Discussion Bellanca Skyrocket

[pburress]

I've mostly been out of the hobby for the last year and a half or so, due to the birth of my son. Now I have the itch again, and some free time in the evenings, and have started working on a Bellanca Skyrocket, from a Flyline kit found on e-bay. This is a nice kit, with good scale details including the parts and instructions to make the radial engine.

One question: Does anyone know where I can get some information about cockpit or interior details? I would like to have some seats in there and maybe the control stick/wheel. Any information would be appreciated.

Also, should I make it 4 channel with ailerons, or keep it three channel? Obviously this is a personal choice but I'd like some other opinions. I know it won't have a lot of roll authority due to the undercambered airfoil and it's basic design...

Any input is appreciated! I don't know how it will be finished yet so I'm open to suggestions. I will be covering it with doculam and painting, a first for me.

More pics to follow. My building is kind of sporadic but I will be posting Pics as I go.

Phil

[pburress]

Here the framed-up fuselage. Not a lot of mods necessary so far. It turned out nice and straight!

The nose is built from soft balsa blocks then carved to shape- definitley the old school way of doing it! But it turned out pretty nice and wasn't as hard as it might seem.

I will be using a PJS-300 brushless motor so it should have more than enough power up front. It bolts right to the stock firewall very nicely, with no kit mods needed. Also, i should be able to use shims or washers under the motor mount to adjust the motor's right and down thrust. Sweet.

[pburress]

Heres the vertical stab. The tailfeathers are airfoiled which should look great. I will probably use pull-pull controls back here, not so much for scale effect but because I like the way they work. Less slop and a more positive control in the air.

Sorry for the inconsistency of the photos! I will try to borrow my wife's camera for the other pics. My camera had a run-in with some insect repelent in Belize and has never been the same.

[David Hipperson]

Try Bill Hannan of Hannan's Runway for help and several years ago Model Aviation did an article on the Skyrocket with three views. Back in the 90's I built a .40 sized version loosely based on the Flyline kit (too many mods to mention) but it flew really well. I still have the drawings and must redo for electric one day. How many aircraft do I say that about?

[pburress]

Thanks David, I will send an e-mail to Hannan's.

What airfoil did you use on your .40 sized version? Scale ailerons?

[Lnagel]

What a great subject. That trussed fuselage looks like it was just made for electrics. In that size and being a high wing, I would think that ailerons, although cool, may be more trouble than they're worth. It should fly just fine with rudder/elevator only.

Larry

[E-Challenged]

I have the same Flyine Kit and think that ailerons on this type are unnecessary if you intend to fly in a scale-like manner. I would make the tailwheel steerable/attached to rudder to allow ground steering and ROG takeoffs. Use a recommended free-flight amount of dihederal and moderate rudder and elevator movement as well as noticeable down and right thrust. If you use lipos, plan on mounting the lipo pack, receiver, servos as far forward as possible to avoid need for excess nose weight. You may want to use the Dubro micro pull-pull system instead of pushrods to keep the tail light.
I would use silver Coverlite or Litespan for covering. Doculam covering, washed with acetone and airbrushed or spray-can acrylic silver paint would be my second choice.

[David Hipperson]

Lnagle is right believe it or not as I used the airfoil from the Trenton Terror and with 2" of dihedral on approx 70" span wing(haven't dug out my old drawings)with no ailerons. It looked nice and flew well but very much like an old timer which was what I'd been aiming for. Stall turns (hammerheads) were particularly pretty but I didn't try to throw it about. Motor was the old, pre-Surpass, OS .40 FS and all up weight was just under 5lbs, wheels were from Williams, Golden Age variety. I've still got the NACA cowl ring/dummy motor I made up. My pictures are hard copy and would have to scan to put on site. After seeing some photos I did mine in Silver with yellow wings and Navy colours from the Anacostia base which if memory serves may be what's on the Flyline drawings. One of Bill Hannan's Peanut Scale books also has a model Skyrocket in it.

[pburress]

Thanks for the replies and info. I know it will fly well 3ch, but the ailerons have an appeal from a scale aspect. I'll build the wings last so there's still time to decide. E-challenged, I just got my first batch of doculam and I'm kind of looking forward to trying it out. Guess I'll know soon enough if I don't like it!

[E-Challenged]

Looking good, the fuselage structure makes me want to get started on my Flyline General Aristocrat. The Aristocrat has a lifting fuselage which makes up for its rather stubby wings. Love these old radial engined highwingers.

Make sure that you sand everything smooth, any lumps and bumps show through the doculam prominently. Don't use any primer, I did and it pulled away easily with any kind of masking tape. I also think that it made the doculam brittle and tended to crack along ribs. I have some of the 3mil (heavier) doculam which I will use on larger models or in high stress areas. I fly off hard dirt field with rubble and weeds. Hope you have smoother site.

[Pat Daily]

Here is are some photos of the original prototype of Hurst Bowers' Flyline Aristocraft and later as converted to electric rc by Don Srull. This plane flies beautifully with moderate power (a 280 will do it) so don't overpower it. Don has since converted it back to electric free flight and it is still being flown 34 years after its first flights. Sadly, Hurst passed away in December 2004. I fly with Don almost every week or two and love to see the Aristocraft.

Pat

[E-Challenged]

And that Halloween color scheme is icing on the cake. Mine flew great many yar ago with Tee Dee .020 and Ace Pulse gear (flapping rudder only). I think I enlarged the fin/rudder a little. Remember Winter's 1/4 scale version? Whoa! found a photo of an Aristocrat for sale!!

I bought up a number of the Esskay 400XT outrunner motors from Hobby Lobby. The 400XT draws about 10 amps on a 9x5 GWS direct drive prop and with an 1100 3S lipo and Phoenix 10 or Thunderbird 18 esc, should be a good power setup for these kind of scale models. The little Medusa 12mm 4200kv inrunner motor in a DXA gearbox should be good for slightly smaller models.These little brushless motor/lipo setups offer more thrust/duration in a small package but you often have to move lipo pack and everything forward with short nosed radial engine designs to achieve balance.I am using the Spektrum DX6. The little receiver fits easily, orientation of the two short antennas is not critical and there is no fear of glitching causing unplanned prop spin-ups. I feel safer flying my pride and joy scale models around beggining "park flyers"

[Pat Daily]

E-challenged

I do remember the large Aristocraft by Bill Winter--seen him fly it many times. Miss Bill a lot. The little outrunners should be super for the Bellanca and Aristo. I enlarge the Velie Monocoupe to 30 inches and it is super with 3 cells and a old puma brushed motor. I must have 1000 flights on it. I am on the verge of getting my Travel Air 6000 kit out and building it--it would make a beautiful rc slow flier.

Pat

[pburress]

Pat, that's a nice Aristocrat! I have the Flyline Curtis Robin and 28" Rearwin Speedster on the shelf. I also started their Jungmeister and have the fuse framed up. In retrospect I think I was a little discouraged by this one. These kits are not for the beginner- you get a plans page and that's it. Everything you need is on the plan, but I have to do a lot of head scratching to figure it out!

As I recall that PJS motor is rated around 10 oz max thrust so it should have plenty of juice but not too much excess power (is there such a thing?). It was previously in a Miles Magister designed by Dave Platt.

E-challenged, thanks for the doculam tips! I wish I had a Spektrum radio!

I am lucky because there is an AMA field with a paved runway only a couple of miles down the road from my house.

Phil

[Pat Daily]

Yes, they are old fashioned kit and plans, but it looks like you are doing it right well. The Bucker is a great flier too with rc. Lighten it up a bit.

Pat