundels are vinyl decals from MajorDecals and the letter "A" and "bar" I cut out of self stick vinyl sheet. I still have the original kit water slide decals but they are pretty fragile. The one I bought all built is painted with water based paint and all the markings and roundels were domne by hand. So, lot's of options depending on how much you want to put into it. I found the Solartex wonderful covering to work with and quite durable.

Jaybird

Keithy

I covered mine with SIG Koverall. It is a breeze to use and looks really authentic. I get the impression that it also adds a lot of strength to the airframe. I applied it with dope because I did not know about the special heat activated glue that SIG recommend. The only trouble that I had was in making sure the covering adhered to the concave wing undersides. I did anticipate that and used a craft glue on the rib bottoms. It is a clear glue, which retains a small amount of elasicity. I pinched it from my wife's photo album kit. The finished job looks good. When the shrinking and final doping was done, it took the acrylic paint easily.A tip for the original decals:- mine were also VERY fragile but I found that they worked OK by being patient. I soaked them in water until they unrolled completely. It took a while but they then slid off the backing quite well. A few minor splits that did form were easily touched up with my artist's acrylic paints. The effect was pleasing enough to draw such comments as "It makes it look battle worn". "Really authentic look".
If anyone is interested in going electric, I used a Turnigy 4050 motor, with a 3,800 mAh Lipoly. I think the motor is too powerful for the job but for scale flying at 1/3 throttle, it is very nice and I guess there might be occasions when a lot of power might be handy.
Isn't it lovey to see that there are still a few flying after all these years? When in Canberra last month, I saw a real one. It is hanging from the ceiling in the aricraft section af the Australian War Memorial, along with many other war birds, including an Avro Lancaster. Unfortunately, the lighting is very low in there and my photos are not good.

Jaybird

I finished up making some some small anchor fittings today and rigged the landing wires. The rest of the rigging should go pretty quickly but my other hobby barbershop quartet singing is calling as we have Christmas performances starting up Monday night.

The Owls Head Transportation museum near Rockland, Maine is about an hour east of where I live and they have a reproduction SE5a "in the bones" on display there that is fun to look at. I visited the Shuttleworth collection in England a couple years ago and they have an original SE5a which was parked right out front when we arrived. It was great!

Jaybird

Jaybird

One concert down, two more to go. I made up my own crimp sleeves from small brass tubing and rigged the left wing panel flying wires. Pretty straight forward process and they all have a nice "twang" when plucked. I'll use my incedence meters to check for any twist and adjust them accordingly. Last will be the cross wires between the interplane struts. I'm thinking of two ways...one would be holes drilled into the struts at an angle and the wire inserted and glued, or using small brass cotterpins at attachment fittings and crimping the wires at the ends. The holes would be pretty quick and clean but the cotterpins and crimps would match the rest of the rigging....hmmmmm.

I should be able to finish the rigging up this weekend and then start on the radio gear.

Jaybird

TFF

Looks good.

Jaybird

Finished up the right side rigging this past weekend. I went with the drilled holes in the interplane struts for the cross bracing and it worked well. I was also able to pick up some touchup paint from the original builder so now I can fill some of the old rigging points and repaint the surfaces I had to adjust. Next comes the radio gear.

Jaybird

tom0187rc

Greeting Jaybird
It looks great, i was wondering what is your Se5a cover with, i just purchased a Top Flite kit and reading the manuel states that rigging is reqired, how strong is the wing and from your experience what is the best covering material for this kit.
Thanks for your help
Tom

TFF

The Top Flight kit is unflyable without the rigging. The wings will fold in a minute after it leaves the ground. It is a strong plane built to instructions but weak if deviated. Actually it would a really scale wing fold. Mine was covered with Antique Coverite painted with dope.

Jaybird

The kit I built (the now wrecked one) is covered with solartex olive drab and off white iron on covering. I thought it was great stuff to work with and very light and strong. The one I'm rebuilding above has Sig koverall and latex paint. I had to take it back to the buiolder for covering repairs as I don't have any of the koverall material or latex paint. The flying wires are required and also help maintain the proper wing dihedral and incedences. I could have used the solid wire rigging the original builder had but the plane could not be taken apart easily. It was also misaligned after a couple of crash landings and re-rigging it from scratch gave me the opportunity to get it squared up again.

Jaybird

tom0187rc

Hello TFF
Thanks for the reply, and another question is on rigging, did you use wire or nylon fishing line, been told not to use wire, because fishing line will give more in a minor crash and cause less damage. TFF if you have any other tips as this is my frist bi plane , rigging was my frist surprise . Again thanks for your reply on the covering.
Tom

Jaybird

I'm using the coated wire from the Du-Bro 2-56 Pull-Pull kit (DB517) and threaded clevises and couplings from parts on hand. I find it easy to work with and strong enough for this application. I know others will disagree, so you have to make up your own mind.

Jaybird

tom0187rc

Hello Guys
Thanks for the information, Jaybird and TFF give me a better ideal how i going try and build this kit, as noted before frist WW1 and frist plane requires rigging.
Thanks again for you help and quick replies.
Tom

Jaybird

Back when I built mine, it was my first WWI as well as my first build (actually it was partially built when I traded for it) so I was pretty nervous about flying it. It is very responsive and flies great...but be sure to use exponential or at least a light thumb on the elevator. My first flight after a club member did the initial test flight looked like a roller coaster with it pitching wildly up and down until I got my thumb under control. The radio I had at the time was an old Futaba 4-channel Sport, so there was no expo or dual rates to be had. As a testiment to it's stability, it's last flight I accidentally triggered the "trainer switch" basically shutting my transmitter off, but didn't know it. The plane continued flying in a shallow left bank in big circles...once...twice....getting lower each time until on the third time it finally flew into the ground. I was frozen the whole time at the transmitter...if only I had let go of the switch!

The right lower wing panel was pulverized and the nose was crunched up pretty bad. I may rebuild that one too some day.

Jaybird

LesUyeda

"I'm using the coated wire from the Du-Bro"

AKA fishing leader line.

Les

TFF

I used the music wire that came in the kit. After a couple of years I added micro RC clevises soldered to the ends for some adjustability.

Jaybird

Started the radio gear installation today. The rudder and elevator servos are all hooked up and so are the twin aileron servos. The builder of this plane used two servos side by side to the ailerons instead of tying the two sides together. Also statred looking at the motor mounting for the Saito 80 4-stroke. I had tried to fly this particular model before with a Saito 50 four-stroke but is didn't work out well. I had powered the first one I built with a Saito 80 and found it flew very well and since I have the same engine available I figured I would use it. I also have a Magnum 91 four-stroke which is about the same physical size, but the layout of the pushrods and cover along with the short distance from the crank case to the thrust plate make it so it doesn't fit.

I have a question for those flying this plane....what control throws are you using? I can't seem to find any specs on the plans or in the manual...other than "the radio equipment must be working perfectly"...which is good advise, but not too specific. I have full rudder deflection set up, but I'm not sure how much up and down elevator to start with and aileron travel. Maybe it's in there and I just missed it.

Jaybird