RandyL

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I like these Ag threads. You all have some nice airplanes and good ideas. Crop dusters are always great scale projects. I have a page about my own Ag-Cat that contains a link to the plans and a link to a .25 size kit that can be built electric as well. Scroll down my homepage and click on the Ag-Cat link.

http://www.flyinglindy.homestead.com/index1.html

TravelairR

My Feedback: (7)

My father in law used to own two special built callair A-4 crop dusters that he used for tow planes. I'm going to modify some callair A-9 plans and replicate the open cockpit A-4 he had. They were ugly as sin but their won't be any others flying with me.

fastbanana

Hi crop duster fans,

I am in the process of moving house so no workshop[&o]

I am selling the full plans and hardware pack of the N,Z. products
1/4 188 Agwagon.

Cost me 295 USD. Will sell for the same plus postage.

Regards,

Jaime Hilario
Portugal.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

OMG, your Ag-Cat is totally awesome!!!

bigstew60

My Feedback: (35)

I just finished my agwagon from some enlarged RCM plans. It has a 72" wingspan, a full cockpit and a hopper under the bottom but I am having a real doozy of a time from keeping the power from leaking into the fuselage. It took me a year to build because I am in the military and it was my first attempt at building from plans. It has about five flights on it but I think I want something a little larger in the range of the airtractor or the thrush.

RandyL

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I really enjoy having my Ag-Cat. You may want to consider trying a smoke system on your 72" Agwagon instead of powder. So far I like the smoke my G-38 turns out. Low passes look decent and I still do not have my piping in place. The smoke smells good too as it drifts by.

Lowlevlflyer

My Feedback: (3)

Randy,

Just out of curiosity, have you checked into the scale radial engines to see if there is one that would be a good fit on your Cat? That would be the ultimate on an Ag Cat your size. I am about to order the plans and kit in about a week. Aside from flying R/C, I've got a little over 3,000 hours in real aircraft, and around 1300 of that is in 450 and 600 Ag Cats. Flew 4 seasons over in Arkansas doing rice work.

RandyL

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Yes, There is a motor kit out now days that will fit it. Williams Bros makes a 1/5 and a 1/4 scale radial kit that look very nice and is right around 100 bucks. There was no such thing when I built mine some years back... http://www.williamsbrosinc.com/rc.html

My engine is called a 9CSPR. That stands for Nine Cylinder Sewer Pipe Radial. The crankcase is a Cool Whip bowl and the cylinders were made by clamping a section of sump pump outlet tubing to a straght edge ( angle iron ) and filling it with spray foam..then the individual cylinders were cut from this stick of corogated tubing. Holes were cut in the Cool Whip bowl and the cylinders were snapped in place. A disc of 1/4 balsa make up the front of the crankcase and clothes hanger wire make up the pushrods. All in all it made up a decent way to hide the G-38.
The plans show no cowling, engine or fuel systems, or radio suggestions. They are plans for the airframe only. It does fly very, very nice however and is worth all the effort to build. I have a lot more pics and general info if you get into the project as you plan. Here is a shot of the nose of the Ag-Cat plans. I have all the plans on photos in case something ever happens to them.

bigstew60

My Feedback: (35)

Randy, I have considered using smoke but I have never used one before and I was tolds they it wasn't a good idea to use it on a four stroke engine. If I could figure out a way I would surely try it.

rc-cropduster

I was in contact with someone that actually had great smoke from a OS 52 Surpass. I'll see if I can add some pics later. That story made me decide to order a nice sullivan skywriter smokepump at Tower Hobbies.

Lowlevlflyer

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Those dummy radials from Williams are really nice looking. I was actually thinking more along the lines of a Robart R780 engine. That Ag Cat just begs to have a real scale radial engine sitting out front.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Lowlevlflyer: Just out of curiosity, where do you get your engines? Do they have a little yellow sticker on them? Reason I ask is that I used to build 985's and 1340's at Aero-Engines when I was working as an A&P back in the early 80's. Our main customers were dusters.

Tom

Lowlevlflyer

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Both of the 450's I flew had Covingtons on them, but the last one I was in had a geared 1340 from Aero, mated to a three blade Albatross prop. That engine had 140 SMOH on it when I started flying it, and it was a total workhorse! I can remember several times when we filled the hopper almost full and I could still get off the runway. I never once felt nervous about sitting behind that engine... I cant say that about the two Convingtons. Both of them would burp and stumble now and then, just to make your butt draw up and your mouth get dry! But, I guess that's just part of being a radial engine driver.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

lol... [sm=thumbup.gif]

EVOL

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let me know if the smoke system works for a four stroke. and if so....what pump to use? i might be interested in trying it out on the 4 star.

RandyL

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I don't even consider things like Robarts radial when I think of my models..unless some long distant relative dies and leaves me lots of cash such things are way out of our family budget. You are right however, the Robart radial would be great for an Ag-Cat! I've watched the engine run up close and first hand...very nice indeed. Absolutely the best choice if your finances allow such a purchase.
Most all of my flying is out of a pasture. Don't know if the cows would be all that impressed or not...
Here is a shot of the "pits" and the converted pop up trialer I use to haul my bigger ariplanes in. I never have to break down the Ag-Cat, it fits in the trailer in one piece and hangs in the ceiling of the garage via a little rope block and tackle when stored.

EVOL

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hey bigstew60...........where can a guy like myself find plans for the 72" AGWAGON?

bigstew60

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the guy I bought the plans from enlarge them for me before he sent then. I have heard of some people bring plan to kinkos to enlarge them but when my father tried, they told him they could not do it because of the little section that tells who made the plans. I am looking for a place that can enlarge them because my father wants to build one with a 90" wingspan.

EVOL

My Feedback: (2)

hmmmmm.........i think the kinkos guys are pulling your leg. i photo-copy aircraft preformance charts and enlarge tham all the time at kinkos and they never have a problem with it. see if you can copy your original plan onto another sheet of paper thats the same size but block out the copyright. then take the new "clean" paper into them and for all they know you drew it yourself. heh.

so.....how can i get a copy ???

bigstew60

My Feedback: (35)

I was just told of an engineering company that will enlarge them for me. My father wants to build one with a 90" wingspan. If they don't charge too much, I will make a second copy of the 72" Wingspan version.

twostroker

My Feedback: (37)

Hello Guys,

The Pawnee is finally airworthy and has made a few flights with a good Tootsie roll drop for the kids. The plane actually flew better with 3 pounds of candy in the hopper than with it empty, I wouldn't hesitate to load it with 5 pounds if I knew I could out run the parents of the children in charge of picking it all up.

Enjoy

Tim

EVOL

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sounds good bigstew.

2stroke thats a very nice looking plane. id like to see a pic of the hopper if you have one.

twostroker

My Feedback: (37)

Evol,
Thanks. If you go back to posts #2 and #25 you will see the bin and how it was made to fit into the fuselage. It does not show the shape of the bin, which is wedge shaped (narrow at the bottom), just like a gravity box. The bin also uses the top part of the fuselage as part of the cargo area, that area is very large compared to the removable part of the bin, and will hold as much cargo as the bin itself if not more. The problem I now face is getting it to seal tight enough to hold powder loads. The first try at powder was a bit messy in the fuselage.

Tim

bigstew60

My Feedback: (35)

I have had the same problem with the powder getting into the fuselage. I am thinking about taking the hopper out and rebuilding it to stop the leaking but I am having to much fun flying it.

peter b-RCU

My Feedback: (119)

heres another option

peter

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