Author Topic: Combat Cats (Read 9116 times)

mike londke · « **on:** February 01, 2015, 01:27:35 PM »

Finishing a vintage build. Fox .36X's on a bladder for power.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #1 on:** February 01, 2015, 03:17:02 PM »

Looks good. Now I may have to build the one I have.

mike londke · « **Reply #2 on:** February 01, 2015, 03:36:46 PM »

Quote from: john e. holliday on February 01, 2015, 03:17:02 PM

Looks good. Now I may have to build the one I have.

The wood was awful but I used it anyway. I saw these in the hobby shop growing up and always wanted them. Probably not the best choice for a Vintage build but the kit was free so what the hell. Next old school combat build will be a Sneeker. I scored an Umland laser cut kit a while back. Anything has to be 100 times better than the lumber that was in this old Top Flite kit.

Tom Luciano · « **Reply #3 on:** February 01, 2015, 06:30:42 PM »

Looking good Mike!

I have an addiction to vintage combat planes!

Tom

C.T. Schaefer · « **Reply #4 on:** February 01, 2015, 08:21:20 PM »

I built one of those Cats a couple of years ago and it's fun to fly. However the Stab on mine was not up to the task as it snapped mid flite. Luckily the plane kind of stalled out and fluttered to the ground doing minimal damage. Maybe it was too fast? G-21 .35. The boys had it timed at 15.2 on that flight. Should be ok with the Fox! I also built the Umland Sneeker. Lovely! Fox powered. TS

mike londke · « **Reply #5 on:** February 01, 2015, 08:24:51 PM »

Quote from: C.T. Schaefer on February 01, 2015, 08:21:20 PM

I built one of those Cats a couple of years ago and it's fun to fly. However the Stab on mine was not up to the task as it snapped mid flite. Luckily the plane kind of stalled out and fluttered to the ground doing minimal damage. Maybe it was too fast? G-21 .35. The boys had it timed at 15.2 on that flight. Should be ok with the Fox! I also built the Umland Sneeker. Lovely! Fox powered. TS

Did you cover the stab with anything or just paint it? I used polyspan and dope on these hoping to stiffen them up. If they break in flight I hope at least I catch it on video.lol

C.T. Schaefer · « **Reply #6 on:** February 02, 2015, 07:14:45 AM »

I used carbon veil . No structure there. My flight is on tape somewhere (maybe here on the forum) but I think it shut off right before the 'incident'. New stabilator is 3/16.

Paul Smith · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2015, 01:43:11 PM »

On all twin boom planes the accepted fix was to use one continuous hinge rod in lieu of the two little rods. This helped alleviate the high speed failure and also flipper-clipping.

phil c · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2015, 08:49:53 AM »

Nice Mike. A friend built a couple of them as a senior and did quite well. With more chord they fly well. The LE was a bit of a weak point so after the first one broke most people moved the mount down so the LE could be one piece.

mike londke · « **Reply #9 on:** February 16, 2015, 01:35:25 PM »

Done and done.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #10 on:** February 17, 2015, 11:46:53 AM »

They look nice. May have to pull the kit down and clone it.

jim welch · « **Reply #11 on:** February 17, 2015, 07:25:03 PM »

Good stuff Mike...and the airplane holder looks like hes growing fast

..heres an old one with veco c35...jim

ray copeland · « **Reply #12 on:** February 17, 2015, 10:11:11 PM »

Those models look great and if anyone can make em shake it is Mike. Hi Sam!!! I have a Combat Cat built by Eddy Ruane covered in silk, may just have to put the Fox I have "built" by Jimmy Welch on it and try it out some day.

mike londke · « **Reply #13 on:** February 17, 2015, 10:51:39 PM »

Quote from: john e. holliday on February 17, 2015, 11:46:53 AM

They look nice. May have to pull the kit down and clone it.

Thanks Doc!

mike londke · « **Reply #14 on:** February 17, 2015, 10:52:50 PM »

Quote from: jim welch on February 17, 2015, 07:25:03 PM

Good stuff Mike...and the airplane holder looks like hes growing fast ..heres an old one with veco c35...jim

Jim, One of the Cats has a .36X I bought from you!

mike londke · « **Reply #15 on:** February 17, 2015, 10:53:49 PM »

Quote from: ray copeland on February 17, 2015, 10:11:11 PM

Those models look great and if anyone can make em shake it is Mike. Hi Sam!!! I have a Combat Cat built by Eddy Ruane covered in silk, may just have to put the Fox I have "built" by Jimmy Welch on it and try it out some day.

Vintage Combat Ray?

jim welch · « **Reply #16 on:** February 18, 2015, 02:34:26 PM »

Cool Mike should be a good flyer for an old design..no Nemisis but pretty good..Ray put the airplane togeather and fly it...it will help your reflexes for the squares in the pattern....few more jim bad EVO,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

jim welch · « **Reply #17 on:** February 18, 2015, 02:38:23 PM »

xxxxxxx

jim welch · « **Reply #18 on:** February 18, 2015, 02:45:31 PM »

xxxx backwards fox

jim welch · « **Reply #19 on:** February 18, 2015, 02:53:06 PM »

Andre Ming · « **Reply #20 on:** February 19, 2015, 05:42:24 PM »

Cat's are cool. Here's mine...

Dan McEntee · « **Reply #21 on:** February 20, 2015, 01:00:39 AM »

Hey Andre! Looks just like the box art!! I'm mainly a stunt guy, but have always liked combat and the classic older airplanes. I have most , maybe all, of the popular commercial kits. I let some one beat me out of my Sneaker kit, though, and need to find a deal on another one. I have a double kit of the Cat and Voodoo, and want to build those, but maybe just Fox .35 Stunt powered, or some of the older Fox combat .35s that I have in my stash, and fed with hard tanks for simplicity. I think they will be fun enough for me, and get the indea to family and friends what they were all about. I build a Goldberg Junior Satan back in my younger days, and will have to include that one in the mix also. But the Combat Cat just had a real neat look to it and will probably get built first, if I ever get one of those Round Tuits!
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee

Andre Ming · « **Reply #22 on:** February 21, 2015, 07:09:16 AM »

Hi 'ya Dan the man!

As for "looks just like the box art": Yup, that was on purpose. Thought the box art was a snazzy looking paint scheme, so I tried to replicate it.

You have "most, maybe all" of the popular commercial kits? Now that's pretty cool. At this point I only have a Sterling Super Swoop, and an early Voodoo kit (not the adulterated "modernized" Voodoo kit w/elongated tail booms). Most of my interest in vintage combat airplanes are the planes from the 60s. Because of my nostalgia-fueled reasons for my like of vintage combat planes, I lose interest pretty quick after the advent foam/etc. (Mid-70s.) Yes, I flew n' fought with foamies, but nostalgic about them? No way. Utilitarian no longer appeals to me. Instead, I like the stylized combat airplanes of yore.

Speaking of Voodoo's..

My last Voodoo met with a glorious fate: The outboard wing folded during an exhibition flight at a C/L contest. At the time it was my favorite vintage winged warrior and it truly pained me to see it go. I had it trimmed (weighted) nearly perfectly, and the X motor on the nose was a dandy. It flew straight and true and turned quite good. It was my "go to" airplane and I put in a bunch of flights on it. Unfortunately, it had a very soft leading edge piece that I just didn't anticipate issues with, and the LE eventually fatigued and failed at the motor pod. I need to build another.

I wouldn't mind gathering up some more vintage kits, but I doubt I'll actually build the kits, instead preferring to "clone it" if possible by using the plans/parts to scratch build a replica like I have some of my others. With the Cat, though, that routed TE/LE make scratching one a hassle, so I just used the kit parts and built one.

Sneaker: I have a Walter Umland repli-kit for a Sneaker. Very good quality. However, I don't recall the original Sneaker having the short nose mounts ala' the Nemesis 2. Instead I "think" I recall them having a full length nacelle pod as was the thing "back then". I will probably shuck the truncated nose pod parts and replace with a full-length nacelle pod assembly.

My "happy place" in C/L is building and flying vintage combat planes. Stunt looks like it could be sort of fun... but long ago lost interest in getting competitive with my hobby of C/L.

Here's a pic of my late Voodoo:

mike londke · « **Reply #23 on:** February 25, 2015, 06:12:46 PM »

Quote from: Andre Ming on February 21, 2015, 07:09:16 AM

Hi 'ya Dan the man!

As for "looks just like the box art": Yup, that was on purpose. Thought the box art was a snazzy looking paint scheme, so I tried to replicate it.

You have "most, maybe all" of the popular commercial kits? Now that's pretty cool. At this point I only have a Sterling Super Swoop, and an early Voodoo kit (not the adulterated "modernized" Voodoo kit w/elongated tail booms). Most of my interest in vintage combat airplanes are the planes from the 60s. Because of my nostalgia-fueled reasons for my like of vintage combat planes, I lose interest pretty quick after the advent foam/etc. (Mid-70s.) Yes, I flew n' fought with foamies, but nostalgic about them? No way. Utilitarian no longer appeals to me. Instead, I like the stylized combat airplanes of yore.

Speaking of Voodoo's..

My last Voodoo met with a glorious fate: The outboard wing folded during an exhibition flight at a C/L contest. At the time it was my favorite vintage winged warrior and it truly pained me to see it go. I had it trimmed (weighted) nearly perfectly, and the X motor on the nose was a dandy. It flew straight and true and turned quite good. It was my "go to" airplane and I put in a bunch of flights on it. Unfortunately, it had a very soft leading edge piece that I just didn't anticipate issues with, and the LE eventually fatigued and failed at the motor pod. I need to build another.

I wouldn't mind gathering up some more vintage kits, but I doubt I'll actually build the kits, instead preferring to "clone it" if possible by using the plans/parts to scratch build a replica like I have some of my others. With the Cat, though, that routed TE/LE make scratching one a hassle, so I just used the kit parts and built one.

Sneaker: I have a Walter Umland repli-kit for a Sneaker. Very good quality. However, I don't recall the original Sneaker having the short nose mounts ala' the Nemesis 2. Instead I "think" I recall them having a full length nacelle pod as was the thing "back then". I will probably shuck the truncated nose pod parts and replace with a full-length nacelle pod assembly.

My "happy place" in C/L is building and flying vintage combat planes. Stunt looks like it could be sort of fun... but long ago lost interest in getting competitive with my hobby of C/L.

Here's a pic of my late Voodoo:

Nice pics Andre, If you are ever passing through Nashville hit me up! Mike

Andre Ming · « **Reply #24 on:** February 25, 2015, 07:58:37 PM »

Thanks Mike for the compliment and open door!