From an R/C plane to a racer !?

[First time Juke]

Hi !

Just wondering after seeing this bird:

http://homepage.eircom.net/~skycam/c17pics/steve-tony-C17-CAA-check.jpg

How much more work is there generally to do a real aeroplane and fly it than to make an R/C giant of that size ? 2 times 10 times ?

How hard is it to get a plane FAA certified and fly it ?

[Peashooter]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

Juke: Most hombuilts take 2,000-2,500 hrs to complete. The kit suppliers say less, but this assumes the builder knows what they're doing, i.e., have built one of this type before.

My Long EZ consumed 5 years averaging 2 nights per week and one day on the weekends. My brother and I did everything but the final top coat paint.

Now, for a new design, figure in all the engineering and parts sourcing/building time. The Long EZ had some pre-made parts, including the metal parts, gear legs, cowl and wheel pants.

If you build everyting from scratch, who knows, maybe 4-6,000 hours.

Then there's the cost of everything. Can you buy a race-prepped Merlin and support/compaign it? Peas

[jarrodeu]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

That model looks impressive but wonder if you accidently crashed it. I couldn'y fly it thinking of all those hours going down with the plane.
Jarrod

[AirDOGGe]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

That would be like buying a Ferrari, then not driving it for fear of taking damage....Unless it's a super-detailed museum model painstakenly built for display, go ahead and let that birdie take wing!

The same could be said of the remote control scale B-52 posted earlier.....looked great on the ground, but looks 100 times better flying...

[jarrodeu]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

Can you get model airplane insurence?

[stuntflyr]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

Juke,
Figure this.

Jon Sharp is an aeronautical engineer for Lockheed. His whole design crew are hands-on engineering/creative types. It took them four years from the time they told us about Nemesis NXT to the time it flew. This doesn't count the time they put into it before we were told. They know everyone necessary to build the things they can't or don't want to for talent, or time considerations. Few of us can do this on such a schedule.

Bob DeFord built his Allison Spitfire replica in ten years. Tsunami was built in about eight.

It is a big deal, but then I'm sure it can be done.

Chris...

BTW, I'm three and a half years into the nine month clean-up project on my Pitts!!!

[matt]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

allison spit replica?! i gotta see a picture of that.

[First time Juke]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

Bob DeFord built his Allison Spitfire replica in ten years. Tsunami was built in about eight.

Did it really take 8 years before Tsunami flew ? Fighter Rebuilders at Chino did the wing I recall.

Isn't it amazing that the prototype of a P-51 Mustang was flying in just 118 days after original order. NAA boys with Edgar Schmued knew what they were doing and had the funding and tools for the kite too.


best regards,

Juke T / Oulu / Finland



PS: Just went to see beachvolley national champs at the beach near by ( less than a mile ); watching the chicks to play is very inspiring.

Enclosed is the 1943 flown Vampire jet in Kauhava 01:00 am at midsommernite airshow in Finland. That plane if ready in 1944 could have changed airwar totally in European theather 1944-45.

[First time Juke]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

Clarification:

Vampire was first flown in 1943 ( also flew in Kauhava 2004 ). The jet planes Germany had airborne in 1945 and in service were few; here is one of them:

http://img20.exs.cx/img20/1183/Arado.jpg

Cool or what ? That one is in Sola, Norway 1945.

JT

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

BTW, I'm three and a half years into the nine month clean-up project on my Pitts!!!

Dunno... for some reason, that sentence really got to me... I think maybe that it's *every* project that any of us take on *always* has a time squared factor that we seem to forget when we start it!

I had a five year resto project on my old 914 that took over fifteen years and it wasn't close to done when I sold it.... (didn't even run as a matter of fact )

[AirDOGGe]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

Can you get model airplane insurence?

Many model airplane clubs require that you carry a decent third-party liability policy and in the UK flying anywhere without third party insurance is illegal.

An rc model airplane - particularly gas powered - can cause alot of damage to people and property, even death, (and indeed has done so on more than one occasion, but it is rare) so again check the local flying requirements before you fly.

Membership of the AMA (US) or BMFA (UK) will include the necessary liability insurance and this membership is normally required before joining a club, or it may come with club membership.

(quoted from the "RC flying 'getting started' FAQ page")

http://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-flying-faq.html

AMA home page:

http://www.modelaircraft.org/templates/ama/

[stuntflyr]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

Wayne,
My wife uses a multiplier of three of my estimate, unless it is an airplane project. Then I think she gives up.

Chris...

P.S. The 914 thing is familiar. I just sold off my XJ-S project, the parts car was the one that ran!

[RandyGoss75]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

Try this Matt!

http://www.spitfirebuilder.4t.com/photo3.html

All the best, RG

[matt]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

thanks randy, strange, i thought it would have a completely new cowl, still, thanks dude

[First time Juke]

Re: From an R/C plane to a racer !?

Ok guys !

Yesterday at 20:00 pm I runned for the first time the brand new engine on my R/C racer model of the TS2 racer.
I also did all the radiochecks and adjustments to see that all systems are GO !

Seems that the chinese .15 AP does run, but only when mixture is rich. The expected rpms are stil at loss, but test run showed 11600 rpms...intended rpms with russian comet C/L engine will be 24-28 000 ( for the speed attempt ).

I run the engine mounted in the fuselage without wings and elevator seems to be effective in the propwash...when hanging the fuse from the prop I notised that the fuse would like to rotate very eagerly in the opposite direction.

Only setback was that I cut my right hand forefinger ( sliced by the prop for 5-6 times ). Now I have to wait to get that healed before a flight attempt will be made. I will work on the engine to get the missing 4 000 rpms for it ( there are ways..look at R/C Universe ). I am pretty sure it will fly with that 8/4 propellor with 11600 rpms too to get the idea how it differs in flight with Me 109 and P-51D which I have flown hundreds of times in the same 1/12 scale as this tiny TS2 model... I CALL THIS POOR MANS WINDTUNNEL TESTING !

Stay tuned for more info of the testprogramme as further steps are being made !

So long for now.