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Author Topic: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?  (Read 15892 times)

Offline Aaron Little

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Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« on: December 03, 2010, 08:50:37 PM »
Is the Top Flight Tutor N30 legal?

The old one not the new ARF (thought I may need to ad this just in case...)

Offline Randy Powell

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2010, 10:07:38 PM »
Aaron,

I would imagine it is. I was actually considering a Professor (a take off on the tutor but full fuse). I'm pretty sure it's legal.
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Offline Aaron Little

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2010, 02:42:57 PM »

Ahh yes hadn't had a chance to reply.
Checked the plans at Dad's, they said copyright 1978.

I didn't know the wing was only 410 square inches.

Offline Jim Oliver

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2010, 09:04:21 AM »
Having seen Curtis Comer fly his Tutor at several contests, I would say that it is a viable platform.  Curt's has a fully sheeted wing; don't know the weight (Ty lives in Curt's area so he may know). 
Regardless, Curt does make it perform.  I'm fairly certain that Curt uses an LA 46 for power; don't know about any mods to the engine.
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Offline Alan Hayes

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2010, 08:27:53 PM »
Aaron, I still have my original TF Tudor. I looked at my plans and as you stated they are copyrighted 1978.  As a matter of fact that was the plane that I brought to fly the last time we flew at the ball field.......that was many years ago....... LL~  It had a Fox 35 on it at the time but has been replaced with a Randy Smith reworked 40FP.  Good flying plane.  I still fly it here at home.

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Offline Bill Little

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2010, 05:54:03 PM »
I remember Mr. Comer having the Tutor at Huntersville (before he moved to Ala., IIRC) using the first OS .40LA I had ever seen.  He ended up with the a tuned pipe on it with the LA .40 back then.

Aaron flew my old Tutor back when he was starting out.  I had "modified it" due to a line hooking the grass at the Huntersville grass circle.  I cut the nose off, put on a Kraft Hayes R/C mount, and mounted a Fox .35 inverted (yes, I was thinking "Imitation" at the time).  it flew amazing well!

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Offline Garf

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2011, 01:04:33 PM »
I have an original Tutor kit in my collection. If it is N-30 legal, I should build it and use it for N-30. It looks like a good Fox 35 should be enough. I still have the McFox I made a while back.

Offline Bill Little

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2011, 01:28:25 PM »
I have an original Tutor kit in my collection. If it is N-30 legal, I should build it and use it for N-30. It looks like a good Fox 35 should be enough. I still have the McFox I made a while back.

Hi Phil,

The original kit is definitely Nos. 30 legal.  The Fox .35 pulled ours (both before and after the "nose" change) with no problems.  I used it for the first, or second contest, I ever actually entered! LOL!!

Big Bear
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Offline Bill Little

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #8 on: June 10, 2011, 10:54:57 AM »
If I recall, that kit did not have very light wood in it, so I would weigh each piece, during a TV commercial, and relace any that was on the heavy side, then it will fly much better. Yes, a good .35 (OS .35-S back then) will power it nicely, that's all I used on my sons' and mine. H^^

If, and when, we build another Tutor, it will be built from plans, naturally.  I have a few good OS .35S and that would be my choice for a new one, especially since it would be a "light" build.  It was actually pretty amazing how well the Fox did when we put on the "inverted engine" nose.  it flew much better than it should have! ;D

Big Bear
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Offline Phil Spillman

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2011, 03:14:32 PM »
I got mine Second hand and its one of my favorite planes! I have added a tripler and tips to it and have tapered the fuselage quite a bit. On the rebuild when I first got it from a Friend who was about to strip it and burn the remains, I installed new controls, with flexible leadouts, and hinged the entire plane with Mono Coat hinges, then recovered it with flat Mono Coat in USN colors. It doesn't need any tail weight and flies the full pattern quite well with a Brodak .40 swinging an 11 X 5 Pro Zinger prop. This plane also has had leather fillets added to the wing fuselage joint. As of this writing I have had over 300 documented flights on it!


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Offline Kim Mortimore

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2011, 01:52:21 PM »

Ted Fancher considered the Tutor before deciding on the Twister for his famous Fancherized Twister article.  He liked the long fuselage of the Tutor but not the small wing, and decided it would be better to go for the larger wing of the Twister and just extend the fuselage. 

The wood in the Tutor kit I have is heavy.  Building from the plans with light wood, maybe a hollow profile fuselage, and light engine--Fox, Brodak 40 should result in a very nice flying plane. 
Kim Mortimore
Santa Clara, CA

Offline Brett Buck

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #11 on: July 23, 2011, 01:45:14 PM »
Ted Fancher considered the Tutor before deciding on the Twister for his famous Fancherized Twister article.  He liked the long fuselage of the Tutor but not the small wing, and decided it would be better to go for the larger wing of the Twister and just extend the fuselage. 

The wood in the Tutor kit I have is heavy.  Building from the plans with light wood, maybe a hollow profile fuselage, and light engine--Fox, Brodak 40 should result in a very nice flying plane. 

   Both of my kits had excellent wood and were 32 and 27 oz ready to fly. If I built one today, I would use a 20FP or 25LA, it is absolutely the perfect size for the Tutor.

    Brett

Offline Bill Little

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #12 on: December 04, 2011, 04:21:54 PM »
   Both of my kits had excellent wood and were 32 and 27 oz ready to fly. If I built one today, I would use a 20FP or 25LA, it is absolutely the perfect size for the Tutor.

    Brett

Hi Brett,

I know you posted this a "WHILE" back, but I just now saw it.  I believe the OS .20FP *BBTU* would be perfect for the Tutor!  However, Aaron wants something to put the electric system in after we use up the E Super Clown.

Bill
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Offline Joseph Lijoi

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #13 on: December 05, 2011, 07:42:01 AM »
Dave Hemstraught published an article in Model Aviation with some mods to this plane.  Don't remember when or if it's legal.

Offline Bill Little

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2011, 10:53:07 AM »
Dave Hemstraught published an article in Model Aviation with some mods to this plane.  Don't remember when or if it's legal.

There's also an article from Jim (can't recall which one right now) n California (??) that mirrors Ted's work on the Twister.

Big Bear
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Offline Joseph Lijoi

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #15 on: December 05, 2011, 02:33:33 PM »
There's also an article from Jim (can't recall which one right now) n California (??) that mirrors Ted's work on the Twister.

Big Bear

Bill there was a picture of that plane in Teds column in MA.  I think its Jim Armour

Offline Bill Little

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #16 on: December 06, 2011, 09:01:18 AM »
Bill there was a picture of that plane in Teds column in MA.  I think its Jim Armour

Thanks, Joseph.  I couldn't remember Jim's last name.  I liked the looks of it!  I had ht of taking the Professor (enlarged Tutor w/built up fuselage) and making it a profile to get similar results.

Bill
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Offline Stephen Jeansonne

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #17 on: November 05, 2012, 05:17:20 PM »
Here's a pic of my Tutor I am currently building.  First flight could be this weekend if the weather is good.
--Stephen

Offline Horby

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal?
« Reply #18 on: October 25, 2013, 08:18:01 PM »
I am currently competing with an original out of the box Tutor with an LA.25. It flys great but doesen't like the wind.
I am using a 9-4 APC prop with 58' lines and 10% nitro with 5.1sec laps. I have just converted to electric with an E-Flight 15 and I am hoping that it should fly better with the electric set up. I am able to do the beginner pattern and I am starting to learn the full pattern and have no doubt in my mind that it is more than capible.

Cheers,
Warren

Offline Horby

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Re: Top Flight Tutor - Is It Legal? ** Update***
« Reply #19 on: July 03, 2014, 08:33:37 AM »
I have converted my plane with the mentioned E15........ WOW!!! it is now my best plane. The E-15  woke that little plane up. The wind is no longer an issue, and it pulls like a freight train. I am using an E-15 (E-Flight) with a Swift 50A esc, Kr timer, 10-6 electric prop, 4s 2200Mah batteries. The lap times went from barely making 5.1sec on 58' lines to 4.7sec at 950rpm and I don't even notice the wind any more.


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