News:


  • March 28, 2024, 11:12:19 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Author Topic: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"  (Read 10630 times)

Offline kenneth cook

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • ******
  • Posts: 1464
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #50 on: July 13, 2018, 01:52:36 PM »
           I have the .19-.29 size version. It was designed to be more scale. It flies, not real well. I can nurse it into a huge loop. I have a Mccoy .19 in it with the craziest tongue muffler. The exhaust exits out of the bottom of the cowl rather than out the side. I used a Dubro strap to hold it onto the cylinder which you can tighten through the front of the cowling. It's fun though and I do enjoy flying it.

Offline 944_Jim

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 840
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #51 on: July 13, 2018, 07:57:35 PM »
Landing gear details...and how did you do your control surface "gap" lines? They are so, mmmm, perfect? I'm guessing templates for the shape. But the lines are so even, corners are crisp and sharp, and no fuzzy paint bleeds!

Offline john e. holliday

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 22752
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #52 on: July 14, 2018, 11:16:42 AM »
The plane looks awesome in the pics.   Remember this is a scale model not a stunter.   The small elevator should work great if not too nose heavy or tail heavy either.   I a wait the flight reports. H^^
John E. "DOC" Holliday
10421 West 56th Terrace
Shawnee, KANSAS  66203
AMA 23530  Have fun as I have and I am still breaking a record.

Offline goozgog

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *****
  • Posts: 551
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #53 on: July 14, 2018, 05:37:03 PM »
  Thanks Doc. I don't consider it a scale plane.
It's a model of a model, but you're right. I won't
be stunting this..

  Andre, I remember the Cox Helldiver and it was
a great looking plane. I would use the techniques
I used on the Spitfire for something that big.
  The plane that is just begging to be built using
the molding techniques is a Focke Wulf 190. That
plane would almost jump off the building board.

  Jim, The landing gear doors are easy to understand
and the pictures show everything. TopFlite interpreted
the P-47 doors as a long stick glued to a funny shape
like an upside down lollypop. I had to look at pictures
of actual P-47's to decide on the real shape of the doors.
  I cut the shape, including the leg out of 1/32 ply.
If you look carefully ,you can see where the 1/16" wire
is bent to form the axle, goes through a hole in the
plywood door.  That positions it on the wire leg.
  I then cut a piece of 3/32" balsa the same shape
as the leg, made a groove in it and sandwiched the wire
between the balsa leg and the plywood one. Lots of
little clamps and 5 minute epoxy. I cleaned the wire
with acetone and 200 grit paper before I assembled
everything.

  There is all kinds of information here in Stunthanger
about drawing panel lines and the real experts know
much more than me. 
  Anyway, I used an old fashioned Rapidograph drafting
pen that are hard to get. There are better pens available
but I think all of them require a coat of crystal clear dope
to make them fuel proof.
I have doped over the ink lines that you can see.
  I didn't use a template. I outlined where I wanted the
lines with masking tape and just drew inside that line
using a ruler. I marked on the tape where the hinges
needed to go.

I have to brag a little. My Spitfire build thread just
went over 17,000 views. Maybe the 1/2A forum isn't
so sleepy. 
 <=

  Just for fun.. a couple more pictures!
Keith Morgan

Offline Bill Sequira

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Ensign
  • **
  • Posts: 26
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #54 on: July 23, 2018, 06:55:54 PM »
Hi Keith,

The plane looks great! My lady Joni says hello. I'm glad you were able to find what you needed to make your beautiful plane complete. It was great talking with you at Brodak's. I'm looking forward to seeing you and your T-bolt next year. Keep up the good work my friend.

Bill

Offline Larry Renger

  • 21 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 3995
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #55 on: July 23, 2018, 08:11:00 PM »
Beware of that prop, I have had them shed blades just on starting! At least boil the heck out of it and be VERY aware it might fail. Perhaps run it on an engine on a test stand so you can't damage your gorgeous model!

Perhaps that prop for show and an APC or Master Airscrew for flying. I am finding that even the Cox props are not reliable! (How sad that is!)
Think S.M.A.L.L. y'all and, it's all good, CL, FF and RC!

DesignMan
 BTW, Dracula Sucks!  A closed mouth gathers no feet!

Offline goozgog

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *****
  • Posts: 551
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #56 on: July 26, 2018, 04:39:40 AM »
Hello Larry !
     
  I have been hoping that you are watching
this thread since it's an extension of the Spitfire.
Again, I am very grateful for your help with it.
17,000 + views shows the good influence that
Cox had on generations of kids.

  I won't be using the old Top-Flite prop for flying.
The reason it's on the plane is because that's what
I could buy as a kid. I want to keep the red type
from being dissolved by the fuel.

  This P-47 is so light that I'm considering a
full blown 1/2A stunter more or less using the
dimensions of your Chipmunk. I think it could be
light enough to have a Product Engine up front.
I have TD's, Black Widows and lots of engines
with the plastic back plates, so I need a plane
for them.  I'll try to draw real plans and keep it
easy to build.
 Another winter project.  y1

Cheers! - K.
Keith Morgan

Offline Dane Martin

  • 21 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 2804
  • heli pilot BHOR
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #57 on: August 06, 2018, 08:00:28 PM »
Remarkable job Keith! This is absolutely beautiful.

Offline goozgog

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *****
  • Posts: 551
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #58 on: August 07, 2018, 07:46:49 AM »
Hey Dane,  Thanks for taking the time to say so.

  The news is that I flew the P-47 last Friday but
didn't get any pictures. I should be able to put up
a photo op flight this weekend, then I'll write a
complete report.

  Chris Brownhill flew the first flight while I fiddled
with details, then I flew a few more for a total of
five.
  Chris and I agree that this is an easy but very
exciting plane to fly.  It will never stunt but that's
not what it's for. It's fast and stable.
  All my doubts about the under cambered wing
and the tiny elevator were wrong.  It is amazingly
fun to fly.

More coming soon! - K.   y1
Keith Morgan

Offline john e. holliday

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 22752
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #59 on: August 07, 2018, 01:59:58 PM »
That is great news about the flight.   H^^
John E. "DOC" Holliday
10421 West 56th Terrace
Shawnee, KANSAS  66203
AMA 23530  Have fun as I have and I am still breaking a record.

Offline goozgog

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *****
  • Posts: 551
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #60 on: August 27, 2018, 04:45:25 PM »
   It's time to wrap this up! 
Finally an in flight picture of Mr. Chris Brownhill
showing his moves.
  I was fiddling with the camera, but everyone assures
me that Chris coaxed the P-47 through a loop,
tiny elevator and all.

  It was a beautiful day at the SOCC ( Southern
Ontario Control line  Conference ) and before
things got serious we got the Thunderbolt into
the air twice.  It's very lively with just a baby bee
pulling, moves fast and lands with a bounce.

  The picture of me holding it is after 8 flights
and I have learned a few things.

- A weak spot is where the wing meets the edge
of the fuselage shell. One rough landing cut the
wing neatly at that line. No problem fixing it, but
next time I will harden the area at the fuselage wing
seam with CyA before I bond it with the epoxy fillet.
I might also add a second layer of silkspan over the
center section of the wing.

- I was using 35 foot, 10 lb "spider wire" lines to begin
with but they tangle very easily so I was back to
old fashioned Dacron in the pictures.

- 25% nitro fuel left white patches on the clear dope
final coat, so I just used 10% Riches Brew and it
solved that issue.

- The cowl works very well. It stayed on the plane
during bad landings and the heat from the engine
didn't touch it, but, after five flights the leading edge
cracked. I simply molded a new ring that I CyA'd
on to the cowl and that fixed it.
  I should probably modify my Bottle Trick cowl post
and show how to mold a re-enforcing ring into the
inside of the cowl.

  Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread.
I had a lot of fun and I love this little
blast from the past.

Cheers! - K
Keith Morgan

Offline Chancey Chorney

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *****
  • Posts: 621
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #61 on: August 30, 2018, 08:13:37 PM »
Sorry for being absent here lately, but I have just been busy. But anyhow, great report on the little plane, and glad it flew well for you. However, now after a good picture of you holding it, it sure looks like a little plane for an .049, but what do I know? n~

So, what is next on the drawing board? ;D

Offline goozgog

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *****
  • Posts: 551
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #62 on: September 03, 2018, 03:28:15 AM »
Hello Chancey!

      You're right ! This is a very small plane.
That's why a baby bee is lots of power for it.

  Yesterday, we were at The Beanfield for Brad
LaPointe's annual fun fly. It was windy, about
15 to 20 MPH, and the P-47 just wouldn't get
going.
  I think it has something to do with the under
camber of the wing and the changing angle of
attack in the turbulence. Anyway, no damage
except to some egos..

  What next?  Now that I have some experience
with molded planes and how light they are, a
full 1/2A stunter that looks like a long nose
Focke Wulf  190 Dora would be a perfect design
for these techniques.
 y1

Cheers! - K 


Keith Morgan

Offline GallopingGhostler

  • 23 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 510
Re: Top Flite Form-Flite Thunderbolt 18"
« Reply #63 on: September 15, 2018, 06:16:28 PM »
Nice build, goozgog, appears to be a very accurate representation of a kit build, yep that's what they looked like. I built T/F's Japanese Zero back in high school in the early 1970's, painted it Pactra Stinson Green dope with sky blue bottom, put a Cox .020 Pee Wee in front. Looked too good, hung it in my bedroom ceiling as a display model. Liked the rubber wheels with brass eyelet collars for wheel bearings, used Goldberg music wire wheel keepers.


Advertise Here
Tags:
 


Advertise Here