RCU Forums - R4D-1

Greetings,
I got a Top Flite DC-3 from a former club member who had framed it up. It had considerable hanger rash. It took a lot of fixing, filling and sanding over the year. I decided to try and do something different and chose a Marine Corps R4D-1 transport. I got pictures from Bob Banka's Aircraft Documentation. I covered it with .56 oz fiberglass cloth using water based polyurethane and used Warbird Colors water based poly paint (7 different colors) for the finish. After primer I applied panel tape and sprayed again. I removed the tape and used a section of brass tube in a soldering iron to simulate rivets. I thought I would never get done with the rivets.

Graphics were done by a local company. He even did the little propeller warning label for on the fuselage.

The plane came with a pair of OS .30 Wankels but I couldn't get them to run well enough to trust them. I purchased a pair of new OS 35 AX engines. But to install them would have been difficult because of the firewalls being set for the Wankels. Our club President had just purchased a milling machine and agreed to mill some aluminum mounts to fit in place of the back plates. He did a great job. They allowed me to install them without changing the firewall. I'm still in the process of running in the engines. When I have them running reliably I'll do the maiden flight. I'm using a JR 9503 2.4 for the radio system.

I've enjoyed the project an I feel it turned out pretty good.

Thanks...rotoman