RE: TH 75 vibration problems ?
I made a starter (for my shop) by taking apart an old broken starter and used the shaft and cone in my 18v cordless drill. I have several TH engines (3- .46's; 3- .61's; 2- .75's) and all were hard to turn over by hand. So- I took out the plug, put them in a test stand, poured some high quality oil down the carb and into the top of the cylinder head and gave them a healthy spin with my drill/starter for about 20-30 seconds with the plug out (cover the plug hole and don't run it dry). Then- I immediately put the plug in, hook up the fuel line, started the engine and begin my traditional bench break-in. All my TH engines run strong. I have a .61 that at last count had over 400 flights. I haven't worn one out yet- but my oldest .61 is certainly getting very easy to turn over nowadays. I love my TH engines. And my OS engines. And my ST and Magnum engines. All are unique and have their quirks. With that said- the TH mufflers do tend to leak, rotate, and fall off. The RTV method in Post #29 works great. I also add a dab of RTV to the threads of the screw that runs through the body of the muffler, and to the screws that hold the muffler to the engine. I have also had the rotating throttle piece come out (new screw) and had the throttle stick full open which resulted in a full-throttle 12 minute flight on my Delta Vortex followed by an very nice dead-stick. That was my fault for not paying attention to the throttle end point and jamming full throttle all the time. Smoothed out the divot in the little channel, set the end point properly and no more problems. Now- when I get a new TH engine, I take off the muffler, RTV it as described, break it in on the bench until it stops moaning at me when I hand crank it cold, and go fly. True- it can be a bit of a headache- but I like playing in my shop and building as much as I like flying so it's good for me. I can see where the folks who love to fly but hate to build or otherwise piddle in the shop could get frustrated. That's my definition of diversity! RC-er's come in all shapes and sizes. Have fun- Jim
Posted on: 8/27/2009 5:20 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9050094

RE: Mounting Gear Doors to 650 series RoboStruts: A Great Alternative!
Very nice! Thanks for passing that along. jim
Posted on: 8/26/2009 5:51 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9047442

RE: Any Texan II plans or kits out there?
Hey Bigstew- You look good in all your gear! That's the first Navy T6 I've seen. My youngest son is at Vance AFB in Oklahoma. He has some Navy and USMC guys in his class. I get several calls a week from him telling me about his latest adventures in flight school. I am envious of you guys! My oldest son is an Ensign on a destroyer based out of Norfolk- so we have Navy in the family too. Good luck with your career. For anyone who is interested- I have 3 views as well as factory plans of the fuse, wings and tail group. I am not a CAD guy. Tried- but I don't have the time to devote to learning CAD to the extent needed to develop a set of plans. Excuse my ignorance- I will be as descriptive as I can for a non-engineer, but my plans are actually a series of T6 cut-aways showing ribs, fuse formers, and all major outlines, parts and pieces including measurements on every structural piece. I can email what I have to someone willing to tackle this. I emailed a set over a year ago to someone on RCU but never heard back. It's a big project- but I got this stuff from the manufacturer so I figure it's pretty good. Jim
Posted on: 7/21/2009 10:25 AM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8951550

Any Texan II plans or kits out there?
I was recently at an Air Force base (my son a USAF student pilot) and I was given an up close and personal look at the Texan II. Watched them fly extensively too. This is an amazing looking, incredible flying, beauty of a machine. I have seen some pseudo gas and electric versions out there that are far from scale and in some cases cheaply made, but no plans or kits yet. Is there anybody out there in the process of producing a set of plans for Texan II? I would love to get my hands on a set of plans for an 80-100" Texan. There are rumblings of an armed "B" model in the works.
Posted on: 7/17/2009 12:33 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8941201

RE: Aurora 9 Video Walkthough now w/Heli
I waited and waited for Hitec to come out with a 2.4 radio. My Eclipse went down about 6 months ago and I had to make a purchase. After being a loyal Hitec customer for many years I bought the Futaba 7c. I like the looks of the Aurora- just couldn't wait. Will the Hitec receivers work with the Futaba transmitters? jim
Posted on: 6/19/2009 5:05 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "Hitec/MultiPlex Radios- Ask Hitec Customer Service"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8865317

RE: P-47N
Hey David- I like the N model too and wanted to do my TF in an N model- but (you may already be aware of this) it's not just squared off wing tips. There is wing length (I think about 18" per side) added to the root of the wing. It pushes out the LG to a wider stance and makes the wing visibly longer. That's why I didn't do it. I'm not up for that kind of modification. There are some very cool paint schemes out there for the N model. Good luck. jim
Posted on: 5/29/2009 4:06 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8809359

RE: Maiden or not to maiden?
I agree. Fly it. I think mental preparation is second only to a quality pre-flight check. Visualization of the planned flight trying to imagine potential problems along with immediate correction is necessary. I actually sit in a quiet place, transmitter in hand, and "dry fly" a new plane or a new maneuver. Since I am not a very accomplished pilot I do that to make things seem "normal." I maidened a new plane over the weekend. It was a handful for the first few minutes until I got it trimmed out. Then it was such a pleasure I flew until I ran out of gas[:o] The dead-stick was good. I dictate notes to my wife while I fly- like 10 minutes on the fuel timer instead of 12. Anyway- I'm a OCD about some of this stuff. Oh- I fly alone most of the time too. I need to get used to flying in front of an audience too. More comfort zone issues! Have fun... jim
Posted on: 4/28/2009 10:42 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8724450

RE: How often do you crash?
I should have planted my own balsa trees when I was a kid. I like to fly low and fast sometimes, other times I test the limits. Fortunately- I love to build. I also have airplanes I have changed tires on due to wear- but not many.
Posted on: 4/17/2009 5:48 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8690771

RE: how to do no bubble monocote on sheeting?
Shoot a coat of sanding sealer (very cheap), finish sand, tack cloth, cover. jim
Posted on: 3/20/2009 12:36 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8597482

RE: Micro to standard plug
Very good- I'll try that. I just didn't know if there were any issues with mixing the plugs. I didn't think there would be any problems- but I'm no electronics guru. Thanks- Jim
Posted on: 3/9/2009 3:01 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8559760

Micro to standard plug
I have a Futaba 2.4 receiver with micro plugs. Is there a company that makes a micro to standard plug so I can use standard servo plugs on my micro receiver? Can I just splice a micro lead to a servo that has a standard plug? I want to use the receiver in a small electric project, but my micro servos all have standard sized plugs. I have searched for conversion leads/extensions but can't find them. Thanks- Jim
Posted on: 3/6/2009 10:24 AM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8549872

RE: carving a scale prop
I was a woodworker before I was a model builder. Many years ago we used to spray several layers of different colors of paint on the surfaces of thin boards and then laminate the boards together using epoxy- tightly clamping the stack. We would turn these laminated stacks on a lathe and the thin color lines would show on the finished product. I clearly remember seeing thin lines exactly like the prop picture showing through. Maple, cherry, or beech made really good projects for this type because the color didn't bleed out of the joint very much. We called the wood "Tasmanian Teak" for fun because of the wild colors displayed along the joint lines. Hope this helps. I assume this is a static prop.
Posted on: 3/4/2009 4:29 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8543793

RE: Interest in Smaller Version T-28 from Vance Mosher?
Me too.
Posted on: 10/24/2008 3:31 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8081125

RE: Building on Glass Surfaces
1/4" glass is very common and is widely available at any glass shop. Ask for a "seamed" or "ground" edge to take the sharp edge off. I got mine by talking to a contractor who remodels house. I picked up a piece about 32" wide and 78" long for free on a remodel. 1/4" glass comes stock in sheets 96" x 128" ( as well as many other sheet sizes). Heavy, somewhat expensive, but easy to get. If you get a piece of used glass you "seam" your own edges by putting a wet/dry belt from 100-220 grit in a belt sander. Spray the belt down with glass cleaner to cool the glass and keep the glass dust and splinters at a minimum and run the sander down the edges at an angle to knock off the sharp edge. Be careful laying down a big sheet because if it bows very much it might break. I used to give blood daily when I worked in the glass business years ago. jim
Posted on: 9/26/2008 4:07 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7993509

RE: Top flite 63" P-47 Scale Hinging?
hy flyr- Try this- http://www.silentflight.net/index.php?/content/view/16/41/ I bought a set but haven't used them yet. Played with them and I don't see why it wouldn't work. I have found threads where rotary drive systems are being used on giant scale birds w/no problems. I am going to use them on my TF giant P-47. No control linkage on the outside of the skin so you make a scale hinge line without having to exactly duplicate all the internal mechanism. Jim
Posted on: 12/4/2007 9:27 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6714725

RE: Glue for hinges
For what it's worth- I bought Gorilla glue and had a terrible time with it foaming and pushing back. Worth it if it works....hasn't failed in my airplane yet (a lightly loaded trainer.) I did a test between Gorilla glue and Titebond by gluing 2 small boards together face to face, edge to edge, and end to end. I put the pieces outside fully exposed to the elements. After about 3 months the end to end Gorilla glue joint failed (cracked and separated). All other joints held up. All Titebond held up. A sad note- my bottle of (expensive!) Gorilla glue hardened in the bottle and I had to throw it away. Long story short- I am back to using 30 min epoxy. A drop of oil on the pin and wipe excess with alcohol or acetone. I would be interested in any other method. Jim
Posted on: 12/4/2007 9:16 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6714677

RE: P-47 flap question
Hey THEMADMAX- Excellent diagram and even better explanation. I am building the Top Flite giant scale P-47 so I think the scale is 1:5.6 or something close to that. Not quite 1/5----not quite 1/6. In addition to a full-blown and busy career I am also remodeling my house while living in it. That's why I say my build is s-l-o-w. I basically work on my RC stuff Sunday afternoons because that is my R&R day. One day the house will be finished and I will get back to the shop- my wife calls it the "Hangar." I would really like to see the aileron mechanism if/when you get to it. If you will PM me I can also send you a bonus that you could really have some fun with from Raytheon. Hope it's as nice in Pt Isabel as it is in the Piney Woods! Cool days, cooler nights and no wind. And unlike California, no brownouts, no forest fires, no earthquakes, no mudslides, and gas under $3.00 a gallon. I thank God every day for this part of the country! Thanks again for the drawing. Jim
Posted on: 11/20/2007 3:27 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6650383

RE: Scale Operational Cowl Flaps Made Easy
Very nice! You said it would be easy and you are right. Before I read your explanation I figured I needed about 300 pieces of hardware and 5 different adhesives with an estimated added weight of 23 lbs. In the words of my southern brothers- Who'da thunkit? thanks for sharing- Jim
Posted on: 5/16/2007 3:54 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5862991

RE: P-47 flap question
Gentlemen- Thanks for the direction to the Robart and Aerotech sites. I have seen those hinges but don't know anyone who has used them. I may end up with one of those if I can't make one myself. I am doing a highly modified TFGS P-47......very slowly. Thanks again for the direction. Jim
Posted on: 5/3/2007 2:50 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5806505

RE: P-47 flap question
rwright142- That helps a lot- I don't have any pictures of that quality. Thanks a lot. I am trying to simulate the look and action of the real flap movement and mechanism as much as possible. My P-47 has completely hidden control linkage (at least as far as I have built) and I am trying to get a plan together for the wing. Thanks for the help. I am still looking for a set of factory drawings for the hinges- might be interesting to see if they can be duplicated. Jim
Posted on: 5/3/2007 9:41 AM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5805404

P-47 flap question
Does anyone have a diagram, picture, or some other representation of the flap hinge/mechanism for the P-47? I have many photos, but they typically only show a portion of the mechanism that sticks out below the bottom of the wing and flap when the flaps are down. I figure there has to be someone out there with a decent diagram. Oh- and an aileron diagram showing the shape of the leading edge of the aileron and hinge arrangement would be nice too. Thanks- Jim
Posted on: 5/2/2007 12:19 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5801271

RE: HITEC SERVO FAILURE....PLEASE READ!!
Gentlemen- For locking threads you might try fingernail polish. I have used enamel (I prefer clear- but some of you might like something a bit more exotic) for years. I learned about the stuff when I was a weapons armorer and certain types of loctite would react to various materials on firearms. We started using fingernail polish because it does not react, stays slightly pliable, it's cheap, and I've never had it fail on a firearm or on a model. I have never used the lacquer based stuff- only the enamel. Jim
Posted on: 4/23/2007 12:09 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5757408

RE: TF GS P47 Build - yeah another bloody one!!
Well- I think I might try these Kimbrough things out. The Aluminum ones Cimara mentioned look stronger- I might give them a try. Peter- i have been following this thread forever and I have a huge notebook of various print-outs so as things progress I might get more vocal. I need to get the T-bolt finished so I can start on a big L-19. Always something else waiting for the bench to be cleared off! thanks for the comments. Jim
Posted on: 4/11/2007 10:00 AM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5698721

RE: TF GS P47 Build - yeah another bloody one!!
I've been following this thread since it began- oh so long ago..... I just started my P-47 last week. I was wondering if anyone has used the Kimbrough Rotary Drive Control system for the ailerons on this model or one of similar size. If so- what materials and how much torque will be required? It seems to be a good way to conceal the control horns and make a more scale external appearance. I have heard of these being used on large planes- but have no hard data. Any ideas? Tower Hobbies carries the product and I bought one to play with. Jim
Posted on: 4/10/2007 3:23 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5694696

RE: Need Wing Saddle Help Please
If you are talking about a sport plane and not a saddle with a fillet as on some scale jobs I do a wing saddle out of clear silicon sealant. Once the airplane is completely finished put a sheet of plastic wrap on the wing where the fuse butts against the wing. Squeeze a generous bead of pure silicon sealant against the fuselage and attach the wing to the fuse. Go ahead and put on the hold-down bolts or rubber bands. The excess silicon will squeeze out. Give it a couple of days to cure and remove the wing. Pull the plastic wrap off the wing and trim the excess silicon from the fuselage. You now have a custom, fuel proof, water proof seal that has some "grab" to it. If it ever starts to loosen up- re-apply. I even do this under those wide, scale fillets just to seal off the interior of the airplane. Hope this helps. jim
Posted on: 2/5/2007 5:04 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5375320

RE: Beware of beware posts
nyuck, nyuck, nyuck!
Posted on: 12/11/2006 5:20 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Humor"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5103220

RE: CAD help
Mark and DR1- I figured as much. The drawings I have are digital with dimensions. I will try to describe them. The 3 views are typical. There is also what I would call a wire drawing of the fuse and at least two views of the major components (fuse, stab, wing, rudder) with measurements from what appear to be the ground up, or from a known point on the horizontal. I got the drawings from a contact by email. I think I could get pretty close to the subject just off of what I have- but wouldn't an airplane not yet released be a cool subject in a contest? Anyway- I just thought I would try. I have ModelCad and Wingmaster but absolutely no other CAD experience and I don't anticipate having time to learn new software until I retire------ and retirement is just a glimmer in the eye right now. Jim
Posted on: 8/29/2006 3:05 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4685252

CAD help
OK- I don't really need CAD help. I need a CAD person. I have some factory drawings of the Raytheon T6-B Texan II and I am looking for something in the 80-90 inch wingspan area. This is a beautiful plane- not yet in service. I have tried to learn CAD for myself- but I just don't have the time to devote to it. If someone is willing to develope a set of plans I would be happy to provide the documentation in trade for the completed plans. This might be too much to ask for- I am pretty ignorant about these things- but thought I would try. If anyone is interested I can send a sample of the documentation to see if it is worthwhile. I believe my documentation is of very high quality. Please PM if you are interested. Jim
Posted on: 8/29/2006 12:48 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4684738

RE: THE FIELD BOX FROM HELL! aka The Ultimate Field box!
My flying field experiences have definitely been enhanced by all the ideas from this thread. My "bashed tool box" turned field box is one of the best things to come along in awhile. My only addition to the whole mix is that I purchased a one gallon collapsible plastic container from a shop that advertises themselves as a "scientific container" supplier. These folks sell containers for labs and such. I got a one gallon flexible/collapsible container from them that I have been using for the last 18 months. I installed one line in the cap and since the container collpases as it is drained there is no vent line and absolutely no leaks. Since it is veru flexible it conforms to the shape of the box and the plastic material is very durable. The only precaution I take is I pinch the line closed between the supply line and the fuel pump (hand crank) when it is not in use in case the heat causes a little pressure. Again- after 18 months of constant use with 15% nitro fuel- not a single leak, no fumes, fully compatible with glow fuel, conforms to the shape of the box- I only pad the sides and box bottom with soft foam. Whoever had the original idea of using a toolbox for a field box- thanks very much. Hope my little idea adds something useful to the thread. This link will take you to a picture and a supplier- I bought mine locally for about $3.00. http://www.vwrsp.com/catalog/product/index.cgi?catalog_number=EP160-2-5&inE=1&highlight=EP160-2-5 Jim
Posted on: 6/6/2006 12:25 PM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4359535

RE: Need AT 6 plans
Sarge- It's not 50"- but you can get the Uravitch plans and take them to Kinko's (or any other copy shop) and have them enlarged to any size. 50" would work great. I think the original size is around 42". I took the Uravitch OV-10 (.25) and had it reduced at a copy shop for electric motors. I built the Uravitch Texan and it was fun and easy to build. Hope thi helps. Jim
Posted on: 5/8/2006 9:58 AM by Author "jsevey" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4253492