fwman1

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Well, I've had this plane built for almost a year. I finally got a test flight today. It took two trips to the field, but she flew. The kit was a challenge. Emil @ IKON was very helpful when I hit tough spots. It has a G38, koverall, and rustoleum paint. The interior detail and cockpit will now be added. I'm posting a couple of pictures. My buddy took some MPEG video clips, but the site won't let me load them. If I can figure out how to get a jpeg from the mpeg, I'll post some air shots.

It was a tough one, but sometimes the tougher they are the better it feels when it all comes together. It flew with authority on the G38. Like the full size its pretty fast for the type plane it is.

Now I just need to put something on the blisters between my knees!

wingburner

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I built one in 1990 I believe,was my first large scale project.Powered it an OPS 30,I remember it being alot of work,many many sticks.Hope you have as much fun as I did they are beautiful planes.Mine only lasted 2 years before the wing attachment let go and folded up.Good luck and nice looking plane.


Jack

fwman1

My Feedback: (22)

Did you do a lot of high-G maneuvers with yours? I have heard about three of these same planes folding the wings. I did a bit of extra work on the strut and wing attachment. Hopefully they will be strong enough. I'm not planning on doing a lot of stunt work with it. I try to fly they as the full size flew. Of course, that gets me off the hook for my pitiful aerobatic skill!

TomCrump

Nice Monocoupe! You may have motivated my to fly mine. I have the same engine as you. Glad yo hear eveything went well.

fwman1

My Feedback: (22)

Thanks Jack and Tom for the kind words. It looks a bit better than it shows in the pictures. The camera I'm using is fair, but limited. It has pinking tape and rib stitching, the doors open with some door handles that work scale. The graphics are to match the Sig rubber kit from the seventies. I built that one when I was about 15 years old.

I'll start dolling up the rest soon I guess. I have a Dynaflite Chipmunk about 3/4 framed right now, so I will have to make some time. Anyone know how to make time?

grbaker

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I built one back in about 1990 also, and it is still the hardest airplane I have ever built. But it was worth the effort as it's a great flying airplane. I sold mine years ago but it's still around and the current owner is recovering it. I flew mine pretty hard and never had a hint of a problem with the wing.

fwman1

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That is good to hear. Thanks for letting me know that. I guess I'll just go easy on the stressful stuff, just because I don't want to have to do a rebuild! I did find one picture that shows a little more surface detail.

eagledancer

congrats, i have one that i modified to 90AL version, built in early 90's and still have and fly, great flyer, (btw these were used in aerobatics the one i modeled ofter took world aerobatic championship in '48)
have fun with her

fwman1

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How about some pictures of the other Monocoupes out there?... I'd like to see them.

wildhair

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I was very excited to see some one else has the Ikon monocoupe 90A. I just started my kit yesterday and would appereciate any helpful hints in building this kit. I would like to know more about beaffing up the wings. It seems as most people are using a G38 so i guess i'll go the same route. It seems as a lot of precut parts do not fit the plans , did anybody else have the same problem?
Wildhair

fwman1

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Well Wildhare, there are lots of things I could comment on, but I'll just try to touch the biggies.

When building the wing, before you glue the tip ribs to that carefully crafted laminated structure, make sure they are not at a positive incidence to your building table. Mine would have added WASH-IN to my wing. This would cause the tips to stall before the rest of the wing. I modified the bases of mine to give a slight bit of wash-out. If you look at the last page of your instructions, it states that the Monocoupe can tip stall on landing. I think this might be a contributing factor. While I have not flown mine extensively, I have heard of a couple of guys snapping theirs on landing. I did test my stall, and it would really drag along without snapping.

When you build the fuselage, tie in the wing root assembly to the fuselage upright with pegs of bamboo skewers. This is a weak area, what with the big skylight and operating doors. I added aircraft aluminum tubes (in wing halves) in brass tubing(in fuselage/wing center section) at the front of the wing to form a wing tube of sorts. This will help carry the load across the cabin front top. I don't think you can be too cautious here. I know a fellow that lost his on the first flight because of this weak area. Actually, you could add gussets, or wood pegs to most of the fuselage assembly as it adds practically no weight, but much strength.

The hinge location on the doors is wrong. The doors should be able to open all the way against the front of the fuselage side. The hinge line must be perpendicular to the cabin top (parallel to the rear edge of the door) to do this.

The strut attachment to the fuselage must be reinforced. I have a solid piece of aluminum that carries all the way across the fuselage bottom. This spreads the lifting strut loads across the bottom of the fuselage. There are two bolts that are installed through the cockpit floor to secure the wing struts to the fuselage side/bottom. The struts supplied by IKON are beautiful, but thin. I used my scroll saw to split the assembled struts across their chord and sandwiched a thin piece of brass stock in it. Then I drilled holes through them and jb welded bamboo skewers into the holes to lock the brass sheet in. These should never pull out.

The offset of the rudder was reduced to 1/8". Tracking on takeoff was no problem. Trim was seemingly not affected by this.

The R/C equipment was placed behind the cabin area on my plane, since I used a painted fabric finish, and a heavy engine. I actually had to add 12 ounces of nose weight to balance! This plane has a short nose!

The elevator pushrod drives a joiner I made that has a brass horn brazed to it. It is out of sight. The rudder is pull-pull.

The ailerons have a different rib structure than shown on the plans.

Plan your tank location carefully. Mine uses a hayes 16 ounce tank mounted vertically just behind the firewall.

I realize that I have only built one of these. Does any of the other builders of this plane have more advice for wildhare? I'd like to learn of your experiences as well.

Clipwing

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FWMAN 1; superb !!! glad to see you finally got your beauty finished and flying !! perhaps I will get a chance to see it in the "fabric" so to speak. the Pix you includeed sure look good !!!
Still working on my 1/3rd 90A-nearly finished with the cuffs where tthe gear meets the pants-a bit of In-situ work in fiberglass--cabin seat and panel are completed --and then, finally it's covering time !!
Have you figured out my ID--I'm in Auburn ,AL.
Regards
the Clipwing

fwman1

My Feedback: (22)

Sure I figured it out! A lot has gone under the bridge since we last spoke. I need to come see you again for some cockpit tips. It sure did fly well. Thanks for all the help!
You are Looping Your New Nieuport. Best, Roger

wildhair

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THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE GREAT TIPS ON THE MONOCOUPE. Im looking foward to completing this plane. Ive got a 2/40 dulliest, G/p Lancair, 60size sportster, I think this monocoupe will fit wright in to make a fine gaggle of planes. Thanks again.

Wildhair

Clipwing

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Wildhare,
I've got a couple of ideas to add to FWman,s re building the Ikon 90A.
I usually mount the aileron and flap servos in the bay between the wing panel root rib and the #1 wing rib-with a hatch made under the panel for access., along with the bottom sheeting. TRY this...before you cover the bottom sheeting(closest to the cabin area/root rib) take a piece of 3/8 " sQ. balsa triangular stock and make a number of small horizontal cuts spaced about 1/2" apart 90degrees to the length of the piece of wood-9this is hard to describe I'm so used to drawing it out with a pencil) anyway after you made the cuts , place the wing panel bottom side up and fit the triangle stock into place covering the joint of the top sheeting and the root (ply) rib--this piece need to go from the behind the front top spar to infront of the top rear spar. once fit and cut to the sporrect length glue in place. then cut a secon piece of triangle stock to fit along the bottom insid4e surface of the ply rib between the bottom front spar back to the front of the bottom rear spar --glue in place. thes pieses will give the sheeting a lot more area to glue to that if you just glue the sheeting in place as normal-it helps strengthen the root area of the wing panels also as there is quite some stress in the ply wing root area when bolted to the fuselage-even with the wing struts in place.
after I lost a wing panel on my first 90A due to a bottom sturt letting go and the panel folded upwardand intoward the top of the fuselage--part of what "gave" was the sheeting at the top and bottom of the root rib. I've built a number of Ikon 90As of various configerations and sizes and this has become a standard pratice.
FWMans idea about using the tubing is also an excellent one--on the plans in the front "d" portion of the ribs there is supposed to be dowel mounting plug---thats where I put my tubing and then leave the dowel out of the wing panel root rib and make a few (3 or 4 more ribs ) up with the hole for a dowel in them -finishing off about 8 to 10" out from ther root rib with a 1/8th to 1/4" ply doubler nose rib on the inside of a rib....slide in a piece of brass tubing (the size that will go over-smooth close fit-over apiece of 3/8alum. rod) through the "dowel hole" out ward till it mounts into the ply doubler nose rib -I hope you roughed up the outside of the tube with sand paper--epoxy the tibes in place. now go to the hard war and buy a piece of 3/8" solid aluminum rod and cut a length that will go through the cabin frontal area tubing and exted outward into both left and right wing panels. slide it into the front of the cabin/wing LE and slide on your wings and then bolt them into place.
3rd idea... some builders have a problem building up the cabin doors..First cut a second F9 from some scrap 1/4 "balsa sheeting. Then build a frame of lite ply about 1/2" wide X 1/8 at the top front and back of the door as the plans show..and mount that frame to the F9 piece-space that frame work into the door opening with some cardbaord strips (taped in place) to cause a narrow gap spacing between the door and the fuselage frame work. when thats all done add the "extra 1/4" balsa thickness F9 piece into place. NOw add the F4 fuselage pieces to the main frame front and behind the door. lay a straight edge across the F4 & f9 pieces near the top of the F9. move it down ward--and it will show you how much wood need to be trimed off of the mid to lower portion of the F9 to help it pick up the curve of the F4 pieces....aftyer all of this and some triming and sanding youll had a lower dorr surface that matches into the "roundness of the lower fuselage area and you can proceed to cover the cabin and door areas with the 3/32 sheeting . at the top of the door where the lite ply frame is I usually cut a piece of lite ply "skin" to cover the upper window opening area...cut out the window and mount this to the door..Monocoupe windows normally mout on the outside of the cabin area andway so the "extra thickness if 1/32" that the lite ply gives -also gives an indication of how the cabin windows actually are. (in truth the door windows are hinged at the outer top of the window frames and swing outward a few inches at the bottom---if you really want to go all out--but thats another story.
sorry to have gone on so long
Cheers and hope this may help

the Clipwing
MONOCOUPE !

fwman1

My Feedback: (22)

The Master speaks... I need to give credit where credit is due. Clipwing is an EXPERT on this plane. Most of the ideas I used came directly from him. He was even kind enough to spend the better part of an afternoon, in his home,tutoring me on the intricacies of the design. It is in no small part to his credit that my Monocoupe came out as well as it did. Take his advice to heart. It works!

Thanks again Clipwing!

wildhair

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Clipwing

Thanks very much for all the advice on the monocoupe 90 A , Yes I want to go all out on this one because it is a great airplane. I am learning there is alot of things to do on this one. I hope I can get it all right... I am missing a few pre-cut parts, such as f-5... The plans does't give a view of the part so I can duplicate off the print. I have tried to e-mail IKON but with no luck. I must not have the right e-mail address. Or maby they have another way of contacting them. If you have this information I would sure appreciate it. Thanks again for your help.

HAPPY FLYING
Wildhair !

Tx_RcFlyer

My Feedback: (7)

Beautiful Piece of Work.

I am building their Taper Wing Waco at this time. It is definitely a challenge but well worth the time and effort thus far. I have only built the usual GP or Sig kits which typically hold your hand thru the construction. You really need to put on your thinking cap and study the plans carefully before starting one of the Ikon N'west kits.

Clipwing

My Feedback: (7)

Wildhair
sorry for slow response I don't come on here regular--if you can't get e-mail response give Emil a call as their website invites:
Ikon N'wst
3806 Chase Road
Post Falls, Idaho 83854
(208) 773-9001
Orders - 1-800-327-7198

Hours: 9:00 - 5:00, Mon.-Fri. (Pacific)
he should be able to help you out on the missing parts !! if not I may --MAY? have a way to duplicate the F5 part shape--(I tend to trace off parts that aren't shown on the plans before building and may have it somewhere but will have to look in my "stuff" files !)----

FWMAN1.... I appreciate your comments-Thank you---I am humbled and glad that I could help you out!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REGARDS TO YOU BOTH ,
Clipwing
Monocoupe !

trying to upload an image of one of my birds but having no luck---I'll keep trying??!!
duhhhhh !
[img]

eagledancer

i am using a O.S. 1.08 in mine and it seems to be perfect combo for her, i built a box that slides into the firewall to hold the fuel tank to this i mount the engine, when was at correct position for prop i glued and peged in place. i wish i would have used the wing tube, would have made setup at field much easier, my doors open, and so does left window, on my doors the window frames are angle and square brass soldered up, the bottom of door is the supplied balsa. outside handles also functional. yes pay close attention to top of cabin, peg where you can to give strength.
good luck with yours i love mine to death!!! (it helps that i have flown in the full sized ship)

fwman1

My Feedback: (22)

Would anyone post pictures of their Monocoupe? I'd like to see some of these birds. Thanks.

fwman1

Jeda5hyd

i have an IKON Monocoupe 90A in a box untouched ? is it possible to still buy these kits

Truckracer

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Emil has been gone for some time now and the company went with him. He had some interesting kits and many seem to pop up from time to time on the used market. I still have a built but unflown D145 that was built over a period of years. It has been ready to fly for at least 5 or 6 years but so far it has just been a display / hanger queen. A challenge to build as were all of the Ikon kits. I use to refer to them as scratch building from a kit. They left a lot to the builders imagination, skill and ingenuity. Not sure why photos came out so big!