RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Subscribed today, just found this build-along. Mine's going to be electric powered.

Charles-AC6WU

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Welcome!!!! We cant wait to see others progress.
Tighe

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Welcome Charles, the more the merrier! I'm very much looking forward to your electric conversion. Maybe you can help us out on our next kit too which will be a Ki-61 Tony. I'm flying the prototype with a two stroke .90 but the skinny nose really cries out for electric in order to keep it all hidden. Span is 71 inches and the prototype is just under 10 pounds as you see it here in it's primered state.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3.../FRT-QTR_3.jpg

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Thanks...I'm looking forward to this. Just ordered my kit today along with all the goodies I could afford.

I have been building and flying electrics since 1980. While mostly 1/6 and 1/4 scale Pioneer and WW1 aircraft, I look forward to my first WW2 bird since childhood (I won't say how long ago that was).

I guess I won't have the kit for a few weeks but when I do either Chad or I will post pics here of my modifications.

'Till then,

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Thanks Chad,

I am really looking forward to the electric conversion and Yes, I am more than willing to do what I can with the Toni as well. That is a sweet looking bird you have there. Man, I thought retirement was going to give me more time but it gave me more things to do...

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Thanks Charles, I'm sure I will be picking your brain at some point in the near future. I know it is quite a drive for you but Tighe and I are planning to attend a scale event with our Hellcats at Chino, CA in June. Come on down and wiggle the sticks on the prototype if you can spare a weekend.

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Let me know when and I'll be there if I can. Thanks for the advanced plan set, that will help a lot with the planning.

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

So i have spent the day riveting the rest of the fuselage. In the midst of battle with the vynil and transfer tape, my hands all cramped up I realized I am totally CRAZY!!!!!!!!!
I said to myself " Self when you are through riveting the fuse go count how may rivets it really is". This was my motivation to move on and now that the fuse is completly riveted I did just that
9,576 rivets according to the CAD file for the fuse alone
now on to the wing
Crazy i tell you "plane " Mad!!!
T

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

T...

How are you doing the rivets and at what stage (before paint, after glassing...)?

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

The rivets and panels are cut out of chrome vynil trim sheets. I glassed and finish sanded the entire airframe. Then you need to really clean it with a tack rag, next lay out the lines with a pencil ( be careful not to make your lines to heavy graphite is a lubricant and does not promote adhesion i have learned the hard way)
next i glue droped all the raised rivets (about 8000) now i am going to lightly primer and wet sand one final time it is ready for paint
Tighe

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Great! Sounds labor intensive, just my kind of mind-numbing pleasure. When do we get to see pictures of the process?

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

I will try to post something. Just so we are clear I did steal the idea from Chad! He did it on a Midwest T-6.
Tighe

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Has anyone seen or do they have a three-view of the British F6F-5 Mk 1/2 that's done up with invasion stripes? I located a three-view during one of my searches but lost it immediately and cannot find it again. It would make a colorful finish for my F6F.

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Charles,

I may be able to help you with the Royal Navy Hellcat scheme. If not there are several plastic models available that come with these markings and should have all the painting and decaling instructions with them. For example the 1/72 scale Hasegawa offering.

http://www.udisco.com/hobbies/pics/000262.jpg

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Well...I have tried to upload images of what I found during an extensive search on the web. Nothing seems to work. I have a couple pics of the color scheme I want so I'm good to go. Thanks.

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Whaddayano...it works!! Here then is another>>

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

These are not the pictures I originally found but they will serve the purpose. i like the visibility, my eyes will too.[8D]

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

It's going to take a considerable amount of work to make your Hellcat into a Wildcat Charles! Or a Martlet as the Wildcat was known in Royal Navy service. That one belongs to "The Fighter Collection" at Duxford in England :D

The Hellcat belonging to Tom Friedkin's "Cinema Air" is the airplane featured in the first pic you posted. There should be lots of pictures of this airplane on the web I would think. Here are a few to get you started:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Grumm...cat/1596552/L/
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Grumm...cat/1591702/L/
http://www.air-and-space.com/2007052...0front%20l.jpg
http://www.air-and-space.com/2005052...20side%20l.jpg

Here is some history on this particular airframe if you're interested, although the pic shows it in the paint job it wore prior to be repainted in British colors:
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f6fre...f6f-41930.html

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

...I knew that...[8D].....eyes, it's my eyes.


Thanks, those pictures are enough for me to do the job.

I may have to build another one for four-stroke gasoline. I have way too many engines.

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

I must have bad breath...what happened to everyone else?

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

If you need a place to "store" some of those engines Charles I can certainly help you out. ;)

Not sure where everybody went, must just be lurking for now. I know that there are at least four or five guys out there who are actively building. They must be too busy building to post pictures! With any luck I'll have some more pics of my flap set up to share in the next day or two.

I know Tighe has some interesting stuff that he could post pictures of as well, hint, hint.

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Boy...My second thought was maybe the mention of an electric may have chased everyone away.

You're the only one who's volunteered to store some of my many engines too. Waiting for a new 4-stroke gasser (Saito or O.S., can't remember which) to be delivered, When I receive it I may have to "store" some of the others. [sm=rolleyes.gif]

Looking forward to your flap set up (I'm not very creative but I can build up a storm).

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

Hey
I've been busy! :D
I will post pics this weekend if not later today. I made the molds for the cock pit control column, the scale carrier tail wheel and the yes i am casting rubber tires as well.
neat stuff!!!! in addition I have spent a tremendous amount of time applying rivets to the airframe. trying to work out the best way to offer it as a product. the panels and hatches are good, rivets are fine for me but not yet a quality product to offer for sale now that i have had a chance to use them for a while. The issue is my layout and the diameter of the rivet. they will be offered in some form but i dont want to put out junk.
Anyway, i am all most ready for paint another 6-8 hours and i will be ready!!!!!!!!!
Stay tuned

Tighe O'Meara

PS i would love to se others progress as well hope everyone is having fun!!!

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

I dropped by my buddy Robert's house today to have a look at his Hellcat progress. As you may recall, Robert is the guy building the Hellcat for warbird racing and will be using a YS 1.40 running an insane amount of nitro. He has made some structural changes to the airframe to suit his intended purpose including hard wood rather than balsa wing spars and fuse crutch, beefed up firewall, and dual carbon fiber elevator control rods. He has also made a few cosmetic changes to make it more raceplane-esque such as clipped wings and horizontal stab and a cap on the vertical fin. The changes to the tail were also incorporated to decrease the risk of flutter as there was some concern that the curved hinge line of the elevators and the mass balance tab on the rudder could cause problems. I think the changes, while not scale, make for a very elegant looking Hellcat and Robert's work is nothing less than stellar. The framed up airplane is a realy thing of beauty and I am looking forward to seeing it fly. By the way, the airframe as you see it here, complete with landing gear, air system, all servos, and including the YS 1.40, weighs in at ~8 pounds. If it breaks the 9.5 pound mark ready to fly I will be surprised. At that weight it should be a real joy to fly and, with any luck, will be competitive around the pylons. Onward and upward Robert!

No the wing panels are not mis-aligned, they are simply slid into place for the pictures!

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...T/DSCN2210.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...T/DSCN2209.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...T/DSCN2213.jpg

The dual elevator linkage set up which is stronger and allows for individual adjustment of each surface. This also shows his tail "stinger" which he built up rather than carving as shown on the plans. I will probably do something similar on my next Hellcat as well as I think it may be a better option. I will show the process here when I get to that point so you guys can choose which method you prefer.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...T/DSCN2212.jpg

The revised vertical fin and rudder as well as the fin fillet. Robert built up his fillet rather than using the vacuum formed part supplied in the kit.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...T/DSCN2208.jpg

Robert made his belly pan removeable to access his air system but did it a bit differently than on my prototype. My air system is mounted to the wing whereas Robert chose to mount his in the belly pan itself. He then made his belly pan attach to the wing rather than the fuselage so that it does not have to be removed when removing the wing. The belly pan stays with the wing, thereby allowing the entire air system to stay together, and only needs to be removed to service the air system when necessary.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...T/DSCN2207.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...T/DSCN2214.jpg

RE: The RCFW Hellcat Group Build
 

what retracts is he using?