Sunday's Guillow Airshow at Meadowbrook Farms

[Mitch]

Hello All Guillow Fans...

The day is finally approaching... Summer is around the corner... Weather forecast is good... and I have 4 new planes ready for flight tests...

All these models were built with rubber power to be their engines. They will all fly with propellers of 40% of their wingspan, and Sport Tan Rubber.



1. The FW 190 - The workhorse of the Luftwaffe. went though initial power tests with Guillow Prop and Rubber... will now get a conservative 12 gram motor. 3/16 rubber, 4 loops at 22 inches. I should be able to get a very conservative 1000 winds on this motor.

2. The Me-109 - The thoroughbred of the Luftwaffe. The E model, specifically built for WESTFAC V, Battle of Britain Mass Launch! She will get her initial flights with a different, but same size motor as the FW.

3. The HELLCAT - Built for one purpose... to see if I can get these big 1000 series to fly on rubber. Her engine will be twice the size of the German mortors and she will be swinging a huge 12 inch prop! Will she fly?

4. The vintage and OOP Guillow SE5! Built with all Guillow wood that is over 20 years old and Guillow paper. Her motor will be of smaller 1/8 rubber. She was lightened during construction to make her flight ready. If she survives, she will get her rigging and guns and head to WESTFAC V!

Stay tuned... report on Sunday Night... any questions gladly answered... Mitch

PS: You can find build threads for all these models on this forum!

[Mitch]

First of all Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there!

Secondly... I had modest but wonderful results!!!

After re-reading more about rubber motors and winding I realized I needed to install my torque meter...

The hook comes off the winder and the meter is intalled on the shaft, then the hook to the meter, very easy!

I only flew 2 models today, but am very pleased with my flights, as I am still learning and sharing I want to proceed with caution!

First up My FW!

Now with the 9 inch prop, I decided to install a 16 gram motor... It was wound to about 4 inch ounces of torque. She had a modest flight and I decide then to go with a smaller motor and put on more torque. With a 12 gram motor and 5.2 inch ounces, she flew much better. She climbed and pulled to the left a bit this time, she had a modest but respectable 16 second flight!

I was unable to find my pushstick today and was unable to load the motors in the Me-109 or Hellcat... I decided to fly my SE5!

With a small 1/8 inch and 3 gram motor of 500 winds (I forgot to look at the torque) I can check again latter. I decided to give her a go. One of my wheel retainers fell off and was lost so I decided to remove the light weight wheels for the flight. No club members were there today but there were 2 fellows that were interested and I got pictures!


Motor wound...installing front end.


Ready for her maiden flight! I have been waiting for this moment since I was 10 years old!


1, Ready...2, Release the prop... 3, Let her go!


...and did she go! Go, go, go! First right then left... looked like she was in a dogfight!

I did not time her flight, but would guess it was about 10 seconds!

Her she is back at home:


She will now get the following:
1. Paper mg's
2. Rigging
3. Paper covers over the wire landing gear
4. Penned in flight control separations
5. Manifolds and exhaust pipes
6. Pilot!

She is on my list for WESTFAC V!

...at this point the wind was coming up and I figured I'll quit while I am ahead and fly another day!

Mitch A very Good Day!

UPDATE I wound the motor to 500 winds again and see the torque is only at 1.2 inch ounces... VERY LITTLE! I weighed the model and the AUW was 54 grams. Next time she will have her wheels and then she will be 57 grams. With all the details I hope to keep her under 60 grams, that is my goal. My FAC friend Bob Hodes has a similar size Se5a and his weighs 40 GRAMS! That's what we are up against when we get into competition! I was his mechanic at WESTFAC IV and although his plane flew well in the first heat of WW I mass launch his plane did a ground loop on landing and broke her prop. No repairs between heats in Mass Launch... 3 Heats! ...WESTFAC V is in October in Buckeye, Arizona!

[The Cameraman]

Hi Mitch,

excellent.

Well done that man.

Regards

Reggie

[Mitch]

Thank You

I am happy with the results so far and feel I can now achieve consistent flights! I am glad I have a nice field nearby. I need to get ready my WESTFAC V lineup. The Zero Trainer did not store well in the garage during the damp cold winter here. I will need to recover the top of the wing. The paper detached from the trailing edge of the wing. So I will work on recovering that.


Top: Zero built to Guillow Plans. Middle: Zero built for FAC contests. Bottom: Zero Trainer kitbash Built to fly FAC Low wing Military Trainer.
My Green Zero flew at WESTFAC IV and was eliminated in the first wave of the Battle of Midway Mass launch!

I made a new push stick to load my motors... so next Sunday I hope to test my Zeros and the Hellcat! I tried to show the push stick. The end plates are scraps of plywood with notches in them. Stick the end of the loop of the rubber motor in that, push down the fuselage and slip the peg though the space between and pull out the stick and your motor is loaded!

Mitch...tune in next Sunday!

[NcGunny]

Mitch you should try and do a USTREAM cast on your sessions. It is available for Android and Apple phones.

[Mitch]

Thanks... I'll take that you want to see more... I'll take that as a compliment, but I am mostly going solo here so I hope you are happy with some snapshots. Don't expect videos yet. I'll look into it for the future.

Since I had success with my 100 series SE5, I decided it's time I put together my 200 series DH4:

The box says for 12 and up...So that's sounds about right... I think I was in 7th grade (12 years old) when I first built this model. I used all the clay in the kit and it was still not balanced... Well I'll try to do better this time! It had orange paper 45 years ago, and my kit now has orange paper. I used that when I was 12, but this time I will cover with better colors! I do not plan to make a build thread on this as the model is OOP, I will make some minor changes, but will be using most of what is in the box!

I hope to have her in the air 2 weeks from now... I have a lot of projects going on, but I am staying home from dance class tonight and building the wings... and will watch 'Dancing with the Stars'

Mitch

[NavyAD1]

Looking forward to seeing more flight ops from your squadron. Your planes are well built and modifications well thought out.

[davidchoate]

I have a few OOP kits in My inventory. Are We not supposed to show them on here ?

[Mitch]

I see no reason why we can not post and discuss OOP Guillow kits. I have seen a few make the "photo of the month" I also discuss other builds if it pertains to improving our skills but do not go into detail on those...

and speaking of that I will be building some Dumas kits for my Race Planes, some Easy Built Kits for my Endurance planes and I just got 3 new Herr kits...

I like Guillow's kits for the scale look of the WW2 fighters, but they do not make all the kits that I require for my contests...

Mitch, Keep Building, Keep Flying, Keep Sharing the Fun!

PS: Next Sunday's flights include my new Bf109, the Hellcat, and the newly finished DH4, I hope to fly my new Zeros also!

[Mitch]

Today's project is to repair and finish my WW 2 low wing military trainer, the Zero...

This model is a kitbash of Guillow's 400 Zero. I just enlarged the cockpit and with 2 canopies created what I needed.



The skin failed over the damp winter in the garage. So new skin on top of wing and make the front end. What you see here weighs 51 grams so I am excited to have a good flyer with this model. The National markings are 2 layers of tissue paper that I cut out. I will need to make new ones for the top of the wing, but that can come latter...

Here are some pictures from a reference book. The Zero Trainer depicted here has a tow hook for towing targets... Mine does not. Mine is a representation of just a pilot trainer. The front cockpit is not enclosed in the canopy, the pilot in the rear seat has a canopy that opens and closes. If I get good flights with this model, then she will be my entry for WestFAC V, mass launch, WW2 low wing military trainer.



Mitch

UPDATE:

After just a few minutes I have the first piece on:

I will not cover the center as that will be inside the model. I cover the tip seperatly as that is compound curve.

Here is the bottom:

I believe the skin failed because of marginal glue joint at TE. Since this plane is one color I wrapped the top skin over the entire LE and TE and on the TE came on the bottom 1/4 inch more!

I only glue the paper on the perimeter of contact points there is no glue on the intervening ribs. That is the way I do it.

...back to work...

[Mitch]

Wing is finished...will spray dope tomorrow... now for the front end:



I use Milwaukee hole cutters for my nose block, for this project the large cicles are from 2-3/4, the small front plate is from 1-3/4. I will glue up and cut out a core from the large circles with a 1-1/4.

I found if I use the silver nose buttons from Peck the pilot hole is the correct size. If I use the black Guillow thrust button I need to enlarge the hole for the thrust button to fit.

My wood is 1/4 balsa and 1/8 inch bass plywood... I will glue up parts now rotating each piece 90 degrees, and finish the model latter. She will be ready for flight tests on Sunday!

Mitch

FYI: The AUW (All Up Weight) for my FW-190 is 96 grams... She will now get her coat of paint and details and get ready for the Guillow Challenge!

UPDATE: I am just putting the finishing touches on the Zero Trainer, and did a weigh in... she looks close to balance and is at 90 grams... AUW!
Then I put my Bf-109 on the scale and she comes in at under 80 grams! That is AUW! Moreover both of there hook to peg length is 2 inches longer than my FW. Both of these planes are NOT going into the Guillow Challenge as there is contest wood in both of these builds! Just to show you the numbers... Now that I am learning to fly I think both of these will hold there own at WESTFAC V, of course in competition anything can happen. But I think I am starting to grow fangs!

[andywhitam]

do you cut the balsa with the hole saw? I have never had cutting balsa using this method work for me. I have taken shot gun shells brass and removed the plastic and soldered a brass tube where the primer was and sharpened the edge to cut round pieces of balsa and sometimes for larger circles I use larger items such as cans or hard plastic jars and sometimes just an old fashion circle cutter.

[Mitch]

Yes... my front end has evolved over the past year, and this is the way I do them now. The Balsa is 1/4 inch thick. I have several hole saws and choose the proper size for the model I am working on. Tools in my Garage that I use for working on models are:

1. Band Saw
2. Drill Press
3. Belt/Disc Sander

I have had these shop tools as I do some woodworking. They make quick work of cutting thick 1/4 inch Balsa and my 1/8 inch Bass plywood parts. Recently I decided to try the hole saws, and since I am having success I bought more.

To cut the rings I use a scrap piece of plywood as backup and slowly cut the circle. After all my circles are cut, I glue them together, rotating the grain of the wood. The plywood being in front. Then when dry I cut out the core with a small hole saw. I need to cut from both direction to remove the core. It is quick and easy if you have the tools.

Here is my line up for this Sunday's Flights...

None of these model have flown, Only the Bf-109 and Hellcat have went through glide tests, the DH4 and Zero seem to be in balance.

The 3 WW2 models all have 'doughnut' front ends. The 200 series DH4 has a plywood wall glued to the model and 2 pieces of plywood that fit inside the cowling. Those were cut on the Bandsaw and trimmed with the power Table Sander... finish sanding with course sanding block by hand.

I had a step by step process in a past build, but can do it again if you want, for the next model I finish.

Mitch

PS: Now that I understand my power system better I will be making new motors for the models. I just got 1 pound of 1/8 inch rubber (475 feet) I plan to use 1/8 inch rubber in the 200 and 400 series, for the 1000 series I will still use the 3/16 inch. The Hellcat will be using a 12 inch prop, the 400 series a 9 inch and the 200 series an 8 inch propeller! I will be using my torque meter so I know how much power I have at the initial stage of flight! All teh motors will be made from Sport Tan Rubber from SIG. My LHS ordered it for me!

All of these model can accept a blast tube during winding. I do not plan to come close to breaking point. I do not plan to use a blast tube for Sunday's Flights.

[Mitch]

...okay I know it is Saturday, but I want to test out my DH-4 and Zero today. I will go to my local school yard.



My DH-4 weighs 100 g w/o motor. I cut off about 10 feet of 1/8 rubber... it weighed 9 g. It will be 4 strands. All props will now be using bead bearings and washers.

I made the knot as per Don Ross. Overhand knot. Then one more overhand knot with the loose ends to lock the first knot. I made the knot in the end as per Guillow recommendation, but I have been told it does not make any difference from Don DeLoach (FACer).

I hope to be able to double up the motor in the DH-4 for future flights, but first she has to survive day 1!

Mitch

Saturday update: Good news and Bad...

My Zero looked good and I think she is ready...
My DH-4 needs more ballast and I made temp. additions at field. I will add clay at home...

Both models survived the test flights... the DH-4 held together and had very modest flights with low power...

now for the bad news... a box shifted and hit my Zero on the way home, she broke her tail and wing!

I think I will put scotch tape on for a temp. fix but I think she needs a new wing... at the minimum a major repair!
I hate when I get Hanger Rash and Transport Damage! I think I have as much or more damage this way then during flights!

oh well... a band-aide fix and on to the next model... I do not have time to make complete repairs now...

Mitch...Keep Building...Keep Flying...Keep Repairing...

[Mitch]

Well... nothing broke and everything flew...although modestly... I will call it a victory! It was very damp and all my planes were getting wet. I also need to trim them some more and hope to do that this week at my local school yard.

Here is my DH-4 taking to the skies:


She was still tail heavy, even with 2 washers and more clay in the front end... she is now tipping the scales at 126g AUW, and still needs more ballast. With her wings wet, I decided to call it a day. She dropped her tail...stalled, then nosed in... but nothing broke!

My Hellcat flew for a few seconds, but was only wound by hand as she does not fit in my stooge.

I am learning I really need to add more strands of rubber to get the torque up higher to get these planes to fly...

Mitch

UPDATE: I added 8 more grams of ballast, I hope that should be enough. On my last flight, I folded over the rubber motor so I went from 4 strands to 8 strands of 1/8" tan rubber. The Breaking point goes up from 6 in oz to 16 in oz and the breaking test on the Guillow rubber for this model is 18 in oz, so I believe I am at the proper amount of power I should deliver to this model as designed by Guillow's Team.

Post flight inspection reviled 2 loose fwd cabane struts at the wing sockets, so those are getting another coat of glue. I plan to get another test flight when the glue is dry, at my local school yard before the end of the day!