New Here - WW1 Combat

[eness76]

Hi guys, new here but I've been flying RC and building/designing for about 38 years. Somehow I just recently stumbled upon FliteTest. My 14yr old son recently became re-interested in RC (this dad's dream come true) and has progressed really quickly to the point of soloing our balsa airplanes. We decided to build a couple FT WW1 fighters to fly some combat, we just finished his triplane and it's ready for dawn patrol! Looking forward to diving into this foamboard medium more fully. I scratch built a mini-sportster last week and we've had a bunch of fun with it. Take care, all.

 

[P40VRP]

Hi guys, new here but I've been flying RC and building/designing for about 38 years. Somehow I just recently stumbled upon FliteTest. My 14yr old son recently became re-interested in RC (this dad's dream come true) and has progressed really quickly to the point of soloing our balsa airplanes. We decided to build a couple FT WW1 fighters to fly some combat, we just finished his triplane and it's ready for dawn patrol! Looking forward to diving into this foamboard medium more fully. I scratch built a mini-sportster last week and we've had a bunch of fun with it. Take care, all.
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Welcome to the forum! I'm really new myself, but what I have seen so far is an awesome bunch of RC enthusiasts who are more than willing to help out with any and all RC questions!

That's a great looking airplane. I was expecting the "Red Baron" himself to be jumping down from the cockpit. Or at least "Snoopy"!

 

[sundown57]

I vote Snoopy. Great looking plane. great paint job too.

 

[eness76]

Snoopy's ride is coming together

 

["Corpse"]

Snoopy's ride is coming together View attachment 175302

Dang, snoopies ride is looking clean and sharp! What paint scheme are you going for?

 

[eness76]

Thanks! Just a generic Se5a scheme, mostly brown top, gray wing bottoms with the roundels and the red white and blue rudder stripes. We're having so much fun with my son's triplane, it's a blast to fly. We're up to 14 flights on it, now. It has such a wide speed envelope it's easy to fly at the local park, instead of waiting for the weekend to get to our club flying field (40mins away).

 

["Corpse"]

Thanks! Just a generic Se5a scheme, mostly brown top, gray wing bottoms with the roundels and the red white and blue rudder stripes. We're having so much fun with my son's triplane, it's a blast to fly. We're up to 14 flights on it, now. It has such a wide speed envelope it's easy to fly at the local park, instead of waiting for the weekend to get to our club flying field (40mins away).

I was trying to come up with a plane that I'll be able to take with me on big trips and I think this one will do great! It's a fight between the Simple stick and this.

 

[eness76]

it's a fun easy flyer, and the build is very well thought out. I'm very impressed. As I said above, I'm new to foam board, but really enjoying it. Before building these I scratch built a mini sportster just to get a taste of the foam board build process and get used to working with these materials. That plane flies really well, also. I didn't know any better, and build that one from Elmers foam I had on hand, so it's a bit heavier, but as such flies faster and more like a balsa plane due to the additional wing loading. Would be a fun plane for a club pylon race. It would also travel well, since you mentioned trips.

 

[eness76]

I finished the Se5 today. Maybe Snoopy will have better luck with the baron in this!

 

[PsyBorg]

Just a tip to make even nicer looking builds take one of those foam emery boards and file back the paper to be even with the foam. Then take white gorilla wood glue and coat the edges over lapping the paper a mm or two so it soaks in and forms a seal. Then you can prime and paint to perfection and not have that sharp and hollowed out edge the laser cutting produces.

With practice seeing how well your paint jobs are done you could even round off the squared edges moving the paper back a bit and still be able to seal and smooth it out to perfection with primer and paint and not worry over paper peeling with age or moisture.

 

[eness76]

Thanks for the tips! I took next week off from work and going to scratch build my son a slightly scaled up p40 with retracts and flaps. I will try that out on that build. Thanks again!

 

[P40VRP]

I finished the Se5 today. Maybe Snoopy will have better luck with the baron in this!
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I really think the "Red Baron" is in trouble! Looks like "Snoopy" is charged and ready to go! Nice work!

 

[PoorManRC]

Just a tip to make even nicer looking builds take one of those foam emery boards and file back the paper to be even with the foam. Then take white gorilla wood glue and coat the edges over lapping the paper a mm or two so it soaks in and forms a seal. Then you can prime and paint to perfection and not have that sharp and hollowed out edge the laser cutting produces.

With practice seeing how well your paint jobs are done you could even round off the squared edges moving the paper back a bit and still be able to seal and smooth it out to perfection with primer and paint and not worry over paper peeling with age or moisture.

I've used this Method on almost every one of my Planes, and always prefer the way it looks.
Besides being prettier, it also helps with things like road rash, impact damage and the eventual Delamination that always happens to our Aircraft at some point.

Bro.... WELCOME!! You're definitely in the right place. 👍👍🍻🍺
If I read correctly, those are your SECOND and THIRD Planes!?? 😲😊👌

You're off to a much better start than I had! 😖 I had a different learning curve, from being into all RC - EXCEPT Aircraft!
Excellent looking Birds.

 

[eness76]

Snoopy and the Red Baron had it out today. I much prefer the flight characteristics of the triplane.

 

[P40VRP]

Snoopy and the Red Baron had it out today. I much prefer the flight characteristics of the triplane.
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I still think "Snoopy" came out on top @eness76 . "Snoopy" is sitting triumphantly in his cockpit and the "Red Baron" is MIA. Those planes are so cool!

 

[eness76]

Thank you!

 

[eness76]

My brother is joining the flying circus in a black baron scheme. Another gentleman at our club is also building a triplane. Snoopy is soon to have his hands full!

 

[P40VRP]

My brother is joining the flying circus in a black baron scheme. Another gentleman at our club is also building a triplane. Snoopy is soon to have his hands full!
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@eness76 I'm sure "Snoopy" will rise to the challenge! Although the "Black Baron's" plane is awesome! Perhaps "Snoopy" should recruit "Charlie Brown" to be his wingman!

 

[eness76]

@eness76 I'm sure "Snoopy" will rise to the challenge! Although the "Black Baron's" plane is awesome! Perhaps "Snoopy" should recruit "Charlie Brown" to be his wingman!

Or at least Woodstock!

 

[SP0NZ]

Or at least Woodstock!

I was going to say, throw Woostock in the red triplane. lol

@eness76 Welcome to FT Family, it's good to have you here. Great job on your first foam board builds. They look incredible!!