While I am attempting to sharpen up my old rusty piloting skills in order to maiden the SE-5a and Fokker DVIII, moving on with a larger build
of the Vindicator.
This will be a very light weight build hopefully. Details in the build log here:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...ndicator-84-ws

J

Started the new build in Scratchbuilt/scale forum.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...e#post44155411

Got her finished. Need to warm up the thumbs and get a good "no wind" day for maiden.
She is 60" ws, AUW is about 60 oz with 3 oz nose weight. WL is around 7 oz/sq ft Should be a floater.

Finished the SE-5a and added another build here. It's a Fokker DVIII built off Earl Stahl's old FF plan.
I removed dihedral and made several other changes to convert to R/C.

Here's the new build thread in Giant Electric Planes forum. It says A-1 model but that was my mistake, the plans are A-4.
Link to it:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...on-Smith-plans

I leave in two weeks for the St. George Electric Fly-In out in Utah so won't get much done. Hopefully get a head start on tracing and cutting formers
as there are over 25 of them.
I am going to do my best at keeping it light as possible and will warn you that scale will suffer from that but I also want to
make this a relaxing fun build for me too.
Anyway, the discussion has started and plan on finishing it this winter and maiden it in April at SEFF. So it will be a sort of a long project
but it's a BIG plane too.

Added finished pics of the plane.

J

This will be the new build and in the Giant Electric Planes forum.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...at-1-8th-scale

Haven't kept up here on this build but we're painting now. Hope to finish it up by Aug 12th or sooner

She's done, just needs balanced and control throws checked. Maiden middle of Sept in St. George UT.

With the Me-263 finished, I've started the Ziroli A-1H build here:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...er-Electrified

Finished the A-1H just in time for SEFF 2019. More pics on page #98 of the thread but here are a few.
Hope to get video at SEFF.

It finally happened. She flew great but the gear didn't want to cooperate so Birger did a classic perfect belly landing.
Thanks to Wilmracer for the great video!

100" Ziroli A-1 Skyraider by John Morgan (6 min 7 sec)

Second flight in St. George UT.
It was absolutely perfect, at least to me.

Douglas A-1H Skyraider (100" wingspan) - St. George Utah, 2019 (6 min 48 sec)

...Continue Reading

Started the new build of the Me-263 at 1/5 th scale here:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...e#post40327344
Will add more when I get further along.

OK, so I didn't add anything until the 263 was done. But here are the final paint pics.
Maiden will be in April at SEFF.

Here's video of the fourth flight of the Me-263. Finally got all the gear working together and then the nose gear mount gave way.
Buy hey, it's a great improvement and we're getting there.

1:5 Me-263 by John Morgan - SEFF 2019 (4 min 46 sec)

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Started the new build in Giant Electric Scale
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...or-1-7-3-scale

Making good progress.

8-20-18
Done and in the balancing process.

Video of the maiden in St. George:

Douglas TBD-1 Devastator (1:7.3 Scale) by John Morgan - MAIDEN FLIGHT! St. George Utah, 2018 (8 min 5 sec)

Second flight at St. George:

Douglas TBD-1 Devastator by John Morgan: In Memory of Torpedo Eight - St. George Utah, 2018 (9 min 28 sec)

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So I finally finished up with Sparky's B-52 and am ready to start a big Brewster Buffalo. Seems people either love or hate. I love 'em.
I've lost count on how many I have built so far but this will be the biggest and hopefully very scale.
I'm building off Jerry Bates excellent plans but of course won't follow the balsa/ply build but will do it in a light weight fashion
from foam. This follows up on how I built the IL-2 and I do want to see if I can improve on that build.
To see how lightweight a plane can be built you should check out the wonderful build in Electric Warbirds of ALEZE's.
Link to that here:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...f-foam-plastic

He has many methods we can use to improve our models and he shows just how light a large model can be built.

I will start this build thread in the Giant Electric Planes forum. Will post a link shortly. It can be followed there since I will
only update the blog here when some meaningful things happen in the build.
Here's a link to the new build thread:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...lo-a-1-5-scale

1:5 scale Brewster F2A Buffalo (84" wingspan) by John Morgan - MAIDEN FLIGHT! SEFF 2018 (11 min 4 sec)

1:5 Brewster Buffalo Scratch Build - Maiden Flight at SEFF 2018 (3 min 56 sec)

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I'll be waiting on parts for the Sparky B-52 build so I started on a very large, ~90" ws IL-2 Sturmovik in the Scratchbuilt forum.
Trying to mimic some of the Russian builds that neons Bob has posted info on. Between the two of them, it should keep me busy.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...weight-version

Flight of the IL-2 at St. George

Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik; 2nd Flight! - 28SEP17 (8 min 46 sec)

I finally got started on Keith's new B-52. He has already proven it as a glider and now is building a 8 edf prototype.
I'll be building along with him. Keith sent me the plans, all the plastics and foam wing cores. I know, I'm not an EDF guy
but I have a secret weapon. Already have Wade thinking about it. Want to try to use the Dr Mad Thrust 8 blade 30 mm
EDF unit but they are out of stock. Hope HK can get them in before too long.
So here is Keith's proven glider and my start on the fuse.

My build starts slowly on page 6, then picks up steam later.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...truction/page6

The maiden video from St. George:

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress; Maiden Flight! - 28SEP17 (6 min 59 sec)

Flight this year at St. George with flaps added and gear working:

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (7 ft. wingspan) by Keith Sparks and John Morgan - St. George Utah, 2018 (7 min 13 sec)

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While cleaning the shop and storage I came across this 30" I-16 short kit from TDM Models that I had bought years ago. Thought it would be a good one to build for SEFF coming up the end of April.
Instead of using the short kit, I just built it out of foam. I had two sets of plans so that leaves me with a complete kit still. I had the plan enlarged 25% which gives my model a ws of 40".
I just tacked my build on Terry's original thread in the Scale Kit/Scratch Built forum.
Here's a link, it starts on page 27, post #404
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...a-Build/page27

And here is the proposed color scheme.

Finished the plane, it is about 42 oz AUW, WL of 21 oz/ft. Has an AXI 2808/20 with 30A esc and 9x3.8 APC prop. This gives a little over 200 watts at full power but pushes the amps a little on the AXI so we won't be doing much full throttle hopefully.

J

Here is the new build. It's a Quality Fiberglass short kit consisting of FG fuse and nacelles, foam wing, stab cores. Ws is 103" and length of 75".
Started the build in Giant Scale forum:https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2767874
Scheme will be of the AC-130 The First Lady. This was the first production C-130A that was later converted to a AC-130A and is on
display at Eglin AFB.

Wanted to add the B-36 build here as it is in the AC-130 thread too. Starts on page #59 and ends at page #79.


Long awaited flights at St. George UT:

C130 2017 Utah (10 min 44 sec)

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre Gunship; 2nd Flight! - 30SEP17 (9 min 16 sec)

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Started this latest build. Hope to have it ready for the St. George UT event in Oct.
It is 1/15th scale, ws of 60". Will be full house with flaps and electric gear. But keeping it simple at the same time, NO gear doors. Just don't feel like fighting them on this one.
Here's the link to it in Scratch Built Forum:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2714841

Just finished the Savage up and have all systems checked and ready for maiden which will be in St. George Utah second week of October.

J


The Savage in St George UT

John Morgan's AJ-2 Savage Maiden Flight - 12OCT2016 (9 min 11 sec)

But sometimes things aren't meant to be.

John Morgan's North American AJ-2 Savage at SEFF - 29APR17 (5 min 29 sec)

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Here is the new thread. It is a tribute to all Vietnam Vets and especially the brave men that flew and crewed the EB-66C Destroyers. Being my first EDF scratchbuild, this is a team effort with many offering their help and expertise. Hope you all will participate and join in the discussion while we honor all those brave men.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2419623

Taxi tests in Chino Valley Oct 2015

EB-66C Taxi Tests - 14 OCT 2015 (9 min 55 sec)

And FINALLY! The long awaited maiden of the EB-66C!!!!!!!!!!

Douglas EB-66C Maiden Flight! - 26SEP17 (16 min 26 sec)

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Latest build is a 1/8th scale A5M Claude, the predecessor of the Zero. Sort of following Jack Sheet's plan that was published in a model mag several years ago but making any changes to scale it up a bit and to fit my building style.Here is the link to it in the ScratchBuilt/Kits forum:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2361052

Here's the video of the maiden at SEFF 2015

SEFF 2015 Claude (4 min 19 sec)

J

Started this thing to be a simple park flyer but things got out of control. So we're doing a bit more detail on it.
Here's a link to the thread in Scale forum.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2298302

Finished the 57" ws Buffalo and then built a park flyer at 47" of the B-239, export version of the F2A-1. Smaller one weighs about 45 oz.

Built another little Buffalo like the original and then finished this thread up with a 1/5 MXY-7 Ohka build powered by a SPJ and weighing about 42 oz.

Working on the 58" Buffalo again, installing retracts and fixing cosmetic hangar rash.
This is video of V1 gear install, just finished the V2, stronger, more scale and cleaner. Video of V2 later.

F2A-2 Buffalo landing gear test (0 min 41 sec)

J

Latest build is a 96" ws OV-10A from Palmer Plans. I'll be deviating a lot from the plans as usual but Palmer has very scale outlines so it works good for my methods.
This will be another co-build with Wade( wasn't easy but I talked him into it )and he has done a beautiful job on the booms and H-Stab.
We had the wings cut at a professional online shop, bought the nose cone, tail cone, cowls, and canopy set online too. The Bronco will have Robart gear & wheels. Powered by two Turnigy 5055-320 kv motors, Turnigy Delux 80A escs and Graupner G-Sonic 16x12x3 props. Batts will be 6s-5000s. This should give around 2500 total watts.
The plan is to have it done and ready to maiden at AITH at Las Vegas in Oct.
I have started a build log and it is in the Giant Electric Planes Forum.
Link to it:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2195377

I'll update occasionally here but the real action will be in the build log.
Video of maiden flight at Vegas AITH fly-in.

IMG 0172 (2 min 50 sec)

J

Started the latest build. Build Log is in the Giant Electric Plan forum.
Starting it with a quick build of a 49" ws park flyer.
Link is here:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...5#post26600242

Finally got to the point of having a fuse plug and laid up a fuse today( Jan 24th).
It's a big Beast.

Finally on the wing by end of February. Plan is to take it to SEFF as a static display.
It is on the gear but still a lot to be done. Nice to get it out for some pics though.

I tried the Turnigy 6364-245 KV but it is struggling trying to handle that big 20x10 Biela four blade prop. So I ordered the 6374-192KV and will probably run it on 10s.
Other than that, the Beast is pretty well done.
Soon, I'll post more recent pics and a short video we took when we had it out for a taxi test. The Maiden will not be until Oct in Vegas at Bennett Field.

Here's a short taxi video:

MVI 0492 (3 min 14 sec)

Video of maiden flight in Vegas at AITH. Short flight that ended early due to engine problems and then when Nut tried to get back to the runway the plane flew right into a dust devil!

John Morgans SB2C Helldiver 100" Maiden Flight (1 min 32 sec)

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Just started the F7F Tigercat build in the Giant Electric Planes forum. Planning on maiden at AITH event in Vegas in Oct.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...2#post24981714

Been adding to the thread but not updating here. A couple of pics of the progress.

Finally on the gear Aug 13th!

Mock up for pics outside Aug 18th
She's painted and finished now. A few new pics and video link for the taxi test.

F7F Tigercat taxi test (4 min 36 sec)

Second flight a AITH Las Vegas Oct 2013

Las Vegas Ace In The Hole 2013 F7F video 2 John Morgan (6 min 26 sec)

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Just started Hans' new "upgrade" aircraft for when he visits. Have a build log in the Pusher Forum.
Here's the link:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=1799004