My RC planes

[ams888]

Swordfish?

[planecrazy]

Dec 8, 2018 21:02:28 GMT 12 ams888 said:

Swordfish?

Good guess close but no cigar!



Been plodding along with a Stearman to Avro Cadet conversion, slapped on some
paint, need a few coats to get over the original yellow and blue. The Cadet had top
and bottom wing ailerons, so cut then slaved via wire, will be interesting to see how
she rolls now? Next get stuck into some detail, engine, cockpit and pilot. From the
little bit of reading up I have done on the Cadet she was designed to compete with
the Tiger Moth as a trainer, almost looks like they went to the De Havilland factory
and stole some the rudder?

[planecrazy]

Slapped some paint on the other British Biplane, all brushed I have tried airbrushing,
you need so many coats to get things even. One coat of base white then three coats
of top coat to get a good look. I must weight one of these before and after to see how
much actual weight I am adding?

The scheme from all I can find on the net is accurate, the North African desert flown
with 3 Sqn RAAF, I like how the wings are different browns and while you can’t see
she has half black half white undersides, you can just see have added flaps, more on
this later. The hand painted fin flash was a bit of a curse to get right.

[planecrazy]

Have the a bit of a biplane bug at present, the little Waco is by Airwing can’t find
much on her on the net, one thing I will say about her is way better quality than
other micros, really good hinge and control surface set ups. Came RTF with a
2.4 radio which is also the charger, converted her to a full Spektrum set up, added
a pilot and changed the colour to racy red, yet to fly since mods!?

[planecrazy]

Stearman to Avro Cadet all done also, mods, lengthened rear of fusy, scratch built
tailplane and fin, added upper ailerons via a link, new working undercart as in it can
move to take landings, detailed the engine with exhaust, pushrod tubes added, pilot
and RAAF trainer scheme paint job. Yet to fly will wait and see may be interesting
with the longer fusy!?







Asked before but be interested to hear why Avro used a De havilland fin, from
what I have found on the net the Cadet was a direct competitor to the Tiger Moth.
The RAAF evaluated both and chose the Cadet for various reasons, you would
think in the spirit of competition the last thing you would do is use a fin that looked
like the competitors machine!

[Dave Homewood]

That looks really cool, well done.

[planecrazy]

Thanks Dave, well maiden flights didn't go so well, Waco crashed and damaged the motor
mount, had reduced the aileron roll rate as I had figured with dual ailerons she might be
aggressive in roll. Lucky I had plenty of rudder control and that's what got her home, back
to the building board for her!

Cadet a bit better although very tail heavy as predicted having lenghtened the fusy, hate
adding weight but small amounts of lead will need to be added in the nose to get a better
C of G, bit of time on the building board for her as well!

Could have been worse nothing totalled!

[planecrazy]

Had a much better session tonight than the other day, bit of lead in the nose
of the Cadet got her putting around the sky as only a basic trainer should.


Been getting some okay results pulling still shots off go pro video, they turn out a
bit soft, can’t complain the grainy look gives a bit more realistic feel to the images.


Gabby Gabreski’s late model Thunderbolt operated out of the UK in 1944.


Royal Air Force South East Asian Conflict Thunderbolt.

[planecrazy]

Couple more screen shots off go pro footage, topside pass in front of the mountains.


Trying to accomplish a bit of a wartime taken photo so black and white for this one.

[planecrazy]

Bit of a progress report on the Waco to Gladiator conversion, again I’m going
a bit over the top on this job! Top and bottom wing flaps will be linked like the
ailerons, pilot will be linked to the rudder so he look where he’s going! Top wing
has been shortened, cowl fattened, cockpit detail, guns, rear wheel moved to
scale position mains as well, paint, decals and weathering etc.

[campbellbox]

Loving that black and white P40 shot, and the SEA P47 looks great too.

[planecrazy]

Couple of pic’s of the recently completed Mustang to Yak 3 conversion, passing
Mt Lidgbird 2550ft and Mt Gower 2850ft in the background.

[planecrazy]

Bit more progress with the Waco to Gladiator conversion, have held off refitting
the top wing to get the fuselage detail done, pilot is attached by a simple arm to
the rudder link, he turns and looks the way the rudder points the plane. Cockpit
with gunsight, dash with gauges, seat with straps and canopy covers.


Panel lines with a pencil and added all the flying wires, yet to fit the under wing
303s, fuselage guns fire up the channels in front the name. “Sweet Sue” named
after Peter St George Turnbull’s personal 3 Sqn mount that flew in Egypt.


Underside, exhaust, and air intake and you can see the lower flaps will be linked
to the also added upper wing flaps via a wire similar to the ailerons.



Getting closer the upper wing will be taped so I can take it off, flaps and ailerons
linked up, motor in and she is ready for test flying, gulp!

[planecrazy]

Have the Gladiator ready to maiden after mods but been way too windy, wind can help with
maiden flights but not 20 plus knots of the stuff! So in the meantime started on another
project that has been bubbling away in the back of my brain!

Purchased a couple of these a while back in a clearout sale, sadly they are now discontinued,
pitty as they are one of the better 1 cell 3.7 volt flyers. First one stayed pretty stock apart
from adding a few guns and a new uniform! Must have been terrifying being on the end of
twelve .05 cal machine guns!



This one a bit more extreme and perhaps a little modelled aeroplane?Should be pretty easy
to work out where this one is going, the small blue foam bits should be a fair hint?

[Deleted]

I loved the Cadet, the Gladiator was very imaginative, and now a Neptune? I love it! More power to you!

[planecrazy]

Thanks Zac have a bit of a disease re rc planes, fully hooked, planecrazy!

[planecrazy]

Bit more progress on the Neppie first coats of paint, doing her as a RAAF early
model, the white paint was added to decrease internal temperatures.


The RAAF had from the early model P2V-4s with gun turrets to the later model
P2V-7/SP-2H, most of the earlier model RAAF Neptunes where upgraded. I’m
doing mine as a bit of an interim, the earlier models had a not raised canopy,
jets added and less streamlined wing tip pods. I left the mid upper turret even
though they were removed with the upgrades, it is linked to the rudder so it turns
with the rudder.


So far one coat thinking at least two if not three coats will be required, especially
the white.

[planecrazy]

Neptune ready for maiden after conversion from Mitchell, had to add three coats
of white and two blue to get decent coverage.


Mods include additions to nose, tail and wing tips, underwing jets, radar randome,
sanded off the cowl flaps to look are Neptune like, new fin, used the original tailplane
with tips from the Mitchell's twin rudders, added a link to the rudder so the turret
moves with the rudder. To achieve the nose area and cockpit panels painted satin
black then dry brushed silver over the top, not fantastic but will do.


Made the removable nose longer so I can access the electronics and this is where the
battery mounts, you can just see a length of wood in there, this is one piece in the shape
of the under fuse randome, figured this will cope a bit of action belly landing so quite long
and therefore strong.


She fits in the original box with a few mods, made the wing tip pods so they are removable
and cut some foam out of the foam carrier to suit the jets and randome.


Mitchell and Neptune, where she came from.


Want to do some weathering add serials and spinners but ready for flight, been a little
windy of late, got a bit of a hammering from a cyclone called “Oma” 68 knot gust recorded
down at the airport, bit much for a little foam rc plane!

[thebrads]

Bloody impressive the work you perform with these conversions/modifications!

[planecrazy]

Thanks mate, centre of gravity may be tricky on this one with the addition
to the tail, plenty of room under the nose to get that correct I am hoping?!