vasek

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niklawhorn, what was the nature of the crashes? flutter? other? do you know?

oriole

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Richard... is this the KMP Bearcat, or is it still forthcoming?

Oriole.

Richard L.

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I heard rumors of an even bigger one from another company. We shall see.

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

bigger than the KMP one? man, its bearcat season

outflying

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Guys! I was looking at this ARF so I would have a fun fly plane I could just put in the truck and go. I'm a gaint scale flyer and have built and flown Ziroli's 98" span Bearcat. At 38 pounds it was a beautiful flier (I sold it and built a Ziroli 98" span Hellcat which I still fly).
This plane (Thunder Tiger Bearcat) worries me, because you can actually twist the tail section without much effort. The strongest parts of any Grumman aircraft should be the under carriage and the tail section. The planes were built to fly well, drop land (on an aircraft carrier) and catch a tail-hook. Even though the Bearcat never went into action, that was the intent of the design. With the clean lines and flying tail surfaces, I would think that a good deal of time would have to be spent beefing up the tail area to prevent the back end from coming apart.
Personally, if I've got to rebuilt an ARF, I may as will build the entire thing my self the right way. Just my personal opion.
Wing Manufacture has a nice pro kit that's 1.20 size, but it has to be built. If you want to stay in that size range.

zlin50ls

My Feedback: (351)

I was looking for a Bearcat that I could do a Gulf Hawk version to. I found many plans, Ziroli, Bates and Novack, but I figured for the price I can recover the wings and tail and repaint the Fuse and cowl since everything is already framed up. I saw a Bearcat in the RCU photo gallery of one flying and it looks great with the orange and white colors. I like the scale fighter colors, they just don't show up that well for me in the sky. Besides I was looking for a good winter project and this should be a fun one.

kochj

niklawhorn
Got any picts of this>>>???
Yeah didnt you hear?
18 of the new H9 extras wings folded!!!!
5 went down at my field just last week!
and so didn't 3 b25 Bombers from TOpflite!


Err ummmm I don't have any picts or know anything about it!

Funny how that works!

thunder21

My Feedback: (2)

Here's a picture for you, kochj. My Bearcat finally succumbed to the dreaded flutter. The flutter popped the clevis off the elevator servo and it was all downhill from there.

oriole

My Feedback: (19)

This thread has been doormant for awhile. Anybody out there still flying or assemblying one of these?

Mostly good comments in the past, although concerns about tail flutter were posted. But I think that can be addressed through strenghthening the control rods and using high torque servos.

Just curious how those currently flying are liking this plane.

Cublover... you still flying yours?

Oriole

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

I've still got mine, and it's still not completed. Like many of my R/C projects: it got put on the back burner when more 'important' projects came along.
Here are some pics of the retractable tailwheel and mount that I installed in mine. I think it is actually lighter than the non-retractable tailwheel assembly and mounting hardware.

oriole

My Feedback: (19)

Corsair Jock

Cool!

What are you going to use for power? Are you going with the out of the box trim, or something different?

Oriole

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

Read my earlier posts. I know there is a LOT of garbage in there, by people who aren't at all interested in this ARF, but I did provide my intended engine setup and other details.

THERCAV8R

My Feedback: (283)

Hi, For all those that are interested in this model. There selling for $249 + $15 for shipping on ebay. There are 5 left. Just search for Thunder Tiger Bearcat. The Item number is 390000882677 the seller ID is hobb-e-ventures.


This is not a reply to anyone, just open info for anyone.

broke again

My Feedback: (1)

nice plane richard l did you do the orange bar on the fuse or is it a decal?? how would a saito 91 power this plane??

thunder21

My Feedback: (2)

I replaced the wings and tail on mine and it flys better than ever. I used two elevator servos and individual carbon fiber elevator control rods. The last crash happened when I upgraded the power system to use another cell. The stock elevator control rod setup works at speeds below about 90. But anything faster and it self destructs. At least that was my experience.

vasek

My Feedback: (4)

Nice install thunder!

I like your carbon rod setup. How do you "fix" the threaded ends in the tube?

thanks

thunder21

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks, vasek. I used 30 minute epoxy on the threaded rods. The rods have a pretty tight fit in the CF tubes.

I was contemplating using control horns on the elevators outside the fuselage in the usual fashion. That would probably be the best setup as the current torque rods are not as strong as they should be, they're something like 2mm rods bent at an angle. But so far the setup has worked OK for around a dozen flights with full throttle usage. I'm going easy on the throttle on downwind and dives just to avoid problems.

The model probably does a little over 100 MPH and that's fast enough for me. The 15x12 4 blade prop spinning at 9000 RPM is whisper quiet. And the flutter is instantly recognizable.

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

I have been using the same method on my models. However, I noticed that the carbon fiber tubes tend the split sometimes where the treaded steel goes on, so now I wrap string around the ends and glue them on to keep the tubes from splitting. Simular to the methods that used to be used on balsa pushrods with steel end pieces. Also, I use the black CA (semi-flexible and designed for carbon fiber) instead of epoxy.

thunder21

My Feedback: (2)

Well, the Bearcat had it's final flight today. The dreaded flutter done her in. I had switched to using two servos for the elevators and upgraded the linkage hardware. So the next weakest link in the chain turned out to the servo tray. The flutter was so severe, the plywood literally disintegrated at the front and rear. The rear was glued in with gorilla glue and it held fast; the top layer of fiberglass actually separated. Then it was all over. With the servo tray broken, the model was uncontrollable and went in pretty hard.

I should have strengthened the servo tray. The way it's designed, the rear gets glued to the fuselage and the front goes all the way to the firewall. If you look close at the damage pics, you can see the plywood of the servo tray is shredded. That's an indication of the vibrational forces at work during the flutter. The elevators are just not designed properly on this model.

I had been careful to ease off the throttle on dives. The flutter occurred on a straight and level downwind pass at full throttle. The model was maybe doing 90MPH. As the model was electric powered and the four blade prop was very quiet, I couldn't miss the flutter. It sounded like a four stroke glow motor for a split second and then went quiet. No more Bearcats for me;-( This is the fourth time I've crashed one due to flutter, and the second model destroyed.

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Thunder21,

Sorry to hear about the demise of the Bearcat. Next time try the TT Sea Fury instead. I've got one with an OS 1.08 up front and have not had any flutter problems whatsoever. I've never clocked it but I can tell you that it's going penty fast! I love mine.

Chad Veich

HellcatAce

My Feedback: (6)

I just got one cheap at a LHS yesterday. I think I'm going to get a tube of Hysol for one thing. The way Thunder21's plane came apart, it's time to go turbine style in regards to the way the formers and tray go into the fuse.

I think I'll also use the stock H stabs and elevator for basic templates and make my own with scale type hinging and shape of the leading edge of the elevators. Then it will be one big heavy torque rod to do the work.

I have a YS110 just sitting waiting for an airframe, but it's going in the pile for a while till I get some other stuff in the air first. I'm surprised that only Corsair Jock decided to go with the Robart retract tail wheel. With that big open bay to work with back there, it's almost a crime to have a fixed one! I agree that it is lighter as well. I grabbed the tailwheel mount out of the TT kit and compared with the Robart. You can tell just with your hands how much difference there is!

I am not worried with a 13lb+ weight. Heck I used to fly a modified old GP 40 size F4U Arf at 9.5 lb with no flaps! As long as the pilot flys in a scale manner, and respects the airframe design, I bet it's just fine.

lightning 759

hi anybody still flying these mines had about 9 flights since her maidan two weeks ago. flys ok zenoha 20 with a 17x8 seems best suited though she is no way blessed on power ,weighs just over 14lb.problem im haveing is landing her & not busting the prop, i know the legs are prob not man enough (stock with kit but iin lado tech units) bring her in fast she,s over too slow she drops & over she goes do not seem to be able to find her sweet spot for landing any advise please thanks andy

Read more: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_44...#ixzz0lU3dTOOM

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

I can vouge that there are still some flying: I saw one at a Lexigton, KY warbird event. My own Bearcat never got completed, I still have it ALMOST ready, but no farther along than it was a couple of years ago. I start too many projects, then get side-tracked and don't complete them.

14 lbs it a lot of weight for a plane this size, and bound to cause problems with landing gear.

JoeMamma

Wow.........this thread has almost gone dormant ! No wonder, it's about a Thunder Tiger ARF !

Noseover on landing ? I fly from grass, so one of the things I did to both my Thunder Tiger Rare Bear and my Thunder Tiger F8F Navy version was to kick the landing gear forward so both of the main wheels were about 1 inch (25 MM) farther forward. I did this by fabricating some shims that fit between the landing gear housings and the hardwood landing gear rails. This took care of most the noseover problem when landing.

The pictures are of my F8F Bearcat. 1.60 O.S. FX for power.

I modeled mine after Lt. Commander Roy "Butch" Voris's F8F Bearcat. "Butch" flew the first Blue Angels F6F Hellcat in 1946. Later in 1946 he upgraded to the F8F Bearcat. The Bearcat was the first aircraft to use the U. S. Navys' Blue Angels logo for exibition flying.

I own and fly a lot of scale RC aircraft, but my Bearcat always seems to sit parked in the hanger. I just don't like the way it fly's. Mine has a vicious stall, and it requires a lot of finese and speed to land it. I've tried moving the CG around, but I still don't like the way it fly's. Now she just sits around as a conversation piece.

I was also one of the guys that had my Thunder Tiger Rare Bear destroyed by that dreaded flutter. Anyway, no more Thunder Tiger ARF's for me !! After two of them, I think I've learned my lesson !

Good Luck with yours.

Joe M.

lightning 759

hi guys
thanks for the replys think i,m going to mothball her for a while till i make up my mind what to do with her, & rarebear will stay in her box prob for ever wouldnt want to stuff her

thanks guys
andy