RE: Royal Kits
[quote]ORIGINAL: P-Y Hi, Could someone tell me why people use fibreglass cowls instead of the aluminium cowls provided? Thanks! [/quote] I suspect weight mostly.
Posted on: 6/15/2013 4:27 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11544284

RE: Royal Kits
Unfortunately, US Wing does not list any canopies or cowls on his e-bay store anymore. I posted a question to him about it on ebay, but he has not responded.
Posted on: 6/15/2013 3:14 AM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11543768

RE: Royal Kits
Just found this thread and this seems to be the place for info on Royal kits! I'm looking for a source for reproduction canopies and cowls for a Royal B-17 and P-61. Also looking for a reputable source for plans (there are quite a few listed on e-bay). Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! p.s.; I have Royal B-25 and Staggerwing (both NIB) in my kit collection. I'm not touching them right now as I have too many project in the queue ahead of them.
Posted on: 6/14/2013 2:14 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11543424

RE: Electric Pros PLEASE help.
]ORIGINAL: aymodeler Here is a great tool for evaluating motor-prop-esc-battery combinations: http
Posted on: 6/12/2013 5:12 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Electric General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11541666

RE: Electric Pros PLEASE help.
Here is a great tool for evaluating motor-prop-esc-battery combinations: http://www.ecalc.ch/ I don't see why you could not use this in your application. Al
Posted on: 6/12/2013 4:04 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Electric General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11541599

RE: Top Flite kits
Watch the classified on here and other RC sites too. I have been collecting older kits and have scored quite a few from these sites (including a Gold Edition P-39). You will pay less than on e-Bay, but you need to move fast. There a few guys who buy older kits on the classified sites, then turn around and sell for more on eBay. They will grab any good deal on old TF, Royal, Nosen, or other discontinued kit that pops up, so you have to be prepared to jump when something you want appears. Good luck! Al
Posted on: 6/9/2013 4:48 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11538419

RE: Top Flite kits
One comes in a red box and the other comes in a yellow box [:D]. I can't say with complete certainty, but I have researched this myself before, and could not find any generalized difference. They are quite different than the newer "Gold Edition" kits. For example, many of the Red/Yellow box kits have solid balsa tail feathers as opposed to built up pieces common in the Gold Edition kits.
Posted on: 6/9/2013 5:47 AM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11537915

RE: Where to get Stand offs ????
I just made some from K&S aluminum tubing bought at the local hobby shop. Worked great. Just be sure to get them all cut to the exact same length so that you do not introduce unintentional thrust offset. I chucked each cut piece into my drill press and touched up the ends with a file to make sure that the ends were square and to trim the length. I used #8 socket head screws bought from Microfasteners (I needed a long length that I could not find at the hardware store).
Posted on: 5/31/2013 5:26 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Electric General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11529431

RE: P40 ground handling
[quote]ORIGINAL: radfordc [quote]ORIGINAL: aymodeler [quote]ORIGINAL: kmtranmd 1) If there is cross wind coming at you, make sure you take off in direction of wind blowing toward the right fuselage or you will not stand a chance no matter how good your throttle management is. Right to left if you're facing the wind. [/quote] I am certainly no expert, but wouldn't wind blowing '
Posted on: 5/31/2013 9:22 AM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11529019

RE: Painting & weathering with laxex paint
[quote]ORIGINAL: Ramstein44 [quote]ORIGINAL: wphilb I found that when I masked and then went back with an airbrush, a hint of the hard line could be seen if you looked hard enough, but it was needed because under the tail surfaces on the USN three color scheme the lines are two close together to do all freehand, even the layer touch up was tricky. Any advice for getting the line blended in?? Whit Thanks for posting the tape pic [/quote] fine sand paper [/quote] So another dumb question then ... If you are not using the foam tape to creat the fuzzy blend, why not just mask with regular masking tape then com back with the airbrush?
Posted on: 5/31/2013 7:08 AM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11528847

RE: P40 ground handling
[quote]ORIGINAL: kmtranmd 1) If there is cross wind coming at you, make sure you take off in direction of wind blowing toward the right fuselage or you will not stand a chance no matter how good your throttle management is. Right to left if you're facing the wind. [/quote] I am certainly no expert, but wouldn't wind blowing "towards" the right side of the plane tend to push it further to the left?
Posted on: 5/31/2013 7:01 AM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11528838

RE: Ive started another....
Looks great! You're moving along a whole lot faster on your P-47 than I am on mine.
Posted on: 5/28/2013 2:00 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11525753

RE: Whats up with kits?
Wow, lots of opinions on this thread. No doubt, prices for discontinued kits are a bit crazy right now, but good deals are available if you are patient (even on fleabay). I have scored several good deals this year and am building up a stash for the future. I love to build and I am willing to pay a little extra for the privilege. But kit building is definitely a shrinking niche. Hard core builders will live on, but more and more as scratch builders from plans. Hopefully, a few kit manufacturers like Sig and Stevens Aero will hang on and serve as an entry point for new hobbyists looking to start building. What I would love to see is a someone to come out with a business releasing scratch builder's plans (with all the templates necessary) for some of the old kits that have been discontinued.
Posted on: 8/27/2012 4:39 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11208231

RE: Need help, I'm stumped!
How are the retracts being driven? I remember reading a thread (on RC Scale Builder I think) about electrical interference being generated by a rotary motor used to drive a "jack screw" to operate the retracts on a Ziroli Staggerwing. The solution was to install a small micro-capacitor across the motor leads.
Posted on: 8/12/2012 3:30 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11190716

RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!
[quote]ORIGINAL: dodgers72 Hey Al. Just checked out your blog its cool! WWII planes are what really fueled my passion for planes and rc flight. I too wasn't able to afford to be involved in this great hobby until I was more established financially. The p-47 looks great by the way. Have you ever built any Sig kits? [/quote] Thanks doggers. I have a Sig LT-40 kit that I started working on some time back but lost interest in as I moved onto scale projects like the P-47. An LT-40 built by a club member was the plane I started training on a few years back. I hope some day to be able to return that favor, so I'll definately finish it off. Although not a scale kit, I've had my eye on the Hog Bipe for some time now and will definately add that to my "hanger". It's been a while since I've posted to my blog. This past year I've been traveling 3 out 4 weeks for work, so I have had very little time for the hobby. I have been living vicariously through forum postings watching others build and fly from my hotel rooms!
Posted on: 7/22/2012 3:19 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11164789

RE: LETS SAVE SIG BEFORE THEY GET SWALLOWED BY THE BIG TWO!!!
Has there been some new development with Sig? I heard that they dodged a bullet a few years back, but it sounds like they me be back on shaky ground again? I hope not! You're right that they are an outstanding company and we need small players like Sig to keep the Horizon and Hobbico honest.
Posted on: 7/22/2012 10:09 AM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11164512

RE: neat tip from an old timer
[quote]ORIGINAL: dbacque With as many years as I've been building there would be no way for me to store the remains of all the die cut sheets. My solution has always been to trace the parts on the back of the plans. That way I have the templates with the plans and they don't cost me any extra storage space. Then I use tracing paper to copy the template when I need to use it. A little Scotch double stick tape puts the tracing paper template on the wood and I can cut out the part. How recently have I done this? I just got finished tracing some parts about 5 minutes ago for a repair that I'm working on. Dave [/quote] Dave, That's one of those ideas that is so obvious, so simple, and so elegant, that when you hear it, you end up feeling bit like an idiot for not thinking of it yourself! I'll be doing this from now on! Al
Posted on: 7/20/2012 5:25 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11162967

RE: Good Third Foamie Warbird?
Also take a look at the T-28. I have the PZ T-28, P-51, and the F4F (which has not yet been flown). The P-51 is a bit faster and aerobatic, but the T-28 is my go-to plane and just plain fun to fly. Also, the tricycle gear layout is less susceptible to nose-overs than a tail dragger.
Posted on: 7/16/2012 5:35 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11157897

RE: Topflite Gold kit P-47
Looks great Scott. What paint did you use to for the "natural" aluminum?
Posted on: 7/15/2012 2:23 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11156309

RE: Big jump in kit prices at Tower
I think that the age of mass produced kits is over. Kits are a niche specialty market with niche specialty pricing. I doubt that Top Flite kits will be around too much longer. I have worked in consumer goods long enough to know that when a brand or product line stops growing, it will get harvested for any residual value, then dropped when its earnings contribution fall below a level where keeping it on is more of a distraction than its worth. Top Flite kits have clearly been in a harvest stage for quite some time (when was the last new kit released?), so I expect we are nearing the end :( Take heart though, there are a lot of great small kit manufacturers out there still (from Stevens Aero and Mountain models on the small side to SkyShark and Savage in the mid-size range and Ziroli and Meister Scale on the large end). I hope these guys will be around for a while, but I have begun my own hoarding process just to be sure!
Posted on: 7/13/2012 1:37 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11154111

RE: Dont kill me but my glow TO electric conversion help needed!
I have a couple of glow kits on the bench that I plan to convert to electric myself and have been doing a bit of research on the topic. All of the terminology is bit daunting, but if you spend a bit of time googling "glow to electric" conversions" you will find some good resources. Once you get past the terminology, it seems fairly straightofrward. Here are a couple of resources I found helpful: www.tcrconline.com/documents/Brushless/Glow%20to%20Electric%20Conversions.pdf www.flyrc.com/506241 Another approach is to use the "pre-sized" selections from E-flite: www.e-fliterc.com/PowerSystems/. They have rated their electirc motors with an equivalent glow engine size to make the selection simpler. Hope this helps!
Posted on: 5/31/2012 4:55 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Electrics to Glow Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11101726

RE: Top Flite P-40 Kit Build
Very impressive! Although the two "scale" pilots posed with it in the last few shots look a little big :)
Posted on: 4/21/2012 9:41 AM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11051073

RE: Another TF P-47 Build
[quote]ORIGINAL: raptureboy Hey guys, hope everyone is making some progress on their 47's and enjoying the really nice weather we had here in the east. I pulled off my project to build my p-40 arf and also to do some flying. I went to a couple of swap sales and picked up some great deals on accessories for future projects. AY, hope your getting home once in a while for some family time and some build time[;)] Post when you can. [/quote] Hi RB! Unfortunately, I have not made much (any) progress on my P-47 lately. I did divert attention to a little Stevens Aero RV4 kit that I picked up as a quick build. I had made some good progress there, but I have been back out on the road again - I got home late last night from my last trip to Maryland, but I'm heading out to Kentucky tomorrow morning - I get back on Friday, but then I'm back out to South Carolina on Sunday! I expect this to continue more or less like this through sometime in July, then it should ease up a bit. I hope I survive until then!!!
Posted on: 3/26/2012 3:54 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11016119

RE: Fly Fly F-100F Build (W/video)
I've been reading up on glassing and finishing methods and stumbled across your thread. Your F-100 looks great! I've never heard of Durham's Water Putty before. Just curious, why do you mix it 50-50 with spackle? Is it heavy or does it not fill well when thinned?
Posted on: 3/18/2012 5:33 AM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11005184

RE: Another TF P-47 Build
I have recovered from my misstep from last weekend and made a small but critical step forward this weekend by getting the Stab and Fin glued onto the Fuselage. I have included a few shots of the dry fit up step before my epoxy fiasco from last weekend. In order to get a good wood to wood bonding surface between the fin and stab, I glued a small scrap of balsa to the bottom rib of the fin. In hindsight, I wish I had thought to drill holes in the the fin and stab ribs to save a little weight. I convinced myself that my problem from last week was not a bad mix of hardener into the epoxy, but rather that the temperature in my basement workshop was just too cool. My small space heater only gets the temperature up to about 55-57 deg. F in the winter. Comfortable enough to work in, but 15 deg. below the recommended minimum cure temperature for the epoxy I am using. So this weekend, I moved upstairs and set up on the dining room table (with plenty of newspaper). All went well, and the epoxy kicked over just as expected. The postman showed up with a few goodies this week too!
Posted on: 3/4/2012 6:00 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10986605

RE: B17
Great pictures!
Posted on: 3/4/2012 4:36 AM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10985769

RE: Another TF P-47 Build
That sucks! Glad to hear no one was hurt though. Actually, I am one of those strange people that actually enjoys car shopping. As long as you go in with the attitude that the dealer wants to sell you a car more than you want ot buy one, you can have some fun and make the salesman earn his commision!
Posted on: 2/26/2012 5:23 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10977304

RE: Another TF P-47 Build
No progress this again weekend [:@] ! This time I got roped into helping out with set construction for my daughter's high school play. I knew this was going to be a long slow process, but now I'm starting to fell like it may never end ...
Posted on: 2/26/2012 2:51 PM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10977038

RE: Another TF P-47 Build
I ended up going backwards today :( I made great progress getting the stab and fin fitted to the fuse and aligned this weekend. I got everything true and square and ready to go. I even picked up a Robart incidence gauge and used it ensure that the stab had the proper +1 deg. incidence angle. I mixed up the epoxy and got everything glued up and fitted into place. Now I start to worry because after 90 minutes (using 30 minute epoxy), the epoxy left over in my mixing cup is still soft and tacky and shows no sign of kicking. I hit the cup with a little heat and the epoxy immediately turns runny, so I convince myself that I did not add enough hardener. I know that 30 minutes epoxy takes about 8 hours to fully set up, and that there is some forgiveness to the mix, but I decided that I’d rather be safe than sorry, so I pulled everything apart. Of course, this leaves me with a big sticky mess to clean up. I got most of it cleaned off by heating it up and scraping it off using single edge razor blades. While doing this, I managed to cut my finger and did not notice that it was bleeding until I saw blood stains on the balsa! I think I have everything cleaned up with only some minor cosmetic damage. I am off to North Carolina again this week, so I won’t be able to try again until next weekend.
Posted on: 2/20/2012 5:30 AM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10966553

RE: Color Inst Panel Photo
For what it's worth, here are some shots of a P-47 cockpit I recently snapped ...
Posted on: 2/11/2012 10:27 AM by Author "aymodeler" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10954293