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Building Tips and technical articles. => 1/2 A building. => Topic started by: Gary Dowler on June 29, 2017, 02:25:37 AM

Title: F7F 1/A profile
Post by: Gary Dowler on June 29, 2017, 02:25:37 AM
Started this in 1982.  Never quite finished it.  It done now and after sitting in a closet or hanging from a wall in various houses for 35 years its finally done and had a engine run test.  Ready for its first flight.
Title: Re: F7F 1/A profile
Post by: john vlna on June 29, 2017, 06:14:57 AM
Looks great for being 35, good luck on your maiden voyage, better late than never.
Title: Re: F7F 1/A profile
Post by: john e. holliday on June 29, 2017, 09:54:17 AM
I await the flight reports.  Looks good for its age. H^^
Title: Re: F7F 1/A profile
Post by: Gary Dowler on June 29, 2017, 10:45:26 AM
Fly it shall. One half of the stab/elev had been broken off and needed replacement. Only thing left is a mild warp in the outer panel of the inboard wing. Might have to open the wing up to remove it. Tried steaming it out but this didn't do much with it all sealed up.
It never got done because I was building ahead of my understanding. Wanted to maintain clean profile for both sides so I mounted both engines (Cox 049's in firewall mounts) on the inner side of the nacelles. This meant, as I figured out, that the outboard engine would never have gotten fuel.  Pulled these off and mounted a pair of tanked 049's (goldenbees by any other name) and rebalanced it. Was originally made by patterning it from the plans of a rubber powered kit for the dimensions. Built up wing, slab fuselage.
It might fly, it might die, but it will be glorious either way! 
Title: Re: F7F 1/A profile
Post by: Steve Berry on June 30, 2017, 08:40:40 AM
Good looking plane.  Well done.

Only suggestion, and this is something that I myself "might" do, would be to turn the cylinders horizontal on the engines.  Leave the tanks as they are, but rotate the crankcase & cylinders to horizontal to provide a "cleaner" looking profile.  Off hand, I can't remember if that would have any affect on the engine runs, but I think it would look neat, especially while flying.

Just my 2¢.
Title: Re: F7F 1/A profile
Post by: john e. holliday on June 30, 2017, 09:49:34 AM
The cylinders help protect needle valve in case of inverted landing.
Title: Re: F7F 1/A profile
Post by: john vlna on June 30, 2017, 07:44:52 PM
The engines will run fine that way, as Doc says just don't land upside down
Title: Re: F7F 1/A profile
Post by: 944_Jim on July 16, 2017, 06:36:47 PM
This is cool! Are the flaps linked, or are the built for static adjustments?
What plans were used?
What's the wingspan?

Thanks,
Title: Re: F7F 1/A profile
Post by: Tim Wescott on July 16, 2017, 07:34:19 PM
So, has it flown?
Title: Re: F7F 1/A profile
Post by: Trostle on July 16, 2017, 10:55:36 PM
I would suggest to use less rudder offset.  No more than 1/8" to 3/16" is all that is needed.  That tall rudder and with the offset shown in the pictures, the plane will want to roll left, more than the rudder offset will help to keep the nose yawing right.  not a good combination.

Keith.
Title: Re: F7F 1/A profile
Post by: Gary Dowler on July 17, 2017, 01:23:55 AM
I think you are right. When I built it in the early 80's I had little experience with such things. I'll be altering it before it flies.