Kicking off the next project here with a great subject and cool partners.
I picked this airplane up at the 2020 Lebanon swap meet for $50. I was on the hunt for a Tripacer for @earthsciteach but scored this beauty and is the perfect subject for some big flying as well as some really fun detailing in the cockpit area. My rough and dirty measurement gives about 86" span which makes it about 1/4 scale. A bit rough in spots but a solid airframe that was complete.
The first major issue was that the airplane was clearly previously powered by a gas engine. While not an issue on the surface, the cowl was lacking... a second half. I was able to source a 1/4 scale cowl from Calvin's classic plans for as much as the airplane itself. It is a very stout part that looks the part and right size for this application. The oil cooler scoop will need to be added but that is a minor detail.
The second major issue is the nose. My suspicion is that there was a fuel leak of some kind that soaked an unprotected joint in the nose gear assembly and the main wood strut member is loose from the fuselage. I cannot pull it out but it has about 1/16" play in it. It may just need some fresh epoxy injected into the joint but I want to remove the covering and do a full inspection of the member to see if it just needs to be entirely replaced.
I want to also mention that this came with ALL servos. It was a mixed bag of servos, however, and some are names I've never heard of. Upon researching them, the servos seem adequate in torque spec with exception of the mini servos used for the flaps. I was also surprised at the size selection for push rods and servo horns for the model. They are not very robust and in the following shot you can clearly see this... including only ONE screw holding on the flap servo horn.
This brings me to our first partner for the restoration. I'm very fortunate to have built a relationship with many folks in the industry. One of such people works for DU-BRO. This company is based and manufactures in the USA and has been a staple of the hobby for decades. They have been gracious enough to supply hardware for the restoration. Stout stuff that will bring a new and much longer life to this model. I like to keep in touch with my friends and as I shared this project with them they too were excited for it and made the offer with no solicitation from me.
The second partner for the project is again from another great company, Horizon Hobby. The entire airplane needs to be re-covered. The covering is a patchwork of old and brittle film covering that has clearly seen better days. While there are only a handful of minor holes, the condition of what lies beneath is questionable. Again, in an effort to give this model a new longer life, Horizon offered to supply me with some Oratex covering. In the past I've used Solartex covering for simulating my project's fabric coverings. This is no longer available and Oratex is just as good, if not better. It works great on tight corners and shrinks very evenly. It is a much more durable covering with a weight penalty that I think the size of this model can afford. It's paintable too so I can just cover with one color and detail it with some paint and masks.
Keeping in the spirit of the vintage nature of this particular model, I was also offered props from Master Airscrew. Many of you know how much I sing praises to Xoar for their efficient and stellar props but MA makes robust stuff that just works well. They too have been around for decades and I this offer was well-suited for the project. I'll be using one of their wood props that I'll paint to match the intended livery.
Power will come from a FT Monster Radial, a motor I've come to love, along with a FrSky Neuron 80A ESC for all the telemetry goodies. The plan is for a 6S setup where the batteries will either be installed from within the cockpit or under a hatch in the cowl.
Having NEVER done a restoration before, this is a GREAT project for me to learn and try new things. The vast majority of skills required here are from the fantastic projects that out own @Joker 53150 has posted on these very forums. I'm sure he will chime in when I'm missing something or stumble. I took a little time last night to have my first attempt at removing the covering. This technique I first observed from Jeff on one of his own many restoration projects. Rather than a heat gun, I decided to use the milder hair dryer so as to not entirely burn my fingers off. Gently heating the film and it lifts right off with minimal residue remaining on the wood.
Lastly, I want to touch on the rationale for this project. @earthsciteach , Patrick, has been a dear friend for many years now. We met on this very forum and then met in-person at the very first Flite Fest. We have supported each other in the hobby and life, ups and downs, joys and tribulations, and so much more. He is a dear friend. I am building this model out to give to him and I want to make it very clear that there is NO expectation for any compensation on this project. He can chime in as to why this particular model is important to him as I don't think I could adequately relate his perspective. I will simply say, it is a major part of his aviation journey. This will be a small token of my friendship and I am a believer of doing good. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.
I picked this airplane up at the 2020 Lebanon swap meet for $50. I was on the hunt for a Tripacer for @earthsciteach but scored this beauty and is the perfect subject for some big flying as well as some really fun detailing in the cockpit area. My rough and dirty measurement gives about 86" span which makes it about 1/4 scale. A bit rough in spots but a solid airframe that was complete.
The first major issue was that the airplane was clearly previously powered by a gas engine. While not an issue on the surface, the cowl was lacking... a second half. I was able to source a 1/4 scale cowl from Calvin's classic plans for as much as the airplane itself. It is a very stout part that looks the part and right size for this application. The oil cooler scoop will need to be added but that is a minor detail.
The second major issue is the nose. My suspicion is that there was a fuel leak of some kind that soaked an unprotected joint in the nose gear assembly and the main wood strut member is loose from the fuselage. I cannot pull it out but it has about 1/16" play in it. It may just need some fresh epoxy injected into the joint but I want to remove the covering and do a full inspection of the member to see if it just needs to be entirely replaced.
I want to also mention that this came with ALL servos. It was a mixed bag of servos, however, and some are names I've never heard of. Upon researching them, the servos seem adequate in torque spec with exception of the mini servos used for the flaps. I was also surprised at the size selection for push rods and servo horns for the model. They are not very robust and in the following shot you can clearly see this... including only ONE screw holding on the flap servo horn.
This brings me to our first partner for the restoration. I'm very fortunate to have built a relationship with many folks in the industry. One of such people works for DU-BRO. This company is based and manufactures in the USA and has been a staple of the hobby for decades. They have been gracious enough to supply hardware for the restoration. Stout stuff that will bring a new and much longer life to this model. I like to keep in touch with my friends and as I shared this project with them they too were excited for it and made the offer with no solicitation from me.
The second partner for the project is again from another great company, Horizon Hobby. The entire airplane needs to be re-covered. The covering is a patchwork of old and brittle film covering that has clearly seen better days. While there are only a handful of minor holes, the condition of what lies beneath is questionable. Again, in an effort to give this model a new longer life, Horizon offered to supply me with some Oratex covering. In the past I've used Solartex covering for simulating my project's fabric coverings. This is no longer available and Oratex is just as good, if not better. It works great on tight corners and shrinks very evenly. It is a much more durable covering with a weight penalty that I think the size of this model can afford. It's paintable too so I can just cover with one color and detail it with some paint and masks.
Keeping in the spirit of the vintage nature of this particular model, I was also offered props from Master Airscrew. Many of you know how much I sing praises to Xoar for their efficient and stellar props but MA makes robust stuff that just works well. They too have been around for decades and I this offer was well-suited for the project. I'll be using one of their wood props that I'll paint to match the intended livery.
Power will come from a FT Monster Radial, a motor I've come to love, along with a FrSky Neuron 80A ESC for all the telemetry goodies. The plan is for a 6S setup where the batteries will either be installed from within the cockpit or under a hatch in the cowl.
Having NEVER done a restoration before, this is a GREAT project for me to learn and try new things. The vast majority of skills required here are from the fantastic projects that out own @Joker 53150 has posted on these very forums. I'm sure he will chime in when I'm missing something or stumble. I took a little time last night to have my first attempt at removing the covering. This technique I first observed from Jeff on one of his own many restoration projects. Rather than a heat gun, I decided to use the milder hair dryer so as to not entirely burn my fingers off. Gently heating the film and it lifts right off with minimal residue remaining on the wood.
Lastly, I want to touch on the rationale for this project. @earthsciteach , Patrick, has been a dear friend for many years now. We met on this very forum and then met in-person at the very first Flite Fest. We have supported each other in the hobby and life, ups and downs, joys and tribulations, and so much more. He is a dear friend. I am building this model out to give to him and I want to make it very clear that there is NO expectation for any compensation on this project. He can chime in as to why this particular model is important to him as I don't think I could adequately relate his perspective. I will simply say, it is a major part of his aviation journey. This will be a small token of my friendship and I am a believer of doing good. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.
