Cal Branton’s ¼ Scale Maachi C.200 Project

Cal brought in the beautiful fiberglass fuselage of David P. Andersen’s ¼ Scale Maachi C.200 that he had received from Jeff Micko of Micko Aircraft & Accessories.

This sexy fuselage is well detailed with panel lines, rivets and access panels molded into the fiberglass.

This example came with bulkheads installed and already covered in primer. The canopy/headrest is molded as a separate piece that can be used as an access hatch.  As Cal has already built-up the wing and tail surfaces, he expects the Maachi C.200 will be ready for its maiden flight in early June of 2024.

Mike Davis’ ¼ Scale  WACO YMF-5 Project

Mike shared his scaled-up Phoenix Models Weaver Aircraft Co. YMF-5  (WACO) project that is nearing completion.

It is a Phoenix Models ARF that was sold by Tower Hobbies powered by a UMS-7-90cc 4-stroke radial from CH Ignitions.

The photos highlight some of the added scale features in addition to the nice wing bags made from HVAC material.

Mike tells us: The plane was very well packaged for shipping. The plane came with two painted pilots but I upgraded them. The construction and covering is very done for an ARF at this price point.  The hardware that came with the package is good quality but some folks would change it out.

The hardest part of the plane was attaching the wheel pants and wheel fairings.  The fairings I had to cut out o f two plastic molds and glue the three parts of the fairings and the wheel pants together. This prevent the ability to access the wheels, some flyers used screws to attach the wheel pants and fairings together to have better access to the wheels.

Overall, the plane went together well.  It's nice to have the wings come apart into sections for transportation.  I ended up building a wing rack and making wing covers.  For the motor the plane comes with temples for DLE 61 or OS GT 60.  It also has directions to build it with electric power.  The manual is OK and comes all white so you can be creative in finishing the plane.

My Upgrades

• 90cc UMS 7 Cylinder Motor

• ElctroDynamics Lights (Landing, ID Beacons and Strobe)

• Callie Graphics

• Pilots Walkway

Need to complete the electronics and break-in the motor.  Can't wait to hear the motor.  Test flights early June 2024.

Thanks for the additional info Mike, we look forward to seeing this bi-plane fly!

Phil Zuidema’s Boeing P-26A Peashooter Project

Phil shared his most recent project: The Seagull Models Boeing P-26A Peashooter!

Phil tells us:  “I was very pleased with the build quality and the design of the kit and model.  The build was sturdy, but light, and was one of the best ARFs I have had.  It was recommended for a 30cc or electric equivalent.  I have a pair of 31 cc VVRC twins I purchased for a B-25 build, so I thought I would break them in on the Peashooter, if I were buying an engine specifically for this model; I would get the new VVRC twin 40cc with the electric start.

The reason I say that is that it took an additional 16 ounces of lead at the front lip of the cowling to balance it on the recommended CG bringing the all up weight to just under 19 lbs.  I would rather have had the larger engine to use for weight, and the electric start would be cool, as demonstrated by Jan Larsen on his Cub (Jan demonstrated his starter.)   Although the 30cc fits comfortably within the cowl a 40cc may require a small amount of material removal.

There were really no minuses to speak of except the flying wires were a poor design by attaching with goofy springs. I will retrofit with clevises and heavier wires and rods between the landing gears. The other small minus is that the wheels/tires seem to be made of hard plastic where a rubber tire would give some bounce dampening.  Getting the wheel pants around the landing gear and then getting the tires in were a challenge, but great instructions made is less challenging. I also wish they included a gun-sight and gun, which they did not.

Having had mediocre success landing a Gee Bee model Z in crosswinds, and the two airplanes being very similar in landing gear construction and placement, I will wait until the wind is modest and straight down the runway to maiden it. This means north/south at the Grassfield.  Before that I will run a few tanks of fuel through it to make sure the engine doesn't get the hiccups at the most inopportune time.

I look forward to getting comfortable with it, then wringing it out. It's a flat-bottom airfoil, so it may take some getting used to in the aerobatics department.”

Thanks for the report Phil! We look forward to your maiden flight!

Jan Larsen’s CubCrafters 60cc XCub Project

Jan brought in a 60cc Cub Crafters X-Cub from Hangar 9 models. Jan has installed an EME 70cc twin with auto start capability.  He’s been flying it for the past month and finds how much fun it is to run full flaps into a light headwind and actually hover in place.

Jan’s looking for a new place to fly due to the loss of the SodBuster’s RC Flying Site on Manning Ave, I-94 near Stillwater, MN.

Our Fall meeting schedule

tentatively looks like:

• Friday October 25, 2024

• Friday November 29, 2024

• Friday December 27, 2024

• Friday January 31, 2025

• Friday February 28, 2025

• Friday March 28, 2025

• Friday April 25, 2025

David Andersen’s New Scale LeO 451 Project

Dave wallpapered the church with his latest design project, the Liore et Olivier LeO 451 twin engine medium bomber.

He also showed and presented his Maachi C.200 plans to highlight his new style of building plans that are presented in color.

He focused his discussion his latest scale design project, the Liore et Olivier, LeO 451  a very unique twin engine medium French bomber.  This is his first French R/C Design!

The most significant French bomber was the Liori et Olivier LeO 451. Introduced in 1937, this medium bomber, crewed by four, was driven by two 1,060-horsepower Gnome-Rhone 14N engines and could achieve a top speed of 298 miles per hour.

Service ceiling was 29,530 feet and range was 1,802 miles.  The LeO 451 carried a bomb load of 3,086 pounds and was armed with a single 20-millimeter cannon and five 7.5-millimeter machine guns.  Only 373 of these aircraft had been delivered to French forces before the armistice was signed with Germany on June 25, 1940.  However, more were delivered to the Vichy French Air Force.

Dave told us:  The project is a bit complicated due to the placement of the nacelles on a tapered dihedral wing and dihedral in the stab with twin fins. Elaborate marking and colors are available. Another plus is an airplane that writers have called “elegant.”

In order to verify correct part shapes I built part of the wing and nacelle together.This also allowed me to add construction photos to the plans.

Jeff Micko is vacuum forming the large glass nose and cabin. Jeff Quesenberry is building the prototype and is also listed on the plans as a co-designer.

Drawing the plans was 7 months of work. The maiden flight (at Jeff Q's place) in North Carolina will be at least a year away.”

Liore et Olivier LeO 451

• Wingspan: 127” (3226mm)

• Engine: (2) DLE-55cc gas/electric

• Flying Weight: 40 to 45lbs (18-23kg)

Roy Maynard’s Pilatus PC-21 Turboprop Project

Roy shared his latest project, a 3.4m Pilatus PC-21 Turboprop from Wind RC (China), imported by Chief Aircraft.

Roy tells us: “The kit has been on the market for several years. The scale is approximately 1:3.4 with a 107.5 wingspan and is 134 in length that is modeled after RAAF demo team. The kit came with gear installed, wire harnesses for servos, lights, retracts and brakes.  Additional items also included were a scale cockpit tub, spinner, and drop tanks.

Power is provided by a JetCat SPT10 turboprop prop turning a 5-blade 24x23 propeller and guidance by JETI with full telemetry.

Positive aspects of the kit include the high degree of prefabrication and quality of the paint job with light system, retract wire harnessing all installed.  The turboprop is almost a drop in with some shimming required. On the negative side the kit comes with no manuals.  After finding the manuals there are still some issues.

There were no diagrams or instructions on best way to install the fuel and electronic systems.  The only major issue I encountered was a small leak in the fuel tank which was easily repaired. The model required 32 ounces in nose to balance. It will be flying this summer!”

Thanks Roy! We’ll look forward to seeing it fly at Minnesota Jets!

Pilatus PC-21 Technical Spec’s

• Wingspan: 107.5" (2.73m)
• Length: 133.85" (3.4m)
• Height: 47.24" (1.2m)
• Dry Weight: 52.8-55 lbs (24-25kg)
• Turboprop: SPT10 or similar
• Fuel Tank: 3L (101 oz) composite
• UAT (included): 150mL
• Servos (Included): (10) GDW830

Ahmed El Bassal’s 45% Scale Me-163 Update!

Brandon Archer has been painting the 1st production model of the Me-163 to the client’s specifications as a British captured aircraft in a combination of the original German colors with British markings for flight evaluation.  Brandon has transformed his garage into a formal paint booth (with the permission of his wife!).

Brandon tells us: "This is Ahmeds Elbassal's 45% ME 163 Komet Custom built for renowned RC pilot and product developer at Horizon Hobby Ali Machinchy.  I was commissioned to paint this project that has a 14 ft wingspan makes it a bit of an endeavor, however its a great opportunity to test my skills on a larger subject.

I love painting and I can say that my Art/Graphic Design Degree from college finally gets some use!  Ha!  One of the challenges with any large scale aircraft is the significant cost of high-end paints like automotive grade paints or Klasskote.  I've been doing lots of smaller electrics with Hobbycraft Acrylic Paint which is a great alternative to some of the more expensive acrylic craft paints like Tamiya Vellajo that of course all have their place.  The other great thing especially for covering large areas is that you can buy these in larger bulk sizes and they mix very well.  The best thing to me besides the price is the easy cleanup with just soap, water and a mild solvent if needed. The largest challenge with this project was making sure that the acrylic paint would hold up to an automotive grade 2K clear coat which we knew we wanted to use so I took this challenge on as more of an experiment knowing we may have to, switch to the more expensive paint later if the results were not positive.

Ahmed used a two-part epoxy primer used in Automotive applications we then sprayed acrylic craft paint many of which were owned by Plaid the parent company to paints like Apple Barrel, Craftsmart, Folk art Etc. these can be found at you local craft stores like Michael's, Hobby Lobby etc.  I also wanted to do a test on Rustoleum 2x paint which I used a lot of on my projects.  For the clear coat you knew we wanted to use Spray Max 2K clear matte.  I found it to be great it goes down pretty consistently with no issues be sure to wear respirator and have proper ventilation as this is commercial grade product and very strong.

My Recommendations:  Use Folk Art Craft Paint, it's consistent and durable.

Pluses:  Inexpensive paint that can cover large areas.  I mix Acrylic thinner to paint at 50/50.

Minuses of the project?:  The lower grades like Apple Barrel and Craftsmart seem to be very sensitive paints and even wiping with water changed the color permanently which played to my favor a few times but I also had to re-spray some areas.

The anticipated maiden flight will be at MN Jets at SMMAC near Owatonna, MN June 13th or 14th Ali will maiden the aircraft “