I'm nearing the finish stage on the post- Nats building project,   Vic Macaluso F8 Crusader.   It's been interesting building.   The original used a Foamflite Sig Chipmunk wing.  In leu of that I had to build it up.  Hope I don't get dinged for it.   The original had a Fox 35.  Mine is going to push 48-49 ounces so I'm glad I set it up for an AeroTiger .36.   I saw the original at the 1971 Glenview Nats.   I plan to fly Super 70s with it in Tucson next year.

Dave

  COOL!! Since it's a Chipmunk wing I think you should be OK at anything under 50 ounces. it's a good wing and a lot of it. There is a whole lumber yard in that fuselage!! I think the built up wing helps you A foamy might be a bit heavier. I'll have to dig out the article and reread it to see what his claimed finished weight was.
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

Wow, I built one a few years back..  Mine came out too heavy and just did not fly right..  I used a Chipmunk foam wing from an Umland kit of the Chipmunk. 

You can see a photo if it below under the heading "one ready for flight, one building, "

Dan you are right a lot of wood.   I used the best of it I have but maybe could have thinned things down a little more internally like 3/32 sides instead of 1/8.  Maybe mold the top instead of a block and boy the landing gear is three big hunks of wire.   

Ty yours looks good!   What's for power?

Hi Dave.  OS .46 LA-S.  Too heavy is too heavy.  But just had to fly it. Once. 

Sadly I rent a shed that is well adorned with a collection of heavy weights or retired airplanes.   Once in a while I go grab one to salvage for hardware or parts.   These days those misfires are expensive.   Several of those airplanes have less than ten flights.  Sometimes you learn what TO DO by learning what NOT to do the hard way......


Dave

That looks great Dave!! Are you going to put the missiles on it as well?

Quote from: Matt Colan on September 12, 2024, 02:48:52 PM
That looks great Dave!! Are you going to put the missiles on it as well?

I was kind of doubting that-we will see.   They are cool but something to get knocked off real easy.

Dave

Thought I'd throw up one more photo.   The machine just needs a little clear dope and I'll call it done.   Hope to test fly next week and get it trimmed before snow flies and the flying weather is gone.

Dave

Nice work

Quote from: Paul Smith on October 10, 2024, 04:28:16 PM
Nice work

Paul thank you.

Dave

Does your F8U have anhedral in the stab/elevator?

No Ty it does not.  Was it supposed to?   Didn't recall anything about that on the plans.

Dave

Looks great Dave!!

Thanks Matt.   I did go ahead with the sidewinders.  We are now just over 50 ounces total with everything so I will just lay some airbrush clear over the ink and lettering and call it good.

Dave

Quote from: Dave_Trible on October 11, 2024, 05:21:10 AM
No Ty it does not.  Was it supposed to?   Didn't recall anything about that on the plans.

Dave

For some reason I put it in mine.   I love the panel lines you did.  At the point I got mine painted, I had lost interest in the heavy model..

Thanks Ty.   I ended up with a white plastic spinner on it for now which has a better shape.   Final ready to fly weight is 51.8 ounces.   As usual a little more than planned but the AeroTiger should have enough grunt.   It weighs in at 7.7 ounces (no muffler) which is about an ounce more than the Fox would have been with extension shaft.   Sure enough it appears to balance just a touch noseheavy I'm guessing.    I'll fly it this way to start and see where it goes.  I wish I knew what the original airplane weighed but I can't imagine it was actually much lighter with the foam wing and thicker finish.  I hope this one will be VSC bound....

Dave

Really cool model Dave, looks great! A little late for the suggestion but a good trick with the Chipmunk is to add an extra outer bay to each wing panel for a bit more area. I do love seeing anyone still building IC models as well, cool stuff! 

Thanks Wayne.   The airplane is already undergoing an engine change.  I took it out Saturday morning for a test flight.  It was really too windy but I wasn't gifted great patience.   As it turned out I couldn't keep the AeroTiger lit long enough to launch.   I changed the plugs a couple times but guess I don't have anything hot enough to do the job.   I sort of hated building an airplane where I have no back up engines anyway.  So it is getting retrofit with a Merco .40.  It only weighs 1/2 ounce more and easily swings 11" props if need be and will give me more power.   I also have a couple of these for the future.
Since I built this specifically for Super 70s and N30 I really wouldn't want to stray very far from the original design.   

Dave

Quote from: Dave_Trible on October 14, 2024, 11:38:04 AM
  So it is getting retrofit with a Merco .40.  It only weighs 1/2 ounce more and easily swings 11" props if need be and will give me more power. 

Dave

Keep us posted on the results! 

I got out this afternoon and put up one windy test flight.  I think we have a winner!   The Merco .40 ran very well in a gentle 4-2 on a Top Flight 11-6, and feels like the right type and amount of power.  The wings appeared to be level and the airplane seemed to be grooving pretty well upright and inverted.  To me this puts the airplane in the 'keeper' category as the rest will be things that normal trim will fix.  I felt the airplane would be too nose heavy but in flight it didn't seem so.   I had the readout adjuster fully forward and It needs to go more forward.   When I got back home a little work with the Dremel allowed me to move it up more.   The other main issue was unequal inside and outside turns.   That makes sense and is the reverse of an airplane with low wings,  with or without dihedral.   This anhedral wing turns faster outside than inside.  I have adjusted in a notch of handle bias which should be enough to even out the feel.  Once the engine cut the airplane basically landed itself without a bounce.  Now I just need a little more flying weather......

Very cool, nice work! 2024 is the year of Dave building very nice semi-scale stunters!

Hey Thanks Jake.   It sort of worked out that way.   

Dave

Way cool airplane Dave.