Well, I knew it would happen - you guys told me that the Guillows kit of the Aeronca Champ was gonna be a pig, and it is.

I finished this thing today, gave it a toss over the carpet from four inches high, and it promptly broke the reinforced landing gear after a ballistic arc. I've never covered anything before with an iron, and I made so many mistakes with respect to the nature of the construction that it looked worse than the first model I made when I was a child - wrinkled, screwed up fitments, no straight lines anywhere except where there shouldn't have been any.

I tore the motor and battery out of it, and broke down the model, pitching it in the trash. Next time, I'll buy a quality laser cut kit, of sufficient size to use a good covering material on it, and use some light RC components and an appropriately designed kit that's made with RC in mind.

Not an auspicious re-entry to the hobby.

Sorry to here that this project did not go well for you. Don't give up! These small conversions are a challange even for the "pro's" They are very rewarding once completed and flown however. So take your own advice and try a laser cut kit like the Herr or Dumas 30" kits. They are worth the money. I have done a bunch of them and they all fly great. Here is a pic of my just completed Hacker 28" cub, flies great! Try covering your next small model with tissue, it is easier than shrink film. Good luck!

If you are rally interested in converting planes of this type, you should look into kits made by
"Thomas Designs" A few different one's are available and they are super quality. they make Gillows stuff look like junk and really bad junk. I'll see if I can locate the web site address and post it. I don't have it handy at the moment. But you can do a search. the company is located in Burnsville MN

Thanks for your encouragement, guys. I'm gonna try it again, but with a kit that was made with e-flight in mind and laser cutting, as opposed to die-cut junk.

First, though, I think that I'm gonna get an ARF, so that I can get some flying enjoyment in; I haven't even bought a radio yet!

nhorianopoulos,

Try looking at PICA Planes . The kits are assembled like those 3D puzzles you see at some stores. You can build the entire wing without a board and in your hand...then a few drops of glue and you're flying. Top half of all their planes is plastic making them fairly light.

Took less than 4 days to build a twin engine F-82

funguy

well, its good that you got to practice your covering skills...

The Hobby lobby Super Cub with a 6v geared S400 is a good bet.
The series of geared S400 kits by Pat's Custom Models are good too but plans and instructions are not for rank beginners. A 40-50" wingspan model can be beefed up around the landing gear and wing attachment areas and still fly great with 8 500AR Nicads and typical micro size R/C gear i.e. Hitec 555 rcvr and HS-55 servos, Pixie 14 esc etc. Litespan covering is a little hard to master but is lighter than most coverings. Recommend practicing covering on balsa sheet and mock-up framework. Trick is to get it fairly tight in the first place, it doesn't shrink much. Medium weight silkspan has its good points but needs dope for strength.
It is far easier to get a larger model flying well than stuggle with an undersized, overweight, underpowered, scale model that doesn't even fly well as a rubber free flight. Been there, done that, many times!!

Ok, this is REALLY WEIRD. I was just sitting down at my box to order the Hobby Lobby Super Cub kit when I read E-Challenged's post - I agree that I need a good quality, larger scale kit, and the Hobby Lobby Supr Cub's the way to go. I called them, and they say that this bird's a great park flyer if you build it right, and they've got all the numbers worked out on the bird so that it will fly with a Speed 400. They say it's got a low enough wing loading to fly well at slow speeds.

It's a hell of a deal for 46" of span - Only $29!

Thanks for all your suggestions!

I got a Aeronca Champ
The kit was made end 1970s.. so will not be on the market anymore A old men wich i didnt knew gave it to me it just need some oracover a new receiver and new servos..

but this plane is a glow plane so originally i may not post it here..
The span = 65"
Im just a beginner and didnt build it of yet.. first im getting my Trainer plane.. then i build this 1...

Goodluck

greetz

Peter Loohuis

U see the paper is very old :-) if this thing flys i got a Oldtimer up in the air

Use the seach engine on this and other forums for lessons learned by others in builing and flyind the $29 HL Cub. It would be a good idea to beef up the center section of the wing and fuselage/winshield area where wing attaches. I t would also be good to make the wing struts functional. I do this by cutting down nylon control horns as attach points at the fuselage and wing and building struts from hardwood tipped with short lengths of threaded pushrod and metal clevises that clip into the control horn holes. U can adjust clevises to correct tip washout. etc., unsnap to remove wing. My 54" Comet Aeronca Chief uses this strut setup and does loops and snaprolls without wing problems.

E-Challenged, this is a hell of an idea to make the wing removable - This would seem to increase access to the servo compartment and decrease the opportunity for hanger rash.

Good post, bruddah.

You will like the HobbyLobby Super Cub. I have been flying mine over two years. The power is from a Graupner 6v.,400 motor geared at 2.3:1 (GR170523), seven 600mhr.SanyoSCE nicads, and an 8/4 SLIM prop (GPS08040). Good advice previous thread on beefing up the gear and functional struts. I used hinges on the gear covers and made the stuts by laminating 1/8"sq. balsa strips, inserted L shaped wire in each end , and then made tubes of rolled paper that the short L leg fits into. The spring effect of the strut "Y" holds them in place. Light, simple, and cheap. Only bad flying habit is tendency to drop a wing if speed drops off. I didn't put in washout-would if I build another one.

Nhorianopoulous, you are the first person I have met here who flames himself. Then the rest of the electric folks rush to put out the fire. But I think you are wise. Your change of direction toward the HL Cub and Robbe Storch will bring success and banish the Gulliows "chimp" disaster to the dustbin of distant memory. Good luck and keep at it. I had several duds before I could get an electric to fly. Now I don't fly anything but electrics.

Just another suggestion -

http://www.mountainmodels.com/cessna180.htm

Very easy building laser-cut kits from MM.

Here's a picture of the Mountain Models Cessna. It's smaller than the Super Cub you're talking about, and flies on a DX-A motor. Wingspan is 35"

Martin