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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Jeremy Chinn on June 01, 2024, 02:04:12 PM
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Was driving through my neighborhood today with my son and stopped by a friend’s home. I’ve known Kenny since I was a pre-teen, and we now live a few streets over from each other.
After talking for a bit, he mentioned that he had something for my son if we wanted it.
From one stack of models, he pulled out an in-the-bones P51 and offered it to us. I shook his hand and gladly accepted. My son (12) also shook his hand and thanked him. He told us that another friend had given it to him and he was not going to finish it.
In all my years in the hobby, one thing I’ve always known to be true is that we are a very generous and supportive group of people!
I was going to ask here what kit this was from, but pretty quickly figured out that it was from a Midwest kit. I’ve got a Fox .35 and a couple other options that would do well. Finishing this will make a good summer project.
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Is that the Kenny that flys in Collierville?
If so he is a pretty nice guy. 😎
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One in the same Paul :)
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Need to rally the troops and head to Johnson Park.
https://mid-southcl.weebly.com/index.html
Tell Kenny and Lester we said “Howdy”. 🙃
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I definitely will Paul. If we can get a day without gale force winds and/or rain we’ll be out there.
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Got some shop time this evening.
I removed the original control surfaces and made new to allow me to use a shrink film finish. I repaired the broken rudder. Finally, I really did not like the Midwest fuselage outline, so a few minutes with a razor plane and some scrap 1/2" to make a new turtledeck gave the airplane an outline more like a Reno air racer.
I need to decide what motor to install. I have a NIB Fox .35, but wonder if that will be enough for this 48" span 504sqin plane? I also have a nice OS Max .40h from the early 70's (baffle piston) that might be a good choice. Any opinions?
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The Fox .35 will fly it, and is what these kits were designed around, I think. The MAX-.40 will do also, but look at the length of the nose. The OS engine is heavier, and will most likely make the finished airplane nose heavy. I would go with the Fox.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
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Hoping the twelve year old is involved in this build?
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Dan, that's a great point on the nose length/balance. You saw my post on FB - lotsa opinions there....
Wayne, I'm getting him more and more interested. And trying to get him more and more involved at each step.
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Some more shop time today. I was able to bend up some landing gear. I think I got the stance right.
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A little more shop time over a couple days.
I made a taper sanding jig to shape the flaps and the elevators. Then I hinged them up.
I slso spent some time making a pushrod for it. I'm not satisfied with the linkages yet.
Next up, I mounted the engine I recently bought for it. I bought a badically new .40 FP along with a CL venturi, ST NVA and a tongue muffler. I had a nice alu spinner that matched it well.
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I have good memories of the one I had back in the '70s. Always thought the fin/rudder looked too big.
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Finally got some more shop time on this P51.
I was able to build a weight box for the tip, as well as put in threaded mounts in the nose for the fuel tank. I'm running a 4.5oz uniflow tank, and so I soldered on some handmade tabs on it that allow height adjustment. I also brass bushed the flap horn. I also spent a lot of time trying to get the throws right (at least what I think will be right.
Then, I went to town with sandpaper to get the bird ready for covering. Monokote for the horizontal surfaces. The new roll went down really nicely, but the older roll I had to use for the elevators did not shrink as nicely. It all looks good right now anyway. The fuse will get Rustoleum paint that will be aged before it flies.
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How about a four-stroke engine? Maybe an OS 40 surpass 4-stroke.
I'm currently building a 40" wing Yak-9 warbird and am going to use an OS 26 Surpass 4-stroke. Love the sound!!
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The Fox .35 will fly it, and is what these kits were designed around, I think. The MAX-.40 will do also, but look at the length of the nose. The OS engine is heavier, and will most likely make the finished airplane nose heavy. I would go with the Fox.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
The Fox will be a fun engine for this model. Just be prepared for the Fox notorious 'death burp' when going inverted. %^@
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Thanks Colin, I've got both an OS .26fs, and a nice Fox, but my local flying buddy convinced me to power it with an OS .40 FP. It should do fine.
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Then, I went to town with sandpaper to get the bird ready for covering. Monokote for the horizontal surfaces. The new roll went down really nicely, but the older roll I had to use for the elevators did not shrink as nicely. It all looks good right now anyway. The fuse will get Rustoleum paint that will be aged before it flies.
Looks like the beginnings of a Strega scheme. S?P
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Looking good Jeremy.
Have you got the Collierville gang out flying this summer?
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Thanks Colin, I've got both an OS .26fs, and a nice Fox, but my local flying buddy convinced me to power it with an OS .40 FP. It should do fine.
Something you might keep in your back pocket.
I originally had a 40 FP (newer ABN design) on a SIG Banshee. The Banshee is roughly the same size model, and the 40 FP was really too much engine for the model. I tried out an OS Max 30 and it matched better power wise in my opinion. Also, the engine was a bit lighter compared to the 40 FP. So, a Max 30 or 35 might be considered. Plus, the mounting bolt pattern is the same so easy to try.
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Thanks Colin. I’ll keep that in mind!
Paul, we’ve not gotten out nearly enough. Seems like rain and wind hit every time I think about getting an email out to get people together.
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Thanks Colin. I’ll keep that in mind!
Paul, we’ve not gotten out nearly enough. Seems like rain and wind hit every time I think about getting an email out to get people together.
Yall still flying at Johnson Park?
Post some photos next time Yall fly. Tell Lester and Kenny we said howdy!
Some old photos here.
https://mid-southcl.weebly.com/index.html
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Paul, I'll hopefully see them this weekend!
I had some time this week to lay some paint on the fuse. I laid a thin coat of polycrylic to seal and sanded with 400. Followed this with 2 coats of brown Rustoleum primer, which I then used to highlight and fill areas with light lacquer filler, then block sanded heavily to level and take weight back off.
I followed that with a coat of grey Rustoleum primer to highlight the last bad areas. I sanded this heavily again to level.
Finally, I shot with regular Rustoleum Red. None of their fancy products here, just going for one that is remotely fuel proof. I shot 2 very light coats about 10 mins apart- just enough for full color coverage. I'll put this up in a storage rack for a few week to allow the paint to cure hard before I get any low nitro fuel near it.
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Pics here
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Final paint.
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Looking great, Jeremy. I look forward to hearing how it flies...and how Rust-Oleum does against the fuel.
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Final paint.
That looks awesome!!!
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Just a little detail done. Canopy laid on with white and black Rustoleum. Could have done the shading much more nicely with my airbrush, but I know none of that paint is fuel proof.
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The holiday weekend gave me some more shop time. Hardware has been difficult to find, so I've made a lot of it by hand. My overstock of extras is definitely dwindling in some areas.
I still need to put 1/2 to 3/4 oz of lead in the tip box and make leadouts, but it is ready to fly as-is.
Weight right now is 3lbs dead on. The CG is a little forward of the plan position right now, so I have a .35 I can substitute if needed.
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One more pic...
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Looks like fun. I'll bet Kenny was glad to see it put to good use. I've been using regular Rustoleum high gloss enamel on several planes and it's plenty fuel proof.
MM :)