Flying Models

**vultee35** · 1st April 2010, 20:23

Here's a couple of close ups of the Sea Fury.

**eye4wings** · 1st April 2010, 22:18

Absolutely stunning Steve!

I was in no way denigrating your models - just noting the fact that we operate at opposite ends of the scale spectrum.
I don't have first-hand knowledge of flying in winds above about 10kt because I don't find it enjoyable. I don't have to do it so I don't.
And maybe that's partly because of the lack of weight as you say.

I make mine on the basis that if it looks right on a slow fly-by that pretty much does it for me. Yours can stand close inspection - as we saw earlier with your Spit interior.

Notice I'm not asking how much of your life it took to build either!

Awesome stuff!

**vultee35** · 1st April 2010, 22:23

The Fury had been a joint project. I don't know how many hours have gone into it, but I'd put money on the fact that more hours have gone into sanding down the airframe, the glass cloth and primer than anything else!

I do fly small models too, and electric.....

HVP Modell Catalina

**vultee35** · 8th April 2010, 22:29

The Fury is now complete and has been taken away by the owner. If anyone lives in the Norfolk area, keep your eyes skyward over the next few weeks

**Black Knight** · 12th April 2010, 16:54

That Sea Fury is stunning, tho I think it'd look even more stunning as G-FURY ;-D

**vultee35** · 12th April 2010, 22:58

Earlier in this thread, I posted a couple of pictures of a Tigercat powered by two radial engines that I finished last year. Just been given a link to one of the flight videos. Turn your speakers up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCwqwsJcPg8

**Black Knight** · 14th April 2010, 17:53

Are these models from kits? Where do you buy them from? I've only ever found the Mick Reeves stuff for sale

**vultee35** · 14th April 2010, 18:01

The Grumman Tigercat is a highly modified 3W-Modellmotoren kit from Germany. If you have a spare five figure sum kicking about, you could make the owner an offer

The basic kit, which was VERY basic, just the empty glass mouldings, vac-formed canopy and that's it. No plans, no instructions, no accessories. That was around £5000. Then add a few thousand for the engines, plus radio, a couple of grand for the scale landing gear, paint, and all the other little odds and ends, you'd be lucky to get change out of £10,000, and that's just for the materials.

If you can't build it yourself, and there can't be many that could make a good job from that difficult kit, then you have labour costs too.

**eye4wings** · 14th April 2010, 18:17

Nice videos Steve.
Good to see the Moki allows scale props to be used. That's long been a 'bee in my bonnet'. Never did see why 'scale' flyers shouldn't be marked down for using a non-scale prop!
Nice sound as well. Running up an engine in the front garden always seemed to be the quickest way to fall out with the neighbours - but the high voices in the background weren't complaining women... presumably you got a gathering of small boys?

**vultee35** · 14th April 2010, 18:50

The Tigercat was run in my back garden, the Sea Fury on the drive of the guy I work with building these monsters. We don't run up for long, and it doesn't happen that often, so don't get any complaints from neighbours. Usually poeple passing are curious, asking all the usual questions, such as "Does it fly?", "How fast does it go?", "How much is it mister?"

**Black Knight** · 14th April 2010, 19:16

Is the Sea Fury a kit? Hope u post a link to see that fly, sounds fantastic!

**vultee35** · 14th April 2010, 19:20

No the Sea Fury is built from a modified Jerry Bates plan.

**Black Knight** · 15th April 2010, 08:59

What modifications did you do? Is there a website for jerry?

**vultee35** · 15th April 2010, 16:29

I think Jerry has a website.

For the Tigercat, there's too many modifications to list here, but there is a build thread on the RC Model Flyers forum which can be found here - Tigercat Build Thread

The early part of the thread was lost in a forum crash, but I did re-post most of the text and pictures as I had a duplicate thread on a US forum.

**eye4wings** · 5th June 2010, 15:26

Here's my latest - it now has new wings after a bad landing on first flight.
Just awaiting delivery of two new ESCs before second flight.
There were no problems with the models flying characteristics but the starboard aileron servo ceased to function at take-off and the original ESCs had insufficient cooling.
Model is 1:6 scale

**Martin Garrett** · 5th June 2010, 18:53

Simply stunning. Please get someone to publish the plan asap. Please

**vultee35** · 8th June 2010, 09:26

Very nice. Is this the aircraft it is modelled on?

**eye4wings** · 13th June 2010, 19:25

Yes, that's the one Steve. It's the only one flying in this country so far as I know. There is one still working for its keep in New Zealand (-AYR) but EDU is owned by Torquil Norman and kept Cheltenham way I believe. I'm still looking for internal details for the model. Does anyone have photos of the seating, instrument panel and so on? I don't want to do a lot of detail - just a general likeness would be fine.

Martin, it will be published one day but I have yet to do the drawings for the Q6... then there's the Heron to do... but I think the Dragonfly could overtake that one! It will probably turn up in the Traplet plans handbook and join all the others about a year hence.

Actually, I might as well post the list in case anyone's interested...

Hawker Tempest 5 42”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=2946
Alco Frolic (sport design) 51.5”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=2945
Percival Prentice T1 60”(?)
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=2939
Miles M-38 Messenger 71.5”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=2936
Miles M-65 Gemini 71.5”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=2841
Douglas DC-3 Dakota 96”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=2935
DH-85 Leopard Moth 90”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=940
Gloster Meteor III 42”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1062
Gloster Meteor III 60”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=2775
Auster T7 62”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1002
DH104 Dove 67”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1025
BN-2A Trislander 80”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1039
DH98 Mosquito 64”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1078
P-51D Mustang 42”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1079
Fairey Firefly Mk4 30”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1061
AW Whitley 48”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=976
Bristol Beaufighter 48”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=984
Reggiane RE-2000 44”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1001
BN-2 Islander (long nose) 72”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1063
Anderson Greenwood AG-14 51”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1014
Junkers Ju-188 55”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1017
Aeronca C-2 44”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1016
Casa Ca-212 Aviocar 80”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1088
Hirth Acrostar 44”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=1082
P-40 Kittyhawk 40”
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=2677
P-40 Kittyhawk kit
https://shop.traplet.com/product.aspx?c=2932

The links take you straight to the page in question.
Enjoy!

**vultee35** · 16th June 2010, 21:03

I've dug out some pictures of some of my early 'scale' models. These date back to 1987 for the Scratch built Volksplane, OS .20FP powered with all moving tail and fin. Had a nasty tail stall during the flair until I added turbulators ( 1/4 in strip of 80 grit sandpaper ) along the bottom of the stab.

Then from 1989, a pair of the original Cambria Funfighters. Spit Mk1 in 'Piece of Cake' colours powered by an OS 20FP, and Buchon in 'Memphis Belle' colurs with an Enya .30. Spit was four channel, the Buchon had rudder and flaps.

**vultee35** · 16th June 2010, 21:10

In 1991 came the 1/4 scale Fokker EV. Powered by a Zenoah 38cc petrol engine. Lovely to fly, tricky to land.

Started in 1988 and completed in 1993, my first big B-17 was 1/10 scale. Again scratch built with 4 x Saito 45 FS engines, it now resides in the 100th Bomb Group Museum at Thorpe Abbotts.

**vultee35** · 16th June 2010, 21:15

VE Day 1994 saw my scratch built 1/6 scale P-47D fly for the first time. 6ft 9in span, 18 pounds with a Zenoah 38cc engine. These pictures were from the press day for the Elvington Air Spectacular in 1994.

Later that year, I finished a P-51D from one of the new Cambrian Funfighter kits. This was powered to start, but a few years later converted to PSS before being sold and returning to power again.

**vultee35** · 16th June 2010, 21:23

My scratch 1/6 scale B-17G took 11 months to build into this silver finish for test flights, starting in Spet 1994 and flying in Aug '95. After it flew, I spent another 6 months adding the glazing, turrets and surface details and resprayed it into the colours and markings of 100th BG B-17G "Hang The Expense".

Along with some of the other USAAF Team aircraft.

**vultee35** · 16th June 2010, 21:27

The Tiger was given to me second hand in 1996, and was repainted into US markings. It is the old DB kit, spanning 58 inches and powered by a Saito .45FS.

**DazDaMan** · 16th June 2010, 21:39

I've seen that Spitfire and Buchon before!

**vultee35** · 16th June 2010, 21:47

Very possibly!

My P-47 was damaged in 1996 as a result of a fracture in the Y lead signal wire to the elevator servos. It was rebuilt into a new natural metal scheme for 1997, and re-engined with a 3W-40cc.

Also in 1997 was this PSS Sabre

**vultee35** · 16th June 2010, 21:53

October 2000 saw this Fokker E111 take to the sky. Another scratch build from the scrap box! 1/8 scale, 44 inch span, OS .20FP, wing warping and all moving tail and fin. It was eventually sold on Ebay.

I also started this Northrop N-9M back in 2001 which has yet to be finished. Apologies for the legs in this shot.

**eye4wings** · 27th June 2010, 18:21

The Dragonfly in the air. These are low-res shots... and no legs to be seen!

DATA:
Scale: 1:6
Wing span: 86 inches
Length: 63 inches
Wing area: 7.6 square feet
A.U.Weight: 8 pounds 4 ounces
Wing loading: 17.4 ounces per square foot
Motors: Towerpro 2915/930
ESCs: Welgard 40A
Batteries: 6,000 mah 2s LiPo x2
Propellers: Zinger 11”x7” (modified to rounded tip)
Max current: 24 amps static at full throttle
Power consumption: 400W (approx 50W/lb.)

**vultee35** · 27th June 2010, 18:29

Looks fantastic! Time for a 1/3 scale version

**eye4wings** · 29th June 2010, 06:33

To me the Dragonfly is a fantastic looking aircraft at any scale but if YOU want to do one that big be my guest!
I would have to change my van and I only just bought this one! Or buy a trailer perhaps? At 1:6 I can just get it in with the Heron on the floor and Q6 suspended... not a lot of air space around!
Practicality eh! Don't you just hate it?!

**eye4wings** · 18th October 2010, 17:04

Hi guys,
Been posting a few short videos on YouTube - thought I'd post the links here in case anyone fancies a look...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DBp28hKKiY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJYf4hWVSbg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpvFMteeN4I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCil6oy4hTo
There are ones of the Heron and Q6 as well, but it's easy enough to find them by going onto my channel - and I may well have posted them before anyway!

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