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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Sean McEntee on September 01, 2014, 10:48:58 AM
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I started writing this on the Charles Ash contest thread but I'll start a new topic.
I've seen a bunch of Don Hutchinsons warbirds fly in the time I've been here in Texas: his Dauntless, Texan, Trojan, all designed and built by him, and they all flew well. I have also heard about Joe Gilbert whuppin' butt with his version of Dons T-6. It piqued my interest and I picked up a set of plans from Dennis Leonhardi.
While at the Saturday portion of the DMAA's contest this weekend, I was asked to judge profile stunt. Given a chance to not only help out the club, but sit and watch people fly their models :D I happily agreed.
Joe Gilbert came out to the circle for his first round official, and jokingly told him that we weren't flying profile scale here :P
I was SHOCKED and just how well that model flew! It tracked as if on rails and had a grrreat corner. It took some concentration to remember to write scores down. I looked over at Don, whom I was judging with, and he was looking on like a proud papa, and proud he should be. He earned every point of the 550 that he ended up with.
After the officials, joe offered me a flight on it, and I jumped on his invitation. Wind was a comfy 5kts. I got everything I expected after seeing Joe fly it. There was n-o-t-h-i-n-g wrong with it other then the fact it was trimmed for Joes hand and not mine. And it was just a FUN airplane to fly!! I didn't know what to say other then "I want one!"
There is no discounting Joes ability as a modeler of course, but HUGE kudos goes to Don Hutchinson. His models aren't charachers; they look very scale, to the point that you wouldn't think it would make it through a wing over. His models are a work of art and engineering.
And yeah, I'm getting me one!
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Great stuff Sean, please keep up posted on your progress! y1
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I have seen Don's ships up close in Texas. Let me tell you, if these things were laser cut kits, they would sell like hot cakes at a pancake eating convention!!
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I believe that Joe tore the outboard wing up/off at Brodak's.....fixed it and it STILL flew great!
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Gotta say that just looking at the T-6 it doesn't impress me that it would be a good flyer. Boy it does fly good though.
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Here is a picture of Joe Gilbert and his AT-6 taken this weekend. I will have more pictures from the contest over the next few days.
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Wow Tom that picture looks good. You strategically placed the model to make it look good-the war wounds are covered up well.
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I believe that Joe tore the outboard wing up/off at Brodak's.....fixed it and it STILL flew great!
Didn't he end up winning Brodak with it?
Joe,
Just out of curiosity, how many flights would you estimate the T-6 has on it?
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Will have to confirm with Don. He though it was too heavy to fly and he gave me the model in 2006 I think. Don had it drilled for a Magnum 36 so I bought one and started flying the heck out of it, wore the motor out and sent it back and got another one, flew it some more. I was running the poor 36 to death and about that time Bob Reeves had the Saito 40 running good. Tom Martin said the T 6 needs one of those, so we took it to Bobs shop and the bolt pattern was the same as the Saito. Never looked back, the engine just made the plane. The poor thing has flown hundreds and hundreds of flights. The out board wing did come off at bottom of loops in very hard gusty winds, there was some oil soak but not a bad design. Pulled bottom spar and sheathing apart. It did not break in dihedral area, shimmied back together with Tim Stagg's help in hotel in Uniontown, PA. Hardly missed a beat, and still flying well. I have flown Don's Dauntless and the Cub, to me the T 6 and Dauntless are much the same. Dale Gleason has the Cub and it flies ok but I think it would benefit from an LA 46 over the 36. Lots of ways to skin a cat but good power is a big deal in most situations in stunt. Don's designs are different looking almost to scale,but I feel like he sticks to good basic stunt numbers and his warbirds series will all fly well, power and trim will go a long way to success.
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Been watching this thread and was wondering how long it would take for someone to mention that Saito 40 on the nose is a significant piece of what makes it work.
Didn't he end up winning Brodak with it?
Joe has won Expert Profile at Brodaks flying the T-6 three times.
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Been watching this thread and was wondering how long it would take for someone to mention that Saito 40 on the nose is a significant piece of what makes it work.
Joe has won Expert Profile at Brodaks flying the T-6 three times.
Agree Bob. The plane just motors along with the 4-stroke. And the guy at the end of the handle is all business on game day.
Joe is a great guy. H^^
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Joe,
Another question, what prop are you running with the Saito?
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Rev Up 11/7.5 turning 8250 to 8400 depends where I am flying. Power Masters 20/20.
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Rev Up 11/7.5 turning 8250 to 8400 depends where I am flying. Power Masters 20/20.
Thanks for the info Joe. y1
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"Been watching this thread and was wondering how long it would take for someone to mention that Saito 40 on the nose is a significant piece of what makes it work. "
No! What makes the airplane work is the excellent aerodynamics. Don has taken a scale outline and applied a modern airfoil, moments and construction. A LA .46 will work just as well. You could even up size to a .51 or .60 if you change the mount spacing during the original construction.
The original .36 was weak , the Saito gave a boost and coincidentally needed no changes in the mounting holes.
I am not knocking Joe's Saito setup since it works very well. It is just that there are many ways to skin the cat.
There is no way that anyone could be successful with a poor aerodynamic platform. This is why all but a very few profile warbirds can compete with Don's airplanes. They are very scale-like and are not just cartoons of warbirds.
T
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Tom, Pretty sure I didn't say anything negative about Don's great design, I said the Saito was a significant piece of what makes it work. Joe's flying ability and the airframe design are a given which several had already mentioned.
Would it be just as good with an LA 46, personally I doubt it.
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Tom, Pretty sure I didn't say anything negative about Don's great design, I said the Saito was a significant piece of what makes it work. Joe's flying ability and the airframe design are a given which several had already mentioned.
Would it be just as good with an LA 46, personally I doubt it.
Nah LA46 would be just fine. I'm going with the ST51 because I would rather hang 4 more ounces of motor on the nose then 4 oz of lead as the plans call for.