looking for some balsa kits

[eastbail]

I am looking for some balsa warbird kits around the same size, weight, and power specs as the moltmodels hellcat and p-38. I have searched to no avail,
any suggestions would be welcomed.

Scott

[Morb]

Thing is the Molt Models aircraft run on IPS motors, and are GREAT flyers that are easily upgraded to CD Rom Power.

For something a little more powerful, check this out coming soon to a field near you...


Laser Arts is proud to announce our new P-51 electric park flyer. This really is a park flyer, but if you want some speed, it’ll give you that as well.

I didn’t like the offerings of P-51’s when I started to design the plane. They were ugly, heavy, didn’t fly very well, or all of the above combined .... they just didn't suit my tasts. The plane spans 37” and is 1/12 scale. We tried to keep as many scale details as possible, while at the same time, keeping it as light as possible. It flies beautifully and is very stable. It can fly nice, slow, and sedate, or crank the throttle for some higher speed fun. With the Himax 2015-xxxx, it pretty much has unlimited vertical.

Construction is laser cut balsa and plywood. Kits will include wheels, pull-pull hardware, and other misc. hardware so you don’t have to make trips to the hobby shop.

The plane in the video is the heaviest I’ve built so far, ending up with 1.5 oz of paint. (I was in a hurry and you can tell) The weight ranges have been 17 oz to 19.5 oz AUW with a 5oz battery pack. That’s with 5 servos AND retracts! Also, that’s not using the lightest equipment available.

SPECS:
Wingspan: 37 in
Wing Area: 254 sq in
Weight in the video: 19.5 oz (1.5 oz in paint! OOPS!)
Wing Loading in video: 11 oz/sq ft
Equipment: 5 ea. HS-55 servos
Hitec 555 Rx
Phoenix 25 Brushless ESC
Himax 2015-5400 w/GWS “D” Gearbox (recommend 2015-4100 for 4-blade operation)
3S 2050 mAh LiPo (Overkill at 5 oz!)
GWS “blue” Retracts
DuBro 1-3/4” Wheels
½” Tailwheel

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=530756

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=530760

The video isn’t all that great, but it gives you an idea of how it performs. I was very rusty, shaking, it was windy as all get-up, and it was the first flight on that particular plane. I’ll try to get some more video when it’s calm in the next couple days.

I just found out that I lost my instructions and pictures for the instructions, as I went to get pictures to include here … They must have got deleted somehow in transferring between the laptop and PC. Wow, I didn’t expect that. Well, I’ll build another up and post the pictures here.

I expect to have it release about July 10th or so. Price should be about $79 or so.

www.LaserArts.com

P-51 VIDEO (~4MB) http://www.laserarts.com/images/p51/P-51_Sm.wmv

VIDEO 2 (~4MB) http://www.laserarts.com/images/p51/p-51_sm_2.wmv

[eastbail]

I saw that, a must have for sure. The reason I am looking for birds of molts size is that I have several axi 2204/54, cd roms, and smaller lipos. I would like to use the equipment at hand. I am limited at flying space as well. I looked at the dare and dumas kits, but I do not like conversion kits.

[Sky Sharkster]

To Eastbail, a couple of suggestions, have you tried eBay? I picked up a "Flyline Models" HE 100 for $ 30.00 plus S=H. Also, not exactly kits, but how about building from plans? Check out <www.aalmps.com> Al Lidbergs' plan service, they're mostly stick and tissue FF designs, hundreds of plans and reasonable prices. He has a few short kits too.
Plus, again not exactly what you asked for but worth checking, <http://home.fuse.net/ryan/> and <http://www.kamodels.com> these are foam core/balsa skin wing warbirds, SP 400 and 480 size. You may be able to get plans or modify a kit.
Last, <http://www.ak-models.com> These are all-balsa ARFs, mostly big glow sizes but they have SP 400 size Mustang and Spitfire. Good Luck! Sky Sharkster

[Eberwein]

I'll try to get some video of the 'Stang at the little park by my house so people can see the small area it can fly in. Of course, I don't have the money for a video camera yet, but I'm working on it!

Ya know, perhaps I'll have to see how "flexible" my 3D model is, a smaller P-51 might be fun ...

Of course, it'll probably end up being the end of the year before I can get to it! :-(

[eastbail]

Eberwein, don't tease me now. I would think the market would be good for the smaller warbirds. Molts have been real popular. Why not test the theory and start a thread here in the warbird and parkflyer forum. Ask the masses their opinion and go from there. If you made a line of smaller warbirds with the same features as your larger p-51, I don't think you could cut the kits fast enough. I for one would be first in line!
By the way, I think all other mustangs are going to be measured up to yours. It is simply one of the best kits I have seen for some time. Now go fire up that laser and make me some warbirds! (LOL)

Scott

[FlynFish]

I have a house of Balsa P-47, mostly assembled, still needs to be covered/painted. It's set up for either small glo or electric, $55 shipped.

Not sure if it's what you're looking for, but I need to clear up space.

[Morb]

Fire some pics at us FlynFish...:)

Geof.

[eastbail]

Thanks for the offer flynfish. The P-47 is one of my favorites. Unfortunatly I do not have a large enough motor or battery to power a bird that size.

Scott

[FlynFish]

I'll get some pics uploaded today, it's actually small, here are some specs...

http://www.houseofbalsa.com/e/env/0001HBUrdoeb1twXHY7U0P7/store/store-kits.html?link=/store/store-type-tem.html&item=products:k-12

[FlynFish]

I have pics, if you want to email me I will send them to you, I still don't know how to make the files smaller to upload them.
Everytime I try, the files are too large, so if anyone can help, please let me know.
Otherwise pm me with your email address and I'll send pics.

[Thorn3]

Hello all. I have recently purchased the P51-D Mustang from LaserArts. The kit is beautiful in design and easy to build. Something that is not in the design idea, is the effective functionality of the GWS retract mechanisms. There is a bit of play in my set. One has almost twice the play as the other. In trying to pull the wheels up into the bay, the play allows the wheel to fall back down a bit. This problem is just enough to cause the wheel not to sit fully in the bay. Not enough that is for the hatch cover to seat well in the wing. Has anyone had this problem? Solutions? I tilted the retracts using shims, to cause an angle change that allows the wheel to be pulled up slightly higher. But, this only works to a point, as too much angle change would cause the wheel shafts to tilt inward instead of slightly outward. I have shimmed until the shafts are almost vertical. I won't go any more than that. Still though, the play in the mechanism doesn't allow for full retract into the well. Hmm.. what to do here?

[electricdan]

I am looking for some balsa warbird kits around the same size, weight, and power specs as the moltmodels hellcat and p-38. I have searched to no avail,
any suggestions would be welcomed.

Scott
I just joined rcgroups and will be starting in rc electrics. I have about 75 old wood flying models and am interested in which ones can be converted or sold.

[portablevcb]

If they flew with gas engines they can fly with electric. Just a matter of the right motor and batteries. For samples of the electric stuff EFlite has a line of motors named for the gas engines they replace, eg, if you have a .60 powered plane there is an EFlite Power 60 that will replace it.

Just about anything can be sold at the right price. Most clubs have annual sales where you can take your stuff.

charlie

[Wilit run? 353]

the guillows 2000 series is good a 40" P-38 a 45" B-17 etc