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Discussion
Refurbing a Junior 60 for Pylon Racing
The topic "Junior 60 Tribute Thread" rekindled my mojo so I've started to refurb the old girl. A bit of history, she was built in the early years of this century, can't remember exactly but about 2003 I had surgery to remove a tumor so I think it was about then.
I built her from the plan that I had with the kit for a J60 I built in 1982 and she ended up covered in yellow solartex. Last night and this morning I stripped off all the solartex to give me an idea of how much I'd need to repair/replace to bring her back to scratch, the solartex weighed nearly 8 ounces. Anyway if there's any interest, I'll post the progress up, if not it'll get done by next April which, I believe, is when the first race is scheduled. |
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Underneath the solartex there were a few glue joints broken, I put a dribble of thick ca on those and set them with a squirt of activator. The major problems were some hangar rash where the door of the hangar closed on the tail area and, tbh, my repair was crap. The other area was the trailing edge at the wing root where the retaining rubber bands had crushed the balsa and this will need a dose of looking at. Finally the celluloid for the windows was really crappy so I'll renew that.First pic should show the crushed wing root, the others the tailplane damage and there's one of the rudder that I'm leaving covered as the decal thereon is from the kit I built in 1982 and you can't get them anymore.
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Bringing a battered old favourite model back to life can be very satisfying, especially as, in this case, when there is a purpose to it. When I do this I am usually amazed by the amount of damage revealed when the covering is removed - just shows what an important function it performs in holding everything together!
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I agree about the covering hiding horrors, I've already found 3 cracked spars that I'd no idea had been overstressed.
When I built this one, I didn't follow the plan for rudder actuation i.e. there was meant to be a bent 16swg wire that was epoxied to the rudder and then it doglegged out of the fuselage beneath the tailplane and was actuated with a pushrod. I used pull pull instead. Originally the tailplane was glued to the fuse, this time round I'm making it detachable simply because varying incidences is so much easier with a detachable unit; the pull pull system will allow for this with QD links. I expect to have to experiment with the incidence because I've got a used OS 35 FP coming that is going to be the prime mover and one thing I do know is that old designs like this respond vigorously in an upward direction when overpowered as this one will be and I don't want to be driving it with masses of down elevator. I'm also thinking about exploiting the regs slightly and fitting two elevator servos so I can dial in elevons and see how they assist, if at all. As my example has the original dihedral I suspect the benefit will be marginal on its own but coupled with the rudder may improve the turning radius. We'll see. |
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Can I assume that your not serious about pylon racing?
Gene |
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SHUSH! You're not supposed to TELL everyone ! ! ! ! I'm wondering about that too. Could we call it "Geriatric Goodyear"? |
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No, he is absolutely serious. SAM are proposing to run contests for pylon racing J60s in 2019, power restricted, I think, to 0.35 ci max 2 stroke, 0.40 ci 4 strokes. Should be fun to see the old girls cavorting around the course!
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No, SAM 35 in the UK has organised a one model class for pylon racing, unlike the mega speedsters, there will only be two pylons with the pilot midway between them.
Initial events are to be timed trials but it may develop into several j60s on the course at one time (I hope so). There are restrictions, max 4 stroke is 45 cu in, max 2 stroke is 35 cu in but must have plain bearings. There is a formula for electric but I didn't read that as not interested and I don't think that suitable electrics were about when this particular model was designed. I don't know if the organisers will supply fuel or if it will be pilot supply. I'm just working on getting my teenage junior 60 fettled and ready to go. I love two strokes in vintage models, much more au fait and cheaper than a 4 stroke, my engine is going to be an OS 35 FP . A used one is on its way to me as I type, my greatest concern is that I will have to rejig the engine mounting woodwork. The series promises to be really good fun, don't know how tight a turn the J60 can stand but it's probable that the wing will shift on its mounting if it's banded on so I may give some thought to a more rigid arrangement. |
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Well, doesn't that sound like a hoot. I think I could be led into something like that. But not enough OT SAM pilots around here.
I can't help thinking that this event may end up a little like the Coupe des Barons races. But with no need to do touch and goes or other antics it SHOULD be a bit safer for the models.... What about the old plain bearing sparkies? They clearly would not want a bunch of Doolings and such. But if limited to the plain bearing .60's it should still be pretty fair. And what a treat to hear an Ohlsson or Super Cyke blasting around the circuit ! ! ! |
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At last year's Victorian Oily Hand we kicked off the idea of Sharkface Pylon.
We had great fun, even though nobody was actually counting laps. My PAW 049 powered SF was the slowest. Andy's Cox TeeDee 051 was lapping me (we ruled he had to do a loop each lap as a handicap). Dave's Mp Jet 061BB diesel was blistering fast for about 30 seconds then went off tune (the one to beat this year if he gets it sorted). There were quite a few who said they would build a SF for the next event, will be interesting to see how many do. I've since built a faster Sharkface with a Norvel 061 AME. Ran it on crankcase pressure, but too touchy. Converted to muffler pressure and this ran well for about 2/3 tank (rather quicker than I expected). Built a new tank which I have yet to try. But in the end I may go back to my PAW one as it's much more relaxing to fly. J60 Pylon sounds like great fun, I'll have a chat to Andy.....a diesel only class would be my preference. |
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In the UK I don't think those big sparkies would help many (any?) flying sites, just too damn noisy.
I have a sparky in my Keil Kraft Falcon; I fitted it with a slightly modified OS super silencer which tames it a bit but even so it doesn't make 82dBA at 7 metres so it doesn't get flown. |
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You don't have to do touch and goes in the pylon race of La Coupe des Barons, but you gain an extra 3 points each time you do one in any of the four flying tests. The most difficult task in La Coupe is the third test, "Renard" in which a trainer tows a streamer and you try to cut the streamer with your propeller. In several of the rounds not a single aircraft managed to cut the streamer and I saw one competitor not even attempt to cut the streamer, he spent the entire five minutes of the round doing touch and goes. My entry for this year's event has been accepted and the organisers have increased the maximum permitted size of four-stroke engines allowed in the competition from a 40 to a 52. As I have six four-strokes of which would be eligible, so I'm one happy bunny! I am building a spare Baron and will be fitting a fourstroke to Boris. My club is taking a team of seven of us down to the event in September. See this thread in the Balsa Builders section for more information. https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...mpetition-Wing Junior 60 pylon racing should be a hoot. I'm subscribed! |
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You might try googling "Voetsak racing". The noise problem mentioned above isn't really a question of noise, it's a question of where you want to fly... On an airfield normally used by full-size aircraft there's no problem. |
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