Maiden Flight Pics Skip's Shark 45

[Skip Chernoff]

I decided to not do my trim scheme until I see how she flies.Hence she's in all white. This is my Shark 45 built from an original Jetco Kit with some substitution of wood. The nose was widened to accommodate a "Big Jim" ST 60. The tank area was elongated back into the wing LE to accommodate a 7oz tank. The wing,flaps,and elevators are Monokoted. The fuse was glassed,fillets are Micro Ballons and resin. The base finish is Rustoleum Gloss Protective Enamel. The flying weight is 68 oz. At present I'm on 67' lines eyelet to eyelet. She's got a 4" reverse bell crank. Lines are .018,handle has 4" line spacing. I'm using a 12x6 prop. The engine has a tongue muffler with muffler pressure going to the Uniflow vent. I started with 1.25 oz of tip weight.She also has a small adjustable trim tab on outer panel.I also have an adjustable elevator via threaded coupler to control horn that's exposed like R/C ship use.

The first four flights were very encouraging. She was rock solid and flew dead level. It took a few test hops to get the "neutral" just right. Engine was a bit too rich. Laps were in the 5.2 sec area. I did a few loops and was just feeling her out.I need to lean her down a bit before ringing her out.First impressions are that she's responsive and I think she just might be a good one.Cheers,PhillySkip

[Perry Rose]

Gotta love that Rustoleum.

[Vincent Judd]

Looking good Skip,  congrats on a successful maiden outing.

Vince

[Skip Chernoff]

Thanks guys ,took her out this morning and did some inverted laps,outside loops, triangles. Engine run today was too fast. Then it rained.Flight session over.

[john e. holliday]

Skip, remember the line length is max 70 feet center of plane to center of handle grip.    Glad she is working for you.   Like a dummy I sold my kit years ago.  Now go have fun.

[George Waters]

Looks good skip. We will see it at Brodaks? George

[Skip Chernoff]

I hope to have it flight trimmed and flying well soon. I'll doll her up next week. Yes she'll be at Brodaks.

[Skip Chernoff]

I'm just shy of 70' on the lines at present.

[Skip Chernoff]

Thanks MM, hope to get some more flights in this week. I'm an old school guy and love the lines of the Shark and ,of course the Ares. Two of my favorites!

[Skip Chernoff]

I changed out the "Big Jim" ST60 I had in the Shark for another one I had in my Strega. I got a really nice run out of the Strega's mill,but swirling winds and my right leg hurting kept me from ringing her out.
Funny thing is I put the Shark's "Big Jim" mill into the Strega and it ran beautifully....go figure.
Oh, there was one change to both motors....I used a 13x6 instead of the 12x6 I was using in the Shark. Can't wait to start stunting my Shark 45......PhillySkip

[Ken Culbertson]

I changed out the "Big Jim" ST60 I had in the Shark for another one I had in my Strega. I got a really nice run out of the Strega's mill,but swirling winds and my right leg hurting kept me from ringing her out.
Funny thing is I put the Shark's "Big Jim" mill into the Strega and it ran beautifully....go figure.
Oh, there was one change to both motors....I used a 13x6 instead of the 12x6 I was using in the Shark. Can't wait to start stunting my Shark 45......PhillySkip

Beautiful ship.  You can't be a true Stunt Junky unless you have built a Shark.   Unfortunately all I have done is 1/2 build one.
Drafted in 1967 and it was gone when I got back.  Another VietNam MIA.   If anybody in central Ohio has a half built Shark that they have no idea where it came from..............

Make sure to post pic. of it finished!

[Skip Chernoff]

First, thanks for your service They were tough times. Regarding the Shark 45. I had a previous one back around 1971 that I Monokoted  in Metallic Green with Orange sunburst trim. It was lighter than this one around 60oz with a "Ueda 45" .The engine was terrible,but the plane flew very well. With my limited knowledge of getting a good engine run I was lost with this engine. It just "ran away". None of the local experts wanted to try to figure it out.They just said get a ST 46 for it. Anyway I was getting into R/C at the time and ended up selling the plane at auction for $40......big mistake!

Waiting for the rain to stop so I can get a few more flights in on the new one. I do have an RSM Shark 45 kit that I plan on building as an electric powered job with retracts. That should be cool. No trike gear on that one......Skip

[Ken Culbertson]

First, thanks for your service They were tough times. Regarding the Shark 45. I had a previous one back around 1971 that I Monokoted  in Metallic Green with Orange sunburst trim. It was lighter than this one around 60oz with a "Ueda 45" .The engine was terrible,but the plane flew very well. With my limited knowledge of getting a good engine run I was lost with this engine. It just "ran away". None of the local experts wanted to try to figure it out.They just said get a ST 46 for it. Anyway I was getting into R/C at the time and ended up selling the plane at auction for $40......big mistake!

Waiting for the rain to stop so I can get a few more flights in on the new one. I do have an RSM Shark 45 kit that I plan on building as an electric powered job with retracts. That should be cool. No trike gear on that one......Skip

Is the RSM Kit any good?  I have an OS46FX sitting in my tiny "shop/converted spare bedroom" that my wife has grudgingly let me abuse.  Every time I go in it says "FEED ME"  I think a 50-60oz Shark would do just fine on that motor which would leave only the Stuka on the Stunt Junky mandatory build list. I have wanted to try retracts since I saw them on Harold Price's Crusader but I always chickened out.

A word on no nose wheel on a shark.  My 1963 "Sandpiper I" design got it's name from all of the sand I had to extract from the front scoop every time it nosed over on the baseball diamond where we flew.  The front end looked almost exactly like a Shark and it had that long tail movement.  I went to trike on the II.  I guess if you get them forward enough it won't tip.  I think most stunt plans look silly with retracts, the Shark is NOT one of them.  It is going to be cool!

[Skip Chernoff]

The RSM kit is very nice,but different than the Jetco kit. The RSM kit is designed around using a larger engine like a ST 60 .The front of the plane is widened to accept bigger mills. I had to modify my Jetco kit for the ST 60. The RSM kit also uses less parts than the Jetco Kit. You don't have to build up stuff to get a part. The RSM kit has very nice kit wood.I'd recommend it. I'm certain that the 46fx would fly it just fine.

[Ken Culbertson]

The RSM kit is very nice,but different than the Jetco kit. The RSM kit is designed around using a larger engine like a ST 60 .The front of the plane is widened to accept bigger mills. I had to modify my Jetco kit for the ST 60. The RSM kit also uses less parts than the Jetco Kit. You don't have to build up stuff to get a part. The RSM kit has very nice kit wood.I'd recommend it. I'm certain that the 46fx would fly it just fine.

Sounds good.  The FX is big for a .46 so this is good.  Didn't McFarland run a ST46 in the original(s)?  I was going to do a Stuka for Classic but I don't have a .25 engine and I think I like the Shark better anyway.  Thanks for the recommendation!

Ken

[Robert Whitley]

As I recall the original had a Veco 45 in it.

When I get around to finishing the one that I started in the mid 70’s I will toss a coin for one of my ST46s or my ST56.

Your posting makes me all the more enthused to finally get it flying.

[Skip Chernoff]

Robert,I'm glad my post got your juices flowing. I'm fully certain that most Jetco Shark kits that were sold were probably  not started,never completed, or opened and put back on the shelf. Can you imagine pre gluing all of those pieces with Ambroid back then? Compared to the Ringmasters and such that we flew as kids, you open that Shark kit box,see all of that wood think twice!!!. You better have your "big boy" pants on to tackle one. Anyway, best of luck with yours,now get building!