HOB schoolyard scale Decathalon

[Sport Flyer]

Anyone here built one? If so, what are your building/flying impressions?

Thanks in advance,
Kelly

[T. Lyttle]

I built a P39 years ago, and it was fine, proved to be a durable model, and not that bad for scale fidelity. However, my chum has a FW190, and he is moving the wing ahead over an inch to get it closer to scale. To compensate, he is using an AM10 for power, much heavier than the TD, so balancing shouldn't be a problem. I remember another friend building the ME109 and having to move the wing and using a heavier engine. However, if true scale is not your goal, it will work fine; good kits...

[physics_nut]

I've been building the Spacewalker, but haven't flown it yet. It's the same sort of laser cut build as the decathalon, same wing too I think. It really couldn't be an easier kit to build, just sorta falls together. Very nice. :D

[RiBell]

Sport Flyer:
I've kinda toyed with the idea of building one. Looks kinda OK.

Frank Tiano of "Top Gun fame" the giant scale invitational contest director, built one not as a review though. In his monthly column for "RC Report magizine" he said that he and a friend did the Spacewalker, and the Decathalon. Just to have something to toss around without taking the giants and/or turbines out.
He did say, that they were not able to get an engine with a "rear mounted needle valve assbly" to sit far enough back on the engine mount. without as he said looking kinda dumb. All was well when they used an engine with the needle valve on the carb.

I've been reading Franks column along with RCReport mag for a couple of years now he's mostly a big model guy but he was favourably impressed with the little models.

I'm just passing what I read along, in hopes to help. I belive it was in the Jan issue.
Rick

[Sport Flyer]

Rick, so are you saying that a Queen Bee may not work right with this model? That info would be a bit of a downer for me.

Thanks,
Kelly

[RiBell]

I don't know that much about the "Queen Bee" engine. The problem the Frank said they had was with the fuel lines coming thorough the firewall. the OS-10 that had the "remote needle valve" on the rear enging case. meant that the engine had to sit a bit forward, this was, as I understand it mostly an aesthetics thing. They switched to I think it was a Thunder -10?? and they were able to sit the engine farther back.
Remember that these were guys that do competition scale, it has to be exact. I think that we're talking around an 1/8" just enough to not pinch a fuel line coming through the center of the engine mount.
Rick

[John_R_C]

I also have a Spacewalker, with a Norvel .074. If the wings are similar, the Queen Bee will fly the plane, but you will not have an excess of power.

You will want to build light, with micro components to keep the weight down. The Spacewalker is mini only, 300 mah NiMH, Hitec 555 Rx, 3 X HS81s on flight surfaces & Cirrus CS21 on throttle. It flys with plenty of authority on 10% fuel.

Hope this helps, I'd go for it ;) .