Hi Folks:

Well, sometimes the projects we do come from opportunity more than anything. I won this VQ Hurricane ARF at our club Christmas party and was not too sure what I wanted to do with it. I thought of using it as a bronze racer this coming season, but somebody is already racing the Hurricane so I don't want to be a copycat. Well, mulling around on the internet I decided to change the color scheme and see how well this Hurricane could hold up in a silver class racing. I already am racing the Veltro and it is a true workhorse champ. Anyways....

I have decided to recover the Hurricane in captured German markings and I am going to plant a Y.S. .91 in it. I am filling in the sheeting holes in the wings and will be making reinforcements on the plane as needed. I have some decals from Callie's Graphics on the way to give it that finishing touch.

If all goes well, I hope to have this plane ready in a couple of months.

Hi;

That is a great color scheme - - something different for a Hurricane for sure.

A number of us are trying to find out the wing areas of various VQ 46 sized warbirds. So far, we don't have the Hurricane 40 wing area. Would you mind measuring your wing for us and replying, please.

Thanks,

Doug Bebensee

Hey Jake, I like it!

I've had my eye on that model for while. We have the Veltro and the FW 190 and both fly really well. The Hurricane looks a little larger. I bet with a good running YS 91 it will be right there for Silver. I like the color scheme you are going with. Keep us posted on this please.

Blessings, Terry

Work Goes On...

I got my decals from Callie's Graphics and look like they will do nicely. Got the aileron covered on the first wing panel and have started skinning and preping the other panel. Itis kind of like skinning a catfish ! To add to airfoil stability I am also sheeting the relief holes in the wing, not complicated but tedious. For those of you considering a similar project with a VQ kit, keep in mind that they use a spray adhesive to tack the material down to the plane. Nothing I know of, or tried, can get rid of this nasty crap, so I am forced to sand it off. Not the best choice, but when options are few...

Also have painted the buckets and belly scoop with Lustrekote Piper Cub Yellow. It takes multiple coats, but after the 5th or so coat it starts to look real nice. Should have this wing done by the end ot the week. Then I will focus on the feathers.

Still waiting on the Y.S. .91, but should be here by next week. At the same time I am building a TF 190D as a build thread in the warbird section, but that will take a back seat until this is done. Enjoy the pics.

P.S. As soon as I get a chance I will try and calculate out the wing area.

GREAT JOB JAKE.... THOSE ARE GREAT LOOKING COLORS on that VQ HURRI!

-FLY LOW, FLY FAST, don't forget which way to turn!!!

-CHEERS

TOMAS
VQ WARBIRDS
www.vqwarbirds.com
info@vqwarbirds.com

Alright, New Post Gentlemen.

Second wing covered. This was a little more stubborn to cover, but I got the job done. I still have to do some little trim fill in the aileron housing, but all in all, I am happy with it so far.

Since the wings are still in two pieces I went ahead and painted and fuel proofed the internal buckets. I cut out the insides and just left the trim for the edges. I have dealt with these crummy plastic buckets on the Macchi and with that experience I did not even hesitate to chop these s up! A racer pal of mine sold me some brand new World Model retracts, off a Mustang, for ten bucks so had to install those puppies too. Had to change the angle on them since the Hurricane gear is not perpendicular to the wings. A little twisting here and there "Bam!" all done. I really love the size of the stock tires on this bird, Big Mommas. I will pick up some stronger epoxy tomorrow and get the wing put together. Now the tail feather...

Enjoy the pics folks.

Update:

Wing sections glued and done...for now. I will revisit it later and glue the hinges in for the ailerons. Pulled the covering off the feathers and need to sand the adhesive off them. Much smaller surface area so should not be a problem. I also need to pick up some more monokote. At the same time I am also changing the inside of the fuse to fit a 20oz fuel tank. The one that comes with it is way too small for the Y.S. .91. There is a lot of room inside so I have some options. Tomorrow looks like a rain day so I should get a lot done. A few pics...

Jake;

I'm seriously thinking of getting one of the VQ ARFs for our Warbird racing series here in Nashville. I too would like to change the color scheme of the particular model I would like to use. I have a few questions for you.

What is the nature of the "adhesive" you observe that VQ uses to stick the covering? Is it of a sticky consistency, or more of a solid hard residue? Does it clog the sandpaper? Has it been absorbed into the balsa or is it just lying on top? When you say you "sand it off", does that mean that it can be entirely removed by sanding, or are you just sanding it smooth enough to re-cover and thus still leaving some on? When removing the old covering, does the adhesive cause damage to the underlying balsa structure?

You mentioned you wanted to make room for a 20 oz fuel tank. Since you intend to use this plane for racing, is such a large tank necessary? Here in Nashville, we have a 1/4 scale F1 class. We specify only four-stroke .91 engines. I've noticed that mine only uses about 4 oz fuel per heat. I have an 8 oz tank, and that's plenty. We use a 1-1/2 minute "start engine and get in the air" time limit (go if ready sooner) followed by a 30 second "count-down to a flying start" period. I did a weight study concerning whether or not to use a Webra .61 2-stroke or a OS .91 4-stroke engine. As it turns out, the OS .91 4-stroke installation will weight about the same as the .61 2-stroke installation. This is surprising at first. But, when you consider the lesser weight of both the 4-stroke muffler and the smaller fuel tank for the 4-stroke engine, it does make sense. If I were to install a larger fuel tank along with the 4-stroke engine, then my installed weight would be greater.

Another question - - what is the wing area of your VQ Hurricane? The shape of each wing half looks like a trapezoid plus a semi-circle. The area should be easy to measure and calculate, unlike the full sized Hurricane which had an elliptical wing shape.

Thanks,

Doug Bebensee

Originally Posted by dwbebens

Jake;

I'm seriously thinking of getting one of the VQ ARFs for our Warbird racing series here in Nashville. I too would like to change the color scheme of the particular model I would like to use. I have a few questions for you.

What is the nature of the "adhesive" you observe that VQ uses to stick the covering? Is it of a sticky consistency, or more of a solid hard residue? Does it clog the sandpaper? Has it been absorbed into the balsa or is it just lying on top? When you say you "sand it off", does that mean that it can be entirely removed by sanding, or are you just sanding it smooth enough to re-cover and thus still leaving some on? When removing the old covering, does the adhesive cause damage to the underlying balsa structure?

You mentioned you wanted to make room for a 20 oz fuel tank. Since you intend to use this plane for racing, is such a large tank necessary? Here in Nashville, we have a 1/4 scale F1 class. We specify only four-stroke .91 engines. I've noticed that mine only uses about 4 oz fuel per heat. I have an 8 oz tank, and that's plenty. We use a 1-1/2 minute "start engine and get in the air" time limit (go if ready sooner) followed by a 30 second "count-down to a flying start" period. I did a weight study concerning whether or not to use a Webra .61 2-stroke or a OS .91 4-stroke engine. As it turns out, the OS .91 4-stroke installation will weight about the same as the .61 2-stroke installation. This is surprising at first. But, when you consider the lesser weight of both the 4-stroke muffler and the smaller fuel tank for the 4-stroke engine, it does make sense. If I were to install a larger fuel tank along with the 4-stroke engine, then my installed weight would be greater.

Another question - - what is the wing area of your VQ Hurricane? The shape of each wing half looks like a trapezoid plus a semi-circle. The area should be easy to measure and calculate, unlike the full sized Hurricane which had an elliptical wing shape.

Thanks,

Doug Bebensee

The adhesive is more of a light gummy consistency that is just on the the top and does not penetrate the skin of the wood. I take all of it off because I don't think the Monokote is going to hold too well in the heat with the crap on there. That being said, there are pockets at times that take more elbow grease to get it off, while other areas come off pretty easy. I have tried acetone, alcohol, and monokote trim solvent, none can seem to work to break the stuff down that much. The best thing to do is just to leave it alone and just sand it. The sandpaper does get gummy but it takes a while to get to that point. Just be warned that if you are going to get one of these planes and redo it you will have a couple of solid evenings of sanding under your belt . I used my heat gun to take the covering off and when it is warm it peels right off with no structure issues, very clean.

I have made the the changes in the fuse for the 20oz tank and it fits in there with no issues, just had to change the furniture around. The YS .91 that I am putting in there burns fuel a little faster than your conventional OS and the starting, countdown, and landing order can sometimes take a little time. I have seen a lot of guys coming down deadstick due to having small fuel tanks and I am not going that route.

I will get back to you on the wing area, I am horrible at calculating it so I will have buddy help me out. Just hang tight.

Build Report:
Rain today gave me time to work on the plane.
Completed Today:
Sanded the Feathers.
Stripped and sanded the fuse. All Major Sanding Done!!!
Covered Vertical Stab.
Modified fuse to accomodate Dubro 20oz Fuel Tank
moved servo tray.

Would have done more, but I am out of Monokote and Blue CA. I will pick up a few more things Tuesday.

Question out there: You can see the uncovered fuse. Should I sheet the open areas where the stringers are exposed, or is just going over the joints with thin CA good enough?
Comments greatly appreciated.

Enjoy the pics.
Jake

Jake;

Thanks for the information. I really appreciate when someone takes the time to fully answer my questions, like you did.

How did you find the quality of your VQ ARF Hurricane - - hardware, wood, glue-ing, parts fit, straightness, instructions, etc.?

Doug Bebensee

Originally Posted by dwbebens

Jake;

Thanks for the information. I really appreciate when someone takes the time to fully answer my questions, like you did.

How did you find the quality of your VQ ARF Hurricane - - hardware, wood, glue-ing, parts fit, straightness, instructions, etc.?

Doug Bebensee

The actual quality is not too bad. It looks like the parts are laser cut, but I could be wrong. Joints look solid and no real gaps in any of the sheeting. They did a better job than if I had built it . Directions are par, but if you have put a warbird together before, you don't really need to rely to heavily on the instructions.

Update:

Motor arrived today from RCGroups member Hunkus. The YS .91 should compliment the Hurricane nicely. The transaction with him was great so if you find yourself buying or selling with this guy, have no worries.

Got some more monokote so I have everything I need to get this puppy covered. I have decided to plank the sides but am still debating about sheeting the turtledeck. It seems pretty stout and has some unique curves, we shall see.

Finally got the vertical stab and rudder covered. Next is the top of the horizontal stab and elevator. This is a learning task for sure. It is not difficult, but it is a time eater. I have a new respect for those that do multiple color designs and stuff. I am only using 2 colors with no designs and it is kicking my butt. I am kind of losing a little steam right now and will be back to work so the build will be slowed a tad, but still progressing. Anyways, a few pics for the spectators.

Jake

Work Continues...

No pics this go around, but next time. Got the feathers all covered...Thank God!!! I have sheeted the sides of the fuse and have put filler in them and should be sanding tomorrow. With that done, I should be starting on the covering for the fuse. Still not sure if I should sheet the T-deck. What is the consensus out there? I went through all the open stringer joints with CA to make sure it was secure. It feels tight, but should I sheet it for the added strength, or is it not worth it?

Pics and Update:

Sides of the fuse sheeted and sanded. Turned out super clean.
So any thoughts on if sheeting the T-deck is overkill or not?...hello...

Also here is a pic of the new place for the fuel tank. Lots of room to spare in the fuse so I am happy with the results. Originally the tank would sit flush with the firewall.

Until next time:

Very Late, but I have an update:

Just finished the major covering of the Hurricane. What a major time suck! A few little fill in spots in the aileron housing and such, but basically the covering is done. Decided not to sheet the T-deck, it felt rigid and so I just did the once over with CA and called it good. Now it is starting to look the the warbird I imagined.

BTW: Also got my pilot for the plane yesterday. You have to have a little fun and originality in racing so my pilot is none other than Dr. Evil himself, with Mr. Bigglesworth riding shotgun. It just seemed like the most fitting pilot for the plane. "Im surrounded by Fricken Idiots!" Picked him up on E-bay for 20 bucks including shipping so I could not pass him by. The scale size is perfect but I am going to have to turn him into a Mini Me from the waist down so he can fit. I am so stoked with getting him in the pilot seat .

Will be looking at getting the motor mount placed in the firewall next. I just hope Dr. Evil does not ask for some "fricken laser beams" to be installed in the plane. Some pics for flavor. Enjoy.

Jake