Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Guys,

I am currently part way through building the Catalina by Bud Chappell (RCM Plans) and have been taking some photos as I have been going along . . . I have posted a couple of times on my local club web site but as I am one of the only water plane nut the interest has been small - was hoping for some advance as the build progresses and it may help with the enthusiasm - you know what it's like . . . :-)

I was fortunate to pick up a pair of good OS.10FP 's from a swap meet and have run them up, all is well.

Standard tools, permagrit and softbore all to hand to aid a quick build, also I have a good friend that has been helping as well from time to time.

Any way I have made my own wing to the same dimensions and profile but using the traditional D BOX section wing and after emailing a couple of other builders / flyers of this model I have decided to add ailerons . . . pictures below, as I said any advice etc would be magic (I have just orderd the Ivan Pettigrew 83" Minicat plans as well - I see a pair of OS 46LA's for that though)

Build started Xmas week 2007.

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Here are some more pictures . . .

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

And the current batch . . .

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Sorry, no advice. But for encouragement, IT LOOKS GREAT! Well done so far! :D[sm=thumbup.gif]

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Done some more this evening . . . at last it is starting to resemble a catalina, I gave the wing struts some thought before tackling them but I am please with the result . . .

http://leenvalleymodelflyingclub.co....75_G.sized.jpg

http://leenvalleymodelflyingclub.co....76_G.sized.jpg

http://leenvalleymodelflyingclub.co...._001.sized.jpg

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

I like your quality of construction.
Keep us posted.

A word of advice.
Change those props. Not enough pitch. :)

Rich

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Rich, V funny about the props . . . :D

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

My boat . before paint.

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

It is 1:00 am over there ? Night operations. :)

Rich

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Looks like a nice job your doing . Keep at it, that is a real nice flyer. I have seen Bud fly that PBY at several of the float flys in the CT MA area and it performs very well. I would use small light servos and a litest battery pack you can. Bud has always flown small aircraft using the OS 10-15 size motors. I have a copy of the PBY plans and also a copy of his Britton Norman Islander land ship for 2 10 size motors. Another great flying plane from a talented designer.

Good Luck and Good Flying.


Peace

Mark O
:D:D:D

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Mad man is right on the small servos on boats. The Martin Clipper was first fitted with flexiable pushrods to the tail surfaces. Had to put a 7 cell NIMH right in the nose to get the COG right.
Few flights later I pulled out all the flex suff and put in PULL - PULL using 4# Nylon fish line just lightly snugged up. 3.5' of no slop control.

WAHOOO!

The battery is now right at the COG and so is everything else. So much nicer to just pull the wing and there is everything. Now that I am switched over to LIFEPO4 cells on everything , there was no COG problem involved.

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Boys, thanks for the input . . Mad you say to use small servo's - I have on the addtion of ailerons and also I have for the independent throttle controls for a bit more user friendlyness, but the elevator and rudder servo are shown as standards, do you think they are over kill? I will post some more pictures tonight . . . oh the Britton Norman Islander land ship where could I get those plans from? I have a pair of spare .15'as as well . . .

The PBY plan suggests sheeting the hull in 1/64 ply, but I opted for 1/16 balsa as I want to dope and tissue then spray it . . .

Do you know what the recommended weight is for the PBY2?

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Mounted the servos in the wings and finished the sheeting, started on the nacels . . .

http://leenvalleymodelflyingclub.co....80_G.sized.jpg

http://leenvalleymodelflyingclub.co....78_G.sized.jpg

http://leenvalleymodelflyingclub.co....79_G.sized.jpg

http://leenvalleymodelflyingclub.co....82_G.sized.jpg

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Glad the nacels are finished, not a pleasent job really . . . thank the Lord for permagrit tools that's all I can say . . .

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Thought I would get back on the Budd Chappell Catalina build, been a bit side tracked with my club web site and a vintage Junior 60 build as well . . . I have got a load of advice and have been tissue and doping the fuselage, I've decided that all these curves will be to difficult to cover so I figured that if I cover it with tissue and dope I can spray it will celulose car paint. Thing is tissue and dope is not all that easy and Im a real novice - just keep sanding and re doping. Very surprised with the addtional strenght it gives the airframed and you can just tell it's really getting to be waterproof. Also I opted to cover my fuse in 1/16th balsa as opposed to 1/64 ply so I could do with the extra strength . . .

I have been given some tip floats that I am contemplating using as well as they are foam covered with wing skinning material and are really light and strong.

The nacels have had there first coat of white enamel, I know that a brushed look on the nacels will not be great - but again trying to cover them in film would be tough. I just really want to get the bird done so I think I may end up with some compromises . . . if it flies nicely I'll go back and refinish some of the build. :-)

I have just taken delivery of a GP catalina as well . . . I am contemplating making a new set of wings and fitting 2 x GP .07, I really dont care much for electric - any idea's on this anyone?

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Had another small burst of enthusiasm so decided to do some more on the catalina . . . This model is not surposed to have ailerons but I will feel allot better if I can control the roll of plane in addtional to rudder control - but with adding ailerons introduces problems of mounting the tip floats in away so that they are free to fold up incase of a water loop (so not to destroy the wing) They suggested way of attaching them prior to adding ailerons was to band them over the leading and trailing edge - ah the ailerons are there now ? . . .

I am now a fan of celulose dope - you get such a great seal just with a couple of coats and the flair enamel goes on top so nicely . . . finally got around to making a stand as well!

Finished painting the tip floats now - really please with the Flair spectrum enamel . . .

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

very nice

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

The only good thing about bad weather is that you get loads of building done instead. I finally found the inspiration to start covering the wings, once I got into it it wasnt really that much of a slog. I was quite pleased I managed to cover the white section in a single roll - I know the colouring are not scale but I wanted to use the materials I had and also believe that you stand a much better chance of keeping your model alive if you can see it easily, most of the catalina's I found pictures of seemed to either be a white, camoflage or silver . . . anyway a good days modelling was had!

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Trying for that final push to get it done for the beggining of the season . . . I rushed the paint work abit really so i'm a little dissapointed with the finish, I think I may leave it how it is for the time being and see how she flys then depending on that give it another sand and paint. All the radio is in and set up, 30 grams of lead was added to balance her up - AUW dry is 4.3lbs, I think that is in spec? Any body know? Any way, some small jobs left to do, some lock tight here and paint touch up there before I get her feet wet . . . you get the gist.

I started building this Christmas week so am happy to get it done within 3 months but if I knew wahat was involved I would not have started it, why kyosho stopped their Catalina kit I will never know . . . also I have built a Junior 60 from plan in that time as well . . . [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7217431/tm.htm]Junior 60 > > [/link]

Any body else built one of these catalina's and can tell me what I can expect? Oh, having ailerons on a model that was not designed with them is making me little nervous so any advice would be appreciated. I have put a little mechanical aileron diff in for good measure!

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Hi Scotty

Should have gone electric, instead of those ugly smell, oily things :D

So when are you going to test fly her?

Cheers
George

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Congratulations; she's beautiful!

Did you consider using a three blade propeller, like the original plane?

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

I do have a pair of 3 bladed props to try - but I want to try the 2 bladed first I think . . . I will be building an Ivan Pettigrew Catalina in the future and will probably go brushless on that one!

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

What a beautiful job you've done.

One of the nice things about using 10's, if they're not enough, you can easily swap in hot 15s. (I've done this twice on birds that came out a little heavier than what I'd hoped for.)

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Guys,

Just a quick update as I finally managed to maiden the Budd Chappell Catalina today . . . all I can say is WOW! I am so, so pleased with the out come, after a couple of engine tuning issues it soon became apparent that this a going to be one of my favourite water planes. All the hardwork and keeping it nice an light has paid off. The addition of ailerons played dividens on the take off as well as the additional step just back from the CG.

The take off was uneventfull and even with 2 x .10's it reaches it's maximum speed and will climb @ quite a steeply with out stalling, although the wing was built with traditional D Box construction as apposed to the plan way I retained all the profiles together with the wash out which enables it to fly slowly along with not haveing a tendency to just let go . . .

Although the ailerons were a must on take off Budd Chappell was right in saying that it will fly on just the rudder . . .

When one engine went out at resonable altitude I just thought that it went out of trim, it just started to do large circles - this is definately a twin that will fly one engine, when I say fly you can continue to fly it around no problems.

I am so pleased that I stayed with the 2 x .10's as apposed the .15's at 4.5 lbs it was on half throttle most of the time.

By the end of the day I was flying large cirles about 10 feet of the deck at such a slow speed - it was enchanting . . . I am so proud :D

Below are some pictures taken with a mobile phone so not great, hoping to get a couple of some picture taken by a friend with a high digital SLR later.

RE: Catalina PBY2 - Budd Chappell
 

Marvelous. Simply marvelous.

Now I can't decide between this one and the Fred Novack 72" one. (Uses 32s)