RC 400cc P47 Thunderbolt plane...

[cjshaker]

I used to really get into RC planes when I was a kid. Things have come a loooooong way since the single cylinder Cox glow plug engines! These days they're using real honest-to-goodness radial and rotary engines.



Here's a 1/4 scale P47 Thunderbolt with a 400cc 5cyl radial engine. They look and even darn near sound just like the real thing! They are really amazing and cool to watch. At the 3:00 mark he does a slow fly-by and then does one of the best landings I've ever seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPsHhWALh-w

[machoneman]

Cool!

And this one isn't even close to being the biggest RC to have ever flown!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oY8IFzi5Gg

[jayb]

Well, you guys just had to do this to me.  Sometimes I wonder why I ever got out of the RC airplane hobby.  I guess I enjoy the car hobby more, but not by much.  Here's a few pictures of my planes.  This first one is my old PBY-5A Catalina, 102" wingspan and two 0.91 cubic inch 4 stroke engines running 15% nitro, taken down at a great RC airfield (that is now gone, I think) in Ankenny Iowa.  That is a 1/6 scale replica of a Japanese aircraft carrier in the background.  The guys at that field put on a great show once a year.  My plane took the best in show trophy at that event:



I sold that PBY so I could build a bigger one; here it is along with my P-47 and my Messerschmidt BF-109:



The PBY had a 154" wingspan and was powered by two 1.2 cubic inch four strokes.  The P-47 is 1/5 scale (the plane in Doug's video is 1/4 scale), weighs 42 pounds, and is powered by a 75cc chain saw engine.  The Messerschmidt is also powered by a 75cc chain saw motor, and weighs 35 pounds.  The PBY was flying around one day when the wing folded up and it came crashing down, destroying pretty much everything.  That is one problem with the RC plane hobby, at any moment in the air you are only 3 seconds away from a crash for any number of reasons, including pilot error.

Here's a couple more pictures, one of my P-47 and another of my F4U Corsair:





These photos were taken with my OLD digital camera, so resolution isn't so hot.  I've still got the P-47, Bf-109, and Corsair hanging upstairs in my shop.  Someday I'll get back to them...

[blykins]

Seems like a lot of us all have the same hobbies....I'm an RC flyer too.

[MustangGT]

Me too 
I've been flying RC planes since late seventies. Not very large planes, mostly 3-6 feet wingspan.
I built a 140" DC-3/C-47 at one time many years ago and more recently I had a 100" P-51D with a 80cc two-stroke which I sold 3-4 years ago.

I have a stack of new/old unbuilt balsa kits in my work shop I'm going to build.....some day, hehe

[machoneman]

Hey, way cool Jay! You had mentioned R/C in the past but you did a lot more than dabble! Me, I only did the old Cox .049 engine stuff on a string (!) but today's R/C stuff has me thinking too. Mainly a WWII warplane fan, I do think the modern jet powered scale fighters are the greatest.

Here's a really cool site for miniature engines:
http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/KnappCol.htm

Well, you guys just had to do this to me.  Sometimes I wonder why I ever got out of the RC airplane hobby.  I guess I enjoy the car hobby more, but not by much.  Here's a few pictures of my planes.  This first one is my old PBY-5A Catalina, 102" wingspan and two 0.91 cubic inch 4 stroke engines running 15% nitro, taken down at a great RC airfield (that is now gone, I think) in Ankenny Iowa.  That is a 1/6 scale replica of a Japanese aircraft carrier in the background.  The guys at that field put on a great show once a year.  My plane took the best in show trophy at that event:

[cjshaker]

Seems like a lot of us all have the same hobbies....I'm an RC flyer too.

Brent, that definitely seems to be the case, and that's cool. Planes, trains and automobiles

Jay, that's a pretty cool collection. The jets are neat, but nothing will ever sound or look as cool as the old war birds. The Corsairs were always my favorite, but the P47 had the most incredible sounding radial! The 400cc Moki radial sounds just as incredible. There are actual scale 18cyl radials built from plans, but none that I have seen in an actual plane. Having flown in a real B24 and a B17, my one ungrantable wish is to experience a P47 or an F4U. This is as close as I can ever come. That 1/4 scale P47 sounds absolutely incredible!

[cjshaker]

Me too 
I've been flying RC planes since late seventies. Not very large planes, mostly 3-6 feet wingspan.
I built a 140" DC-3/C-47 at one time many years ago and more recently I had a 100" P-51D with a 80cc two-stroke which I sold 3-4 years ago.

That DC-3 had to be pretty cool at nearly 12ft. As a kid they used to still be in operation and I remember them very well. Living between Dayton and Michigan I still get to hear some old radials flying by a few times a year between the airshows and Neil Armstrong museum nearby. I can still pick them out from miles away and get outside to see them go over. Just got to fly in an open cockpit WACO 2 years ago. What a thrill that was. The pilot told me I'd want earplugs. I laughed and told him there was NO WAY I was going to miss the sound of that open exhaust radial sitting 3ft in front of me. He thought I was nuts.

[jayb]

Me too 
I've been flying RC planes since late seventies. Not very large planes, mostly 3-6 feet wingspan.
I built a 140" DC-3/C-47 at one time many years ago and more recently I had a 100" P-51D with a 80cc two-stroke which I sold 3-4 years ago.

I have a stack of new/old unbuilt balsa kits in my work shop I'm going to build.....some day, hehe

Was that a Bud Nosen P-51?  Another one of my all time favorites.  I had one with a Quadra 100 in it that was a great flyer, before it finally crashed in a bean field due to pilot error...

[MustangGT]

Me too 
I've been flying RC planes since late seventies. Not very large planes, mostly 3-6 feet wingspan.
I built a 140" DC-3/C-47 at one time many years ago and more recently I had a 100" P-51D with a 80cc two-stroke which I sold 3-4 years ago.

That DC-3 had to be pretty cool at nearly 12ft. As a kid they used to still be in operation and I remember them very well. Living between Dayton and Michigan I still get to hear some old radials flying by a few times a year between the airshows and Neil Armstrong museum nearby. I can still pick them out from miles away and get outside to see them go over. Just got to fly in an open cockpit WACO 2 years ago. What a thrill that was. The pilot told me I'd want earplugs. I laughed and told him there was NO WAY I was going to miss the sound of that open exhaust radial sitting 3ft in front of me. He thought I was nuts.

Yeah it was huge. This was back in the late 80ies where everything more than 6 feet wingspan was gigantic, hehe. I bought the plans and fiberglass nose and cowlings from an ad in an american rc magazine(this was pre internet mind you). After the package arrived I went down to the local hobby store and bought every sheet of ply and piece of balsa he had. And then did the same thing a couple of weeks later when he had restocked, hehe. It was powered by two Quadra 35's and flew pretty good until one day one engine died in flight and it spiraled to the ground to total destruction.
I was fortunate to go for a ride in a full size DC-3 a couple of weeks ago. We have one flying DC-3 in Norway and it so happens that it is located about an hour from where I live. It is a volunteer organization that keeps it airworthy. One of my friends, who is a commercial pilot, flies this plane quite often and since he has a 68 Mustang convertible as well, we have alot in common  I've attached a pic of a little Mustang get together we had a while ago.

I visited the great air museum in Dayton back in 90. To little time and too many planes. I could easily spent a week there but unfortunatly there wasn't time for more than a few hours. I'd love to go back there at one time.

I'd love to ride in an open cockpit plane once. I fully agree with you, air plugs not an option! 

Here is a link to a friend of mine flying his 40% Waco with a Moki 400. The clip was taken at my RC club's annual Scale event 4 years ago. You have to love the sound of that radial. If only the speaker idiot would shut up, hehe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMfHk4X2qbE

[MustangGT]

Me too 
I've been flying RC planes since late seventies. Not very large planes, mostly 3-6 feet wingspan.
I built a 140" DC-3/C-47 at one time many years ago and more recently I had a 100" P-51D with a 80cc two-stroke which I sold 3-4 years ago.

I have a stack of new/old unbuilt balsa kits in my work shop I'm going to build.....some day, hehe

Was that a Bud Nosen P-51?  Another one of my all time favorites.  I had one with a Quadra 100 in it that was a great flyer, before it finally crashed in a bean field due to pilot error...

It was a Composite ARF, not good old balsa Bud Nosen unfortunatly. The guy that bought it from me has it for sale right now in fact. Here's a pic of it taken a few days ago(his pic, not mine)
I know all to well what the field landing feels like .... 

[cjshaker]

Here is a link to a friend of mine flying his 40% Waco with a Moki 400. The clip was taken at my RC club's annual Scale event 4 years ago. You have to love the sound of that radial. If only the speaker idiot would shut up, hehe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMfHk4X2qbE

That was excellent! Great flying too! Nice Stall Turn...and that's not easy to do on a RC plane! Thanks for posting that. I can't wait to show my Dad this thread, he'll get a real kick out of it. I'm glad I started this thread. You guys are great!

Jay, did you do water takeoffs and landings with your PBY? I have not seen that done with an RC plane. I built every one of these planes as models when I was a kid. They are so rare these days it's truly an honor to see a real one.

I know it's not an RC, but here's the WACO I flew in over Lake Erie. The pilot was a great guy. As soon as we landed, I wanted to go right back up. Next on my list is a Stearman

[MustangGT]

I know it's not an RC, but here's the WACO I flew in over Lake Erie. The pilot was a great guy. As soon as we landed, I wanted to go right back up. Next on my list is a Stearman

Great shot!
There is a full size Stearman in an airfield about 30 mins from here. It is the airfield the Moki Waco is flown at in the video. I don't think I have pics of it unfortunatly. It's painted like an US trainer. Blue body and yellow wings. The owner is the son of the owner of the airfield. Two years ago the 1. prize in our event was a ride in that Stearman

Edit. I found a youtube clip of it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yHA47kHia0

[cjshaker]

Two years ago the 1. prize in our event was a ride in that Stearman

Edit. I found a youtube clip of it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yHA47kHia0

I love bi-planes! That would be a great prize, although I'm sure it would be MUCH cheaper to just pay for it
Ok, now I'm starting to regret this thread. I'm really wanting one of those 1/4 scales with that 400 radial...lol

[jayb]

I did water takeoffs and landings with the smaller PBY, but never with the big one.  The small one was really hard to get off the water, but landed beautifully even when it was a little choppy.  For most of my water flying I used a big Cub.  This one is a 1/3 scale Balsa USA kit, 12 foot wingspan and a G-62 for power.  Here's a picture of it with the landing gear...



The engine sticking out of the cowl is a model; the real engine is mounted upside down and is pretty much completely hidden by the cowl.  The plane is only about 29 pounds with the landing gear, and the engine is a little much for it, but with the floats it goes up to 35 pounds and flies a lot better.  Here's a couple of pics with the floats on:





Some of the best RC times I've ever had have been flying the Cub off the water.  It flies really slow; you can get in the boat, take the plane off and then bring it down so it is flying right alongside the boat, literally 10 feet off the side and 5 feet in the air, and just fly all over the lake with the boat chasing the plane at about 15 MPH.  Great fun, and I've still got the plane.

Another favorite was this Bucker Jungmann, that I scratch built from a set of blown up Carl Goldberg plans.  This one had an 8 foot wingspan and a Quadra 100, and was a great aerobatic plane:



Unfortunately I got greedy for more performance, and stuffed a 3W 160cc opposed 4 cylinder engine in it, and on the first flight it just wouldn't slow down enough to land.  The additional weight and power was too much for the field I was at, and the plane crashed on landing.  I still haven't rebuilt it.

Finally another favorite, my 1/4 scale Fokker triplane.  Always draws a crowd, and everybody knows the Red Baron plane LOL!



I gotta stop thinking about this or I'll miss Drag Week...