FT style Pitts Challenger / Christen Eagle

jpot1

Elite member
Found this biplane on rcgroups by Tony65x55 and there was tons of good feedback so I decided to convert it to more FT style build techniques. The plans were also shrunk a little bit so that the entire width of one wing could fit on the 30” side of DTFB. I have a few items left like a steerable tail wheel and the rest of the decals to finish up. Figured I’d post to see if there was interest for the plans with the decals. It’s a bit tedious to trace the design for this one so for now I have just done the top wing. Not sure when I’ll get to maiden as my area in NJ just got a foot of snow the other day.

Specs:
Wingspan 29" - foldover FT style
Length 29 1/4”
3 9g servos
C power pack/or equivalent

Note: Pictures below are from the initial KFM version


Glamour shot
image1.jpeg

Fuse & wing struts
040E89DA-EE6E-4A27-A8A1-8F4A8DC52719.jpeg

Hatch for rx access
B5853616-076D-47D0-A74C-EA80ED2F459B.jpeg

Bottom (single aileron servo like baby blender)
0554C2AF-B3AC-47DC-8E49-B0AC598081A3.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • pitts_biplanev1_1.pdf
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rockyboy

Skill Collector
Mentor
That's a great looking build! Of course we want to see plans! :applause:

My club has a biplane contest every summer, and one of the members has a very nice Christian Eagle - it would be fun to show up with a foam board version to challenge him in the taxi races with :)
 

jpot1

Elite member
Thanks guys. Maiden will occur at some point, just not sure when. Foot of snow on the ground and 5 degrees outside. I will post video when I finally maiden. Grifflyer, hopefully I’ll maiden your p-39 then too!
 
You should sell this as a kit (in cooperation with the FT guys)
This looks so proffesional.
Hopefuly it´ll fly as well as it looks!

Kudos to you!
Jetcrafter2000
 

jpot1

Elite member
Maiden flight today. Able to sneak out to the field but video didn’t work. Two clicks of right trim and it flew beautifully. A nice relaxing flyer on low rates and some serious acrobatics on high rates.
 

jpot1

Elite member
Thanks BossBluff and Ricci! I’ve been following your bloody thread. Just waiting for banggood to finally come through with some motors I ordered in late Dec.
 

Grifflyer

WWII fanatic
Maiden flight today. Able to sneak out to the field but video didn’t work. Two clicks of right trim and it flew beautifully. A nice relaxing flyer on low rates and some serious acrobatics on high rates.

Awesome sounds like a really fun plane! also, were you able to maiden the P-39?
 

DamoRC

Elite member
Mentor
Woohoo, please post progress.

Sure thing. Haven't touched DTFB for about a month, so last night and tonight I went on a bit of a binge. If the weather holds up I should have a maiden this weekend.

build 1.jpg

This is a pretty satisfying build. The plans are very well laid out and the pieces fit together well. Minor suggestions from my experience thus far:

(1) Set up the fuse so that the two sides and top front plate are one piece. I found it a little tricky getting the three pieces together and aligned leading to a little crookedness at the tail. Something like this might work but it would require changing the canopy curve or the fuse width at the canopy to work.

pitts fuse suggestion.jpg

(2) Mark the top and front of the outer wing struts and the front of the center wing strut on the plans. I tried a number of combinations before I found the one that worked.

Thanks jpot for what is shaping up to be a nice plane.

DamoRC
 

jpot1

Elite member
DamoRC - wow that looks great. Glad things are going well. I did think about the fuse item you recommend but didn't go for the option for the reasons you mention - I didn't want to change the curve of the cockpit and I like to make the fuse just wide enough for the power pod. That being said, I had one additional thought - what do you think of the below?

The idea being that the hatch is made separately with two sides and then a piece curved (paper removed on the inside). It in turn would fit over guide pieces that would be glued to the inside of the fuselage much like FT did on the Vector for the nose.

hatch_alternate.png

vector.png