Question 49: "Jeff, Any experience or comments on the Fuji engine line. Weights and powers published are comparable to the Zenoah line, but the automatic timing module seems to make a lot of sense for easy starting and slightly more power, but most importantly probably less vibration. Thanks for the time and help. Scot"
Jeff: "Hi Scott....I am afraid I have zero experience or knowledge of the engine first hand. All I know s a friend of mine has one in a Yellow Spitfire and it seems to perform flawlessly. Jeff"
Update: Merlyn Graves emailed this info; "I have two Fuji 32's that I am putting in my new Bronco. I have run them up on a test stand since I haven't installed them yet. They start easily and are very smooooth. They turn a three blade Mejzlick 18-10 prop at 6300 rpm, which is the same as a Quadra 42, so I would say that they are very strong for their size."
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Question 50: "I am looking for a scale set of plans for a Dehavilland Beaver, preferably ¼ scale, thanks"
Jeff: "Ron.....Here is a good source: http://www.de-havilland-models.com/ Jeff"
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Question 51: "Hello, I would love to scratch build one of the plans from Nick Zirolli but I am limited to a Quadra 50 I presently own. I noticed in the fighter section "Zeros" that David Ragsdale is flying a Zero using a Quadra 50. Which of the Nick's designs would be suitable for my engine with a reasonable overall weight? Thanx"
Jeff: "Hi David....there are a few options that I think would work. I have seen 3 Ziroli Zeros flying with Q-52's, it is a plane that tends to come out lighter than some of his other designs. The other would be his Stearman design. If you can wait a bit, he will soon be releasing a Beech Staggerwing. If you like Tri-planes, he has a DR-1 design. If you like twins, try his Beech D-18. Most of his other designs will require more power for good performance. These are a good starting point....Jeff "
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Question 52: "Jeff I have a Ziroli Corsair. I didn't build the plane, it has a glass fuselage, 3.2 Walker Sachs engine Robart retracts. The original builder didn't include flaps. I am in the process of adding them. I been searching for photos of the flap hinge detail, but I can't find any photos of the underside of the wing. The plans are a little vague in the area of the flap inboard drag down tabs. Do you know of any photos on the net for this plane? Thanks Bill Heinson"
Jeff: "Hi Bill.....go to RCWarbirds.com under projects. Look for my 13 foot Corsair project/pictures I have been sending to Paul Grubich. I took 3 close up and detailed pics of this area before sheeting. See if that helps you...I think it will. Jeff"
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Question 53: "I have the chance to buy a built and glassed nosen large scale 1/4 I think p-47 bubble top thunderbolt from a professional builder in Florida for 1300.00 question is he said that he replaced all the factory balsa with good grade 1 wood from lonestar balsa, have never had a bird this big, how well do they fly? whats your engine recommendation? please help before I spend the cash..."
Jeff: "I believe you are referring to the guy from RCAmerica. Sounds like he did the right thing. Nosen tends to have very hard and heavy balsa in their kits, so replacing it was a good move. They fly very well, and I would recommend it. It will probably come in around 28-40 pounds finished, with retracts and flaps. A Q-100 with a 22x16 prop will really make that airplane sing in the air. You can also run a 24x12 on a Q-100. Any engine in the 5.2 to 6.0 range will work well. Again, they are terrific flyers. Good Luck. Jeff "
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Question 54: "Hi Jeff, I am a 'Brit' living and working in Dubai UAE where the weather is perfect for flying and there is a huge following for the hobby. The hobby shops here are very well stocked with kits,however most people tend to buy completed models,so the shops employ full time model builders to deliver the completed item in two weeks after purchase. Myself and mostly the Brit contingent like to build. I fly a Sukhoi at present have almost finished an EZ Mustang and am lining up my next project. I want a P38 as I am keen to get into twins and 'Warbirds'are my passion. Please steer me in the right direction for the best ARF's Part builds or
even a Secondhand machine.I am a serious buyer. I am an experienced modeller but a little unfamiliar with what's available on the American Market. I see references to 'Yellow Aircraft' and understand Ziroli is popular for plans. I don't have the room or the time to build from scratch however much I want to,but do have a small model room and a good selection of tools(Garage type hobby rooms are almost non existent here due to the high temperatures and perfect weather). ARF's or part builds would suit me or I would buy secondhand and ship it.
Advice on Engine choice(the shops here are stocked mainly with OS) Retracts,Servo choice etc would be appreciated and as I am flying with a FUTABA FF9 8 channel would I need to upgrade to run a P38 ?. Thanks in advance for your advice and for a brilliant website. PS,Please recommend the best venue to attend in the US for Model Flying Exhibition from August on and I'll try and get there during my vacation. Thanks, Rog Martin. "
Jeff: "Hi Rog....I know that Morris Hobbies just came out with a P-38 ARF. I saw this at a trade show, and it looks to be a very nice model. Check out this website for more info: http://mvvs.com/product_pages/vq/P-38skunk.html Check the website for engine detail. Standard size servos and the Futaba radio you have will work just fine. Good Luck....Jeff" Editors note: For the best show in the US after august I would recommend the Dayton Big Bird event, go here to learn more about it.
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Question 55: "Hey, Jeff, the Corsair is looking good, pal. I have plans for the Meister F4 Corsair and after studying them and making some initial line drawings, I have some questions. How do you install flaps on this one and where should the separation be between the aileron and outboard flap? 2) What do recommend for hinges that have more of a center-pivot that is somewhat recessed in the wing t/e ? The reason I ask is that all their plans call for is a top-mounted aileron hinge and similar basic hinging for elev and rudder. It has no flap detail or instructions. Thanks, can't wait to see more of your project. Karl."
Jeff: "Hi Karl....I just painted and installed the gear in the big Corsair. Only thing left is to mount the engine and balance. Now, on to your questions: I have never seen the Meister Corsair planes, so am blind as to how they are drawn. What I would recommend is to find a set of Ziroli Corsair plans and use those for reference. For the flap hinges, I would recommend the Hobby Lobby fowler flap hinges. See them at: http://www.hobby-lobby.com/balllink.htm These bolt onto the bottom surface of the flap, thru a hard point and give good flap actuation. I used them on one of my previous Ziroli Corsairs. For the ailerons, I would balsa cap the front and round it. Use Robart large pin hinges with the hinge line recessed. Then seal the gap with 1/16 ply over the aileron and feather it in to the wing sheeting. "
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Question 56: "Hey Jeff, do you know where I can purchase a Stafford B-24 Kit? Thanks, Patrick"
Jeff: "Hi Patrick....the Stafford B-24 has been out of production for quite some time. I did see one in the "Warbirds for Sale" section on RCUniverse. Looked to be all framed up and ready for finishing. Go to RCUniverse and do a "Stafford B-24" search and you will find it. Other than that, your best bet is to place a wanted ad in the same section of RCUniverse. Jeff "
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Question 57: "I plan on starting a large project this fall. I want to build a 1/4 scale P-38 as true to the original as possible. Is it possible to do this and have it fly? I know I can build it but If you know of a set of plans that may help me it would be much appriciated.
Al "
Jeff: "Hi Al...yes, it can be done. It would actually be pretty difficult to make a plane this size too heavy to fly. It may not fly easily, or as well at a heavier weight, but the amount of wing area will definitely allow for flight. I would recommend a set of Ziroli P-38 plans. A guy in Canada is building a 19 ft span now. Good luck....Jeff "
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Question 58: "Jeff: I am in the process of designing a large scale B-36 "D". I am using a set of prints obtained from the Smithsonian archives of construction blueprints. I am scaling it up to about 1/8th scale. It will be a large aircraft. The drawings are almost completed. It will be wood and foam construction, homemade gears with a heck of a lot of servos. The main problem I am facing is engines. I would like to go with gas using scale three bladed props. I have pretty much worked out the heating problem. But I am also thinking of going electric. The plane will be pushing the 90 to 100 pound mark. I want engines that would get the plane off the ground, but not make it look like a fighter in flight. I want it to be slow, lumbering and graceful like the real plane was. At the scale I am doing it in, the prop size would be about 28 inches diameter. There will be six pushers. Any suggestions on gas engine size or electric engine size? Thomas Sorenson "
Jeff: "Hi Tom.....sounds like a good project. First off, I would have no idea what the requirements would be for running electric motors. As for gas, I think the possibility of installing an engine large enough to turn a 28 inch 3 bladed prop, would counter your requirements for a "lumbering" airplane. To turn a 28 inch 3 bladed prop effectively, you are looking at a minimum of a 120CC sized engine. Anything smaller, and you will be in the neighborhood of anemic for engine power. Of course, you can always look in to reduction drives, but I doubt you will have the room in the cowl set-up of a the B-36. A guy in Texas has been working on a 19 foot B-36 for a few years, and plans to install 6 G-38's. I think this may be in line with what you are looking for. You may want to look at flying with G-38 and 19x10 or 20x8-10 pusher props. For static, make you some static scale props. I think this may make you happier and be much less of a headache. But, I admire your spirit...best of luck!....Jeff "
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Question 59: " have enlarged the Corsair to a whopping ws of 139.5" my question comes in how to make the wings fold like the orginia one also how do I do the sliding canopy. I love seening your 33% corsair it gives me encouragement to build them big!!!
Regards; Michael"
Jeff: "Best of luck Michael....I looked in to doing a folding wing for my Corsair. I was going to use a big air cylinder mounted in the wing center section with the actuating rod pushing/pulling the outer panels up/down. I planed on using a Robart variable speed air valve to control the air flow. I was going to then use a servos to push a locking rod thru a fitting to lock the wing in the unfolded position. However, I could not find any available hardware for the female locking device for the rod to lock in to. I thought about using something like the nose wheel gear trunnion (like those from Goldberg), but I didn;t feel plastic/nylon would hold up to the punishment. Then I talked with a friend about making me some. Then, I began to think of the added weight, and knowing that I was going to be 75 pounds, or more, I was already pushing the 100 pound limit, so I just opted not to install them. This was my line of thinking. I know Gene Barton makes a folding wing mechanism for the Ziroli Skyraider, so maybe you could talk with him about ideas. For a sliding canopy, I would just use the old tried and tru method of taking a piece of square brass tubing and cutting a channel lengthwise down that piece. Glue it to the inside of the fuse and remove the balsa along this channel. Take some 1/8 or 1/16 ply and glue a strip to the bottom of the canopy where it meets this channel you have cut. Then use at least 2 bolts and locking nuts of appropriate size and drill thru the canopy and ply you have glues on. Use the nut to slide in the channel and you have created a track for the canopy to slide on. The canopy can be opened manually, or you can use a servo or air system to slide it. What is really cool is if you can tie it to the flaps, so that, as the flaps drop, the canopy opens and vice versa. Again, best of luck."
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Question 60: "Hi ya Jeff Berry here from Australia.. I am building another monster again and I was wondering what length
wingjoiner you would use on a 3.8 meter wing with a 70 cm cord and 35cm tip. I have prepared the ribs to for Aluminium round. She will come in around 8kg tops. Thanks mate ! Berry."
Jeff: "Hi Berry...sorry for the delay in responding. Now, my metric system is not the best, but I calculate from your metric dimensions that you are looking at roughly a 12 foot wingspan with a finished weight of around 17 pounds. I am not sure if the 17 pounds refers to the entire plane or just the wing, but I assume the wing. In my building experience, a lot wold depend on the purpose and type of plane. For typical flight with a standard single dihedral wing, I would recommend a minimum of a 1.5 inch aluminum round tube that extends from the center joint (dihedral break) thru at least 1/3 of the wing panel. These dimensions will have to be adjusted accordingly based on type of light and weight, but it is a good starting point. Again, this is my experience and may vary from others. I tend to overbuild. Good, Luck...Jeff "
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Question 61: "Jeff, I've seen your Gee Bee R2 on the Northwest Hobbies web site. I have purchased one am going to start building it along with the NWHT P40 when I move back to the mainland. The plane will be powered by a G-62, controlled by a Futaba radio, and covered with cloth. I may fiberglass the wing but have not made up my mind yet. If you have any thoughts let me know. I do have a lot of questions so please bear with me. My R2 came with the belly pan cut on the front end but not the aft. What did you use to cut the aft portion? What method did you use to attach the belly pan to the wing (is the belly pan permanently attached to the wing)? Do the wing hold down bolts go through the belly pan, and through the wing or did you find an alternative method? As for the servos, I am considering cutting slots for and installing the servos on the side of the fuse. This would keep my push rods as short as possible. But, looking at your pictures is seems you put you servos inside the fuse. Can you describe how you cut the slots for the push rods and what you did to secure them inside the fuse to minimize flexing? How did you add the tail weight on your first R2 without cutting the foam core? Would the G-62 be to much engine for the P40 or should I consider a G45? And on a side note: Love your Corsair. Can't weight to hear about the initial test flights. Thanks Ron Golubosky"
Jeff: "Hi Ron....the NWHT GBR2 is a very nice flyer. You will enjoy it. First, on the belly pan, I took a hacksaw blade in my hand and cut the pan off along the wing foam surface. As for attaching, I first sheeted the wing with balsa. Then I sheeted the front half of the pan with balsa (the rear is sheeted with stringers). Then I taped the belly pan to the wing. Next, I took a long 1/4 inch drill bit and drilled thru the belly pan, and on down thru the wing, on the center line dihedral. I then removed the belly pan and took a piece of brass the same diameter of the long, drilled dowel supplied with the kit. I heated the brass and melted it into these holes to open them up enough for a snug fit of the dowel into the foam. After this, I glued the pan to the wing with 30 minute epoxy (I had to sand the wing dihedral into the pan surface to get a good fit first). Then, I glued the dowels into the wing and belly pan with Goriila Glue (same as the Elmers Pro Bond Urethane Eopxy). This is the epoxy that expands to fill the foam voids and really lock the dowel in. After this cures, glue the wing hold down plates in to the fuse, as square to these holes as possible, and as centered over the holes drilled as possible. Then when you fit the wing on to the fuse and set it all up, take a long 3/16 drill bit and drill down thru the hold down blocks. Remove wing and open up holes to accommodate a T-nut. The belly pan IS permanently attached to the wing. As for servos, I recommend putting them in the fuse. I used a horse-shoe bent wire to tie the elevators together and attached a nose wheel steering arm to actuate the servos. On the rudder, I recessed-glued in control horns to the edge of the rudder, but the cables are run inside the fuse. Nothing sticks out, so no control rods stick out. I have one 1/4 inch piece of balsa spanning the fuse 1/2 way back to support the elevator push rod and prevent flexing/vibration. If you do want to cut a holes in the foam, I recommend using a soldering iron or brass tube to melt the foam, as opposed to cutting it. Much easier. If you want the servos in the back fuse side, but a slot with a hacksaw blade, and melt a step with a soldering gun to mount a piece of hard wood to bolt the servo in. With a G-45 or Q-52, you will be able to get away with no nose weight or tail weight. If you do need tail weight, as I did on my first, I just glued some lead strips to the stab surface, inside the fuse. Personally, I recommend a G-45 on the R2 and the P-40. Good Luck....Jeff "
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Question 62: "Dear Jeff: I have purchased a Century Jet composite 100" Corsair. What servos do you recommend for all of the control surfaces (aileron, flaps, elevator, rudder, etc.)? Are separate trim tabs possible, and if so, how do I do it? Thanks, Lou"
Jeff: "Hi Lou....sorry for late reply. Out of town. As for sevos, I can only propose what I would use. I would like to attach two Hitec 605's on the elevator coupled with a B&B Servo doubler, hooked to a universal arm on an elevator wire joining the 2 halves. This gives some redundancy in the event of one servo failure, and the coupled wire would allow for both elevators to move from either servo if one would fail. This would get you back to the field. A 605 on each elevator half would work as well if you want split operation. I would recommend a Hitec 705 1/4 scale on the rudder/tailwheel. For ailerons, a 605 on each and a minimum of a 605 on each flap. You could go up to a 1/4 scale for each flap set as well. I am using scale actuated boost tabs on my elevator, but trim tabs would be a waste of time in my opinion. For boost tabs, go to RCUniverse and do a search on boost tabs and you will find a guy, Aerografix, that has good info on his website. Good luck....Jeff"
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Question 63: "Oh great balsa god..... here's the question, I'd love to build a large scale corsair, looking at either a Ziroli or Meister kit, would be getting a laser cut kit for either, want gear doors as well as full flaps which do you recommend? As well as engines? both will be sheeted and glassed, thanks, Donnie in Texas"
Jeff: "Hi Donnie...that's a loaded question. It will really depend on what you are looking for. And, you will find opinions running the gammit on this one. My personal observation is that Ziroli is the better overall plane. Now, let me try to clarify that statement. As far as scale outline, it is tough to beat a Meister, short of scale 3 views to build from. The Meister is pretty scale on the outline. The downfall is that the wing is not scale in looks through the gull and is a flat bottom wing. What this will cause is a plane that flies very stable, but is trim sensitive to airspeed changes, requiring constant trim changes on windy days and at different throttle settings, especially when flaps are deployed. His older plans I had did not show flaps, so you would be on your own there. He may have them shown now days, have not seen them lately. The tail feathers are slab sheet and not airfoiled shape, which kills the look of the tailplane, and causes the tail to be more sensitive to input changes. The Mesiter is an easy and fast builder, flies great, but you give up some in the area of looks in the areas I describe. Very easy to land. Only the side profile is scale in outline, but looks good in the air.
Now, the Ziroli is what I am more familiar with, and I can actually build these with less trouble than a Meister, goes with what you are familiar with. The Ziroli can be viewed as "out of scale", but what Nick did was try to combine scale appearance with good flight
characteristics. His plans show flap installation. The wing is semi-symetrical and the tail is airfoil shaped, which is one main reason I prefer them. His fuse is not quite as scale in looks as Meister, less the tail feathers, but I can live with that. Many people will say that you could buy the Meister plans and make necessary changes to wing and tail to get more scale appearance, but I say why, when you can get that with the Ziroli and not have to modify those area. But, some people would say you would need to modify the fuse on Ziroli. So, I dunno, maybe a Ziroli wing and tail on Meister fuse. Can go on and on. Bottom line is both fly nice. The Meister may be preferred for a novice for it's easy handling in landing and takeoff, but if you have warbird experience, I would opt for the Ziroli.
So, in closing, I was probably not much help, and the debate will continue. I'm sure I have not enough space to cover all the details. It will, in the end, come down to personal experience and preference I'm afraid. But, I wish you best of luck as there is nothing prettier than a corsair coming in with everything hanging....Jeff"
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Question 64: "I have been looking for a TBF Avenger kit in the 70 to 80 inch wingspan size. I think Jack Stafford had a kit? Can any one help me in my search? Thanks. You have a great web site. Garry "
Jeff: "Hi Garry....you will want to check out the TBF from Skyshark RC. These are the old Heritage models from years back. I saw the Avenger at Toledo and it is a very nice model. The span is 72 inches. Check ouyt this website:" http://www.skysharkrc.com/avenger.htm
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Question 65: "Where can I get a siren for my Stuka? I have been told there are some available but have not been able to find one. Mike"
Jeff: "Mike...I am afraid I do not know where to get a siren from. I am in the same boat as everyone else. Seems Ziroli would have one for his Stuka, but seems he does not. Sorry...Jeff"
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Question 66: "Jeff, I'm just starting to finish a Bud Nosen P-51 that I started several years ago and I'm having trouble finding exhaust stacks (non-functional). Can you point me to some good 1/4 scale accessories? Thanks, Mark "
Jeff: "Hi Mark...I would get in touch with J-tec. They have functional scale stacks that look really nice. Of course, you do not have to make them functional, but can still use them. The simply bolt to a plywood plate. Jeff"
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Question 67: "Hello, I am just finishing an F7F tigercat project. I noticed three of your members who all had F7F's. Joe Wilkins' tigercat is the closest to mine in size. He has a 116 inch wingspan, and mine has a 114 inch span. My problem is I took on this project that was partially complete, but had no plans, documents, manufacturer, or anything else. I've just had to go to the web and look for pictures, and try to copy them as much as possible. Now I'm to the point of needing to find the proper CG before any test flights. My wing cord is 25.5 inches at the root. The overall fuselage length is 103 inches. I know that balancing at the main spar is a good rule of thumb measurement, but with the time and money in this one, if possible, I would like to be just a little more precise. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for any help, Jerry."
Jeff: "Hi Jerry...I apologize, but I have no exprerience with a tigercat, altho I would like one someday. While I cannot tell you the specific location of the CG, I can tell you that if you take 25% of the root rib chord, you will be plenty safe, and you can adjust from there. IF you are still not comfotable, try giving Nick Ziroli of Don Smith a yell...both are familiar with these planes. Good Luck....Jeff. "
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Question 68: "Is there anyone out there who makes a kit for a 1:6 or 1:5 scale F-4 Phantom? If not, how about the same scale for an F-5? Thanks for your help with this questions- Jim"
Jeff: "Jim..the only 3 F4 Pahntom options I know of, not being a jet guy myself (but the F4 is the nicest jet I know of), is the Century Jet Models at 60 inch span, the Bob Violett Model at 57 inches and the Yellow Aircraft model at around 44 inch span. As for F-5 model...I do not know of any...sorry. Good luck...Jeff "
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Question 69: "Dear jeff: I am building an all composite 100" Corsair from Century Jet. I would like to build, buy or whatever, scale looking and functioning control surface hinges. Where can I find the necessary directions and/or materials to do so? Is it a long and painful process? Thanks for the help. Lou"
Jeff: "Lou...scale detailing is time consuming, but can be very enjoyable and produce very nice results, really adding to the appearance of the model, As for scale detail items, I would need to know what type of items you plan on using. I can offer that many of the scale details have to be self made. Jeff"
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Question 70: "Hi will a Nosen P-51 fly well on a g-62 and what type of radio gear would be best for a plane this big 102in
thanksPerry"
Jeff: "Hi Perry....I have a Nosen P-51 that weighs 30 pounds. It has a G-62 and flies well. 35 pounds and under will fly very nicely on a G-62. The key is the prop. Run a 20x8-14 and you will love it. This is a perfect G-62 warbird prop. As for servos, I recommend something along the lines of hitec 605's on the ailerons, and maybe flaps. But use Hitec 700 1/4 scale, or similar, on elevator and tailwheel/rudder. You may even use the Hitec 700 on the flaps as I did. They fly very nicely. Good luck....Jeff "
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Question 71: "hello how do I get a set of plans from "Urovitch" ov-10 bronco. I bought a used plane and need the plans.
Thanks s gallop ps; keep it up!"
Jeff: "The easiest way is to order them thru RCModeler. It was originally a construction article. Jeff"
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Question 72: "Hi Jeff, I was wondering if any one made an 100in. Zero with a fiberglass fuse? PS. that was of good quality. Thanks DMF"
Jeff: "David...I do not know of a 100 inch zero kit that comes with a glass fuse. Your best bet would be the Ziroli, if you want a large Zero (92 inch), but to date, there is no glass fuse available. Meister offers a 108 and 118 inch Zero, but these are built up fuse as well. There are some kits out there in the 80-90 span with glass fuse. That being Byron, Yellow Aircraft and Ralph Saxton. That about covers it. Jeff
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