SE5 or SE5a, this one is heading to WESTFAC V!

[Steve Blanchard]

I believe for a model as simple as the SE5a there is plenty in the Easy Built kit. The Guillows kit is so over built for a boxy fuse. Simplicity is the beauty in a plan like that in the Easy built kit. At 18" the wing rib spacing should be as little as possible. Again just like the 400 series kits the Guillows kits are not built for rubber power duration. As far as the wing chord being different I would check against a 3 view that did not come from either kit to see which might be correct because they can't be the same WS and have a different chord.

Your model looks great by the way. I wish you a ton of success with it at West FAC!

Steve

[Mitch]

Thanks Steve,

I was thinking about reducing the ribs but decided not to. Now I see the rib holding the struts is plenty strong (for the size of craft). If I built another Guillow's version I would omit 6 ribs from each wing and remove some wood from the TE. But even doing this would not remove 10 grams. And, yes I checked again. On the build plans my wings have a cord of 3.25 inches and the EBM is 3.0 inches. So since my model is heavier and has almost 10 more inches of wing area, I might go with a peck 7 inch prop. It is much lighter than the black 7 inch Guillow prop. Moreover I might go with a bit more rubber. The 20 inch number is what my friend, Bob Hodes, is using in his Mike Midkiff Model.

I will leave you with my latest picture... New prop and wheels getting covered:


But now I am off to dance class... Mitch

[Mitch]

Well she made me proud and flew up with a whole squadron of SE5's against a Jasta of Fokker D7's. about 14 planes total with 1 Bristol Scout to make 15...

This was a boyhood dream of mine to fly my SE5 against a friends Fokker... he never made the Fokker... But just last week this little plane was flying in a dogfight of her life... and as I remember she flew for 24 seconds... NOT BAD... but not good enough for the second fray...



...and she was so graceful in the air!

Mitch

PS: I did not pass inspection at first and had to add the support wires on the tail at the inspection station...that is why they are black and not silver.