Kicks & Giggles! Guillow's planes, pushing the limits!

[Phil Hawkins]

I have a couple Guillow's 400 series P-40 Warhawks (the larger 27 3/4" wing span) and I plan on building it just for fun, but if it turns out to being able to stunt, then for me, it will be two checkmarks in the "Win" column! Of course, we all know the plans include instructions on converting these to Control Line. With the venerable Cox .049. But how far have you taken one? Or one similar? I have an MP Yellowjacket .15 rear exhaust and a matched tuned pipe. I am about to get started on it, first, I will make an engine crutch, figure out the placement of the pipe and controls. But I'm obviously not planning on flying it in any competitive event, this strictly for fun.
What do you say? Have any of you built a Guillow's kit to fly CL?

[Miotch]

Not me.  Started out to attempt it a couple of times when I was young.  But I must have got the kits that were made with the last of their balsa stock and with dies that had been worn into crushers rather than cutters.  Wasn't able to complete either one with the materials in the box and the attention span in my brain.  Love to see it though !!

[Dan McEntee]

  I haven't as yet, but have seen a few. The first that comes to mind is a Focke-Wolfe 190 from the WW-2 series that span about 24" . His oldest son was a junior or senior at that time and they re-engineered that into a C/L scale model that came out quite nice. Fully planked fuselage and wings, Fuji .09 for power I think, three line control for throttle, finish was Tamiya paints with clear over coat. His son won C/L Scale in the Junior or Senior class with it at at least once. It's been a while!! I think Chris still has the model. I'm sure most of the larger scale kits have been done many times back when builders were adventurous and would do such things!
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Dave Hull]

In progress....

This one is set up for a Cox .049 twinport with exhaust extension and using a Killer Bee backplate. I'll have to get an updated picture. The nose is now mostly planked in and the bellcrank and upgraded spar and landing gear all constructed. I need to finalize the fuel tank next. I found some 1/20" balsa to plank the leading edges of the wing to add some structural integrity. Lots of other mods.

A .15, or even a Fuji .09--if it is like the one I have--might be a little heavy for this little scaley job? Without paint and covering, it weighs next to nothing, at least in the control line world....

[john e. holliday]

I had the P-61 Black Wider I made into control.  No throttle, just take off, level flight, High flight then landing.  Still have the first place trophy.

Oh power was Golden bee inboard and babe bee out board.  with 6-3 props.

[944_Jim]

Mr. Phil,
All anecdotal feedback follows...

I "met" this guy on FB in the Guillows group.  I seem to remember "Micheal Halbrook" but will check and report tomorrow. He built a couple 400 series kits (Mustang, and "can't remember") and has video of one or two of them. I think at least one has a Medallion!. He also has video of his scratch built Sterling P-38 with twin Cox "something" Bees. ISTR he indicated all three were good for "roundy-roundy," but no real stunt work. I think the Guillows kit lacks wing area, and the flat-bottom wing may not lend itself to inverted flying, let alone anything like a loop or "eights."

Airsoft Brenda (YouTube handle) has a red Guillows (400-series?) P-39 with a reedie, and it doesn't look like it could do more than a Cox RTF P-39. Again, not enough wing area. She has a DCP Models P-38 E-job video that somehow manages roundie-roundie. I mention these as they are in the same size range.

We have a guy here that did a 500 series Typhoon with a reedie. He also has video. He also showcased construction methods on FB and CEF. Again, not enough wing area, but it sure is Hasegawa Egg
cute!

Somewhere between here, RCG and CEF there is a 500 series German fighter with an Enya or other Japanese (if I remember correctly...but could just as likely be an OS) .15. That builder also failed to indicate sparkling performance. But his was built as a scale job that flew, rather than as a sport kit that stunted. I'll try to remember to look for it tomorrow.

I doubt more (heavier) engine is the answer. With that in mind, I need to finish my 500 series Typhoon with a Lil Jumping Bean wing as it is bigger than the OEM flat kit wing along with 125% tail surfaces...Because the LJB wing is symmetrical ribs, longer root cord, increased.area and the larger tail surfaces, I hope to be able to do more than roundie-roundy. Maybe I'll have it completed by Christmas. 

[Rusty]

My Uncle in the 70s converted several of those models into RC and flew them with a TeeDee 049.  He has some expensive system back then that had small servos.  I forgot the name of the system.  They are fragile and won't take much rough treatment.

[Angelo Smyth]

I have a couple Guillow's 400 series P-40 Warhawks (the larger 27 3/4" wing span) and I plan on building it just for fun, but if it turns out to being able to stunt, then for me, it will be two checkmarks in the "Win" column! Of course, we all know the plans include instructions on converting these to Control Line. With the venerable Cox .049. But how far have you taken one? Or one similar? I have an MP Yellowjacket .15 rear exhaust and a matched tuned pipe. I am about to get started on it, first, I will make an engine crutch, figure out the placement of the pipe and controls. But I'm obviously not planning on flying it in any competitive event, this strictly for fun.
What do you say? Have any of you built a Guillow's kit to fly CL?

Back in the early 80s when I was like 13 or so, I received a Guillow's P-39 kit. Excited, I spent all summer building it (with one corroded razor blade, and God-only-knows for glue!) and I elected to build it for C/L, using the Cox .049 that once resided in my Cox PT-19 and it's plastic handle (complete with Dacron lines). The grass was way too thick at my parent's place for a proper take-off, so I had my sister hand-launch it for me (keep in mind, that starting that engine took a lot of effort, wasted Cox fuel, 1.5v batteries and Cox glow plugs to even get it running.... ). But, once it was up and running, I gave her the signal and she released it.

Full disclosure: this is where I learned all about planes with way too much aft C/G - the plane shot almost straight up (for like, 10 feet or so), and despite giving it all the down handle I could give it, the inevitable stall took place, crashing tail-first - ruining an entire summer's worth of effort. I was quite upset about it then, but chuckle about it now!

Definitely not a beginner's plane - even when "graduating" from a Cox PT-19. I eventually went with a Carl Goldberg Lil' Wizard and had way better success with that. But, even as an inexperienced 13 year-old builder and flyer - I discovered that flying those Guillow's models in C/L form can be done (even if it did a 1/4 lap!). If I had to do it all over again, I would have built it stronger in the nose. And lighter. And would have found a way to purchase better glue and fresh razor blades. And probably would have used something better than that base-model Cox .049. And paid better attention to things like CG.

Even so, as some had already suggested, it had a flat-bottom wing, so stunting it might not be possible. But, those were good times back in the day!

Good luck with yours!   

[john e. holliday]

Angelo, we all had to learn at one time or another.  My first ateemt at flying was the fire Baby with thimble drome .049.  My brother launched me on 15 foot dacron lines.  He said I made 9 laps before I fell over.  So dizzy I couldn't stand up.  Next plane was Scientific Sport Racer that I literally wore out flying it with an OK Cub .049A that was much easier to start.  Still used 15 foot dacron lines as that was all I had.  But, what did we know back then.