C.P.

Patrick read your message, but he still hates typing! Here he is in action!

Hey Dion:

To answer your P.S. I had to run out of town for 10 days on short notice. I am about 1/2 way finished and will try to finish it up in the next couple of days. I just returned this afternoon and have seen all the additional work you have done! Wow. Any chance on getting one of your pilot figures?

I will post my tailwheel photos soon, It looks great! Keep all the good stuff coming.

James

Dion, Those rivets on the Century Jet retracts get loose very fast. I'm going to have to remove the rivets and put some screws and lock nuts on them (as seen in a previous post). It becomes hard to keep the plane staight on the runway because the wheels can turn a bit due to the loose rivets. You may want to make the mod now, rather than later.

Thanks James, can't wait to see your progress!

I noticed that already and mine are new, thanks for the tip!

Dion,

Are the gear cover doors available? I have checked your website and it looks as if nothing is for sale at this time. I am in the process of replacing all of the stuff from my first Hellcat to the second (thanks to a crash) and have been following this thread for new ideas. Looksa as if you have several upgrades for the Hellcat and I am very interested in getting most of them. Can you let me know if they are available?

Thanks,
Brent

If I put in the landing gear from the kit in the cat for the test flight is it easy to add the century jet retracts later?

Thanks, dave trimmer

If you are refering to the wire gear the answer is NO. There are several blocks that would have to be glued in and then to install retracts one would have to remove them.

Dion,

Would you reconsider makig another run of Hellcat parts? I have been following this thread, but haven't had time to start on my model yet. Hope to get to it by this fall, and I would really like to have the whole set.
Thanks,
Ron

How important is the engine and fire wall position? on my hell cat, the hole isn't in the exactly center, is this where i alighn my crankshaft. I hope so .This is my first build and want to do this right. If you have any other tips that aren't on ths thread that would be awsome.

Thanks, Dave Trimmer

Dave, You are correct. Look at your fuselage from the top at the firewall, you'll see that it has right thrust built in. Your engine will then have to be mounted over to one side a little so that it comes out of the center of the cowl.



I'm getting more requests for parts, so I'll do another short run. I'll also include the pilot this time, it just takes about a week for the resin to completely dry. Initially it dries fast and I can remove it from the mold, but it has a special oil additive to help with it's flexibility and it weeps out of the part for about a week. Everyone hold tight for just a little longer and I'll have those parts listed on my site, I'm working on a few other neat parts also! Just when I thought I was done with this thing another part has to be made! What fun!

Dion

Hey Luke, how about giving us a rundown on what is involved with "slosh casting"? I think I have some idea of the basics but I'd like to see how your accomplishing it.

Luke,
I got your cockpit kit and pilot figure yesterday. They really look nice! I was just wondering if you had more pictures of the cockpit installation or maybe the rest of the instructions available. 1/2 of the instructions are on your website with "more to come" listed at the bottom. Also, I was curious if you had pictures that showed the fuse after you made the cuts, before and after the install of the plywood F1 and F2 formers. Thanks and keep up the great work!!!

Hi Dion, I will take 2 of your canopy's, and 2 pilots when you make another run. Thank you Capt. Winters

Dion

What do I have to do to assure gettiing the full set of parts. I don't want to miss out this time.
Thanks,
Ron

I wanted to acknowledge HalH for going above and beyond to help out a fellow R/C flyer. A page or two ago, I asked if anyone had a spare servo cover from their Hellcat they weren't using. Well, HalH had a set that he gave to me. Not only that, but his son actually dropped them off at my work for me while he was travelling this way. Talk about nice people here on RCU. Thanks again Hal.

I agree the above posting! I've learned so much from this thread and others. Also, having sold numerous things on RCU, I've always had great experineces!

Dion! The man is just amazing with his building and scale techniques and how to advice! Keep it up all of you!

Hi Luke, I will take 2 of your cockpits, and 2 pilots when you make another run. These will go to complete all the other goodies I got from you recently. You have led the way in ARF redesigning to go from an also ran to a thorobred Cat. I have gone through all the postings and saved all the photos and verbiage of all the "add-ons" and made up my own manual to add to the opriginal. (Lotsa posts to go through [8D]. Youve made scale modeling fun again.

Thank you once again,

Ernie Card . . . alias Hellcat41

Hi Luke, I will take 2 of your cockpits, and 2 pilots when you make another run. These will go to complete all the other goodies I got from you recently. You have led the way in ARF redesigning to go from an also ran to a thorobred Cat. I have gone through all the postings and saved all the photos and verbiage of all the "add-ons" and made up my own manual to add to the opriginal. (Lotsa posts to go through . Youve made scale modeling fun again.

Thank you once again,

Ernie Card . . . alias Hellcat41

Luke, like always, you've done a KILLER job on this plane! Why is it that I find these threads after all the good stuff is done????
I came in late on you Royal (F4U-1) Corsair, and now, l hope it is not too late to get in on this one. I , like most others on this thread, am amazed at the level of fabrication you have engineered to bring a somewhat mediocre (sp?) ARF to a *****in' plane! (do we still use that term anymore?) Kudos to you and Hal for taking it to the top level!
I have been trying to find anything on ebay or on your site, then I read that you are taking a (well deserved) break from your vacuum forming machine! When and if you get back doing what you do so well... put me down for a full set of CMP parts!! My fellow clubmates are in awe of the cockpit kit for the Royal Corsair... and I need another "WOW, Woudja look at that!!! fix.
I am going to finish this one in Bunker Hill's 1945 scheme (gloss blue, Yellow cowl band, big honkin' white arrow on vertical..etc.)
I have a question though... Do you think the drop tank from the old Jemco kit is about the right size? wingspan is about right, so I thought this might work. (unless you have one of those in the list of hellcat parts..)
Keep up the good work...

Paul

Here's my pilot that Dion molded . I have made seat belts for him and he is strapped to the seat. The seat is held in the cockpit by some small strips of velcro and can be removed.

Whoo Hoo.... finally! Remaiden today, with new wing. All seems well, but the wind came up and I stuck with the one flight. Still need to do some detailing on the wing but I figured it should fly first then we'll worry about stuff like that. Dion came thru in a pinch for me and my hat's off to him.

Andy

Luke,

Unbelievable as usual...... I looked right past this plane for a lot of reasons, now I am reconsidering it! (OK, I am going to get one!)

Put me on the list for the canopy, cockpit kit, at least 2 pilots and whenever you can, a couple of Corsair birdcage canopies and cockpit kits!

Hey.if the canopies are coming I would like two of them.
thanks

Another Question, I'm planning to get some century jet air retracts. Is it ok to land on gravel with them, and if you have any tips or concerns regarding this combination please let me know. Please look at the picture below for the type of gravel i'm working with.

Thanks, Dave Trimmer

Well guys I’m back! I have been really busy with several projects, but I did not forget the Hellcat! First off I would just like to say thank you all for the compliments and support you have given me on my Hellcat project, this is by no means my thread, I just wanted to share my project. I’m not lying when I say all of you that encouraged me along the way helped me a lot. I have been overwhelmed also with requests for various products and questions, I’m sorry that I can’t always respond. I will try and get another final run of Hellcat parts together and have them available within a week or so.

I’ve started painting, I decided to use Model Masters Enamels with a Klass-Kote http://www.klasskote.com/ flat epoxy clear sealer. Much weathering needs to be done, but I thought I’d post pictures as I go so you can see the way I like to do it.

Dion