RE: Sig Spacewalker II 1/4 scale
VJ, Although this isn't one of my favorite planes, you're my favorite builder[:D], so I'll gladly follow along. I'm really surprised that you haven't gone to a magnetic building board yet. You're missing out! The build looks great, as usual.
Posted on: 5/17/2013 4:44 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11514007

RE: Foam cores
Just a couple of .02 here. Formica, or other brands of plastic laminate make great, durable templates. Scraps can be had for free from places that do laminate countertops. Bearings, such as the ones shown are usually available from home centers in the screen door repair parts section. No need to have them made, although they're beautiful just the same.[:D]
Posted on: 6/18/2012 5:19 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11122166

RE: WACO YMF
Ckangaroo- I just checked my Ikon UPF-7 plans and, just as I remembered, there is no CG listed on the plans. The manual helpfully suggests that you check the balance before flying. They just don't tell you where that balance is! Gotta love that Ikon stuff. They sure let you use your imagination![:D]
Posted on: 5/20/2012 7:18 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Golden Age, Vintage & Antique RC"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11087572

RE: Sig Citabria Build
Starwolf, You're making good progress. It's fun really, in a tedious sort of way! Thanks for the complements on my Citabria. A correction though. It "looks good" should now be it "looked good". I think it was a low battery that sent it into an uncontrolled tail spin. The plane is now completely stripped and waiting for a rebuild. To answer your questions, I think my LHS said not to overpower it because it would be akin to overpwering a Cub, which doesn't need that big of an engine to fly well. The Saito .56 was quite adequate to fly my Citabria, even at this high altitude. I made a 90 degree bend out of a brass plumbing fitting to use the stock Saito muffler. It's a very tight fit, but the muffler exited just behind the engine without further cutouts. How did it run? It ran OK for an inverted engine, but...it was a PITA to start. I had a remote glow hooked to it, which presented its own problems. This was one of about 5 glow planes that caused some grief for me last year. Dead sticks and crashes have done me in. I guess I'm just not cut out for glow! Because of that grief, I've decided to go electric and have started the transition already. When I get to the rebuild of this bird, I'll be going electric as well. Caryy on though, yours is looking great.
Posted on: 5/20/2012 4:52 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11087488

RE: Sig Citabria Build
I was expressly warned about overpowering this particular model by my LHS. I ended up fitting a Saito .56 into it inverted. A tight fit, but fits pretty well. Just my .02 though.
Posted on: 5/18/2012 4:39 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11085468

RE: WACO YMF
I ended up making a template for the crab stencil out of brass sheet, which made it easier to make multiple stencils. I cut the stencils from blue masking tape over glass and used a swivel head Xacto knife to cut them out. It worked out pretty well and really didn't take that long.
Posted on: 4/26/2012 8:01 PM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Golden Age, Vintage & Antique RC"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11058484

RE: Favourite Scale Models in Flight
Outstanding pics as usual, Neil. I especially liked the tail shot of the Spit on the wet tarmac. Thanks for my new desktop photo!
Posted on: 4/24/2012 5:14 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11054665

RE: Spraying latex
I spray through a cheap detail gun I purchased from Lowes, about $35 I think. I don't have a big compressor either, but it does the job. I have a water extractor in the line and usually shoot at less than 30 PSI. Thinning the latex to a certain percentage may work great in one make of gun and not so great in another make. You must do a trial and error shoot from your own gun to get the best mix. I suspect relative humidity may also come into play, as well as a host of other human error factors. Even different colors from the same manufacturer with spray differently. It's an experience game really. After a while, you know when you have the mix right by the way it shoots.
Posted on: 4/21/2012 6:18 PM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11051542

RE: plans for pica T28B
There's a guy on Ebay selling a set of the larger scale plans pretty cheap, in PDF format if I remember correctly. I found it looking up Pica in toys and hobbies. Good luck on the hunt.
Posted on: 4/2/2012 6:02 PM by Author "yel914" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11025808

RE: Nothin' Extra Build?
Nice plane collection Mike. You've been very busy! I'm not quite sure what you're looking for in performance. More acrobatic? More speed? I admit to building heavy myself, but my modified Somethin" Extra was noticably faster than other SSEs I've seen, which I attribute to the FG cowl. The plane only had an ST .45 on it, so not too overpowered and a blast to fly. Mods included a fuel hatch, enlarged rudder and the cowl. Sadly, lost to an over rotated aileron linkage. May she rest in peace[:o]
Posted on: 3/23/2012 5:17 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11011666

RE: Rant/Question lol
I believe Marx is credited with, "I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member!"
Posted on: 3/19/2012 9:02 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11006916

RE: Cutting own parts vs. Laser cut parts
Cutting your own parts requires (1) the tools, (2) the skill, and (3) the inclination. It seems that these days, most people just don't have all three. It's sad to see the disappearance of skilled individuals in this hobby and in general. Happily though, with tools and lots of inclination, the skills will come around.
Posted on: 3/15/2012 8:27 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11001013

RE: Sig Somethin' Extra Build
The advice for preassembly is a good one. That Seamus has been around the block[:D] I don't make any rash decisions when I crash a plane. I pick up all the pieces and sock it away for a while. I find myself thinking about what may have caused the crash for some time afterward. Eventually, I look at the crashed plane and decide what to do with it. By then I've calmed down and can apply some rational thoughts about my next step. Sometimes rational...but not always!
Posted on: 3/15/2012 8:09 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11000988

RE: Kadet LT52 Mod build DONE!!!
Practice putting on your forelorn face and maybe they'll take pity on you and give you a ride[:D] My wife was the one pushing to fly in the B25 and it didn't take much arm twisting to get me on board. It was expensive, almost $800 for the both of us for under an hour flight. I've never wished that I hadn't spent that money. We were both grinning for the rest of the day. Now, if I could only snag a ride in a P51!
Posted on: 3/13/2012 12:34 PM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10998708

RE: Kadet LT52 Mod build DONE!!!
I used an aluminum strap landing gear, I think it was left over from a Sig Somethin' Extra kit. Works great. My avitar is a shot I took out the escape hatch of a B25 we were flying in, over Utah Lake a few years back. Slow, loud, bumpy...man that was fun!
Posted on: 3/13/2012 8:22 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10998367

RE: Need ideas for next airplane!
I'm going out on a limb here to suggest you build another Somethin" Extra. With only 3 flights on it, you never really got to appreciate the joy of that plane. Besides, you already know how to build one so it should go pretty quickly. I lost mine to the similar problem, servo arm over-rotated and stuck. Corkscrewed it in at high speed up the windscreen. Sigh...I miss that plane. I should build another one!
Posted on: 3/12/2012 9:00 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10996934

RE: Kadet LT52 Mod build DONE!!!
I just looked at mine which has the same tail dragger mod on it. The center of the landing gear is about 1" back from the leading edge of the wing. I also did the bolt on wing from the outset. This is such a great plane. I learned to fly on it, train others on it, and convert it to floats for our float flys. Always my reliable flyer.[:)]
Posted on: 3/12/2012 8:49 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10996918

RE: Sig Somethin Extra idea??
Aw Rick, ever the dare-devil. Personally, I see no reason to do this mod, but whatever floats your boat! What do you do about the open bays in the fuse?
Posted on: 3/5/2012 9:20 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10987433

RE: Electrics and Glow Airplanes
Man, I couldn't agree more. The big gassers took over the field(when we had a field) on the weekends and made it frustrating to get a flight in. More to the issue at hand though, I like the sound of engines buzzing around. But I've found nitro engines to be too inconsistant and fussy for me. I build most of my stuff from scratch or kits, so it was a little enlightening to start building something strictly for electric. I found myself saying things like "I don't have to carve up the nice cowl for the cylinder head" , or "I don't have to worry about fuel proofing". And a whole bunch of other stuff. For me, it came down to a long list of positves for electrics and a very short list of positives for nitro, mainly, I like the sound. To each their own but, when I take a plane to the field I want to fly it, not fart around with a bunch of my buddies trying to figure out why it won't run right.
Posted on: 2/26/2012 5:48 PM by Author "yel914" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10977350

RE: How to cut wing ribs
You're right, a balsa template is a bad idea. I just used this as an illustration of the procedure. I usually use a product called Chemetal for templates. It's thin brass bonded to laminate(formica). The stuff lasts forever and I have a bunch in my stash. The main advantage over using a router bit is there is no tearout when climbing the grain. Much more consistant results.
Posted on: 2/26/2012 11:22 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10976777

RE: WACO YMF
Most curious about the cockpit kit you have Fly20. Can you post a pick?
Posted on: 2/25/2012 5:09 PM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Golden Age, Vintage & Antique RC"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10975776

RE: How to cut wing ribs
I've used some of the methods mentioned above with good success. Instead of using a router bit I use a drum sander with a bearing on it. The drum sander is chucked into a router set into a router table. Use only a variable speed router at LOW SPEED. You can also chuck the drum sander into a drill press, but the template would need to be on the bottom using that setup. I cut the ribs out to a rough size on the bandsaw first. Sanding drums are available at woodworking supply stores like Woodcraft.
Posted on: 2/25/2012 5:04 PM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10975768

RE: Will it be good for another 15 years?
Wow, that little bugger hauls around pretty well. Thanks for sharing the videos.
Posted on: 2/23/2012 9:04 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10972215

RE: The Old Poop is still alive.
Yea Gene, ARFs will do that to you[:D] Welcome back and have a speedy recovery.
Posted on: 2/23/2012 8:43 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10972172

RE: Will it be good for another 15 years?
Looks great. Any videos? If not, are you planning any?
Posted on: 2/22/2012 8:38 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10970660

RE: Gray Beard needs our prayers
Careful now. That ARF talk can send a person reeling[:D]
Posted on: 2/22/2012 8:24 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10970641

RE: Will it be good for another 15 years?
Yea, practice on a rebuilt plane, that's the ticket. I just wish I didn't have so many practice planes!
Posted on: 2/19/2012 3:17 PM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10966426

RE: Will it be good for another 15 years?
Ouch, that's some serious bleed through! Here's a couple of trial and error things I've found out the hard way. Frog tape was a waste of money for me. Maybe you'll have better luck. Black electrical tape makes a good stencil material with crisp lines. Try spraying a light coat of clear over the stencil before switching colors. Try spraying a light coat of the background color over the stencil before switching colors. Either of these methods help to seal the tape and cover up any bleed through. Try spraying REALLY LIGHT color coats on the stencils and spray away from the stencil seams if possible. Wet coats will seep through the stencils much more than a few relatively dry coats. Also, you can sometimes scrape the dried bleed through off with a razor blade and a light touch. Hope any of this helps out.
Posted on: 2/19/2012 11:45 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10966143

RE: So damn slow????
I like RCU a whole lot. But when it's slow I become impatient and log off. My time is valuable and I'm simply not going to wait for the site to get up to speed. I hope certain individuals are taking note.[:o]
Posted on: 2/19/2012 11:27 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10966119

RE: Will it be good for another 15 years?
Tom, good luck on the tape pull. It seems I always have a little bleed through to deal with. I'm getting better at it, but I still have to work the stencil lines after painting. Kitchen is really coming along and looking good. They're hard to do when you have to work on them part time and still live in the construction zone! I spent 2 years on mine. My wife got very creative with cooking without a kitchen. She made a pizza and a pie on the BBQ. That's talent!
Posted on: 2/19/2012 4:28 AM by Author "yel914" in the forum "Seaplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10965571