RE: *** Ultra Sport Brotherhood ***
The US isn't stall-proof, just highly stall-resistant (and it recovers very quickly). I learned very early to start my landing approach waaayyyyy out and waaayyyyy slow (and even then I often had to dead stick to make a decent landing). Bear in mind this was a US40 with an HP61 on the nose. It did balance perfectly with no nose weight, however. *chuckle* I used to have a blast doing what I called a stair-step landing. I'd come in about 15 feet up, kill the engine, and hold full up on the elevator until it landed. Thing looked like it was coming down a set of stairs, and the three-point touchdown was always impressive (as was the 1-foot rollout). I mainly did it to hear the old-timers screaming at me to "LOWER THE NOSE!!!". It wouldn't bob the nose much in that maneuver, it would just go forward a little bit, drop a foot or two, go forward a little bit...etc. Fun stuff!
Posted on: 1/6/2012 1:55 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10895154

RE: *** Ultra Sport Brotherhood ***
Another good method of glassing a center section is to use Elmer's Wood Glue. Pour the glue into a small tub, put the 'glass into the tub and make sure it's thoroughly wetted, then put the 'glass on the wing. It's very easy to reposition it, and any excess glue is easily wiped off with a damp cloth. It sands and fills well, too. You can also thin the glue slightly with water if you like to make it even easier, but it's not really necessary.
Posted on: 1/4/2012 8:08 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10891175

RE: Delta balancing
Sounds about right. Err on the side of nose-heavy, aircraft are a lot more tolerant of nose-heavy than t'other way.
Posted on: 12/29/2011 6:51 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10882162

RE: *** Ultra Sport Brotherhood ***
I love Graupner props. They've outperformed every other brand on engines from my little Coxes right on up to my .90 4-stroker (they're nigh onto indestructible too, as far as props go).
Posted on: 12/29/2011 6:49 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10882157

RE: What can I do with this .049?
You won't have any problems with aerobatics. If you fly inverted long enough, yeah...you might have an issue. Like Gene said, if you push it hard enough you might get a stutter or two. Cox Reedies don't need muffler pressure, and in fact pressure can cause problems with how the reed valve function. Just set the needle for optimum power, richen it back up a tad and go nuts....just like any other engine.
Posted on: 12/26/2011 6:59 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10876498

RE: *** Ultra Sport Brotherhood ***
I have, it's niiiiice (darned if I can remember where I got it from at the moment though).
Posted on: 12/24/2011 6:56 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10875109

RE: *** Ultra Sport Brotherhood ***
Dural gear is your standard tempered sheet aluminum landing gear blank, the sort sold by GP and others...just choose the appropriate size for your bird. It's easiest, of course, to do this during the original construction but it can be done anytime. How I installed the ply plate is as follows (sorry I don't have a pic or illustration handy): Make a ply plate to suit your chosen gear, leaving a bit extra on either side for sanding and filling. Drill holes and install blind nuts for mounting the gear to the plate. After you've gotten the bottom balsa nose block all shaped nice and pretty like the instructions say, grab your razor saw and prepare to make a mess [:D] . Cut a notch in the bottom nose block so that the mounting plate will fit flush against the wing hole along it's back edge and the front edge is flush with the nose block. Epoxy it into place. Sand the sides of the mounting block so that it blends in with the nose and it's all nice 'n' pretty. Sand, fill, and cover as usual. Mount the gear to the plate, with the angled side of the gear facing forward. This puts the wheel position at very nearly the same position as the stock wing-mounted ones, except that it has a bit narrower stance. I promise you it's much stronger that wing-mounted wire gear.
Posted on: 12/24/2011 7:20 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10874306

RE: *** Ultra Sport Brotherhood ***
I altered my original landing gear setup on my US40, and did it the same way from the get-go when I built my US60. The US40 showed me that the blocks in the wings were weak points. I like taildraggers, but I got tired of the blocks popping loose. What I did was inset a piece of ply on the bottom nose block just in front of the wing, and bolted a dural gear to it. It's proven to be rock solid, enduring even the roughest of landings, and it handles great on the runway. P.S. Sign me up for whatever member number is next!
Posted on: 12/23/2011 9:34 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10873950

RE: *** Ultra Sport Brotherhood ***
I built and flew a US40 in the mid-80's. Flying weight 6lbs even. First engine was an OS .40 plain bearing, it flew well although it needed a tad more oomph. Next engine was an OS .50 which really brought it to life and was a perfect match. Third engine was an HP.61 Gold Cup, more than a little overpowered but it handled it well. Flash forward to the mid-90's. I picked up a US60 kit shortly before they went out of production. Built entirely using Ambroid cement just for the heckuvit. Had it 90% completed and had to quit flying for a while. 10 Years later I finished it and maidened it with the very same HP.61 Gold Cup. Just like it's smaller sister 20 years before, it flew beautifully right off the board. The .61 flew it well, but it wanted just a bit more juice so it got a shiny new OS .90 4-stroke. What a great combo! It's currently sitting on a shelf undressed waiting for me to recover it, and paint the nifty new fiberglass cowl. Sadly, I'm in a position again where i can't enjoy the hobby right now. I've been fiddling around on CAD designing a 1/2A version of the US. Some of my best modeling "war stories" are based that first US40 (which was also my first truly performance model). These are some mighty tough airframes. My US40 flew through a tree, dug a well in the ground, mowed down about 10 feet of alfalfa in a slightly-misaligned attempt at a warp-9 pass down the runway.....etc. etc. Worst damage that US40 ever suffered was a single cracked wing rib and about a bajillion dings in the leading edges. Did you know that if you fly into alfalfa at terminal velocity, coming to a stop within 10 feet, that the wings will flex violently enough to completely blow out the monokote in the open wing bays? Never found most of the tiny shreds either....THAT was the one that cracked the wing rib. Tough, light, and fly like they're on rails...love the Ultra Sport! Count me in on the Brotherhood! Wish I had photos to share...none handy at the moment.
Posted on: 12/23/2011 9:02 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10873045

RE: Prop failures
It sure looks to me like it's either a manufacturing defect (maybe they're both from the same batch?) or a failure related the inherent design of the blades...possibly combined with other factors that have already been discussed. As far as alternate brands go, I'll throw my two cents in for Graupner props. Grey reinforced resin, extremely rigid, yet durable. I've had many that have survived some pretty serious prop strikes, I think I've only actually had one or two break and that was under severe abuse. They're also the only props I've ever found that seem to perform as well as the old-timey Top Flite Super-M props. On various aircraft in my stable, they've proven themselves to perform as well or better than APC. Might want to give 'em a try, at any rate....good luck!
Posted on: 12/18/2011 10:14 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10865059

RE: AP .061 engine porting
My Dad (born in 1927) tells stories of replacing crankshaft bearings in Model T's with leather sliced from his belt.
Posted on: 11/3/2011 6:25 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10795746

RE: AP .061 engine porting
Search through this forum. Port timing diagrams have been posted for both the Norvel and AP's. You can Norvel performance out of an AP, if you get a good AP.
Posted on: 10/31/2011 1:33 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10790990

RE: Problem with Cox SureStart
You most likely bent the rod turning it by hand when it was seriously flooded. Don't mess around straightening it, just get yourself a new piston/cylinder set. I'm not certain from your description how you primed through the exhaust ports, but the proper way is to have the piston at or near TDC when you add a drop of fuel to the ports. The cylinder is closed that way, ensuring you don't accidentally overprime it.
Posted on: 10/6/2011 4:25 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10751953

RE: Man is Arrested for attempted Attack!
So, let me make sure I have this all straight: The FBI trolls around and finds a screwball with obviously minimal intelligence (and gullible). The FBI gives him a toy and some boom stuff and says "With THIS, you can turn the hardened bunker that is the Pentagon into a smoking hole in the ground; loolooloolooloo!" The FBI then waits while he figures out how to install tab A into slot B and subsequently heroically 'thwarts the plot'. Ummmmm.....yeah
Posted on: 9/29/2011 8:06 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10740242

RE: PLANS
Found it. Available from RCM plans. http://www.rcmplans.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=1487&zenid=m7s6qjrgjb331l4lvqajngo8tojlotec
Posted on: 7/15/2011 11:46 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10622620

RE: A simple solution for Cox fuel
figured it was something like that...I tried *sob*
Posted on: 7/15/2011 11:44 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10622617

RE: A simple solution for Cox fuel
Just did a quick search over at Tower, and see they carry Hobbico 1/2A fuel. It features a "special Klotz blend". I wonder if it's all Klotz? On a side note, sounds like carrying the Sig fuel might be a profitable addition to your catalog, Cox Int!
Posted on: 7/15/2011 5:42 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10622152

RE: A simple solution for Cox fuel
*raises hand* Um, what's wrong with Sig Champion yellow fuel? It's available in all castor...just askin' Even their red fuel is 1/2 castor/Klotz
Posted on: 7/15/2011 3:18 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10622015

RE: Ace Whizard
Glow fuel + expanded polystyrene foam = gooey mess. You have to cover/paint it (and if you paint it don't use enamel, it dissolves it too). Econokote works very well, since it's a low-temp film.
Posted on: 7/12/2011 7:48 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10618697

RE: FMK models mini rainbow maiden gone wrong!!
Sorry for the loss! Quick question; in one of the slides in that video...the gap between the stab and elevator looks to be very large. Might that have been a factor?
Posted on: 7/3/2011 1:25 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10603572

RE: MP Jet 061
Any idea whether that glow R/C version has an adjustable airbleed?
Posted on: 6/29/2011 5:41 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10598963

RE: New Website for Cox Products
Work together, everyone wins!
Posted on: 6/19/2011 1:23 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10582160

RE: New Website for Cox Products
Excellent! I just placed an order for the TD R/C Carb. In a happy coincidence just yesterday I found a brand new in-box TD .049 at a hobby shop in Dubuque. It appears to be a 1995 vintage (at least, that's the copyright date on the manual). Now, all I need to do is patiently wait for someone to make a pressure tap equipped muffler and combine it with a non-SPI cylinder and I'll be really stylin'. I'd make a muffler myself but I'm seriously trucking these days with no time for such fun things (so I'll just acquire goodies for my toy box in the future). On a side note, looks like you folks are closely allied with Cox International? That's a wonderful thing IMO, since if I have a domestic choice I'll patronize 'em...isolationist patriotism and all that dontchaknow [:)]
Posted on: 6/19/2011 10:28 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10581923

RE: Build on a budget
My thoughts on building "on the cheap"... Of course you have to have a radio and some means of propulsion (unless you want a glider). If you really want to build on the cheap I can recommend something I did myself way back in the day when I was but a wee lad with a severe cashflow problem; build using corrugated cardboard. I flew several 1/2A planes built primarily from the stuff. Go to your local print shop. Not a Kinkos, but an actual print shop. Some paper comes in very large boxes, and they'll be more than happy to let you haul it away for them. Use it the same way you'd use coroplast, only difference is you still need to cover it if you're not flying electric. You only need minimal ply for things like firewalls and landing gear mounts. Of course, if you go 1/2A you can forgo landing gear altogether. Back in the dim dark days of the late '80s I flew several full-house 1/2A planes built from cardboard boxes. One of the neatest things about using the stuff is that Elmer's glue is available everywhere, and if you should happen to crash due to radio failure (or pilot error...shhhh) the damage is usually limited to your model going banana-shaped. Popsicle sticks make excellent 'splints' for that, btw.
Posted on: 4/16/2011 3:39 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10465708

RE: Propellers
Graupner props. They pull very well and rarely break upon abuse (I can REALLY testify to the abuse part). Despite their toughness, they're rigid and don't deform, which is why they pull so well. They're the only props I've used that perform as well as the old Top Flite Super M and Cox greys.
Posted on: 4/14/2011 11:47 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10462541

RE: NV Engines (formerly Norvel) are returning?
I'm in. A more reliable source than the 'bay is always welcome.
Posted on: 4/12/2011 6:41 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10459323

RE: Our new Cox .049 throttle is now in stock!
The only thing missing to complete the package is an expansion-style muffler with a pressure tap.
Posted on: 12/8/2010 7:09 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10185383

RE: Cox 049 mufflers
I'd like to see the kind like the TD R/C came with (same basic style as the one used on the Queen Bee). Easier to have provision for muffler pressure. Speaking of R/C, I plan to soon place an order for one or two of those nifty R/C reedies y'all got. Still not the ideal R/C carb solution, but cost effective, no doubt.
Posted on: 10/24/2010 1:17 PM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10090617

RE: How do I keep my Prop screwed in on my .074 Norvel?
Or.....go to your local hardware store and get an allen bolt the right size so you can use an allen wrench to tighten it. That's what I always use...it's just easier.
Posted on: 7/9/2010 7:08 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9853665

RE: Your First 1/2A Experience?
1984 (I think), in high school. I'd been drooling over M.A.N. for several years, and managed to get a Black Widow. I got a Craft-Air Piece-O-Cake kit and a Tower 4-channel micro radio. I flew the snot out of that plane for two years. It was the traditional Cub yellow, and by the time I was done with the fuselage earned the nickname "flying banana". Y'aint seen NOTHIN' until you've seen a Piece-O-Cake do a circuit around the field inverted (starting at altitude, of course....for some reason the BW couldn't maintain altitude on that airframe [:D] ). Second airplane was an already-built Papillon from a swap meet. The fin balsa was horribly soft and punky, so I amputated it and put on the fin and rudder from a wrecked mini-mousetang that was salvaged from the trash barrel. That was an awesome flying plane (I'm gonna build another someday). That plane flew on the BW until the conrod started coming through the piston. I ran TD heads and didn't know anything about resetting the rod. After the BW was decently retired I flew it with a product engine and then I upped it to a Queen Bee...flew beautifully on it too. Third plane was a scratch-built job straight out of my head without plans, featuring a corrugated cardboard fuselage and tail with the wing built using the cracked rib method and full house control. The club's official test pilot maidened it and it flew straight out my hand with no trim required. The guy said that except for the size he couldn't tell it wasn't a .40 size sport job. *chuckle* I remember flying that plane in the club fun-fly and boinking it into the ground, folding the fuse right behind the wing..I glued two popsicle sticks inside it to hold it straight and placed second in the camel-back event. After that I moved up into the giant-scale jobs with a Kadet Junior powered by a PAW .19...insanely overpowered and a hoot to fly.
Posted on: 5/29/2010 1:57 AM by Author "digital_trucker" in the forum ""1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9766703