The local hobby shop carries Top Flght flat clear in the spray bomb. I used that to seal in the weathering and graghics.

How does it fly?

Can the 615 be used in this plan ???? I have a set sitting around and figured that they were too small for the 73" P40 but these planes are not that differant in speca

I used 615s and had to do just a little carving to get them in. With Robart 3/8" struts, and cap screw shanks for the connecting shafts, they seem to be fine. I was able to use the well liners that came with it with a little cutting on them as well. You are right though, i think they would be too small for the 73". I'm installing 7/16" struts and 4" tires on my 140 Mustang.

Greetings,
Just completed first flight! What a dream flyer! The model flies 'on rails' with no discernable flaws. Take-off was solid, climb out solid and all rolls, loops, and split-S's efortless. Landing was straight forward with absolutely no hops.
All that said, it is tragically sad that the covering material is so weird and incompatible with U. S. paints. Thing should have been stripped from the start and recovered with either glass cloth og silkspan for a base.
Flight was with gear left down, but can see no problems at all with the CJ gear operating from our grass field.
Regards,
Jim

Jim;
what happened to the covering that was so bad.I,m ready to paint it with nelson paints it being the f6f.I,m happy to hear another good story on how great they fly.
thanks Fred

yes , please elaborate on the paint , I have the P40 and wil need to touch up some areas , thanks

I am about ready to start a thread on my CMP buildup as it varies a bit from what has been shown so far. I know the iron on coverings have a following BUT, I prefer my coverings permanent and unfortunately, the sun here in Southern California makes them anything BUT permanent. My Hellcat had both wings, stabs as well as the control surfaces (flaps, ailerons, elevators and rudder) stripped of the covering. I am treating my ARF as an "almost ready to finish" and believe me, the balsa work under the covering is a work of art. I strengthened the joint that joins the two wing halves as well as the outer wing joints unique to the Hellcat wing with lightweight carbon fiber and polyester resin. I then used .75 weight CST fiberglass using Deft finish (the lacquer based stuff) and the wing so far has turned out great. I am in the primering phases so I guess I should start my thread and post my pics (hate all this uploading and so forth). The materials I use are very inexpensive and very easy to use. The Deft stuff has no specific time to use it in and dries very quickly once applied leaving an iron on look to the fiberglass. I figure since the fuse already has PERMANENT panel lines, I should carry the theme over to the wings and stab. At any rate, I am a glass and paint guy, especially for my warbirds, regardless if they are Top Gun quality or a nice "ARF" like the Hellcat. I am using Model Master paints with the correct FS codes and will overspray the entire plane, including markings, with PPG 2060 dead flat clear....

randy

Hi,
And as a result of your careful approach to recovering your F6, you will be rewarded with a very nice, durable finish on a model that will very quickly become the darling of your fleet! When asked to describe the handling qualities, I noted that the CMP F6 handled a lot like my Yellow P-47, even tho it weighs a lot less.
IMHO, the kit guys should have seriously increased the flap area-what is on the model is really just a teaser, and no where scale-like.
I'm very jealous of what your covering will be! What engine do you plan to use? We formed strut covers from thin aluminum sheet-same with the rectangular strut top covers. Really helps the scale-like appearance.
Will read your progress,
Best wishes,
Jim

Hookemut,
I just received my CMP Hellcat and want to fly it before I really try to doll it up. Do you think I could spray it with a flat clear directly over the factory paint? Wouldn't that give it a little staying power?
Also, did you go with the stock tail wheel and tail gear?

I finally have one of these on the way to my front door via the big brown truck. I'm not Hellcat expert, but 2 things about the CMP strike me as being wrong/ not scale (not counting the paint/ scheme):

1) the canopy doesn't look right/ framework is all wrong.

2) the dihedral of the outer wings seems to be too little (not enough dihedral).

Any thoughts/ comments/ solutions by anyone?

I DO plan to refinish it, possibly enlarge flaps, install bigger wheels. I have a Saito 1.00 which I would like to use, undecided on retracts but I DO have an extra set of Robarts, and have learned to 'deal' with them.

A few pictures of my Hellcat on it's first day of flight.

Hellcat 716
what gear did you use?
Great looking paint job
Lawrence

HELLCAT 716,

That is beautiful. I love that in-flight shot with the mountains in the background.
Did you completely strip and recover then re-paint or did you keep the original covering on and paint over it?

What engine are you using? I see the Pitts muffler, that looks cool.

Corsair Jock Saito seems a bit tight for this aircraft, strongly recomend 1.20 you wont regret it..
Specially if you want to go scale with a 3 blade prop..

I am flying mine with a SAITO 1.50 , which is a bit overpower. Thinking on putting a 1.20 and using
1.50 for another project that would need that much power.



Here are some pictures taken on Maiden Flight 3 weeks ago....

I've been doing some research and agree: best 3 blade prop I could use with the 1.00 is probably a Master Airscrew 14 x 7 OR 14 x 9: both would be a little small for this size of Hellcat. The 1.20, or better yet the 1.50 would be able to swing the Master Airscrew 3 blade 16" props (x 8 OR x 10).

So, what about the canopy and wing dihedral: is it just my imagination (un-scale looks) or is everybody just ignoring it? I would really like to make mine look a little more scale looking, and plan to re-finish it.

CorsairJock, you can paint the midle vertical canopy braces to make the canopy look more scale. I don't think you can do much to the wing dihedral unless you cut out the outer panels and glue them back in.

Hi cjordan.
I think that you have a good idea with the clear-you have to cut the covering over the wheel wells, so the left overs give you some good test pieces of covering with which to test for spray compatibility.
Interesting that you ask about the tail wheel! I couldn't figure out how to make the required 90deg bend, so I prevailed on one of my buddies to use his mill and make me a scale version of the fork from some scrap 2024 aluminum! I did not check to see if a retract version was available.
I fly now with a Graupner 14X7 three-blade on my OS 120, could go to a 15X6
You'll love the model flying, just lousy covering! ps-the nose length is a mere 4.8% longer that actual.
Jim

I am using Sierra Percision gear. The plane was recovered and sprayed with a flat clear. I am using a YS 120 with a graupner three blade prop.

Well I guess you could swing that 14 X 7 with Saito 1.00 but as you know when you go up to a 1.20 is a different ball game..

You are right with MA you only get from 14 X 9 ( 3 Blade) up to 16 X 8 wich is to big even for the 1.50
I just received a set of 15 X 8 3 Blade and will try this comming weekend.. looks pretty good ....hope it flys the same way...

Not sure what you mean by that statement, as my Saito .91 turns a Master Airscrew 3 blade 14 x 7 with ease, so I assume the 1.00 would have no problem and could possibly even turn the 14 x 9 (3 blade)

I would think either the 1.20 OR the 1.50 could handle the Master Airscrew 3 blade 16 x 8, and the 1.50 maybe the 16 x 10

One thing to keep in mind when talking about 3 blade props: Master Airscrew ones have blades that are not as wide as the Graupners. Thus, while a give engine may be able to handle a Master Airscrew 3 blade prop of a given size, that same engine might have trouble with a Grauper 3 blade prop with same diameter and pitch.

Horizon lists the prop range of the 1.20 as 14x8 - 16x10, the 1.50 as 16x8 - 18x6. Given those recommdations, I see no reason why these engines shouldn't be capable of swinging Master Airscrew 3 blade props in the 16" diameter range

I am seeing N.I.B. Saito 1.20s going for around $315 shipped at an auction site, sounds like as good a deal as I'll find. Anyone have any experience with this engine, swinging a Master Airscrew 3 blade 16 x 8 on their CMP Hellcat?

For those who have completed and flying this ARF...

It doesn't seem like there is right thrust built into the firewall. If I'm wrong, okay... If not, did anybody put in shims/washers to build in some right thrust.

Hi,
Am flying just as per kitted, have seen no adverse effects needing thrust washers.
Jim

[quote]ORIGINAL: CorsairJock

You are right they could move a 16 X10 iof you wanted but in this case you would have very tight Clearance with 16 Inch , I started with 16 Inch but decide to go dow to 15 do to this situation any little mistake and spinner gets it, 15 inch is my recomendation...

Richard,

This may sound like a dumb question, but this is my first real Warbird, on the big side and I want to get it right...
Did you use the aileron and elevator hinges that came with the Hellcat ARF? If so, did you do anything special to secure them?
If you used different hinges, which ones?