Feb Drawing winner is

[RC Storick]

The winner this month is Larry Fulwider. Contact Randy Smith with shipping details . Congrats

[Larry Fulwider]

The winner this month is Larry Fulwider. Contact Randy Smith with shipping details . Congrats

Wow! There must be some sort of mistake! (Oh, wait, this isn't a contest of skill, is it?)

Thanks!

       Larry Fulwider

[jim welch]

Yep...it's a mistake Larry...guess they should draw again...he he he..just funnin cause i know you got room for another in your hanger! congrats   Jimmy

[Alex Givan]

  Congratulations Larry!
   Could not have happened to a nicer guy.  So what did you win?
                                         -Alex

[Alan Buck]

Congratulations Larry, You be building instand of rebuilding happy for you

[Bill Little]

Congrats, Larry!  Nice to see an NC guy win. 

Big Bear

[Steve Helmick]

Is there any truth to the rumor that the prize this month is a Flite Streak TRAINER?  Steve

[wwwarbird]

 Congrats! What's the prize?

[Larry Fulwider]

Congrats! What's the prize?

Hah! It took a while to figure that out, thanks to me not knowing what was what. Remember Phil won last month with a choice of three models? I figured my choices were the two remaining prizes from last month. I informed Randy of my choice of the remainders.

That turned out to be an unwarranted assumption. (yessss, I know "assume means makes an . . ."). The February prize is actually a Sig Banshee. However Randy offered to give me my mistaken choice instead, and we made that deal. That didn't seem right to me, more I thought about it. Then, I went back through the archives to see what all folks had done with the Banshee. Very interesting! Lots of possibilities.

So, I e-mailed Randy back and said I'd like the Banshee.

My choice for the moment is a lightweight FP 25 powered version with the wing moved forward "a little", a larger tail, and yellow dyed silkspan. If it is possible to keep it under 32 to 34 ounces, .012 X 58 lines should make the 25 a viable engine? It looks like a fall build at this point, so I may change my mind at the time of building.

Any advice on the FP 25 plan?

       Larry Fulwider

[Steve Helmick]

The Magnum XLS .36 is the best .25LA I've ever run!!!  Steve

[Jim Kraft]

I have flown mine on everything from a Fox 35, McCoy 40, and OS 40 FP, and all worked well. Mine is slightly modified with a shorter nose, longer fuse, and different verticle fin. The Banshee is a really good flying plane. I think mine weighs around 45 oz.

[wwwarbird]

 Some may argue but I agree with Steve, more than a .25 would be wise. A .35 or even a .40 will give you a good, authorative model. I've got a Sig Twister bashed into a Stuka (see an older post here "Twister my way...") that now has an FP.40 on it with a black Tornado 10x6 three blade prop and it's an excellent overall combo.

 

[Serge_Krauss]

Here's Norm Skuderin's "Banshee". I believe he moved the wing a bit forward, and I'm pretty sure that's an LA .46 or LA-.40 up front in the first picture and perhaps something else in the second. It flew well as a sport plane at the field. Nelson Erbs also built one, but I don't remember what engine he used. 'the usual apologies for poor scanning...

[john e. holliday]

If I remember right, Jim Lee flew his version of a Banshee in the P-40 events in the central part of the USA.  He also did very well with it.  It can be very competitive when trimmed out right and in the right hands.   

[Larry Fulwider]

The Magnum XLS .36 is the best .25LA I've ever run!!!  Steve

I have flown mine on everything from a Fox 35, McCoy 40, and OS 40 FP, and all worked well. Mine is slightly modified with a shorter nose, longer fuse, and different verticle fin. The Banshee is a really good flying plane. I think mine weighs around 45 oz.

Some may argue but I agree with Steve, more than a .25 would be wise. A .35 or even a .40 will give you a good, authorative model.  . . .
 

Here's Norm Skuderin's "Banshee". I believe he moved the wing a bit forward, and I'm pretty sure that's an LA .46 or LA-.40 up front in the first picture  . . .

Here’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it. I was reading about all these guys having fun with FP 21s and FP 25s, so I bought a couple of FP 25s – one for a Brodak Flite Streak (still in primer since 2001), and one for future use (maybe a Medic?) The Banshee at 510 in² struck me as being in the ballpark. A closer look at what airplanes are actually being used for those engines confirms what all y’all are politely saying. It was a case of the “If all you have is hammer, every problem looks like a nail” syndrome. I’ve actually never built a plane for less than a .35 since 1950 something, hence my ignorance of the “new” modern .20 to .25 engine comfort zone. Reading Dan Rutherford’s trials with the Wimpact sheds even more light on the subject, even given the thicker wing of the Wimpact
       However, this proves how valuable this forum is. If you are about to do something stupid, and announce it here, somebody will try to save you 

Hey, I have the kit now! Nice wood, nice die cutting.

Nitty Gritty time: Moving the wing forward seems like the best of both worlds – longer tail moment, plus shorter nose for better balance with a blocked boost port FP 35 (I have several of those) and a 1.6 ounce muffler. Stock LE of wing to front of motor mounts on the stock Banshee is 9 ¾”. Moving the wing forward 1 ½” gives an 8 ¼” nose and a nicer tail moment.
   Does 1 ½” sound about right to those of you who have built a Banshee? I have seen suggestions of 1 to 1 ½ in other threads. (I’d rather have it come out a little tail heavy and add nose weight vs. adding tail weight.) I am also assuming those who lengthened the tail and shortened the nose also simply moved the wing forward.  Since I have seen the wing move published (but no verifiable dates), I’d argue moving the wing forward keeps it N30 legal. (Plans copyright date 1975; the N30 legality would not have occurred to me were it not for Alan Buck's Twister)
   I’d like to enlarge the tail also, but that’s probably an N30 stretch. Current tail area is a tad under 16% of the wing area, with an expectedly low TVC using the stock wing postion.

       Larry Fulwider

[Bill Little]

Hi Larry,

Go with a 35.  There's a fellow (can't remember his name!) who flies at Hobby Park over in Winston Salem.  He has 2 Banshees, both with Fox 35s on them (layered in burned castor! ).  BOY! Does he have FUN with those planes.  He never flies two level laps, and often flies lazy 8's while laying on his back in the circle.  He like to do Bow Ties, too.

Do the mods and use a 35.

Big Bear

[john e. holliday]

How do we know that some modifications were done to N-30 designs and not brought to light b ack then.  I remember myself and others changing the Stabiliser thickness on the Midwest Magician and adding half ribs to leading edge of the wing.   There were probably people that change the Banshee lay out back then also.  I do remember one young lad that cut the nose of his Banshee when he discovered how nose heavy it was with a muffler.  N-30 should be like the other events, have fun until you win and then hope you are legal or have it cleared with the CD of the meet.

[Larry Fulwider]

How do we know that some modifications were done to N-30 designs and not brought to light b ack then.  I remember myself and others changing the Stabiliser thickness on the Midwest Magician and adding half ribs to leading edge of the wing.   There were probably people that change the Banshee lay out back then also.  I do remember one young lad that cut the nose of his Banshee when he discovered how nose heavy it was with a muffler.  N-30 should be like the other events, have fun until you win and then hope you are legal or have it cleared with the CD of the meet.

Doc --

You're right. Think I'll build it the way I want it to be, and not worry about N-30.

Question is, for the best balance, how far forward should I move the wing? I would like to balance with a 762, Big Art, or CNC muffler (1.3 to 1.6 oz), as I'm gradually moving away from tongue mufflers. So, I'm less worried about getting the nose too short than the average guy. I'm leaning towards the full 1 1/2 inches movement forward, as I would feel confident that the need for adding tail weight would not rear it's ugly head.  
       Also, at 1 1/2 inches, I get a tail moment of a fuzz over two MACs -- pretty neat for 30+ year old design! But added to the slightly larger tail, the 1 1/2 might be too much.

Anybody done similar mods have any experience with Banshee balance issues, either way? That is, did anybody move the wing too far forward for good balance? Or wish they had moved it further forward? (I partially mentioned in an earlier post, up front will be an FP 35, APC prop, spinner; 2 1/4" wheels a little aft of where shown on the plans)

       Larry Fulwider