Jordan3367
Member
Thanks!
Inkscape was able to do it.
Inkscape was able to do it.
Mighty "Mini" PBY-5A Catalina - WWII Flying Boat
- Thread starter localfiend
- Start date
BridgeInspector
Flite Test Groupie
Made the top 10! Congrats!
mudman1959
Active member
My Cat...
I really like your larger Cat... I have been working on one for a couple of years now... Not quite as big as yours, mine has a 80 inch wingspan. It's a combination of foam, balsa and lite ply. The wings are removable from the center section. The tips extend and retract like the real one. No landing gear on it but I did build in the support structure for it if I ever find some that might work. I think I need to look at yours when you release the plans for the larger one. I probably will build it just for fun... Mudman1959
I really like your larger Cat... I have been working on one for a couple of years now... Not quite as big as yours, mine has a 80 inch wingspan. It's a combination of foam, balsa and lite ply. The wings are removable from the center section. The tips extend and retract like the real one. No landing gear on it but I did build in the support structure for it if I ever find some that might work. I think I need to look at yours when you release the plans for the larger one. I probably will build it just for fun... Mudman1959
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Very cool man. Any pics that show how your wingtip floats work? When I finish my next one I want to have retractable tips.
I'm also going to be getting a 3D printer in a month or so. I'm hoping that will help me make accessories for my planes. I think 3d printed cowls, and gun blisters will be pretty simple. I'd also like to be able to make landing gear retracts. They are several very larger versions out there I'm hoping could be scaled down and made to work with a 3d printer and maybe just a servo.
mudman1959
Active member
I used mini electric retracts... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGG8DAgD5Os
Are you going to release the plans for the bigger PBY?
Mudman1959
Are you going to release the plans for the bigger PBY?
Mudman1959
Cool, that's a very simple way of doing it. I wonder if I can find any small enough to do that with the 57" version. I'll have to do some looking.
I do plan on releasing the plans for the bigger version after I build another one. I could release them as is right now if people are interested, but keep in mind that not everything is perfect. You'll be able to build a PBY with them as they are, but some things will have to be modified on the fly (trimming to fit etc).
Can the Catalina work with the twin A pack? Got a whole bunch of WRFB for Christmas and it's looking sad in the corner
edit: i do have a whole bunch of 3 blade 6 by 45s, if that helps the answer
I had gobs of power with the F pack, so the A should be just fine. Heck, I flew the 100" giant one on two c pack motors. Stall speed is so low that you could probably fly it around just fine with something smaller than an A.
I don't know about the triblade 6" props though, you'd have to look up motor specs to make sure they won't melt the A motors.
Capt_Beavis
Posted a thousand or more times
I run 5x4.5x3s on my Delta Ray I converted to brushless with a twin a pack with no problems. I used 6x4.5x3s for a little bit without a problem but I like the 5s better.
Now that I think about it the motor in my arrow may have died while i was using a 6x4.5x3.........
Now that I think about it the motor in my arrow may have died while i was using a 6x4.5x3.........
Cool, I haven't use the 3 blade props with the A pack yet, and it's a good thing I didn't. Woulda melted the motors along with the fact that the esc is screwed up, so twin A pack here I come! Anyone know where I can get an xt30 Y-harness? sadly, FT does'nt sell them with the twin packs and they sell them seperately.
They're easy to solder together, at least that's what I would do.
Hi Localfiend,
Great looking plane. I have been looking for plans like this and finally found yours. Thank You. I am in the middle of building it and confused about construction of tower support. Not sure how all the pieces come together. Could you please give some guidance or send/post some pictures.
Thanks- Joe
Great looking plane. I have been looking for plans like this and finally found yours. Thank You. I am in the middle of building it and confused about construction of tower support. Not sure how all the pieces come together. Could you please give some guidance or send/post some pictures.
Thanks- Joe
Check page 4 of this thread. It's got several pictures of the tower. It's essentially a skeleton type frame that the tower wraps around.
Hey friends,
yesterday I finished my Cat, my fourth Plane in total and I have to say she`s a beauty. Thank you very much localfiend for your awesome work!
Since I remembered reading something about it when I read through this thread, I thought I might show off the retract mechanism I came up with for the floats. It was the easiest and lightest setup I could think of and it's basically the same thing many people on YT do to their Dynam PBYs.
I got two of these pushrod sets from the local hobby store since they have very low lash (not sure if this is the right word, they dont move around very much) and are easy to route through the wingtips. Powered by a single 16 gram servo in the center of the wing between two small pieces of wood to give it something to hold onto. I think it looks good and it seems to work. Although on hindsight it may have been smarter to think of a setup where the servo pulls to retract the floats, not the other way around. I plan to reinforce the floats supports with popsicle sticks after confirming they are the right length with a float test (since that seems to be an issue from what i read).
Let me know what you think and have a nice day
PS: Sorry for the crappy pictures. I can't find my Camera for a few days now...
yesterday I finished my Cat, my fourth Plane in total and I have to say she`s a beauty. Thank you very much localfiend for your awesome work!
Since I remembered reading something about it when I read through this thread, I thought I might show off the retract mechanism I came up with for the floats. It was the easiest and lightest setup I could think of and it's basically the same thing many people on YT do to their Dynam PBYs.
I got two of these pushrod sets from the local hobby store since they have very low lash (not sure if this is the right word, they dont move around very much
) and are easy to route through the wingtips. Powered by a single 16 gram servo in the center of the wing between two small pieces of wood to give it something to hold onto. I think it looks good and it seems to work. Although on hindsight it may have been smarter to think of a setup where the servo pulls to retract the floats, not the other way around. I plan to reinforce the floats supports with popsicle sticks after confirming they are the right length with a float test (since that seems to be an issue from what i read). Let me know what you think and have a nice day
PS: Sorry for the crappy pictures. I can't find my Camera for a few days now...
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Jordan3367
Member
Wow!
That looks really good.
Nice job with the retractable floats.
That looks really good.
Nice job with the retractable floats.
Hey friends,
yesterday I finished my Cat, my fourth Plane in total and I have to say she`s a beauty. Thank you very much localfiend for your awesome work!
Since I remembered reading something about it when I read through this thread, I thought I might show off the retract mechanism I came up with for the floats. It was the easiest and lightest setup I could think of and it's basically the same thing many people on YT do to their Dynam PBYs.
I got two of these pushrod sets from the local hobby store since they have very low lash (not sure if this is the right word, they dont move around very much
Let me know what you think and have a nice day
PS: Sorry for the crappy pictures. I can't find my Camera for a few days now...
Very cool man, nice and simple for the retracts and keeps the servo out of the way of the water. Looks great! Can't wait to hear how it flies for you. Assuming you used the newest plans with the latest hull design, float length shouldn't matter too much. I'm very interested to hear how it goes.
Michael9865
Elite member
Your tip float modification looks amazing.
thaterikperson
New member
Skillless, did you do anything to brace the floats when they're in the down position? I'd worry that a hard enough landing wouldn't be good for the servo. Just thinking ahead for my build.
