The next "build off" idea?

OliverW

Legendary member
Kougar was one of the many "kits" I built way back in the 70's-80's. The Kougar I finished was sold in way less than an hour after the first guy saw it at the field. I never even got to fly it! I used to build a lot of (Pilot) kits and hang them in the LHS's in the 80's. They usually sold in way less than a week. It gave me money to buy more kits and supplies. That's all I wanted at the time. It was never intended to be a profit generator.

Joe
My dad built a couple pilot planes in the 80's and 90's. He built their Sport 40
 

Turbojoe

Elite member
LOL! While my initial choice is the "Miss America" if we can all agree on a stick built design (regardless of "adjusted" size) for a build off I'm still in. I have a box of 1/8" sticks and a box of 3/16" sticks. I also have a lesser bunch of 1/4" sticks. As long as I can build from my in stock pool of resources I'm all in regardless of what the final design choice might be. I'd just like to do a stick build of any type sharing with the community our positive and negatives during that particular design build. This could be a great primer for those that are new to balsa building and want to jump in with both feet at the "deep end" of aircraft construction. The deep end not necessarily meaning hard but instead meaning instructional. We all know there will be many, many, many people to help those with questions.

Hey, I've been at this hobby for 40+ years and I'm no idiot. I know I don't know everything and I can still learn from others every day of the week. A build off provides us the opportunity to post and share our personal experiences that may help those that are new to this aspect of the hobby and it could lead to them becoming the new experts that we look to in the future. I'm all for that!

Joe
 

Turbojoe

Elite member
My dad built a couple pilot planes in the 80's and 90's. He built their Sport 40

OMG! I don't even remember how many Pilot kits I bought and built way back then. They all had top quality wood, plastics and completion materials that I haven't seen since in ANY kit. The F-16 was probably the hardest build but when finally completed I didn't even cover it. It came out so nice that I got an offer to purchase for 4 times what I had invested and it was a very expensive kit at the time. The Pilot kits built into museum quality aircraft. It's too bad everything was destroyed in the fire that devastated the company many years ago. Their kits were simply the best of the best of anything I've seen then or now.

Joe
 

OliverW

Legendary member
OMG! I don't even remember how many Pilot kits I bought and built way back then. They all had top quality wood, plastics and completion materials that I haven't seen since in ANY kit. The F-16 was probably the hardest build but when finally completed I didn't even cover it. It came out so nice that I got an offer to purchase for 4 times what I had invested and it was a very expensive kit at the time. The Pilot kits built into museum quality aircraft. It's too bad everything was destroyed in the fire that devastated the company many years ago. Their kits were simply the best of the best of anything I've seen then or now.

Joe
We their 1/3.5 Pitts that is partially built, we just need to print out new plans. Outerzone has almost all of pilots plans
 

Hondo76251

Legendary member
I never flew one "RC" back when I was a kid, but I bet I built 20 balsa models wishing I could when I was younger. I was considering a hybrid balsa build myself recently, maybe some inspiration is what I need! Lol
 

Andrew

G'day Mate
OMG! I don't even remember how many Pilot kits I bought and built way back then. They all had top quality wood, plastics and completion materials that I haven't seen since in ANY kit. The F-16 was probably the hardest build but when finally completed I didn't even cover it. It came out so nice that I got an offer to purchase for 4 times what I had invested and it was a very expensive kit at the time. The Pilot kits built into museum quality aircraft. It's too bad everything was destroyed in the fire that devastated the company many years ago. Their kits were simply the best of the best of anything I've seen then or now.

Joe
I've got a Pilot kit "Citabria-20". It's almost finished I just need to give it a light sand then it's ready for covering, it's been that way for over 10 years, I've got everything for it (including a brand new Saito 30) I just need to put the time in, I'm at that time in life where there's too many distractions.
 

TooJung2Die

Master member
I never flew one "RC" back when I was a kid, but I bet I built 20 balsa models wishing I could when I was younger.
Me too! The cost of RC was way out of reach. Isn't it incredible we spent weeks or months building beautiful airplanes only to let them fly with less control over them than a hot air balloon? You had to be good at climbing trees and hopping over backyard fences. That Lancer 72 is gorgeous. Did someone say we all have to agree on one airplane for a build-off?
 

Turbojoe

Elite member
Another idea (one of many to come).... I've got plans for a 150% Kadet Senior, which is a slightly more modern stick-built plane. That would be a fun build, and would use enough balsa to deforest a small country. :eek:

Now THAT would be awesome! I still don't know why I sold my NIB Kadet Senior kit a year or so ago. :cry:

Joe
 

Joker 53150

Mmmmmmm, balsa.
Mentor
Now THAT would be awesome! I still don't know why I sold my NIB Kadet Senior kit a year or so ago. :cry:

Joe

Maybe this is the time for you to scratch-build one! Sticks and sheet, nothing complicated for your skills...! Do you happen to have plans for one? EVERYBODY needs a Kadet or Telemaster in their fleet. I've got an old Kadet Mk1 kit that I restored a few years ago, a Kadet Senior that I rescued and converted to electric, another Senior I got from a buddy that needs a restoration and conversion to gas, a couple 75% finished Senior wings, and enough sticks and parts to finish maybe 1-1/2 Senior fuselages. If you want plans I may be able to hook you up.

Thinking about the 150% plans, that would take a little power to lift a plane that size, maybe a good use for the old Ryobi 31cc gas engine that was converted from a weed-wacker to an airplane engine. Classic design + old-school gasser...
 

Turbojoe

Elite member
I'm honestly getting kinda bored with all the half finished projects I'm working on. There's just something about stick building that I find most enjoyable. I think it's the cutting and sanding each and every piece for that perfect fit. I employ stick building at every opportunity and usually to replace heavy flat plank tail feathers.

I sold my Kadet Senior kit unopened. I really should have had the plans scanned and a set printed while I had it. I'm sure the plans are out there somewhere as .PDF but I really haven't looked. I have a NIB early 80's version Kadet MK II (w/ailerons) but it's not the same design as the Senior. I have virtually everything I'd need to do the Senior build. Would probably have to do a two piece wing so it would fit in the tiny Scion xD though. Maybe the Senior could be a build option to consider vs the Miss America. PLUS the Senior uses trike gear. (y) Hmmmm....

Edit: I forgot about the Telemaster 40. It's been sitting in the airplane room just waiting to be covered for several years. I have no excuse for not finishing it other than it keeps getting lost in all the other planes around it. The Senior will likely weigh quite a bit less than the Telemaster.

Joe
 

Tench745

Master member
The first RC plane I ever built was a Kadet LT-40. Some guy at Grandpa's airport had started it, built the wing and two left fuselage sides, before giving up. I finished it for him but didn't have the time or resources to learn to fly it. Don't remember when I got it, but I was 21 when I finally sold it to a guy looking for a trainer for his son to learn on. I wish I knew what happened to it after that.

Some day I'd like another Kadet in my fleet. Is there a Kadet Jr?

IMG_2347.JPG
 

OliverW

Legendary member
The first RC plane I ever built was a Kadet LT-40. Some guy at Grandpa's airport had started it, built the wing and two left fuselage sides, before giving up. I finished it for him but didn't have the time or resources to learn to fly it. Don't remember when I got it, but I was 21 when I finally sold it to a guy looking for a trainer for his son to learn on. I wish I knew what happened to it after that.

Some day I'd like another Kadet in my fleet. Is there a Kadet Jr?

View attachment 166921
There is the Kadet LT-25
 

Turbojoe

Elite member
The first RC plane I ever built was a Kadet LT-40. Some guy at Grandpa's airport had started it, built the wing and two left fuselage sides, before giving up. I finished it for him but didn't have the time or resources to learn to fly it. Don't remember when I got it, but I was 21 when I finally sold it to a guy looking for a trainer for his son to learn on. I wish I knew what happened to it after that.

Some day I'd like another Kadet in my fleet. Is there a Kadet Jr?

View attachment 166921

Actually there was a Kadet jr. If you happen to find a kit you'll pay a premium for it as a collectible. The plans are out there though. Outerzone has it here: LINK.

EDIT: There's also the Kadetito plan there as well: LINK

Joe
 
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Joker 53150

Mmmmmmm, balsa.
Mentor
I dug my 150% Senior plans out this evening. Wow, I’m glad I didn’t go with the 200% version...! It looks like minimal mods would be needed to make that Ryobi 31cc gasser fit, mainly moving the firewall back an inch. In stock form it’s 3 channel and flies perfectly well, but something like this would be served well by adding ailerons and flattening the wing dihedral a bit, adding wing struts, and maybe going with a tail dragger setup. Wheels in my brain are turning!
 

rockyboy

Skill Collector
Mentor
I missed this thread for a while, but I had a great time with building my AC Guppy from plans and would be in for another plans build.

I've got a whole list of plans stashed in my workshop too - look for the "Plans in Tubes" section of this post
https://forum.flitetest.com/index.p...hangar-queens-and-failures.35044/#post-349540

If there is anything someone here is really interested in let me know and we can work out a shipment or scan arrangement :D For terms of the next forum build contest, I think I'm going to do the Macchi M.16 (assuming I can find where the plans are stashed). It's a completely ridiculous looking little thing!

a10824702-44-IMG_9860.jpg
 

Joker 53150

Mmmmmmm, balsa.
Mentor
Thinking way ahead to the future Plans & Stick Build Along I, I'm planning to go big with a gas engine (not a huge surprise). If we're going to do an old-school stick-build, I figure an old-school engine would be most fitting. Three years ago I attended a swap meet and picked up an old gas engine. The seller didn't know anything about it, but it had compression and a $20 price tag. I was very new to gas at that time, so I didn't know what size it was, the brand, how to go about getting it running, etc., but for $20 I rolled the dice.

A few weeks ago I had to re-build the carb in an engine being used on a different project, and had an extra carb kit (they're cheap, so I keep a couple on-hand). I took the engine off the shelf, and it appears to be a Ryobi 31cc from a weed-eater, converted for RC use. The engine had a primer bulb, but to keep it simple I removed the brittle old parts and capped the line at the carb. Time to see if my $20 was well spent - well, $30 by the time I figure in the carb rebuild kit, gas line, etc.

I mounted the engine on my test stand and found it was pulling gas well enough without the primer bulb, as it still has the original slide plate choke. I had a 50:50 chance on the kill switch being in the right position (the switch isn't marked), so I hit the engine with the electric starter and..... nothing. Not even a pop. I flipped the kill switch to the other position and hit it with the starter and.... IT RUNS! In fact it ran pretty well at as I ran it near idle for a while to warm up for the first time in years. After sufficient time to warm up, Mike did his thing on the needles and got it running great! It seems just a tick slower to rev up to around 7,000 RPM than other RC engines, but from what I read that's normal.

The engine runs well and is much quieter than other engines, and should make a great power plant for an old-school type build.

This video is after it warmed up a bit, and before we started tuning.

 

TooJung2Die

Master member
Sounds good! Looks like there's excess weight on the flywheel. The fins on the flywheel are just causing drag and no longer needed to cool the engine. It would be great if you could put the flywheel in a lathe and cut off the fins along with some weight. It'll spin up faster.
 

Joker 53150

Mmmmmmm, balsa.
Mentor
Some have removed all the flywheel and magneto weight and gone with an electronic ignition, but I’m not worrying about that on an old $20 engine. Turning it would save some weight to be sure, but I don’t have a lathe and it still seems to spool up better after some tuning. It’s hard to tell in the video, but this thing is QUIET compared to other gassers I’ve got.