smkrcflyer

I would like to build a US 60 from RCM planes. And I would like to start getting the wood together. Does anyone have a list of the wood that is needed (sizes and thickness)?

kdc

RCM plans are still going, and it took just under 3 weeks to receive the plan here in England. Quite good service & fine plan.
Materials list is included[img][/img]

smkrcflyer

I was wondering if anyone has compiled this into a shopping list.
Like 3-3x36x1/8, 4-3x4x1/4.

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

That's the Bill of Materials.

kdc

Yes, that is the shopping list on the enlarged list on the right hand side. All you need to do is buy that, however you may need to modify the more unusual sizes such as 5/16 and 5/8 and laminate them from smaller thicknesses. In fact the 5/16 specied for the trailing edge would be better replaced by a ready shaped trailing edge. Also you need to specify the grade for the intended use.

If the kit is available at the 99 dollars as a few months ago it would be better to buy that instead of the plans and materials! It is probably cheaper that way. Note the kit is slightly different with hollowed out wing ribs etc. The kit instruction manual is available (free ) online too.

smkrcflyer

Thatnks, I guess the kit would be the best way to go.

prgonzalez

Steve,

I am just finishing a US from RCM plans. All wood you need you can get for ~$60.00. At the end, the difference might be between $20 and $30 building from plans than building from kit. However, you can purchase the wood quality and grade you want.

cpeisher

My Feedback: (13)

I have been considering buying the kit, or building from the RCMplans. Ihave never scratch built a plane before, and i think i would enjoy the challenge, but i don't want to bother going through all the hassel of fishing around for every little part all over the internet and end up spending more to scratch build than i would to buy the kit. Which route did you opt to follow, kit or scratch build? Here is what i found in my initial research...

Where can you view the instructions? I went to great planes and they don't have them available on their website...
http://www.greatplanes.com/airplanes/gpma0410.html

nevermind...i found it here...

http://manuals.hobbico.com/gpm/us60-manual-pt1.pdf


In terms of cost, the kit itself seems to be around $125 here...

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXJ584&P=7

If you could assemble all the wood in the kit for $60...the plans cost $20.50 here
http://www.rcmplans.com/index.php?ma...oducts_id=1863

What about all the hardware that would be included in the kit? I can't find the canopy that is listed in that BOM, CANPY040, on Tower...

If the canopy is still available it's probably around $15, so 15+20.50+60 puts you around $95, and that doesn't include gear wire, clevises, pushrods, engine mount. So you would probably be around $125 with all of that included. That's not even counting shipping...

Seems like the kit is a no brainer in this regard.

prgonzalez- Were you saying that scratch building was$20-30 MORE than the cost of the kit, or $20-30 less? If it's less, can you share your source for parts and supplies?

cpeisher

My Feedback: (13)

Found the canopy, it's just listed under another part number...
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXJ945&P=7

SKYHI1

Hi,

Mike Hammer put together a wonderful website to building the Ultra Sport 60 from RCM plans. Mike has a wealth of info here.

http://tesla-2.dyndns.org/~mhammer/us60/

Good luck
Frank

smkrcflyer

I have not built one yet, but when I do I think I will build the kit (if its still available). I just think it would be a lot easier then getting parts from multiple places when you can get every ting in one box.

SKYHI1

Kits, are very cool.
Once you have more experience. It is just fun to get a set of plans. Figure out how it goes together. You get a decent band saw and you cut out your kit yourself.You acquire a surplus of wood and order what you need. It is kind of rewarding looking for the parts like canopies and engines cowls on the internet and trying to justify it or build it yourself.

Whatever is more fun for you. Most of the guys at the club just buy an ARF and fly it. I think it is cheaper to buy the arf than to build one. Especially when you factor in your time and the tools you buy to make the job easier.

Good luck.
Frank

cpeisher

My Feedback: (13)

I went through his entire build about 3 days ago. It's pretty well done. I keep telling myself with all teh little woodworking and RC rpojects i do that i should be taking pictures and posting the progress/process on the forums...i jsut never end up doing it...

Bill Diedrich

Lazer-Works in Wichita Falls, TX cuts a short kit for the RCM plans,
Ultra Sport 60
$58.72
By: RCM
#1048
Wingspan: 62 in.
60/90 Stroke
4/6 Ch. Radio

His wood selection is excellent, as he is also an avid builder,
I have 4 short kits that he has cut for me, all are of excellent
quality. Check his web site out: http://lazer-works.com/index.html

Bill D.

cpeisher

My Feedback: (13)

I'd love to scratch build it, and like you said i think i would enjoy the challenge of doing it that way...it's just hard to see around the problem of spending more for the scratch components than you would for the kit...for me anyway. I guess when i get a good supply of scrap balse from kits and plywood etc...it would make more "fiscal" sense. When it boils down to it though...we didn't get into tthis hobby to save money :-D

cpeisher

My Feedback: (13)

That seems like a great idea...so i would have to supply all the regular sheet and square stock like plywood, balse sheeting, spars, stringers etc?

And it's all laser cut...i've heard that laser cut kits go together better than die cut...is that true?

Bill Diedrich

I find that the parts fit is excellent with laser cut parts. As for the sheet stock & strip wood you supply that
and any and all hardware items. The short kit normaly is all parts ie: fuselage formers, wing ribs & tips, mostly
all parts including the ply parts that you would have to hand cut from a plan set. In some cases he will cut a pattern
so that laminated rin & rudder / stabalizer & elevator perimeter parts can be acurately duplicated with ease.

Bill D.

BTW I am sending Ed @ Lazer-Works the RCM plans to the Ultra Sport 1000 when they arrive from RCM Plans service.
I am having him cut me a parts package for the plans, have already received the canopy from Tower Hobbies, will
probably make it a 2 piece wing with a tube.

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

Laser-cut kits go together "better" only if good-quality drawings are made first. If you take a typical plans set, scan them, and then use the scanned plans as your cutting template, you'll likely be better-off if you cut out the parts yourself. Good-quality die-cut parts are as good as parts made by any other method. The laser, though, leaves a charred edge, which some say doesn't allow as good a glue joint as a raw wood edge will allow.

I've had die-cut kits that fit together superbly, and have seen laser-cut kits that needed a bit of work to get good parts fit. Some laser-cut kits have had problems with actual dimensions and shapes of the parts. It all boils down to the quality of the drawings and the tools used.

prgonzalez

cpeisher,

I purchased the wood, RCM plans, short kit from lazer-works, and canopy from tower when the Ultra Sport was still discontinued. It was the only way to go at that time. With the recent kit release, the initial price was higher than today's price. When it was re-released, I purchased two kits of the 60 size for the future. I haven't total the cost of the plane. But, I normally use third party hardware for control linkages, pushrods, and horns. So, I only use a few parts of the hardware that comes with the kit.

At this time, going with the kit is cheaper than going with the plans and short-kit. It could be almost even cost if cutting everything yourself. In my experience, I had more joy building it from plans.

Because I had everything for scratch/plan building, I stored the kits and built the RCM version of the model. I used both instructions, the GP version and the RCM instructions for the building process. However, I still made some minor modifications to my like. The final weight was 7.0 pounds. It is light considering it has seven servos. This one flies extremely smooth and floats like a trainer.

I also have a building thread with tons of pictures about the progress. The thread is called [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7714631/anchors_7714631/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#7714631]RCM Ultra Sport 60 mods[/link]

I had to cut the wing ribs because the ones that came with the short-kit were wrong. I am not sure what happened there but it was not worth the effort to get them replaced and stop the build.

cpeisher

My Feedback: (13)

What's the typical process if you choose to scratch build?  Do you make a 1:1 copy of the plans and then cut the templates from the copied set?  Then i guess you use a scroll saw or bandsaw to cut out the ribs and "die-cut" parts?  Seems like the potential for lots of tiny errors and small misalignments is pretty high.  Meaning, the likelyhood that a human could ever cut and shape by hand as accurately as a die cut or laser is pretty small, how do yo make all your #5 ribs the same, or make sure that forward fuse builkheads and firewall like up properly to give you the right amount of thrust etc?  Do most scratch builders strive for perfection in every peice, or just assemble a carefully as possible and true up the end product?

prgonzalez

I copied the plans and cut templates. I glued the templates to balsa sheets with 3M spray glue. To cut two identical #5 ribs, I joint two balsa sheets with double side adhesive tape. I put the tape at different points considering at least two pieces of tape within the ribs boundaries. If you follow my thread, you will see the pictures, pictures worth more than thousand words. I cut the ribs with scroll saw to be close to the border of the template. Then, I sanded the edges to be even closer following the template curves. Except for root rib and last rib (wing tip), I sanded them to the template line because they become my template for the wing overall shape.

I finished the ribs once they are framed up in the wing. I cover the curve of rib #1 and last rib with blue masking tape. Then I pass a sanding bar of the lenght of the wing over the whole wing. This way, all ribs in between first and last will follow the overall shape of the wing. Here you just need to be carefull to follow the curve the whole wing should have. Not complicated process. You just need to get rid of any bumps or depressions in the wing sheeting caused by oversize or undersize ribs.

For the 2° right thrust angle, it is a simple trigonometry problem. Knowing the width of the firewall, you just need the distance from the firewall to the center of the prop. So, you have to account for the engine mount spacing, etc.

Everyone of us here on RCU are happy to assist you in any questions you have.

Hope it helps.

Pedro

cpeisher

My Feedback: (13)

Did you have any trouble getting the plans copied, copyright and all? How much does it cost to get them copied? I ended up picking up a US60 kit w retracts. So most likely, i'll try and make templates of the parts from the kit i have, and that should eliminate my need to by the plans from RCM, right? Any advice for making templates from the existing parts in the US 60 kit i have?

prgonzalez

Kinkos did not make any trouble to me. Basically, I operated the copy machine. I am not sure if all Kinkos are that way.

If you already have a kit, sure you can use them as templates. Many modelers are now using kits as templates because they are being discontinued.

You can use a flat bed scanned for copying the small parts. It works perfectly.

M.Nelson0521

I have an Ultra Sport ARF that I am fixing up. Does anyone know where I can purchase a replacement engine cowl?

Thanks!

Hemikiller

My Feedback: (125)

Fiberglass Specialties - #GP-29

http://www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com/catalog.htm