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Not really related to each other, but I am thinking of trying my hand at some gas models next year as I am lookijng for a change of pace.
I have an Air Express 330 kit, is this a decent beginners gas model? It is for a .049-.061. My first gas model will be locked down I know, but I am wondering if A-gas .15 (classic style) might be easier to start with than 1/2-A?
Are the Norvel AME engines worth using (either .049 or the .015), I have a couple of each NIB. would I be better off with a TD .049, of which I have several worked up for 1/2-A speed?
Are they making clear Micaflm anymore? I have a couple rolls left, but beleive it was out of production at one time?
Thanks,
~Jim BuxtonJim, you could make a lot of money with the MicaFilm. Its gone. The 330 ” plane is pretty big for a cat111 1/2A. The TD and a Maverick would be a good starter plane and would be competitive. I’ve no experience with the Norvel 15. My 047 pulled my Maverick for a lot of years. The larger A gas planes are bothered less by windy conditions- they are bigger and stronger. Also a bit noisier, if that’s a criteria.
Be warned, you’ll get oil on yourself. And your clothes. And bike. And car.
Jim,
Those Tee Dee’s set up for Speed are not much good. In fact, I will do you a favor and take them off your hands, thereby saving you the aggravation of watching your models disappear skyward.
If you take Dan’s advice, you will then have a very limited choice of colors to use. You will be forced to use day-glo and other high viz markings to keep your models in sight.
This will cause no end of grief. It will then require that you use very reliable timers to ensure the DT functions properly. Of course, it goes without saying, that you will endure no end of trouble chasing after your models.
Save yourself, send me those junk Tee Dees. I will selflessly remove them from your posession, if only to save you all the hassle and pain they will cause.
😉 😉 😉 😉 😉
330 square inches is too big for everything but a Cyclon/GRS.
The 1/2 A model is the best to learn from, least amount of expense, and a lot more designs to choose from.
The Norvel engine is great. I run both the 049 and 061 with muffler. I use the clear gas tank that comes with starter engine, and you can mount them upright or inverted really easy. Take out whatever fuel fittings are not useful, and replace them with an undersize hole, a piece of copper tubing stuffed into the hole with the surgical tubing. Makes a good seal, and is nice and simple. The tubing eventually needs to be replaced, but so what. Hook the muffler up to the tank for pressure. I have been running one model with this setup for the past 3 years and have been flying the heck out of it. The Norvel is a good runner, and will out perform a TD.
Covering: for 1/2A use UltraCote Lite. This material is great…great….
I have had models in corn fields for several weeks, and the model covered with Ultracote Lite comes out looking like new with a wipe down. It is durable and provides plenty of structural covering strength. Avoid Jap tissue like the plague. It will kill your models. Shrinking, warps, tears, and smelly dope are things of the past. The changing of adjustment with warping tissue is the cause of most crashes. If you really want to make a light weight 1/2A, cover it with SolarFilm “SoLite” It is about half the weight of Ultracote Lite. But not as strong, and tears easier.
Thanks for the response so far guys. I appreciate all the help I can get.
Dean, you want me to throw a bag full of Nelson plugs in the box I’m shipping you with all my junk TeeDees? 🙂
~JimYes,
Those plugs really muddied up the water when they made the adapter for the Tee Dee. They are real cheepies. Why pay less than $4.00 for a Nelson when you can buy Genuine Cox 1502’s for at least three times that! And, you can get a real brand new head along with it. The Nelsons also inhibit your knowledge of engines as they seem to never need changing. You may forget where you left your Genuine Cox Head Wrench (spanner for you Brits) because those Nelsons never seem to burn out. And on the odd occasion they do croak, you have to use a standard end wrench that you can buy anywhere in the Civlized World, and not a Genuine Cox tool that leaves its’ imprint on your hands. 😉 😉
On a more serious note; you can rely on UltraCote Lite. I have used it on three small models so far. Vastly superior to anything else out there for the weight. I just got my Minnie Pearl (note the spelling) down out of a 60 ft tree after 3 days stuck up there without a scratch! Great stuff.
I also just took delivery of a Bounty Hunter kit from BMJR. This kit, covered with UltraCote Lite, will be quite competitive with a Tee Dee or a Norvel. With the Tee Dee you can knock heads with the rest of us next year in the One Design event at Muncie and elsewhere. Follow the link on the NFFS “Community” page to BMJR and contact them via their email. The kit is not listed on their site yet, but they are in production.
Actually, if you really have a spare Tee Dee that really runs, I might be interested. Try my email at flydean@worldnet.att.net 🙂 🙂
I keep hearing about you guys storing your planes in trees. Why do you do that? I use 1/2″ foam and some silver cloth tape to make boxes for storing my planes. It is vastly superior to trees for storing planes. Probably easier to transport as well, but certainly more convenient.
Dan Berry wrote:I keep hearing about you guys storing your planes in trees. Why do you do that?Because it keeps the lift in the wings. Besides, it is the only way my sleds can ever be off the ground for two minutes! 🙂
Dan, not to get off subject but foam and cloth for a storage box sounds very anti-luddite to me, compared to good old trees.
I just read Don Deloach’s article from the 2004 sympo about getting started in gas. Very helpful along with the commentary here, I am leaning towards an A-gas model at the moment. May as well start one step closer to Super-D!
~Jim
A-Gas! Now you may have something here. Your Air Express 330 would be a killer with a Tee Dee .09.
In the ancient times, Peter Chinn said that the .09 had the highest HP per Cu. In. or per lb. of the entire Tee Dee series! It was one or the other.
They are fairly plentiful on eBay or, I can trade one of mine for one of your Tee Dee .049’s. I have three and they all seem to be good runners.
I was planning to put one on a Starduster 350 or an original-sized Bounty Hunter if I could latch onto the plan or an old MAL kit. 😀
Don’t knock trees as a storage device as they are great for ageing models and as we all know “aged models” always seem to fly better.
Hey Jim, go A gas, it’s olny one jump to a super D.Ployd
Hey, I just thought tree-storage was inconvenient, not unsuccessful!
I sure know about the ‘aged model’ syndrome. Just saw a recent picture of Christie Brinkley.
The TD 09 is certainly a valid engine. It might flutter the wing on some of those designs, unless some structure is added.
Luddites DO use foam. It comes with good beer.
OK, since Ultracote lite was mentioned, has anyone used the Nelson Lite film covering? I was thinking of that for my Bounty Hunter.
Hank
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