Author Topic: The Imitation Plus (FULL FUSELAGE) Taking Ordrs (Read 4119 times)

Mike Griffin · « **on:** February 21, 2018, 09:54:22 PM »

I have been flirting with kitting a built up full fuselage Imitation, thus the name Imitation Plus. It would have the same wing (Airfoil)and tail feathers as Ted's Original Imitation that I recently kitted but with a built up fuselage with THE SAME SHAPE FUSELAGE AS THE PROFILE. Eric Rule at RSM will be doing the CAD work to transform the fuselage from a profile to full fuselage while maintaining the beauty of the fuselage lines.

If you guys would like to see this, give me some feedback. It will not be a hard transition as only the fuselage has to be redesigned from profile to a built up fuselage.

We can do it if you want it.

THE KIT WILL BE PRODUCED. PLEASE SEE DETAILS IN GRIFFINS MODEL SERVICE IN VENDORS CORNER

Brent Williams · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2018, 10:03:27 PM »

Quote from: Mike Griffin on February 21, 2018, 09:54:22 PM

I have been flirting with kitting a built up full fuselage Imitation, thus the name Imitation Plus. It would have the same wing and tail feathers as Ted's Original Imitation that I recently kitted but with a built up fuselage with

Excitation with the Imitation wing?

Mike Scholtes · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2018, 11:46:00 PM »

There are several full-fuse Imitations flying in the SF Bay Area. They look great, though none use the Imitation profile shape for the fuse, and fly even better. Kitting a full-fuse version is a dandy idea and may outsell the profile version. The ones I have seen use piped .40 engines but electric would be good alternative.

Mike Griffin · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2018, 11:21:53 AM »

To clarify things a bit more and after having talked to Eric, what we will do is use the Imitation Wing, stab and elevator which we already have and make the fuselage a built up fuselage , maintaining the shape of the IMitation profile version. Here is the big difference though, for the full fuselage IMITATION PLUS version, we will use a RADIAL mount on the front instead of the inverted engine with the typical 3/8 x 1/2 hardwood motor mounts you see in the plan of the Excitation that Brent posted. By putting the firewall on the front of the fuselage you can either use a glow or electric motor. This makes the conversion to electric a very easy task. It also makes it a lot easier to switch out engines if need be.

The wing on the Excitation is NOT the same as the Imitation wing as the trailing edges on the Excitation sweep forward and the Imitation the trailing edge goes straight across with no sweep.

If you all like this idea, I will have Eric draw up a CAD of the fuselage so you can see what it will look like.

As I said, this is not a big deal to convert the fuselage. I think there are folks who would really like this .

Mike

Brent I appreciate you posting the plan of the Excitation because that helped to point out the differences in the wing.

Larry Wong · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2018, 12:27:45 PM »

This what I did Mike I built 2 of them one has a PA ultra light 40 and the other had a PA 61 both had pipes,

Mike Griffin · « **Reply #5 on:** February 22, 2018, 02:12:24 PM »

Quote from: Larry Wong on February 22, 2018, 12:27:45 PM

This what I did Mike

That is beautiful Larry.

Mike

Mike Griffin · « **Reply #6 on:** February 22, 2018, 02:13:31 PM »

Quote from: Ty Marcucci on February 22, 2018, 07:43:37 AM

Hey Mike G.g. I would love to have two, full fuselage, kits, less the wings etc. I have your kit and three of the UHP kits, so all I need is the fuselages. Did one of my own design and called it the "Mimic". Flew great until I hit a small tree hiding in the tall grass... Silly story for a later time.

Once we get this done Ty, that would be easy to do for you.

Mike

Randy Cuberly · « **Reply #7 on:** February 22, 2018, 04:39:11 PM »

Yes....
Keep the same moments but enclose the engine and pipe! Put me down for one if you can do that!

Tucked around an OS VF46.

Randy Cuberly

Steve Thompson · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2018, 04:46:43 PM »

Deleted

Brett Buck · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2018, 06:43:08 PM »

Quote from: Brent Williams on February 21, 2018, 10:03:27 PM

Excitation with the Imitation wing?

Closer to the other way around, I expect!

I wasn't just kidding before, just about all of our airplanes (Ted/David/Brett) for the past 30-ish years have been attempts to replicate the performance and ease of handling of the original Imitation (with varying degrees of success). There is also this variant:

that is closer to the original than most.

Brett

Dennis Nunes · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2018, 06:48:36 PM »

Great picture!

Allan Perret · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2018, 04:05:12 AM »

Quote from: Larry Wong on February 22, 2018, 12:27:45 PM

This what I did Mike I built 2 of them one has a PA ultra light 40 and the other had a PA 61 both had pipes,

Hey Larry, which of the two motors you felt was the best combo in the Imitation ?

Larry Wong · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2018, 05:37:50 AM »

Quote from: Allan Perret on February 23, 2018, 04:05:12 AM

Hey Larry, which of the two motors you felt was the best combo in the Imitation ?

Allan I like the PA 40 ultra lite it seams to be a lighter . I also tried a VF 46 that was great,

robertino619 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2018, 05:52:26 AM »

Will the electric version parts be included?

Mike Griffin · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2018, 08:19:04 AM »

Yes, the laser cut parts needed for electric conversion will be included

Mike

Allan Perret · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2018, 04:33:16 AM »

Quote from: Larry Wong on February 23, 2018, 05:37:50 AM

Allan I like the PA 40 ultra lite it seams to be a lighter . I also tried a VF 46 that was great,

Good, I have two of the PA40lites. What about Stalker51re w/muffler.

Larry Wong · « **Reply #16 on:** February 27, 2018, 07:53:36 AM »

Alan not sure about stalker!

Randy Cuberly · « **Reply #17 on:** February 27, 2018, 01:34:24 PM »

Well, at least one for me, of course! If it has a real pipe tunnel that will accommodate a PA 65 pipe and a 6 oz tank, of course! Oh yeah remember a commercial 2 inch wide tank is at least 2 and 3/64 inch wide!

I hate making tanks too!

Just kidding, I know you guys will do it right because you know, I know, where you live!!!

LOVE and KISSES
Randy Cuberly!!!!!

Brett Buck · « **Reply #18 on:** February 27, 2018, 01:47:11 PM »

Quote from: Allan Perret on February 23, 2018, 04:05:12 AM

Hey Larry, which of the two motors you felt was the best combo in the Imitation ?

Neither of those would be my first choice, this airplane could have been designed around the 40VF, and the first piped flights I ever did were with a 40VF in a full-fuse Imitation derivative. It's much steadier-running with much less power burst than a PA40 (UL or regular). A 61 will be OK (my first PA61 flights were ALSO with a further deviation but still an Imitation wing) but you would probably want to use less-than-standard-diameter props, and if so, you don't get the full effect of the 61. That airplane currently hangs on my wall with a 40VF in it, worked perfect the last time I flew it. I flew the same airplane with a PA40 at the 95 NATs and to start with at the 96 NATs, but I switched back to the VF the night before qualifying started.

This is a pretty small airplane by national standards so if you are going to run a 61-88 in it, you had better know how to take breaks and power boosts and be willing to go WAY off the reservation from the standard system setups.

I also ran the 46VF, maybe the first time anyone ever ran a 46VF in a stunt plane, in the same airplane I first ran the 40VF, but at the time, I couldn't see what I would do with the extra power. I could probably figure it out now, however.

BTW, on the other topic, the Stalker 51 set up the way Gordan Delany had his would also be excellent.

Brett

Allan Perret · « **Reply #19 on:** February 27, 2018, 09:54:14 PM »

Quote from: Brett Buck on February 27, 2018, 01:47:11 PM

BTW, on the other topic, the Stalker 51 set up the way Gordan Delany had his would also be excellent.

Brett

I currently run a Stalker51re w/muffler in an Olympic. Set-up seems pretty straight forward. Something unique about Gordon's ?

Brett Buck · « **Reply #20 on:** February 27, 2018, 10:51:02 PM »

Quote from: Allan Perret on February 27, 2018, 09:54:14 PM

I currently run a Stalker51re w/muffler in an Olympic. Set-up seems pretty straight forward. Something unique about Gordon's ?

I really don't know if it is normal or something special. The reason I mention it is that the 51 the way Gordan and John Miller had them going are the only instances of Stalkers running really well. Jim Aron's 46 ran OK, but the smaller ones all seemed abnormally weak, and the 60 and larger were all completely hopeless, at least as delivered.

Brett