So what's everyone doing on the model airplane front? It got busy for me. Got a paying gig to build another VQ B-24, that one is in the shop now. Just got done refurbishing a 92 inch Spitfire for another customer, which was mainly repairing a little cosmetic damage and getting the radio and engine set up and running. My friend Wally was invited to the Top Gun RC meet in Florida in April, and he invited me to go with him, so we're repairing and repainting his big Bearcat this weekend and getting his Sea Fury ready for its maiden flight later this month. To top it all off, I'm in the middle of a beta build of a new model that will be coming out soon, but I can't really divulge any details just yet.
I figured I needed to get back to some flying as well, but of the low impact no brainer kind, so I'm also building a 38 inch profile foamy electric Bearcat that will be painted like Wally's big one. Going to set that one up for small field and indoor flying so that hopefully I can fly it in the front yard or the drainage right of way behind my daughter's house around the corner. I'll try to get some pics up later.
Funny how things go from zero to ludicrous speed so quickly...
Nothing too exciting, just been flying the foam electrics a little, but have decided to try an un mothball the glow planes and give them a go when the weather permits. Bought some new fuel and everything. I am in the process of unburying my room, so am going to dig out all the kilts and haul them to moms house to store. Appreantly I have some unobatinum classics now, a 60 size topflight P47, a Lanier Taylorcraft, Dynaflight Decathlon and Flybaby partially kit bashed, besides some skyshark warbird kits, hogbipes and Sig Smith miniplane, and tecate bipe I believe, tucked in there somewhere.
Quoteso am going to dig out all the kilts..
Hope you have some of those plaid knee socks to go with them! :icon_lol: :icon_lol: :icon_lol:
The way I fly its the other kind of kilts, as in I have kilt many a plane. :icon_lol:
I've hooked up with some other retired bums, and we go flying off the snow when the wind and temperatures cooperate. Yesterday was gorgeous! They are flying with glow fuel, while I find that electrons are much more user friendly this time of year....picked up the new eflite Twin Otter and maidened it....nice, fun plane.....
Where is the best place to buy Spectrum receivers now days? I am thinking I want to buy at least half a dozen before the mandated changes come. That's kind of ouchy with them at 40 bucks a pop from horizon.
Check out Lemon receivers....spektrum compatible, and cheap like borsch! Be advised that quality control with the knockoff wannabe's can be hit and miss. Me, I prefer to spend the few etra bucks on the real deal, that has been designed, tested, and manufactured to spec......and comes with a waranty.
Realistically, you are so far out in boondocks, I wouldn't worry about compliance til someone taps you on the shoulder.....
If you're not doing any really serious flying, the knockoff receivers are great and inexpensive to replace. Most of the high end RC guys I know are switching from Spektrum to Jeti radios. I know that Wally and I have been having odd problems with Spektrum receivers just doing whatever they feel like. We were tweaking the Sea Fury a few weeks ago and got uncommanded rudder and elevator deflections on several occasions. He sent the radio and receivers off to be checked, but of course, they came back no trouble found. So the switch is on to Jeti. Amazing equipment, but not anywhere near cheap..
https://shop.jetiusa.com/
So Futaba, HiTech, JR, et al have fallen from grace? Or regulated to the gulag? Or absorbed by technology into obsolescence?
When last I flew in AZ there were guys still using the single stick boxes...
Me, I still got a couple of intact oldies in the rafters of the garage, a half dozen kilts on the shelf including the MusYak and a little 'lectric number called a Lazer3D, even a .029-.049 RC water plane that at one time I planned to turn electric...
For various reasons besides being 60 my hands don't work with the fine motor skills. Maybe a garage sale is overdue.
I bought several lemons from them directly last year for like 8 bucks a pop, and they are great for the money and fine for the foamy electrics, but I want something a little more bullet proof for the glow and gassers. But probably not going with Jeti, just because I don't fly enough to justify it. And I am not doing any telemetry or FPV stuff so no need for all the expense for that capability.
I do have an extreme power module and a few receivers, I thought maybe going with them, but they are the same money as Horizons spectrum stuff. I see they now support Jeti too though.
I may just stay on 72mhz for some of them if its too expensive to swap.
As far as the industry goes stetto, things have really changed, JR is no more, at least in this country, Airtronics is all but gone too, Futaba still around but struggling against all the Chinese stuff. Spectrum dominated for a bit because they led the way with 2.4ghz, but even they are feeling pressure from newer open protocol stuff now that can run about any type modulation.
On top of that the model companies have come down Horizon hobby being the giant, with some hanger ons like Sig & Balsa USA, and a few importers like VQ and hobby king.
Quote from: jetmex on January 27, 2020, 04:32:22 PM
If you're not doing any really serious flying, the knockoff receivers are great and inexpensive to replace. Most of the high end RC guys I know are switching from Spektrum to Jeti radios. I know that Wally and I have been having odd problems with Spektrum receivers just doing whatever they feel like. We were tweaking the Sea Fury a few weeks ago and got uncommanded rudder and elevator deflections on several occasions. He sent the radio and receivers off to be checked, but of course, they came back no trouble found. So the switch is on to Jeti. Amazing equipment, but not anywhere near cheap..
https://shop.jetiusa.com/
Same in this area. The JR stuff I have works great....but if it didn't I would somehow find the $$ for a Jeti.
A bunch of local guys jumped on the Futaba bandwagon when JR closed their doors. I saw two high end Futaba systems have unexplained glitches in the air...one resulting in total loss of a very expensive turboprop.
A pic for y'all....the Top Gun Bearcat. A bit bigger than 1/4 scale, about 110 inch span. Waiting for the weather to clear to finish painting the wings, then we can start putting it back together.
I do still love watching....
Bearcat is moving along. Wings are painted, markings going on now. Fuselage is about done also, she should be ready for us to put it all back together during the week and get it running again. Been about a year since its been flown. Moki 250 radial for power.
I really like tat flat paint....
We clear coated it in semi gloss after the rest of the markings went on. The full scale airplane is all in gloss colors. The wings are yellow with a red stripe. This probably the most colorful Bearcat you'll ever see, a drone control bird from squadron VX-2 in the mid 50's.
Wally has been bragging you up again on RCAAA (RC Airplane Addicts Anonymous) facebook group Jaime, and rightly so it looks like.
Wally's good people and one of my closest friends. We've known each other about twenty years now, met online on the old RC World website warbird forums. I started building models for him a while back. One thing led to another and here we are.
I built the Mustang about two years ago and it got shelved for a while so we could get the Sea Fury and the Bearcat going. That came to a screeching halt about a month ago because neither of the Moki radials powering both airplanes will run worth a damn, so they're back to the factory rep (again) for repair. So Wally dusted off the Mustang, called me and there it is. I stripped all the factory USAAF markings off and painted the Swiss scheme. The nose art was his idea and I sure ain't complaining about that one! One thing we both like is something different, so that was right up our alley, though I'm still trying to talk him into the El Salvadoran green and tan camouflage for his big Corsair. So far he isn't biting! :disturbed:
BTW - photos of both the Sea Fury and Bearcat are in this month's Model Airplane News.
You do good work!!!
Thanks!!
Meester Honchyo sir, I was spelunking through my boxes of model parts unseen these last 10 years or so, and I found a spare fiberglass cowling for that Tecate...If memory serves I have a spare landing gear for it too....
I'll cough on it and get it to you...Though I'd must rather just deliver it myself.... :disturbed:
Well at the rate its going it will be dust before its ever gets done, so no hurry.
I have two projects going right now, a VQ B-24 build for a client, and a Marutaka 1/12 scale J2M Raiden for me that was sent many years ago by a friend in Japan. He has since passed away and it turns out this kit is apparently pretty rare, so I think this one will just be for static display.
So, is anyone building anything under your enforced confinement?
Just frustration. I would like to fly, but am so far behind that any nice days we get I spend trying to catch up and since we only get one or 2 at a stretch I haven't charged batteries or anything.
I never left the hobby. Built lots of stuff for other people, but this past winter, I've been working for me....just about finished one project, with a few more projects (mostly minor repairs) in the queue..... Fortunately, the guy I work for (me) doesn't pressure me with deadlines, as long as I do a good job....😃
Sure happy I have a hobby during these times........
Dang it, I knew I should have just bought one, the Rochobby Waco has been discontinued, I kept procrastinating since i ma not flying that much, now its made from unobtainium. The 3 cell planes are getting rarer it seems.
I've been involved with VQ Warbirds for a while, as the US distributor for their models is a friend of mine. Earlier this year, I was asked to be part of the team doing the beta builds for their new 85 inch A-1 Skyraider. There were six of us, with three prototypes being split between three teams. Wally and I got the ARC version, which was built as an electric conversion, the other two airplanes being 35cc gas. First flights were a few weeks ago. "My" airplane is the Vietnam monocote scheme with the TC tail codes and will be the official demonstrator for the model, to be shown at all the RC meets. There will be three versions - Navy gray, USAF camo and ARC. Decals will be separate so you can do your own markings. We'll be doing the official release and videos this weekend at Bomber Field.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD8a4B_LKFo
If you're wondering, the kit is $1000, Robart retracts are $700 for pneumatic and $800 for electric. Kit comes with a full set of rockets and three drop tanks with three release mechanisms included, and I think there will also be a cockpit kit offered.
Cool, Jaime!!
The other days I spent an hour and a half at Bomber Field on the 'Tube. Looked for you at the B-17 gatherings and such, but there are a LOT of distractions to ogle in those vids!!
Izzat Wally piloting?
The gent at the beginning of the video as the taxi out begins is Glenn, his bird is the painted camo in the Vietnamese AF markings. Not a good shot of Randy, but Wally is there briefly in the shot of the three pilots from behind ad a low pass is going on. He's closest to the camera in the ball cap with the white hair. Here's a still shot of him from the VQ Facebook page:
And this is the whole crew at the unpacking party we had when we got the models back in January:
This is the bird Wally and I did:
How funny, I was just looking at their website today and looked over that one.
Nice......very nice!