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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: Tom Niebuhr on December 02, 2013, 09:35:03 AM
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Don Hutchinson has drawn many Profile Warbirds. His drawing are amazingly detailed and although they each have a twist from the norm, the all fly great for the Warbird Stunt Events.
Among his Warbirds are :
North American T-6-G
Douglas SBD Dauntless
Curtiss P-40 C and Q versions on one print
Grumman F6F Hellcat
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Vought F4U Corsair F4U and F2G versions on one print
Stearman PT-17/N2S3
Beechcraft D17 Staggerwing
Douglas A-1H Skyraider
Grumman TBF Avenger
P-47
51D
Skyraider
51H
*T34C
To my knowledge, only 1 T-6, 2 SBD's and 1 Stearman have been finished.
These airplanes are fairly close to scale and those that are flying have proved to be winners.
Baton Rouge has contest for Warbirds of any era and can be either Profile or full bodied. It is fun event that is growing.
I have introduced my Avenger build in the open forum, and now I will cover the build here.
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Here is the start of my Avenger.The frame work is made up of a 1/2" balsa core with 1/8' x 1/2", and 1/4" x 1/2" for the aft fuselage.
Since the Avenger has a very fat fuselage it looks short coupled but really is not. The nose is relatively short to accommodate the scale dimensions, but the hinge to hinge dimension is 15 5/8" which is similar the better airplanes of the Classic era. But.... the airfoil is very modern. For the scale like nose Don recommends installing a permanent 2 ounce weight built into the nose.
The Avenger is not for old Foxes or Vecos. It will be under powered with too much vibration when using those older engines. A modern .36 to .40 is recommended. Mine is set up for either an FP.40 or LA.46. I am favoring the .46.
As shown I have to install the tail wheel mount and the nose weight, and then the fuselage can be closed up.
I have commitments to address for the next couple weeks, then I can devote more time to the Avenger and my full bodied McDonnell Banshee.
Stay tuned.
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There is also a J-3 Cub drawing. As for the lead in the nose, well, the plans are done as close to scale in the profiles as I can make them and not turn them into a caricature of the real thing. Unfortunately, the real things had a HEAVY engine up there so the models do need some lead added. I have about 5-6 ounces in the SBD, all put in after final paint job. It is much easier to bury it in the nose before adding the doublers.
I have the masters of the F-51-H, the J-3 and the T-34.
The other drawings can be ordered from Control line Central. Jim Snelson recently told me he will still provide drawings upon request via e-mail.
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Thank's for posting this build Tom, I'll be watching with interest. y1
Don,
What email should one use to reach Jim? I've been trying to contact them for a while now about some possible decal work and have had no luck at all. ???
http://stunthanger.com/smf/index.php?topic=33335.0
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I've got copies of most of Hutch's plans, they're all exceptionally nice designs.
A few years ago I remember seeing one of Hutch's P-38's all framed up in the same shop with a Hutch Dauntless over on Stuka Stunt. I tried a few times to find out more info, and/or if it ever got finished, but couldn't ever get any response. If the '38 ever got finished it would be great to see some pics and info on it. If anyone does have more info on this model please don't derail Tom's post here, just start a new one. y1
Here is the SSW post:
http://www.clstunt.com/htdocs/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=295250&mesg_id=295250&listing_type=search
EDIT:
I just did some more searching on SSW about my question here. Through this search I've just learned that the P-38 and Dauntless I've been asking about were projects of one Al Kraus, who has passed away since the post in question. I am sad to hear of this development and I apologize for any offense anyone may have taken here.
I also learned through the same search that the projects were taken over by another modeler. Hopefully that person will let us know of any further progress.
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Wayne,
Any pictures of finished Hutch Profile Warbirds are welcome here. I hope that progress on my build will encourage people to build these great designs. I hope the P-38 is completed. Al Kraus did a great job. He certainly was a great modeler.
One correction to description above. Don suggests 4 ounces of permanent weight in the nose of the Avenger. Other variables are the weight of the engine/muffler used and how light you can build the aft fuselage. Using a Higley prop hubs can also help. They are both aluminum and brass. Adding lead in the engine backplate is another possibility.
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Just a thought here Tom...
With this design there is a lot of "unused" space below the bottom engine bearer and the bottom of the fuselage outline. It would be very easy to incorporate a weight box with a flush fitting cover below the engine. Depending on the projected amount of necessary weight it could be designed as a square or a rectangle, situated front to rear, to use the common square flat 1/4 ounce tip weights. Doing the compartment would be kind of like when a profile fuel tank is mounted or recessed "in" the fuse, but then with a cover added. If vertical CG is a concern it could be done above the engine instead.
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Good idea about making a weight box at the front of the warbirds. I would suggest about 2 to 3 ounces buried above the engine mounts and an adjustable weight box below. Sad that they need that much ballast up there but it doesn't seem to harm the flying quality of the airplanes. Joe Gilbert has won a ton of meets with the T-6-G. It probably has well over 1000 flights on it and the balsa doublers in the nose are holding up beautifully, also there are no cracks around the wing leading edges. He is also using a four stroke engine in it. The construction technique has far exceeded my expectations!
I think my last contact with Jim Snelson was at clcentral@msn.com
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It's been posted before (but probably not from this angle) but here's the Dauntless in bare bones. Any interest and I can post more. 8)
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More, please.
Cool plane!
Marcus
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Don't want to hijack Waynes thread but hopefully these will inspire others to build one of these great designs.
Right side, Flap details. Inner and outer both operational, connected with Lucky Box. Plane constructed from CLC Short Kit. 8)
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Hi Pete-
Looking at the photo of the flap horn I am wondering how Jim set up the control system in the kit. The prototype was set up to have about 20 degrees flap travel for 30 degrees of elevator travel. The reason I did this is because the real airplane had large dive flaps and I made the model to look right. If they have equal travel you may find the airplane will not turn very well due to the flap pitching force. As it is the model turns very well as does the T-6-G, much to the chagrin of those who first see it as a "cute" profile model!
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Hi Don, great to hear from you. I don't have the plans or plane anymore. They were re-drawn for the kit but I'm sure they show the throws you recommend. Any deviations would be due to my less-than-scientific approach to building and hardware choice. I did use a Tom Morris adjustable elevator horn and set it up so there was more elevator travel than flap travel. It seemed to work as the model flew excellent. Last time I talked to Jim he was not going to sell the Dauntless plans separate, only with the short kit of which he had a few left. 8)
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Thanks, Pete. That's what a guy likes to hear when someone else builds one of his designs.
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Here is another of Hutch's planes; the J-3 Cub. I changed it into a built-up fuselage instead of a profile, but everything else is per the plans. (moments, airfoil, etc.)
It is a good stunt flyer. OS 46LA
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Don't want to hijack Waynes thread but hopefully these will inspire others to build one of these great designs.
Right side, Flap details. Inner and outer both operational, connected with Lucky Box. Plane constructed from CLC Short Kit. 8)
Um, thanks, but it's not my thread. :)
Cool Dauntless, please keep us posted! y1