The dedicated "ESM F7F Tigercat build thread".

I've already started to build this plane (see my posts from #24 here)

Because there are different kits of the F7F Tigercat out there (ESM, ASM, KMP, YT) to keep all informations summarized and on the request of Wind of Change I'm going to continuously post all informations of my build in here.

Expect regulary posts including pictures.

(The kit has the "built up" wing, fiberglass fuselage and will be electric powered)




Other currently available threads:

KMP Tigercat

Subscribed!

This is gonna be awesome. Can't wait to see all you innovations!

Hi folks,

meanwhile I just couldn't resist to model my ESM model...

So I bought this (Italeri) Plastic scale model kit (1/48) from eBay and assembled, painted and decaled it just like the ESM Plane.

Doesn't it look nice?

I also did some more work on the ESM and will you show you my progress soon...

But for the moment:

Wow, that's sexy.

I really like the shiny finish. Are you going to gloss coat your ESM Tigercat when you're done, or leave it with the matte finish?

Originally Posted by Wind_of_Change

Wow, that's sexy.

I really like the shiny finish. Are you going to gloss coat your ESM Tigercat when you're done, or leave it with the matte finish?

I actually don't really like the matt finish.. so yes I plan to have it gloss coated later.
I talked to a friend already who runs a car paint shop and he says it should be no problem.

The plan is to have it painted after I have assembled it and maybe after the maiden flight.

Regards
Robert

This is how I connected the outer wing panels to the nacelles:





It's huge...



Regards
Robert

Lookin' good!

I'd be inclined to use a washer on that bolt though, I could see that hex bolt pulling right through the fiberglass.

Did you paint the interior of the nacelle gray? Looks great that way.

Originally Posted by Wind_of_Change

Lookin' good!

I'd be inclined to use a washer on that bolt though, I could see that hex bolt pulling right through the fiberglass.

Did you paint the interior of the nacelle gray? Looks great that way.

Yes, I painted it gray on the inside.

The fiberglass where the bolt goes through is actually reinforced by plywood (on the inside) so it won't be easy for the bolt to pull through but of course I'll use some washers for the bolts, I just did not have the right size at hand....

I watched your PC-21 videos on YT already Todd, your plane looks awesome !
I like these (counter-rotating) pilots heads. Simply great...

Regards
Robert

Haha, thanks man. Love my Pilatus! The pilots are like two cherries on top!

You doing a pilot in you TCat?

Originally Posted by Wind_of_Change

Haha, thanks man. Love my Pilatus! The pilots are like two cherries on top!

You doing a pilot in you TCat?

First goal is to see this thing fly.. (and land in one piece, haha) but afterwards I'd like to make it more scale and therefore put one or two (counter-rotating?) pilots into it, install some lights (landing lights and strobes) and perhaps some antennas to it.

I'll also leave the gear-doors off until the maiden flight.

At the moment I'm building a "stand" for the plane...

Regards
Robert



Only six (airworthy) planes of this type remain worldwide. If I only could take a ride in one of these sometime....

Meanwhile I've built a model-stand:

I used some 50mm thick Styropor (Styrofoam), Aluminium-tubes (16mm OD and 18mm) and plywood. The 16 plywood rings were made by a friend on his "computer-linked milling machine." (Dont know the right word for that device..). (Took about 15 minutes to have them cut out..)

This stand allows to hold the fuselage for further work as well as for assembling the plane later on the airfield.

It will be possible to test the retractable gear and even to run the motors while the plane sits on the stand.








Next up is to attach the horizontal stabilizer to the fuselage. (Remember: I like to have it detachable.) The challenge will be to find a method to make it detachable AND safely connected. (But I've got an Idea already...)





See you..
Robert

EDIT: Just found my own answer. Center section is 124 cm wide including nacelles, which is almost 49". That fits inside my SUV with just a few inches to spare. I'm not sure if it will fit with the 3 blade props attached though. Guess I could just remove the props for transport. Easier than hooking up the plane trailer.

So are you going in through the nacelle to attach the wing bolt for the outer wing section?

It looks like you have to flip the plane over to get into the nacelle, right? And the nacelle hatch, which is huge, is supposed to be screwed down with small screws spaced around the periphery? So that means you've either got to undo a bunch of little screws, or you're gonna figure out some way to make that nacelle hatch easily removeable. I'd love to hear what your plans are there because when I get mine started, I want those outer wing panels detachable, but easily. I don't want to have to undo a few dozen little screws on the nacelles just to attach the wings.

Warbirdpilot,

I saw these posts from the old KMP thread and thought they really needed to be moved in here.

---------------------------
PASTE
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Did some more work... (WoC keep on living :-)

To make the outer wing panels detachable I began with glueing (epoxying) two aluminium dowels (anti rotation pins) into each wing panel.

I used some 6,5 mm (OD) aluminium tube which formerly was a T-Rex 450 (e-heli) skid (but crashed).

They go deep into the balsa nose- and end- bars and will (hopefully) prevent the wing panels from rotating.

Of course I also had to drill the suitable feed holes into the nacelles.(Not shown)

Now I have to connect the outer wing panels to the nacelles...
(At first I wanted to put a screw through the bottom of the wing panels to reach into the aluminium main tubes but decided to go an other way...)

I made some small plywood boards which fit inside the wing panels right on the back of the first rib. These I will have to epoxy to the inside and afterwards glue some (spacer) plywood boards to them.

Then I will have to drill a hole in each nacelle to put a 5mm aluminum screw through.

After glueing I will do a test fit of the wing panels and mark the hole where the screw goes through from the inside of the nacelles.

At last I have to drill the (marked) holes into my new plywood stiffeners, screw the 5mm screw into it, glue my selfmade (plywood attached) locknuts from the inside and I am ready to slide my wing panels on and off and holding them safely in place by locking them with the screw.

The advantage over the idea to put a screw rectangular through the wing tubes is that now the outer wing panels and the rest of the wing (the nacelles) are pressed together (by the screw) and there wont be any gap inbetween them.

(Will have to find a solution for the horizontal stabilizer later on too because they also have to be detachable)

Originally Posted by Wind_of_Change

EDIT: Just found my own answer. Center section is 124 cm wide including nacelles, which is almost 49". That fits inside my SUV with just a few inches to spare. I'm not sure if it will fit with the 3 blade props attached though. Guess I could just remove the props for transport. Easier than hooking up the plane trailer.

So are you going in through the nacelle to attach the wing bolt for the outer wing section?

It looks like you have to flip the plane over to get into the nacelle, right? And the nacelle hatch, which is huge, is supposed to be screwed down with small screws spaced around the periphery? So that means you've either got to undo a bunch of little screws, or you're gonna figure out some way to make that nacelle hatch easily removeable. I'd love to hear what your plans are there because when I get mine started, I want those outer wing panels detachable, but easily. I don't want to have to undo a few dozen little screws on the nacelles just to attach the wings.

Hi Todd,
center section is 124cm wide including the overhanging tubes. (about 13cm on each side).

I don't have to flip the plane over to get into the nacelle. I can reach into the nacelle from the bottom to get the connection bolt in place and to tighten it with a small ratch. (I'll get some pictures for you).

Of course the nacelles hatch (which actually are the gear-doors) have to be open therefor.

The plan is to put the fuselage onto the stand, attach (bolt) the wing to it, connect some wires (servos and retract air-hoses), attach the horizontal stabilizers, power it up, lower the landing gear.... and attach the outer wing panels as described above.

(I hope it works... hohoho...)

Regards
Robert

Robert,

A friend and I are going to go ahead and order this plane so we can fly them in formation. A couple of the big questions I have are:

1. How much space to you have for batteries in the center fuselage? We'd like to fit two 10S 5000mah setups in there, one for each nacelle, but it doesn't look like there's enough room in front of the wing to get those into the fuse to me.

2. How big a prop can you put on these? I saw one guy on YouTube flying with a 19" prop. Can we go all the way to 20"? The real plane had absolutely HUGE props, and we want to get that mean propeller scale look on ours, favoring larger prop with shallower pitch for more scale flying.

3. I noticed that they sell a gear door kit for this plane. Did you get that? Does the ARF come with some sort of nacelle cover that could be converted to gear doors, or do you need to order the kit? If you don't order the door kit, are you supposed to fly it with a huge open hole in the nacelles?

Thanks In Advance!

Todd