After building a 78" Spy in the Sky using a GP Spirit Elite wing and parts from GWS Slow Stick kits and logging over 100 flights as it usually goes I wanted bigger! So here is the new version which has many features of the first one but incorporates some different ideas I have thought about recently.

One thing that is obvious is the vtail. This is a full actuating flying stabilizer that will provide some extra lift at the rear portion of the plane. The wing is 100" tip to tip and has both flaps and ailerons. The entire fuse is aluminum and has a steerable nose wheel.

The camera is a Sony Bloggie which will be linked to two servos that will allow wider panning and up/down views. I will also be adding a FPV set up after flight testing has been completed.

I wanted the ability to fly this one at night so I added lights. I wanted the lights on this one to look more like real aircraft lights with strobes. I found some very lightweight strobes and controller on Ebay that will flash the left and right tip strobes at a high rate for a couple seconds and then flashes the tail and belly strobes when the ones on the wing switch off and vice versa. They look really neat when they are in operation. I will post a video of them soon! The nav lights will run off a separate circuit and can be shut off and turned on from the transmitter while the strobes will flash as long as power is supplied to the escs.

Motors in this one are EMP 3536 1400kv and the escs are 60A....Continue Reading

Bought this 05 Yamaha VStar 1100 Classic last summer. Bunch of stuff I want to buy for it so I am selling some of my winter projects to fund some stuff I want.

Cant wait to get back out and ride~

I have selected my gasser for the 2013 flying season. I recently aquired it after responding to a vague and random Craigslist ad. I picked her up and cannot wait to finish it.

The airplane was built by a experienced modeller and was finished with base and clear auto paint schemed as the full scale in the picture. It has a new Zenoah G62cc engine installed and Robart pnuematic retractable landing gear. The servos, batteries and Spektrum reciever are awaiting installation.

I am itching to get this classic on the runway to punch the throttle and watch it soar into the wild blue yonder! It just may appear on the display line at the 2013 Toledo R/C show.........

I will keep you posted and there will be many more pics to come!

I have been wanting one of these since seeing a video on youtube a couple months back. I ran into a vendor selling them Saturday and graciously he sold me his display model since I cannot build right now due to a recent arm injury!

I have it ready to go since the temps will be in the upper 50's Tuesday it is ready to go out for its maiden! Look them up on youtube and I think you will be leaning towards one soon....

Thats all, HAPPY FLYING!!!

Just messing around making use of some materials on my workbench spawned this electric airboat. My lil guys got a puzzle for christmas, after looking at the plywood box it come in for a bit I decided to use it for a better purpose. It now is a 9"x20" electric airboat, they never noticed it was missing!!!

The motor is a 2200kv outrunner, 30a esc, two hs56 servos and hauls azz on a 2200 3S lipo. It floats(bathtub tested) but i have only run it on snow/ice thus far. It is fast and has plenty of thrust using a 6"x3 Graupner 4 blade prop. It can use a 1800-2500mah 3S lipo and is guided by a HK Spektrum orange rx. Lastly I added lights for night missions(go figure) and is pInted with Krylon Red with about 5 coats of acrylic clearcoat. Total weight is under 3 lbs RTR with battery. The belly of the hull is fiberglassed and it scoots after a coat of turtl wax is applied.

I have a 28cc gasoline powered 4'x2' airboat started and should be finished soon! Thanks for viewing and I will keep you posted...

I actually sold this plane and when attempting to remove the wings I could not get the left one out of the fuse. Some glue or something from the factory would not allow it to release. I slightly damaged the foam on top the fuse but realized I could not economically ship it with the wings on and I could not send it damaged to the buyer.

It is now covered in leds and this amphibian flies super day and night, I have flown many airplanes from snow and water and this one is great for any newcomer to snow or lake flying. Very stable and forgiving in flight and in the water, however the thing I have a complaint on is the left and right wobble it has at high speed! Not sure why it does it but it irritates me. The airplane handles well on the ground too, tough and durable landing gear that is easily removable if you end up at a local lake or pond.

The leds are non-waterproof with the exception of the white ones on the belly, don't worry, fresh water does not hurt the nonwaterproof lights. I left a 16 foot strand plugged into 12volts over night and they still work just fine. The lights are inexpensive and can be found on Ebay. The belly lights actually light up the water below the airplane exposing fish lurking below...

Enjoy the pics and if you are looking for a great amphib rest assured Parkzone has a great one in the Icon A5!...Continue Reading

I recently finished this 30 year old restoration project just in time for a night fly a local club is having.

It is a SIG Kadet Senior originally built in the spring of 1982. I bought it from it's original builder and owner, the covering was brittle and it had a bullet hole in the wingtip from a disgruntled farmer. The airplane was solid though and the price was right! I removed the OS .46 from it's nose and stripped all covering and original light system that he had installed in it. I used Monokote Silver/Chrome and Black Baron Cub Yellow covering for re-skinning it. I went with a RCGF Gasoline engine for reliability and inexpensive lengthy flights with the use of the new 32oz. fuel tank I installed. A little overkill but oh well!

I bought Red/Blue/White&Green LED lights and had the intention of using about 2400 throughout the airplane, reality only allowed me to use 1500. I think if I would have added any more I would have had to put on sunglasses or x-ray goggles. The 1500 are plenty as you can see in the pics. I actually had to add clear covering to the wingtips because I could not see the airplanes wingtips in a turn. If you look in the video you will see the changes to the wing tips. The lights are powered directly by a 3S 5000maH lipo battery.

The airplane flies superb considering it weighs double the stock 3 channel kit weight of a Kadet Senior. It remains a 3 channel airplane and even though I was rushed on finishing it for a night-fly that is tonight,...Continue Reading

These are pics of a Kadet Seniorita EP I converted two years ago. I decided to give it a try with the Kadet Senior. I want a new nightflyer and the Senior fits the bill. I located a nearly 30 year old senior begging for a facelift in Muskegon, MI, it is structurally sound and was built tough by it's previous owner. Like my Seniorita the horizontal stab will be removable and the entire lower portion of the airplane will be covered in clear Monokote to show off its 1500 LED lights. Engine to be used will most likely be my RCGF 15cc gasoline two stroke. *All other details classified until it is finished*

Link to the Kadet EP T-tail~

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1239121

Link to the Kadet Senior V-tail~

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1226971

I saw another member recently had this for sale and I had to have it. I had another fuselage and wing in my basement built from the same plans and did not have the plans to finish it. I saw the one I bought here and since it had plans included I really needed to get it. After offering to pay shipping I got my wish. It arrived in excellent un-flown condition and made the trip in 3 boxes from Connecticut.


I had to make custom motor mounts since the original plans called for little Cox .09 engines. I used 2200KV RCTimer motors and RCT 30A esc's. Graupner 4 blade props 6X3 were used to transfer the rpm's to thrust. The two liter bottles are only 4-1/4" so I had to mount the engines in a way that the props were outside and facing the rear was the only way to make it happen. The battery used was a 3S 5000Mah but it was a little nose heavy even though it cg'ed according to plans. The motors are spinning at over 25,000 rpm's, pretty incredible!

The airplane uses only aileron and elevator, I am still trying to figure out a way to make the motors power up and down to achieve yaw control. I added a simulated gatlin gun into the nose to allow air into the cabin for electronics cooling and it works well! I may remove the wheel pods on the wings and add Eflite retracts to it so I can land on the runway instead of the grass!

Here are some pics of it in action today and hopefully many more flights to come!


Enjoy!

56" Scratch Built A-10 Warthog (0 min 43 sec)

These are several of my own creations using GWS Slow Stick kits and hop up parts from Millennium R/C.

I have never built a slow stick as it was intended, the only "stock" slow stick I have flown belonged to my brother which got me interested in the possibilities of modifying them to do more.

I had some slow stick stuff collecting dust and decided to pull out the boxes of parts and get creative. I was looking for something a little different from the many I have done in the past. I went with this type which is a rear motor pusher with the wing in the rear and the horizontal stabilizer in the front. I also added a pilot and wheel pants to add to it's looks.

I used a 1300kv motor and 20A esc from a DG1000 Sailplane that was destroyed a while back. The wing servos for the ailerons are 9G servos and the Elevator and rudder I decided to go with Hitec 425BB standard servos. from what I have read the canard type planes need the weight forward on the canard so I figured even though the standard servos weigh more it may help with weight and balance and I know I will have plenty of servo power to move the controls.

The CG is just in front of the leading edge of the wing and I left the battery pack so it can be adjusted for now in case I need to change it's position at the field.

The rudder and vertical stab is located under the wing and forward of the propeller. I didn't want it sticking up on the top of the wing and that was the only place left to put it after considering putting one at each wingtip but that would complicate it and add extra weight. Rudder is in the middle for now. The nose gear is steerable!

I have added ailerons to the wings of many of my GWS Slow Stick designs but they for the most part are sluggish unless going fast which causes "flutter", I added a small fin at the outer edge next to the aileron to see if the air flowing across the wing will enhance the aileron input at normal speeds. I may add them to the underside of the wing if I notice a difference in the way these work.

Hopefully I will get a chance to get out today and get some test flights in since rain is in the forecast for tomorrow! More pics and video's coming!

This was a NIB Flyzone Predator B. Designed as free flight this is my attempt to fly it r/c. I used 9G servos through elevon mixing for the controls using only the tail surfaces, no ailerons on this one! I used a little high kv outrunner that was about the diameter of a dime controlled by a 5A HK esc. The prop is the same one supplied with the original kit which came with a spare. It has tons of power and should be fast.

The rx is a Spektrum AR6100 with the outer case removed. I plan to take this and the Harbor Freight bipe out tomorrow if the weather cooperates?

Thanks for looking! More pics and videos to come very soon if it flies...

The build took about 6 hours to complete.

Just experimenting with a Harbor Freight Biplane I picked up awhile back at a swap meet. I gutted a mini Stryker recently and gelled the two together to see if it will fly and if so, how well. I will keep you posted but it is 4 channel and is using the stock 3000kv outrunner for power.

Took about 4 hours to complete!

I will try to get a video or two up when I take it to the field!

I am awaiting my 120" SeaBreeze Parachute I ordered to arrive. So as I wait I started building my custom gondola. I am using a RCGF 15cc gasoline mix engine swinging a 14X6 prop. Wheels are Dubro 5" mains and a 3.25" nose wheel that will be steerable. The rear axles will be a-arm type using a set of shocks from a Baja 5b Dune Buggy.

I should have it ready to fly in the couple of weeks and it will be equipped with a HD video camera, pilot figure and ???? Pics and videos to come soon~


*The picture is the full scale by Paratoys that my brother Donny owns and flies*

Running my PPG Custom Gondola/// SeaBreeze Powered Parachute! (0 min 35 sec)

...Continue Reading

I built this one two years ago from a ARF kit. Put a Zenoah 20cc on it and modded it with a bombay door. After winter was over two years ago I had about 25 planes ready to fly in my house and a wedding coming up so I let it go to a friend. Long story short recently I wanted another 12 footer and couldn't find one so I called him just out of curiosity to see if by chance he had it. He did and told me he had never flown it and asked me if I wanted to buy it back??? Well yeah!!!

Maidened it today and dropped some skydivers while on the first flight. All went well besides a deadstick or two. Still have some minor adjusting but it came home intact. More videos to come soon~

Telemaster flyby! (0 min 5 sec)

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Found this Global Cessna built from a kit while hitting up a yard sale today. Flown once and was receiver ready, just the way I like em! Had minor wrinkles in a spot or two but nothing the heat gun couldn't tackle. It cleaned up well and looks to be a very nice airplane~

Came with all servos and a OS 60 FP nitro which even though I don't like nitro I do however like the plane. I will have to break the little bit of nitro fuel I have left out so I can see how well it flies. Very nice looking airplane and if my memory serves me correct these are great flying airplanes.

I started this project some time back and it is finished and flying well! All I need is some calm weather. Every time this thing has been taken out to a field the winds have been in excess of 20mph including it's maiden flight in Bremen Indiana. Here are some pics of it along with a couple videos.

Specs:
78" wingspan
two Venom 1925KV outrunner motors spinning Graupner 4 blade propellers
two Eflite 25A esc's
Batteries are 3S 2200's run in parallel
8 servos run the pan and tilt and controls.
Wing has flaps and ailerons
Landing gear is Millenium carbon mains and a twin wheel nose gear strut made by me
HD video is a Creative Vado Generation 2

Has a very unique sound in the air and flies SUPER!

Spy in the Sky HD video flight over Niles, MI 49120 (12 min 54 sec)

Here are some pics of my Lanzo converted to brushless, and also lit up for my love of flying in the dark! I will post some videos soon.

I used all of the lights from my Kadet Seniorita that flew away a little while back. Very easy to keep orientation and flies like a dream!

I am awaiting my 120" SeaBreeze Parachute I ordered to arrive. So as I wait I started building my custom gondola. I am using a RCGF 15cc gasoline mix engine swinging a 14X6 prop. Wheels are Dubro 5" mains and a 3.25" nose wheel that will be steerable. The rear axles will be a-arm type using a set of shocks from a Baja 5b Dune Buggy. I am still looking for two rear shocks from a Baja and also a Hitec 7954 or 7955 high torque servo, IF YOU HAVE EITHER OF THESE ITEMS PLEASE CONTACT ME!

I should have it ready to fly in the next week or two and it will be equipped with a HD video camera, pilot figure and ???? Pics and videos to come soon~




Second item in this blog is a Solder Jig my brother Donny made for me. Very simple to make it and has five separate alligator clips for holding items you may need to solder and /or glue. I saw one for sale here a couple weeks back and sent him the picture and some funds to cover the parts, he added the diamond plate in which I thought was a nice touch! Thanks Donny~

Now time to get some rest and get cracking on the PPG in the morning

Monday January 16th we had yet another warm front move through Southwest Lower MI. I got home from work around 8pm, Kevin a friend I fly with stopped in to see what I was working on in the shop and suggested we head out to the Airport and do a little night flying. After a an hour or so of conversation we loaded up and headed out.

I first maidened my modded Hobbyzone Super Cub with floats and all went well without incident. I prepped my Sig Kadet Seniorita for flight and performed my preflight check. All was well. Well maybe.

I had flown this plane about 10 times prior and at night as well without incident. I had before flown the plane using a HK Orange rx with satellite till it was nearly out of site. Never had issues with range before but tonight it was raining lightly as a mist and fog was thickening and moving in from the west.

I took off as you can see in the video and about 3 minutes into the flight while north of the airport visually I could see the plane was blurry due to the fog approaching, about that time the airplane was at 200ft. AGL heading south back towards me and it turned east and back north . Problem was, I did not have control. My friend Fred was on the phone with me about 1/8th mile north of the airport and was at that point detecting my urgency for him to tell me which way my plane was headed. He thought at first I was pulling his leg but I was not! He confirmed what I was seeing, my plane was headed north with the wind and no signal on my end....Continue Reading