brianrfike

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I'm resurrecting this thread with a small twist...it's now a build thread for a Norm McFarland 1/4 Pitts. The 1/3 was just too much for me 3 years ago but now I have more patience and room to build. I'm hoping to get some help in the form of the more complex parts of this build...landing gear, engine choice, wing incidence

I've cut my wing ribs by using a cheap cutting board from Walmart to make templates and sandwiching ribs between them. The hard plastic from the cutting board works perfectly since it is very dense. When sanding the ribs down the plastic won't sand and change shape easily.

Also glued up my wingtip, once dry I can sand flush with the plywood and they will be the correct size.

brianrfike

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FlyerInOKC

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Hi Brian, do you think you will ever go back to the 1/3 scale S2A or have you shelved it permanently? The 1/4 scale will have an advantage in ease of transporting and overall cost so it does sound like a more manageable project. I do want to mention the pictures in the above post are not working I just received this: "Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator".

heggen

After about a three year hold on the redo of my Sheber Pitts S2 do to other projects and general life, I am back at it with earnest. The wings are covered with Koverall and a coat of Poly Brush is on them. I have been adjusting the incidence angles on my Pitts.The fuselage was built by someone else in the late 1970's and was flown successfully. However, the stab was set at a negative angle, the bottom wing at a positive angle, top wing at a negative angle and up thrust in the engine! I have to question that set up even though it seemed to fly well, so I have set the stab at a little positive, the top wing about a degree or two positive, the bottom wing at zero and the engine at zero. I do not have the plans and would be interested in knowing what the plans actually say for the incidence and thrust angles.
Other than that, the biggest hang-up now is my concern for cooling the DLE 111 and an muffler system to route the exhaust in a scale position.
I am interested in any input.

FlyerInOKC

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What no pictures?! Didn't happen! ;-)

heggen

Not much has changed in appearance since what was shown on page one. I have the engine mounting holes drilled, cowl attachments placed, and a baffle in the cowl for cooling air over the cylinders. Nothing too exciting to look at on the wings other than Koverall and a coat of Stits Poly Brush. The next challenge is a Pitts style exhaust system for the DLE 111. Haven't done any research on that subject yet, so does anyone know of a Pitts muffler for the DLE111 or do I have to build my own?
This is not really a build, but a restoration and modification of a 35 year old airplane. Initially, I thought this would be a strip and recover project, but I found so many little things to change. Most significantly is a weight reduction program. I weighed most everything that will be included in the completed model and believe it will come in at less than 30 pounds. My original Pitts S2 was about 38 pounds. A modified 80cc chainsaw engine, lead weight in the tail and a a heavy finish job was to blame.
Little things changed aren't readily revealed in pictures. As things progress, pictures will come.

heggen

Work continues on the Pitts. It is frustrating to do so many little things in the build that don't make much difference in the appearance.
The cooling baffle is installed after a long time of cutting and fitting a template. Something so simple looking can take soooo long to do. The exhaust system is still in the thinking stage.The fuselage and control surfaces have been covered with Sig Koveral and a couple of coats of Stits Poly Brush has been applied. When applying the Stits, a charcoal filter mask is mandatory, especially when working indoors. It is some nasty stuff. Finishing in the winter time in the north country has its challenges. I will be waiting until spring to spray on the color outdoors since I have no spray booth. As work on radio installation, tank mounting, hardware prep, etc is done, pictures of that work will be posted. After that is finished to the point of being ready for color, there will be a lull in posting on this project. This will be finished for this coming flying season.
I hope there will be no disappointment on anyone's part that this will not be a scale detail project right down to the scowl on the pilot's face. This did not start out as the project for that.
Stay tuned.

FlyerInOKC

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That is one gorgeous bird!

heggen

I expect it to get better looking with paint. Attached is a picture of the picture of my Pitts back in the early 80's. I intend to duplicate this color scheme of Marion Cole's Pitts. It is a relatively simple scheme with red checkerboard on the bottom of the wings and tail. There is still a lot to do before the paint goes on. Looking at the previous pictures, in the head-on shot, the model appeared to be leaning to the right. Sure enough the landing gear was splayed a bit on one side causing it to lean. Working on reconditioning the landing gear.
The work continues.

FlyerInOKC

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A very classy paint scheme I love it!

Billy J

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Mr Hidden I was hoping that your Pitts was the Sheber I built around 91 it had Darrell Christen full scale pilots name on her also had a bubble canopy and for all scale interior. I hope she is still flying I'll build another in the near future \ appears you have a twin on her she'll fly great balance under rear cabane strut

heggen

Spent some time today reconditioning the landing gear. As a reminder, this project is a restoration of a Pitts built around 1980, it is not a new build.
The landing gear needed straightening being splayed out on one side and the main gear wire was bowed. Also, the plywood that fills the space among the landing gear wires was not fair to the wires. The gear wire is 3/16" and the plywood fill was 1/8" plywood. Liteply and balsa was built up to 3/16", fit and glued in place. Now the ply is flush with the wire. Later, it will be covered with epoxy and fiberglass cloth prior to painting. The attached pictures show the progression of the work.
Next time,work on the wheelpants.

FlyerInOKC

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Reminds me of Cub gear.

heggen

Wheel pants are done. The attachment brackets are installed and the filler and prime on the pants are done. They are now set aside waiting for paint next spring when the weather warms up for praying outdoors.
Next up will be the radio and tank installation. It's amazing how much stuff there is to do on a formerly flyable airplane in a restoration effort.

heggen

It as been 5 months since I have worked on the Pitts. The hold up was applying Stits Poly Brush, which has an MEK solvent base. Because of its harmful effects on the body I didn't want to continue applying it in a closed room. I tried it last winter and even with a charcoal mask, the air got really "heavy" to breath. Now that warm weather is here, I can open the overhead door of my shop and let the breeze clear the air. This week-end I got about 4 coats of Stits brushed on the whole airframe. Next I am going to brush on a coat of lacquer primer surface, then sand, prime, sand, prime, etc. The last coat of prime will be sprayed. When the surface is right, I am going to spray on catalyzed gloss white Rustoleum enamel. The catalyst causes the finish to cure within a few hours. Then trim colors can be masked and painted the next day instead of having to wait a week to keep the base paint from crinkling. Boy is that aggravating.
There is still a lot of detail stuff to do on the PItts, but hopefully it will be in the air before summer is over

Billy J

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Love your build. I want it

carlgrover

LOUD wolf whistles!!!!!!


carl

heggen

More work has been accomplished on the Pitts. Auto primer has been sprayed on all the parts and sanding is finished. I am actually ready to paint. On a couple of the smaller parts, paint has been applied. There is still a lot to do regarding fuel and smoke tanks, smoke pump, servo installation, and the like. I put on the wings, landing gear, cowl and engine and to get a rough understanding of where the CG now exists. It appears it might be a bit nose heavy but I did not have servos, battery and tail flying wires installed yet. Currently with most everything on the scale, the weight is 26 1/2 pounds. There are some minor things that didn't get included plus paint. I think it will easily come in under 30 pounds as previously estimated. There should be no problem with the DLE 111 pulling it around the sky.
I would love to see the Pitts fly this year, but life other than hobby might not allow it. If not, there is always next year.

markinhedland

Just purchased Airbourne mag plans for 1/3 pitts s2a - have been told there a updated copy of the Sheba plans.
FG cowl , pants & canopy ordered ( fiberglass specilists)
Intend to use DLE111 (if it will fit)
i made contact with the current owner of theOriginal Marion Cole s2a - now registered in Australian & recieved a heap if pics!!
still the same paint scheme just new rego #
spending a lot of time "studying " plans & scale details
going to enjoy this build😀

heggen

I am glad to see another Pitts S2a coming about. It sounds as if you will be going more into scale detail than what I am so that will be interesting to see.
The DLE 111 fits within the cowl.
I will be anxiously watching for the build thread.

heggen

Work continues slowly on the Pitts. Unfortunately, other things are important that get in the way of the hobby, mainly, remodeling the house that has to be done by Christmas when overnight guest will be here.
The whole airplane is now painted white and ready for masking the trim. Everyone has seen a white airplane so I'm not including a picture of it. The masking can be done a little at a time while I am enjoying my morning coffee. Hopefully, more frequent updates will be coming.

FlyerInOKC

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That's good news!

heggen

More is getting done slowly. The house remodel is infringing on my model building time. I do try to get an hour or so with my morning coffee to get some stuff done before the day starts.
Right now it is all about masking off the trim colors which can take soooo long to do. The red sunbeams on the stab and wings are finished. That was an easy warm-up for the more difficult trim on the sides of the fuselage. Using color pictures, a 3 view of Marion Coles Pitts, and the picture of the Pitts which I did almost 40 years ago, it is coming out fairly well. The numbers N6MC will be painted. I am making a stencil using masking film. On the first Pitts I did, I used low temp Solarfilm for all of the color trim. To make the numbers, I drew them on a piece of paper and then laid the drawing on the Solarfilm and used a pin to punch through the drawing into the Solarfilm at the line junctions. I did the same thing this time only marking the masking film instead. I used a Pilot pen to "connect the dots" with lines and then cut out the numbers with a sharp Xacto blade. I will lay them in place wetting the area with some Windex to allow them to be easily positioned. After allowing them to set for a while, I will spray on the paint.
The blue sunbeam on the wings and tail will be next. The stars will be masked just as the numbers were. The pin stripes will be Ultracote cut to 1/8" wide strips.
There still is a long way to go to get this done but it should see airtime this coming summer.

heggen

The red trim on the fuselage and wings is finished. It look hours of measuring, taping and masking before the paint could be applied. What is agonizing is the same pattern has to be done in miniature on the wheel pants. Though the color scheme looks simple, it is difficult to get it to look correct.
Spraying paint over the masked areas is always a little daunting causing one to wonder what the results will be when the masking is removed. The outcome is at times disappointing regardless of how diligent the preparation was because tape has a tendency to lift at curved areas or the edge of masking film allowing paint to wick underneath. This time things turned out well with only one or two little spots of spray that somehow found their way under the masking. Thinner and a bit of paper towel cleaned things up nicely. Next, I will do the dark blue pin stripe around the red on the fuselage which is certainly a lot less complicated and provides a little instant gratification.

FlyerInOKC

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Paint is coming out great!