RE: P-6E Curtis hawk
 

Thanks for the info guys, I checked out the web sight and they do look interesting. I love warbirds and currently have two TF kits nearly finished. I would like to add this bird to the hangar also.
Brad

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk
 

Please, I can't wait. What is the diameter of the cowl and what is the distance from cowl face to front of engine box. thanks.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk
 

Just thought of another "plus" for the RCV. This ARF, just like the GP Stearman provides you a weight box to put in the nose to get her to balance. The RCV is heavier and may even negate the need for the box.

Steve

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk
 

Kelvin,

I'd also be interested in a scale exhaust. I plan on using an O.S. 1.20 4-stroke in my Hawk. Please advise if going forward with this. Thanks!

Cheers!

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk
 

Steve (splais),

Its Mike, I got one on order. Should be here next week. Gonna put a Saito 1.20 in it.

Maybe someday I'll get it to the field :D:D:D

You gonna go gas on this???

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk
 

I talked with Kelvin today and he is moving forward on the scale exhaust for the Hawk -- he said he would keep us all updated on the progress in this post. I think he has 3 or 4 committed on this and I am sure he would like to here if there are anymore. Anyone else interested probably should shoot him an email from his website.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

I received my Great Planes P-6E on Wednesday and have the wings assembled. Kit is very complete and really well built. Looks to be all laser cut balsa and light ply. So far the wing halves match perfectly with each other. I would rather have the aileron servos laying down in the wing with just the servo arm protruding out of a slot in the mounting plate. Also should be noted that since the aileron servo extension plugs are out in the open and in the airflow that the connections should be secured to each other so they wont get unplugged during flight. Only thing I might change is the wheels need to be more robust for a model this size and the top wing should have three red stripes on it instead of two. Painted fiberglass cowl and wheel pants look great. Great Planes just keeps getting better and better. It's getting to the point that for general flying it isn't worth the trouble to build kits anymore. More later as I get further along.

THERCAV8R

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

I got the RCV engine yesterday -- I will start working on mounting it this afternoon. I took a quick look and looks like it will be an easy install -- at quick glance it looks like I will need to fabricate some 1 1/4" stand offs for the engine to get it out to the right length. I will post a few pics later of the engine install.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

http://www.flybuder.com/rcv120_1.jpeg

http://www.flybuder.com/rcv120_2.jpeg

Engine is mounted -- as I suspected I needed to space it out 1 1/4". Just need to run the remote glow wires and install the flying wires and then its off to the airfield for engine breakin.

Hope Kelvin can come up with the scale exhaust that will really make this plane!!!!!

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

I would not break in that RCV engine mounted to your airframe. I will shake it apart. Engine needs to run on test stand for at least 1 hour, two is better. Bolts come loose on test stand with five minute runs. Engine will run smooth after break-in.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Then I will put it on a bench and break it in -- Thanks for the warning.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk
 

Is that motor box painted the different colors, or is it made from luan ply?

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Christmas came early :) My hawk arrived today. Pictures of basic package already posted so I'll just post a couple of special ones and make a few immediate observations.

This is one incredible ARF. One of the best I have seen, and I've seen some of the best. It is very light but built with a lot of interlacoking parts and reinforcement in the right places. Just look at that engine box. The covering is imaculate and my hinge slots are dead straight and centered.

It's a good thing I haven't bought an engine yet because this is a very unique plane that is going to take some thinking and research to come up with a gasoline engine that will fit right. The engine prop shaft is offset an inch below center just like the real Hawk. Also the engine box face is not that large: 4.5" wide and 4" high.

The cowl size in the engine location is 7" wide, 4.5" above the prop and 3.5" below the prop with about 6" of offset from engine box face to front of cowl. I researching hard because you can almost mount an engine upright in this bird. I'll let you all know what I find/decide. When I first saw the plane I was a little surprised. Iexpected it to be bigger visually. But this plane is not really a gasser; it is a true 1.20 glow size plane, as stated I might add. but I hate glow and will get a gasser in her somehow [>:]

There is quit a bit of space inside the fuselage for CG adjustments and placing a smoke tank; albeit some is hard to get to easily.

Added PS: Well after more research, it is going to be near impossible to get a gasoline engine in this plane without completely chopping up the cowl. Practically everything I see will stick out the bottom a couple of inches or more. The only gas engine that may be able to mount upright is the RCS 1.40, but the sparkplug will stick out the top and the engine is too light. So ifanyone has any gasoline engine ideas I haven't thought of, let me know.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

The engine box is fuel proofed, but not painted. that ply is some kind of darker wood.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Steve,

Got my Hawk today as well. This thing is huge!

Rethinking engine options. I've got a K&B 1.00 that I fit with out having to cut the cowling for. A 25cc or so gasser would definitely fit with engine box mods and you probably wouldn't need the nose weight box.

Hmmm.......

Mike

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Mike, you haven't even flown the Ultimate yet, why on earth get this thing.:D

I'm not moding anything. that's why I buy ARF's :) But it's not just the engine box. the plane was designed to have that "low" crankshaft and that is scale. I have determined that the G-26 may fit in the cowl mounted upright. I'm also think, if I win the lottery, that a Laser 200v would fit nice, albeit costing twice as much as the plane.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Picked mine up yesterday. Looking at using an Evolution 26GT gas.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

The G26 will fit in the cowl upright -- but I don't think the sparkplug will.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

With careful measuring and a "short" plug it should fit. but the exhaust and throttle linkage is what I'm trying to get figured out.

Rowdy1, you may want to take a close look at things. I had looked at the MVVS/Evolution engines and decided that front mounted carb didn't give enough clearance. Course if it's mounted inverted the whole thing will stick out anyway.:)

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Consider the carb sticking out one side and the muffler sticking out the other.

Plus there's no place for cooling air to get in with the cylinder pointing upwards.

I tried fitting my G-26 and the results were not acceptable

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

How 'bout the ys-110, would it provide enough gusto?

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Thanks guys for the input. I will probably use an O.S. 120 now.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

The first gas engines that pop into mind are the MVVS and ROTO engines.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Yes, I have talked to Mark at RCS and I'm leaning toward the Roto35, inverted. The Roto because it is a very clean lined engine that will not look as bad as some. There are a couple of engines that will fit upright, but there is no resolution to the cooling issue without hacking a big hole in the front of the cowl. I really do not want a glow powered plane. It's gas or sell it.

Dick, did you find the G-26 unacceptable even inverted? thanks and why? Clearances?

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Carb sticks out one side, muffler sticks out the other. Plus it's quite heavy.

My Hawk with OS 120 and batteries on engine box shelf weighs 13 pounds 12 ounces and no lead to balance

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Hey Dick are you doing a review on this plane?

Kelvin

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Yes, I am. For AnnMarie Cross at RCPower website, plus R/C REPORT Magazine

As soon as it warms up and this ice storm goes by us.

Hopefully in the air by next weekend.

It's ready to go now, but weather conditions are not conducive to outdoor activities.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Dick, a rhetorical question, but why in the world is GP saying the plane needs 16 oz of lead in the nose with an O.S. 1.20 if yours balanced without it. How big [X(] were your batteries? If this was the case I'm going to have to finish the plane completely and then see how many ounces it takes to balance.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

I put the throttle servo, a 5 cell receiver battery and a D cell plus onboard glow lighter where the weight box should go.

Plus a Tru-Turn P-47-like prop hub and an APC 18-6 wide blade prop.

That should be close to 16 ounces

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

pettit -- do you have some pics of how you mounted the throttle servo -- I am going to try to figure out how to get it out on the firewall somewhere as my current setup seems to be binding a little.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

I'm thinking of the Saito 1.80 sitting on the shelf, and wondering how it'd fit...probably purty good I'd bet.

Dick...how well does the O.S. 1.20 turn that big a prop? I have an O.S. 1.20 w/ pump, but have never tried anything bigger than a 16X8.

I have the Saito 1.80 w/ that 18X6W on it and that's about as big as I'd like to go...IIRC I saw about 8700 on 15%.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

I was looking at the RCV engine for this bird as someone has mounted in above posts. then I read the manual. Have to run it for 2 hrs on a test stand before flying and the engine is only designed to use 10% nitro and a synthetic/castor blend that has 6% castor. States the engine may be damaged if run on higher nitro and not run well if you use less nitro. Who needs an engine you have to buy special fuel for. to bad, because it is a unique design that solves a lot of fitting problems.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Steve,

Yeah, yeah..... I'm getting behind on my plane building/flying but when you do it at work all day sometimes its the last you want to do when you get home. However, I've always had a love affair with the P-6E. I completely could not believe it when I first saw the Tower listing for this plane. I had to have it. I literally checked my wish list everyday to see if it was in stock.

I think I'm just going to go with the Saito 1.20. I've been thinking another option for gas you might want to look into is a Supertigre 2300 converted. I've seen the older 2500s converted to gas that work very well.

You might want to talk to Jay Harbour about those Roto engines. His take on them is not good. Apparantly they used to use them on the UAV trainers we fly. When I was back east for my flight eval, I remember seeing one with a Roto installed. When we pulled the trainers out of the box out here I noticed they all had G-26s installed so I asked Jay why the change. Not a very good report.

Later,
Mike

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Throttle servo mounted on 2 blocks of hardwood. Needs an extension cable too

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Regular 10% Omega (the pink stuff) can be used per RCV support. I ran mine for a little more than an hour on a test stand, but I believe I could have ran it in on the airframe -- I did not notice any bad vibrations. I love the fact that it will run on 10% nitro -- much cheaper than the heli fuel I run in my saitos.

Pettit -- thanks for the picture -- I think that will work perfect and elimanate my lone throttle pushrod, and also get rid of the 1 oz of lead off the firewall that I had to add to get it too balance.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

I just bought a Hawk! After reading many posts here I am not sure if I have an engine that will be suitable. I have a YS 120 laying around that might work for this job. :)

I plan on Futaba 3010's all the way around. If weight becomes an issue ill get a LARGE rx battery and slap it on the nose like Dick did

Cant wait for it to arrive!


matt

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Now you guys are killing me! Just got back from a trip and my P-6e, the one I've had ordered since October, is sitting there still in the cardboard shipping box, and my wife says I can't have it until Christmas! I'm living vicariously through this thread!

I'm still torn between the RCV and the OS120FS. I have the OS, although it's on my GeeBee. I'm throwing my money down to the Keleo exhaust today, and since Kelvin's starting out with the RCV and I've always wanted to try it, I may go that route. I'm also using Futaba 3010's all around, and I plan on using a RAM on board glow. With the RCV's extra weight and the fact it has to me mounted out more it will be interesting to see how this effects the CG.

Keep up the posts guys I'll have some catching up to do!

Steve

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Well I just found the first really cheesy thing on the hawk. Guess it was to much to hope for the perfect ARF. It's that piece of plastic you have to cut out that goes around the base of the vertical stabilizer. Aside from the fact that just cutting it out was a complete pain. It fits terribly, looks like a cheap add-on and I haven't even tried to glue it on yet. After looking at it all, prospective-wize, I have started to make a balsa replacement per someone in a thread above.

I do have to say that this is the only thing I have found I didn't like, or didn't think looked good.

I hadn't stated before, but Great Planes design of the gear covers and wheel pants is absolutely ingenious. I rarely use wheelpants on any of my planes because they are such a pain. But these are the best thing I've ever seen in this area.

My engine odessy continues as I work through assembly.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

Not really hurrying on my hawk. But I do have a question for those done. In the manual it says to line up the interior cabanes with the hardward rails before drilling the holes. For the life of me I can't figure out just how I am suppose to know if they are lined up. My interior cabanes don't fit all that flat to the fuselage on one side. I sure don't want to drill a bunch of holes and then find out they are in the wrong place.

Couple of other questions. anybody know what the red arrow stickers are for on the cabane legs.

The instructions talk about installing the cockpit coaming. But the only thing in the kit was a piece of thick rubber hose that I don't think will even fit.

RE: P-6E Curtis hawk (build thread)
 

If you look inside the fuse on either side of the fuel tank you can see the hardwood they are refering to. The red arrows are supposed to point forward -- the Super Stearman had the same stickers. The black tube is supposed to be cut into section to fit the front lip of the cockpit -- the instructions say the tube was already split, but I had to slit mine down the center and then cut into sections that fit.