Nice job Froglube! On to the windscreen next eh? That is what separates the men from the boys! Good luck!

Originally Posted by cpmcgraw

Tom,

What is the difference between the Contestor and the Competitor? From your photos, it looks like an identical sibling except for the tail.

Somewhere I thought you might have mentioned the Contestor being larger...

Keil Kraft were very much into producing "families" of designs which, apart from size, shared many features. As well as the Contestor and Competitor there was also the 24 inch Eaglet which, apart from having straight dihedral, was very similar. Other KK "families" included the Soarer series of gliders - Baby, Minor and Major, the Slicker pylon power models - Mite, 42, 50 and Super Slicker, the Sotherner Mite and Southerner 60" (which used flying surfaces identical to the equivalent sizes of Slickers), the Pirate, Bandit and Outlaw cabin power models, the Cub, Cadet and Chief gliders and the Skystreak 26 and 40 C/L stunt models.

Froglube,
Excellent build, good job, It looks like it will fly well.
I know its the design and not you, but even with all of the triangualtion in the fuse, the stringers sure look on the skinny side.
Are they original water slide decals on the wing, if not what did you use?
Rob

Yes, very nice build!

Thanks!

Yes I'm concerned about the stringers myself, even had the strip I bought ( kids have lost my neat little Midwest Products ruler/woodgauge I normally take with me) not been as near to 3/32 as the 1/8 it looks awfully thin even on the plan for the size of the plane.

The biggest prop I have is 13 inch so that's what it will be getting. I can't find anything on the two sheets that came with the kit about how much rubber I should use with it. Bearing in mind it's slightly under strength construction what do folks reckon I should be making up? I won't be going for any records, I'll be happy if I get it trimmed and circling right!

The marking where printed straight onto the tissue taped to a piece of photocopier paper. Using a cheap and nasty ink jet printer. Unfortunately the Contestor one kept getting a streak of ink down the middle so after ruining three pieces of best Esaki I got one I could live with. Normally they come out perfect . No sealant was required, a just shrank with the last of my isopropyl and water mix and doped with 50/50 non shrinking dope. I still forgot to print my address on a piece to go on it.

I do have a pair of early style KK logos to go on it , the last of a batch I printed on some decal paper I bought ages ago. I wish I'd done the fin white now so they could go there. All I have left now are some VERONS so guess what I'll be making next!

Incidentally does anyone in the UK stock the wood gauge/ruler things? Ideally without the huge mark up as I think they are only 3 bucks in the States.

ATB

Tom

To make CONTESTOR really fly as it should it needs a carved balsa 18" dia. propeller.

If I built one it would get that prop. as well as 100 grams of rubber.......16 strands of 1/4 or 32 strands of 1/8.
The original instructions state 17 yards of 1/4 rubber made into 16 strands and that will have the motor being just over 38" long, so it would need to be corded to have it a nice fit between the front and rear hooks to stop it flopping about.

I did think myself the longerons and spacers looked a little on the thin side as such.
Plan states 1/8th. If they are that and VERY hard for the longerons and medium for the spaces it will take that 100 grams of rubber or even up to 4 ounces as would have been probably used in it in the past.

13 inch prop. will probably fly it and I guess 8 strands of 1/4 should do the job, but you might still need a DT to keep it from going to Hung.

Cheers gossip!
Yup I can do 8 strands of 1/4 and I've been thinking how to do a DT.

I do intend to learn how to make props one day, really I do. I've even got a bunch of carved blanks as a stepping stone towards doing some properly, they've been sitting in a box for about 5 years,

Off to do the windscreen.....

Well that was a downer, no bit of clear plastic in the house was big enough so I've had to go all the way to Bury to buy some sheets meant for covering reports and what have you.

And no one sells isopropyl in bigger containers than a eye dropper, will have to order one on the interweb,

ATB

Tom

I had another session after tea and got the windscreen done (I love Formula 560 canopy glue!) and the prop mounted. I had a lot of trouble with the 16 guage piano wire, I just couldnt get small even curves with it so in the end resorted to right angles.



Assuming I can find my 1/4" rubber, and theres enough left, another session should see it finished and ready for test flying, should the weather ever improve. I must jave 6 or 7 now waiting to be flown for the first time!

ATB

tom

Another really pretty model Tom. Just that teeny plastic prop....... Prop carving is a bit of an art, I never flew enough rubber to get really good at it but even I could make a passable prop, it isn't that difficult and, in fact, once you get into it is rather satisfying, sort of sculptural. Give it a go, the quality of your models deserve the right prop.

Yes I know Ive got to knuck;e down sooner or later and I can always go back and make proper props and rebalence all these big 'uns. I think I'll start off with the half done props I got from Shortys, I think theres a couple of 8 inchers and a 9 and a pair of 8s I got when i last thought about doing a 2 engined job, Ones to rotate the opposite way to normal anyway.

I'm trying to decide how they meant for the tail to be held on, on the plan theres a peg on the tail end but theres no other indication. I'm loathe to start randomly bending wires or slapping elastic bands on if theres a "proper" way.

Now Im playing hunt the 1/4 inch tan, Ive plenty of 1/8 for my normal diddy planes. I had kept it in the shed fridge but I had to shift the rubber out to make room for tallow candles (don't ask).

ATB

Tom

Tom, it isn't going to fly with a tiddly plastic propeller; you need one about 18" in diameter which means carving your own. It isn't difficult if you have the correct tools: a razor saw for cutting the blanks, and a 'prop carving knife', actually a dissecting scalpel with a long, curving blade. You can't do it with an ordinary modelling knife.

[QUOTE=Froglube;23850537I'm trying to decide how they meant for the tail to be held on, on the plan theres a peg on the tail end but theres no other indication. I'm loathe to start randomly bending wires or slapping elastic bands on if theres a "proper" way.[/QUOTE]

Loop the rubber bands over the rear of the fuselage, place the tail unit in position and pull the bands up over the fin and onto the rear dowel, easy!

Originally Posted by kkphantom

Loop the rubber bands over the rear of the fuselage, place the tail unit in position and pull the bands up over the fin and onto the rear dowel, easy!

The rear fuselage is quite big; I put a dowel (bamboo skewers from a supermarket!) through the sides. For my second one, I fitted a DT (you make a slot in the fuselage for the LE of the fin) as the first one spent six months in the top of a tree! The Contestor is a Wakefield model and flies quite well ...

Well, I better get some block balsa then. All I have in is little stuff suitable for nose blocks so it may be a while before I get to show how inept I am are carving!

To keep the extra weight on the rear as low as possible in think I will fit some small 20 or 22 gauge hooks on the stab' so I can use dental bands to hold the tail on, I like the bamboo pegs idea. I'm a bit leery of having rubber bands pressing down on the unsupported tissue next to the fin. I should have added some reinforcing like I did on the centre section of the main wing. Ah well, I'm still learning!

To avoid a major rebuild and recovering operation, are there and DT rigs that flip up from the front?

Another thing, I'm having a real problem finding normal rubber bands that are suitable for holding wings off etc, the stuff in the super markets and local stationers are awfull, I've taken to scavenging the ones the postie drops on the path.

Herself just ordered me a 5 litre jug of isopropyl off eBay. I also use it for cleaning optics, electronics and paint stripping the kids war games figures they get on carboots.

ATB

Tom