B-24J project
 

Hello out there!

If anyone is interested in the Palmer plans B-24 or B-24's in general, I've been building a Palmer Plans B-24 Liberator and a web site to keep track of it. I have lots of B-24 detail pictures in the Photo Gallery and don't want to keep them hidden.

The web site is www.b24project.com

Mark

RE: B-24J project
 

Nice web site, enjoyed looking, Have always want to build a B-24, maybe I will now.

RE: B-24J project
 

Mark,
I have been looking at your Palmer B-24J project journal. Just wondering how much more you have got done with your lib, esp with the electric mod. I am thinking about getting the CJM retracts for mine - the spring air's I have installed just aren't strong enough, so I was checking out your installation. Looks like they worked fairly well, except for the nose gear arc.

GL

Ken

RE: B-24J project
 

I haven't been working on it very much lately. I promised my wife that it would take a lower priority this summer on my "to do list". I did get in a little time to build a second A-6 turret and the top turret though. I need to update the site and post that. This fall I'll get back to work and get it done!

I really want to get the motors and all but decided to wait until the finishing is, well, finished because like everything electronic, the prices keep falling and the quality gets better. At this point i'm going with brushless outrunners, figuring 200-250 watts each turning 3 blade Vario-props and powered by 11.1v, 3s2p, 4200 mAh Lipos in each nacelle to keep the wires short. That also saves about a half pound.

The CJM retracts are nice but not very scale. They are built well and strong with thick cast and machined aluminum parts that provide good thread support for the allen screws and pins. In a hard landing i'm pretty sure that they would rip out the wood mounting before they failed. My only complaint is the torque links are pop rivited in and bind a bit and need working in but not a real big deal. They came with a oleo strut on the nose wheel but the instructions that came with them showed a standard wire strut bent in such a way that would probably work with the normal mounting (similar to what's shown on the plans) but I went with the oleo because it was there. I haven't actually hooked up the air to them and cycled them yet but they seem smooth. The gear are kind of clunkly looking and the main gear yokes seemed over built so I cut and ground them down to a more scale outline and plan on rounding them and also the nose gear yoke. I think they will still be plenty strong. In short, my opinion is that the gear is not very scale but they look plenty strong enough.

Mark

RE: B-24J project
 

Check my Bomber Boys B-24 build thread here:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_14...tm.htm#1433853
Shows how I dealt with the nose wheel retract geometry. May work for you as well.

RE: B-24J project
 

It's great to hear from both you guys and progress. Good luck on your projects!!

Ken

RE: B-24J project
 

Well 2 years later the project is almost done. I hope to fly it some time in May.

Mark

RE: B-24J project
 

Sir Fliesalot,
Nicely done!!!!!!!!!!! very nice!! could you post more pictures of the top of the B-24 ??
Can't wait to see flight videos!!!
Good luck on the maiden!![sm=thumbup.gif] with your e-power you should have great success!!!!!!!!

RE: B-24J project
 

Thanks Nemesis4u,

I'll post a picture on Monday of the top. It's still raining out here today.
I may not fly it until late May but when I do I'll post the video here, good or.. No, it will be good!.

Mark

RE: B-24J project
 

Here's a couple of the top side.

RE: B-24J project
 

Mark,
Great Looking Plane!!!!!
I bet it will fly as good as it looks. I'm reviewing what you have done with your CJM retracts. I have had nothing but trouble with my gear, mainly because of installation problems, not the gear itself. Should of spent the big bucks up front. . .After probably 20 flights, I am tired of reworking something after every landing.

Good luck on the first flight; I'll be waiting for that first flight video. BTW, where do you fly near San Jose??

Ken

RE: B-24J project
 

Hi Ken,

I'm feeling like it's going to be alright, that it WILL fly fine. I've got maybe 20 more hours to go before it's ready for takeoff but will wait until after the Rally of Giants at the end of the month.
I fly at the Bayside Club in Fremont. It's a bit on the small side so I will be doing the first flights at a bigger field. Most likely the Tracy club. I'm hoping that I can fly it at my club after I figure out the takeoff and landing space I'll need. I'm missing the ideal test flight conditions and will most likely test fly on a very hot day.

Yeah I wish I would have paid the money and had Robart make some gear. These seem OK but I don't like the rivets holding the torque links in but I think they'll holdup.

Stay tuned..

RE: B-24J project
 

Man I guess I should have looked at this thread and updated a while ago.

Old Ironsides has flown, flies excellent and should be flying for a long time.

RE: B-24J project
 

Very cool. How much would you say the whole thing cost? If it hurts to even think about it, then don't tell[:@].

RE: B-24J project
 

Only hurts when my wife thinks about it! [X(] It cost around $2500 which isn't too bad really. The power system was about $1200 or so with the batteries costing $500. If I factor in the new JR X9303 2.4 I just bought to put in it the cost goes up by $600.

Mark

RE: B-24J project
 

Great looking plane! I've also always wanted to do a B-24, since my grandfather navigated one in the war. $2500 is a bit rich for my blood, but I did manage to do a decent fanfold version. 38" WS x 29"" L makes it around 1/30th scale. Powered by Air Hogs Storm launcher motors, spinning counter rotating props. 30A brushed ESC, ailerons & elevator, and two 2s 740 mAh lithiums wired parallel for motivation. She really gets up and moves! Plus the sound of four direct drive motors is great!

RE: B-24J project
 

I like it! I want to build a small one someday with the motor/gearboxes I get every time I buy another foamy. Mine was supposed to be an easy Sunday flier type that I could just have fun with and then it kind of got out of hand.

Keep the B-24's flying!

Mark

RE: B-24J project
 

Nice to see a Liberator,real nice-[8D]

Update.....
 

Many years later... I figured maybe I should update this thread.
I had the privilage to fly Old IronSides for the 90th Bomb Group at Vandenburg AFB for their annual reunion in 2007 and then a couple years later on flight 58 at my local field it crashed. I rebuilt it but hasn't flown since, I just couldn't bear it crashing again.
In 2018 I got the VQ Warbirds B-24 and it flys as good as the original without the stress of flying a two year build.