Attached is the former I used for my tail wheel. Print it on card stock and then test fit inside the fuselage until it fits OK. Measure back from the wing separation line at the belly pan and fuselage bottom 12 1/2".


I have no way of telling how they fit on the H9 Hellcat, although I think they should fit just fine. I will update my site in a few days, so you can order parts again. Pro Flyer, send me an email and we can talk about shipping, I'm sure it aint cheap to the land down under!

Dion

HRT,
Your Bird is actually the one I'm hoping to model mine after... How do you like the CJ's. I know the Sierra's are "better" but are the CJ's good enough? I fly off a grass field and was thinking the 100 degrees of the Sierra's would be nicer on my field. The CJ's I understand are only 90 degree? For the same price to include the air tank and other items is nice on the wallet, but is it good for the 'Cat? Or is it worth the extra 100 -150 to get Sierra's?

Thanks

Dion . . . I have been trying to find your website that you said to go to to find out what may be ordered for the CMP Hellcat, to no avail. could you please tell us what your url is for the website, or how to contact you via email or whatever.

Thank you,

Another Hellcat lover

P.S. Thank you for the terrific building tips from yourself and others you have inspired to make an ARF something better. You are the part of the hobby we share that makes it so great. [8D]

Thanks for the compliments on my bash. Click on my name (dionysusbacchus) to get to my profile page, look in the box at the top left. On the bottom line of that box you'll see an email sign, you can click on that to contact me. On that same page you can go to my homepage link at the bottom right, look at my products page. I still don't have the cockpit kit ready unfortunately, haven't had time to work on it at all. Only have 2 more parts to make! It'll happen pretty quick though, I promise

Thanks again,

Dion

James the funny part about this thread is that we are all bashing a CMP -knock-off, most of the guys on this thread purchased the CMP knockoff on e-bay for about $119 to $159 delivered .
So while its called a CMP hellcat its actually a really nice copy made by model jeanies under the light of a full moon somewhere in China lol.


As far as CJ gear , I have 6 sets , they all work great , Sierra will only be an upgrade , so you cant lose with either gear .

Well LDM and Dion:

I went ahead and joined the club. Mine is on the way. I guess now I need to decide what retracts to use Sierra or CJ. Any suggestions? Also Dion, I'll need to get all your scale goodies you have for sale.

My wife is gonna kill me.

Regards,

James

LOL Welcome to the club! It's getting bigger too, sent out a bunch of stuff today including 5 canopies. Go to my profile page and click on my web site link. I am very close to getting the cockpit kits ready, I'm filling bins with parts so I'm stocked up a bit and I'm finishing up the instructions. If you want one of those I'd wait to order to save shipping costs.

Again, welcome to the Hellcat club![8D]

Dion

Hello All. Took the plunge and got a CMP last week. It arrived today. Nice looking bird. I would like to put a gasser in it, but not sure what size. I have a Honda GX31 that's just too big, don't want to hack up the cowl. Was wondering if a Brillelli 25 GT would be enough to pull it around. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

GJAUBIN
That engine will Definitely will be "enough"////[>:]
why not try a bcma spe26? I think it will be better for this application than a Brillelli 25 GT
check it 0ut... www.bcmaengines.com [sm=thumbup.gif]

BCMA-SPE26 Specifications:

Displacement: 1.6ci (26cc)

Carburetor: Walbro pump

Ignition: CDI Electronic ignition w/Auto timing advance

Power supply: 4.8V – 6.0V

Weight 2.4lbs (38oz) including ignition and muffler

Maximum output: 2.3 BHP

Maximum RPM 9000

Idle rpm 1400 RPM

Fuel: Unleaded Gasoline

OIL: 2-cycle high performance (synthetic is recommended)

MIX: 1:30 to 1:50

Prop selection: 16X8 18X10
Introductory price will be $250.00 (Until April 20)

Retail price is $270.00

For Domestic Orders within USA

My hellcat is going to have that SPE 26cc gasser in it. I just got the engine a few weeks ago and it is very nice. I am installing it in my extreme flight yak 68" for a month or so to break it in and then its going in my hellcat. Originally I was going to go with a magnum 108 in my hellcat, but decided to go with the gasser instead.

sbaugz
Can you shoot some photos of the BCMA 26CC engine next to one of your cowlings or next to a large glow 2 or 4cycle engine??
I still have not seen them in person...But I have considered one for my P-61...hmmm maybe it is too much engine???

Thanks Dion:

I will take you up on that. When you have it all ready let me know and I will order. I was re-reading this thread and noticed that you had made the offer to, I think Hal, to send him a copy of the drawing and templates for you incredible retractable tail wheel and other items. Could that offer apply to me as well? I am starting to get juiced-up about this thing. It is infectious. I am going to contact Sierra today about retracts. I think the pictures that Hal posted show a pretty straight forward installation. I also have a spare O.S. 91 FX laying around I may use. Have you given any thought as to what muffler you will use?

Thanks for the help.

Regards,

James

nemesis,
here are some pictures of the engine. I have it installed in my yak, but I am holding up the hellcat cowl next to it to show you size reference. You can see that the engine will clearly fit inside the hellcat cowl. Once I get this engine broken in a little on the yak, I plan on installing it in my hellcat.

sbaugz ,
thanks for your pics...nice looking engine...Sometimes one just has to see it mounted to something for perspective!!
Good luck with your intstall on the Hellcat....I bet it is going to be awesome!!
[sm=thumbup.gif]

Just to let you guys know, I test flew my dad's CMP Hellcat this weekend. We left off the cowl, canopy, belly pan, decals and weathering details until after the successful test flight. It is powered with the Brillelli 25 GT. I was a little worried it would be alittle heavy, but it flew great. It didn't quiet have unlimited vertical, but could maintain a great climb rate plenty long enough. Plenty of power to enter a big loop from 1/2 throttle, go full throttle on the vertical and carry plenty of speed at the top. I think it was an APC prop but I don't know the pitch or diameter. I was impressed with the way the engine performed in this plane. The price was cheaper than a 120 4-stroke and the plane performed very well. It flew as nice as his Hanger 9 P-51 with a 91 4-stroke.

Take off was a non-event. I let it start rolling with a high idle to see how it tracked on the ground. Minor rudder correction to keep it going straight. Then slowly advanced the throttle to about half throttle. Very little rudder was needed to keep it straight. It lifted off on its own at 1/2 throttle and climbed at a comfortable speed. I didn't expect t to come off like it did, but it showed no signs of stalling or dropping a wing, so I let it climb while adding the rest of the throttle. I picked up speed in the climb with full throttle to the point that I had to pull it back the half throttle once I leveled out. The nosedrops only a little in a turn and it really picks up speed on the downhills.

The engine fit in the cowl with no problem. One hole for the muffler pipe and one for the carb intake. The rest was enclosed. The plane balanced with the engine without problems. I estimate we were balanced at about 15% MAC. The plane was very comfortable with that CG. Pitch response was good, plenty of authority without being too sensitive. The servos, batteries and RX were located in the stock position. No problems with the supplied hardware. I wouldn't have used it just from habit, but my dad installed it and it worked fine. Time will tell how it holds up, but I can say the plane shook less with the Brillelli than his P-51 with the 4-stroke. The stock flaps help some and it feels very comfortable when it gets slow. Ours slowly pulled to the left and the nose eased down when i tried to slow it to a stall. Out of 4 attempts to stall it never dropped a wing. The nose just lowered gently until it picked up some speed and would raise the nose again.

Overall, I highly recommend this combo. The price is right and it flies very nicely. We were impressed enough with the brillelli engine that we ordered another for the CMP P-47 that is about the same size as the Hellcat. The P-47 has a little less wing area, but the hellcat flew good enough that I am not too worried about it.

Glad to hear it flew well!
Makes me wanna get one... Where did I put that calculator hrm

Hey Luke, you've just about convinced me that I'm going to have to do one of these Hellcats in the near future. Great work and I'm looking forward to seeing it with some color on it. I also tried your acetone/spot putty filler on the wing of my latest project last night and I really like it. Works as good or better than my normal filler primer and it's a bit cheaper to boot.

Chad, you joining the ARF Hellcat club?! [8D] It's fun, so what the heck! Nothing like chopping an ARF with the band saw! And thanks for the compliments, can't wait to see what you can do with one of these birds! I'm glad you tried the spot putty trick, I used to hate, hate, hate glassing a plane until I tried that. Thinning the resin is also a big part of the process, keeps it light and makes it so you don't have to sand or get the resin all over. Anyway, let me know if you'd like some parts to get your hellcat looking nice!

Vought, thanks for that report and congrats!

Dion

Luke and others,

I just got my CMP in the mail... I was "thinking about trimming the wings to 65" like you did... I was wondering if anyone has flown one of these birds with the chopped wing yet? AND/OR has anyone flown with the aileron/flap modification yet? I said I was just gonna fly it as is, but now that i'm holding it.. i'm starting to think... "My Buddy has a band saw..... and a nice workshop...."

Any thoughts? thanks

Mine is just getting ready for paint, so I can't say obviously, but many Hellcats in the past have flown set up as mine is. Brian Taylor designed his Hellcat in 1973 or so and it had a 65" wing, scale hinged and hidden pushrods with bellcranks, scale flaps and scale hinging on the tail feathers. This was all done with inferior material that was available at the time. Weight is the main thing that will be different more than likely, right now my wing with all electronics and retracts with doors weighs 4lb 1oz, my fuselage with only servo's and no engine is 3lb 8oz. This is in primer but before paint, so we'll see how that goes. It's up to you, but I doubt anyone has flown a modified plane yet, Hal and I are the only ones I know of that have done this so far!

Keep us posted,

Dion

Any suggestions for mounting the gas tank? Anyone have a picture showing how they mounted theirs?

IMHE, CJ retracts should be just find off grass. I flew off our club's field last week and it's pretty bumpy this time of year. Plane dosen't need to be smoked on so gear dosen't get all that stressed.

Andy

Richard,

I know you had the Saito 150 mounted inverted. Was the centerline of your gas tank higher than the carb? That how mine is and the fuel is pouring into the carb. How did you manage that? Did you use a fuel regulator?

Dion-- Here are the cockpit parts you sent plus a few more added items. I used a silver pencil I found at a copy shop to do some of the weathering and lettering that would be too small to read.

Just to let you guys out there thinking of putting a gasser in your hellcat,i have a g-26(magneto)engine in mine,there was hardly any modifications needed,i just moved the rudder and elevator servo to the rear and the reciever battery,no other weight was needed to balance the plane.It flies extremely well,no bad stall problems,my second flight i even had to dead stick the plane from a good distance and had no problems,floated in nicely,the plane is extremely powerful with this engine,you wont have a problem doing maneuvers.I'm gonna use a larger prop to slow it down a bit,i have a 16/8 on it now.Maybe ill take her to the field this weekend and try a 17-8,17-6.