Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

Since I have a spare YS 63S lying around without a home, I decided to get a 40 size warbird for it: a VQ Macchi 205 Veltro. Here is a sleek looking warbird with a cool smoke ring camo that you don't often see at the flying fields.

The plane comes with preinstalled mechanical retracts and functional oleo struts, 3-3/8" diameter plastic spinner, and a pilot bust. Quality is great, much better than the first generation Zero that I have. The wood is laser cut. The firewall is 1/4" thick and reinforced with triangle stock by the factory. The cowl is good quality and not paper thin.

I was pleased that the plane arrived in tan instead of yellow like the one pictured on VQ website. However, I wish the tan color was slightly darker just like the color used on the full size.

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

I really like the preinstalled pushrod guide tubes over the floating wooden dowels used by other ARF manufacturers. The pushrod guide tubes would reduce the chance of elevator/rudder flutter as the pushrods will be slop free and won't flex.

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

The instruction manual calls for the 4-stroke engine to be mounted sideway. Since I dislike having half the engine sticking out the side, I decided to mount my YS 63S inverted like I did to all of my other warbirds.

I first glassed the front of the firewall to cover up the hole for the fuel tank since I will be mounting the fuel tank on the CG. I then drilled four holes and installed four 6-32 blind nuts for the engine mount.

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

Cowl is cut for engine cooling:

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

Four holes are drilled into the side of the firewall and tapped for 4-40 nylon bolts to mount the cowl. Spinner is slapped on. Voila, no engine sticking out the side. More to come.

paladin

My Feedback: (9)

Richard, I had one of those many years ago powered by a Rossi 40. Pretty good flyer but very high maintenance. Mine was used for poor weather flying on grass fields and the landing gear blocks (three layers of light ply plate holding both front and aft ears of the LG mechanisum) broke out around 40-50 flights (that of coarse put a hole in the covering). To avoid that I recommend two part foaming then glassing them in. The plastic parts Wing fairings, wing tips, internal wing covers pilots head rest all began to show vibration cracking early. My solution was to foam the parts, it held them together even after the entire plastic surface had broken into little 1/8 in squares of plastic. Until the area got fuel soaked and the little squares would fall off in flight, or during cleaning.

Lastly mine had a pretty nasty flutter of the elevators. I think mostly due to the poor elevator pushrod install. I replaced the pushrod, and I see on your model they have installed a better set up for the pushrod. But I think that flutter was still there enough to cause the massive plastic failure I experienced. But more importantly It was lost to an elevator servo failure, which also leads me to believe that flutter was still there in low levels.

Good luck

Joe

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

Joe, I believe mine is an updated version, but I will double check the landing gear mounting rails and reinforce them. I tend to do that anyway to most of my ARF's. My VQ P-40 has the same pushrod setup (metal pushrod inside plastic housing), and the elevator never did flutter after many high speed passes and dives. Also, VQ upgraded the plastic so it's less prone to cracking. However, I wish they would use fiberglass in place of the plastic parts.

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

I had one of the earlier Mig-3s, and the plastic was pretty thin, and all broke over time. Got new plastic from Thomas @ VQ, and it was much better than original.

JohnMcGowan

My Feedback: (15)

Nice so far Richard. Do you think a saito 91 would be too much engine or weight for this or would it even fit?
What are these arf's going for at VQ ($) ?
Thanks, John

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

John, a Saito 91 will fit. I am not sure if it will be too much engine or weight.

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

Since I fly off a grass runway, the supplied 2-3/8" diameter main wheels won't do it for me. I used a sharp x-acto knife to cut out the plastic wheel cups. I now have room to use 2-3/4" or even 3" wheels. The factory installed oleo struts can only take up to 2-3/4" wheels, so if I want to use 3" wheels, I must swap them out for a set of Robart 3/8" RoboStruts. I am waiting for a pair of light Kavan 2-3/4" wheels to arrive from Hobby Lobby. In the meantime, I plan to paint the wheel wells "interior green" instead of green zinc chromate, as suggested by several plastic kit manufacturers. I am not sure what the actual wheel well color is on the full size.

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

Gave the wheel wells a coat of Model Master interior green. I will let the paint dry overnight before applying a layer of light glass cloth and epoxy.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Hey, how come all the anti ARF guys haven't jumped down your throat yet for using the term "build" instead of "assemble"?

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

Well, you have the H9 Spitfire build, H9 GS P-47 build, CMP giant Zero build, etc... so it's the norm.

SMUGator

Kmot is right. I can't believe you call this minor installation and touch up work "building". But you can definitely fly them. Looking forward to seeing this one at the field. BTW, do you still need the canopy rails for your P-40 or did you already go with a different solution?

Happy New Year!

Tom

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

Kmot , Rich knows more about warbirds then most scrtach builders ,so they usually wont dip there feet into the water on one of his builds , yes builds , I have followed Riches post from my first day on RCU and his build of the VQ P40 .
His mods are usually based on an enginerring benifit but also improve the looks .
Not to menthion he can greese his landings better then anyone I have seen with a warbird

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

I agree, that building an ARF is building. Some here, though, seem to disagree.

patrick181

To apply politics to a hobby, especialy this one is asinine. After all we are just a bunch of guys with a few dollars in our pockets and still playing with toys. Call it what you will.

Anyway my buddy has the VQ Macchi and its a winner. Turns heads every time. Only thing I dont care for is the way the canopy fits and the retracts have gotten sloppy over the years.

Also Richard, you are certainly more of a veteran than I but I would suggest you put the pressure valve inside the fuse. I worry that the heat from the engine would warp the tiny silicone flapper.

Good luck

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

If you have something relevant to contribute, then please do. If you want to talk about "building vs. assembling", then start another thread. Now let's get back on topic.

SMUGator

You know that I was pulling your leg, right Rich? Your planes always look great and I've never seen anyone with more cajones on the sticks.

Tom

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

Hey Tom, yes, I know that you were pulling my leg. Not a problem. My TF P-40 is on the backburner, but I will eventually get canopy rails for it.

I will glass the Macchi wheel wells tonight and double check the retract rails. Will probably glass them too.

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

The landing gear rails are now made out of 1/2" thick hard wood and anchored very well to the ribs [sm=thumbup.gif] , so I decided not to glass them. Kudos to VQ for improving the retract mounts. Let's see how long they will hold up under "normal" landing.

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

The wheel wells are glassed with 2-oz glass cloth and 20-minute finish cure epoxy, mainly to fuel proof the paint.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

Rich excuse me for talking about the P40 , I was in the same boat , did not want to spend $35 from Dynamic balsa on what appeared to be to simple sliding pieces .
I purchased brass stock "box" shaped rails from K& S , about $3.00 , had our maintenance guys(at work) cut a simple straigt grove on one side then cut two equal length(one for each side of the plane ) .
I purchased about $2.50 worth of small ball joints that are used in RC cars , shortened the screw end , applied the shorted ball joints (2 per side ) on the a small wood rail .
The rail is placed inside the canopy on an angle to provide the retraction needed while its rides inside the brass rail grove(on the plane) .Take the rail with you when purchaseing the ball joints can you be assured that the ball joints fit and slide .
The brass rail while on the plane and painted looks very scale

paladin

My Feedback: (9)

Richard, hardwood rails. that is great! That should hold up well on a 40 size. I know you already know this but for the benifit of those with less experience.

retract rails do not fail all of a sudden, while it takes a hard landing to start the failure process the process is always the same. It takes a hard landing or something of that nature to make the first cracks in the glue in the retract system. this can be in the rib to mount area or in the layer to layer in ply mounting rails. once these cracks apear the total strength of the system has been reduced so a lesser shock will cause it to expand the damage, expanding the cracks slowly until the final failure. With ARF's the manufacturers have come a long way from were they started (1/4 in lt ply), but they are still lagging behind in the adhiecived used in this area. The adhiesive needs to be able to flex some without letting go, while the manufacturers have come a long way from hot melt glue. Now if you have an ARF and have a hard landing run a beed of thin CA along all the glue joints that includes all the ply layers. Glassing the rial eliminates the ply layer failior and reduces the bending of that member. I hope this will help someone out there.

Back to Richard's biuld, the retract unites look similar to the ones I got from KMP a few years ago can you publish some pic of your's

Joe