Jetco Navigator

[Tug_Flyer]

Hi guys,
I have been putting bits and pieces on Flite Test Fans but I figured I would put it all in one place so that I can update it as I go along.

First I need to thank John Brown at Brownie’s Hobbies on Staten Island for willing to part with this kit and second for keeping the Mom and Pop hobby shop alive. If you’re ever on Staten Island please stop by and see him.

What I am building is a Jetco Navigator. I want a flying boat, and should have jumped on a flyzone tidewater when the prices started dropping but never did and now they are gone for the most part. I stick built my trainer 20 years or so ago and thought if I could find a cool old balsa kit I would give it a try. I had something like a Lanier Mariner in mind but this is way cooler.

I am working on this as an after hours project, and have reached a point where any more construction will be done at home. This is the end of the construction for now, but it built so fast that I don’t anticipate it taking all that much time for the major construction. As we all know the last 10% takes 90% of the time!

Construction has been fairly straightforward, although the plans aren’t the easiest to read. The instruction folio is very generic with no specific instructions just general descriptions of each part of the build. For power equipment I’m going to go at the upper limit of the recommendations with an E-Flight Power 10 motor turning a 10x6 3 blade, a 3S 2200 Lipo with an Aerostar 40 amp reversing esc (I think this feature is so cool on my Tundra) and Hitec HS-82MG servos. I am enlarging the control surfaces from the drawings on the plans. Even with a 2200 and 2 servos/ 3 channel RC I think it will come in the same or lighter than originally intended as a single channel R/C with 1960’s equipment.

 

[Jackson T]

Nice work! That looks like a really awesome plane. I can't wait to see it fly! Do you have a nice lake or something nearby, or a you just going to belly land it on grass?

 

[Tug_Flyer]

My mother in law and father in law both have camps right near each on a small pond in Vermont. Early morning it’s slick calm and straight shoreline with a dock to stand on. I also just got a tundra, we’ll have to see which one takes to the water first, but neither one this summer it’s winding down too fast.