[pogo]

John, were a person (or persons?) to ask, would you have the time and inclination to make a kit (kits) of the foam version? On a "blast from the past" note, here's a pic of your Banshee II kit, modelled here by my daughter Abby.
Tom

[Dutkoski]

Yep, FYI, was figuring on doing an upgrade of the kt before I had sorta shut down. Was going to make hotwired wings with a scale airfoil but thicken it up. Was hoping to get enough thickness for retracts. Also, since I have the templates, was also going to hotwire the vertical fin. On the production versions, always had trouble with it warping a little because it was thin and flat. In away, it should have been better being balsa.

Redoing the templates for hot wiring the main fuselage, making the wall thickness thinner so a larger single would fit. Right now, the wall thickness is about 1/2", reduce it to 5/16" top and bottom and add a 1/4" to the outside depth, that would give me an extra 5/8" of interior depth.

Also, slim down the foam parts that make up the nose section, more room for the retract.

If you can wait a bit, making two or three kits isn't much more time consuming than making the two for me. I even have boxes left in the garage, so I could ship it to you.

Do you still have the Banshee or did it become a lawn dart? I liked your scheme, very clean looking. I'm in the process of making another for myself, going to paint it up like my original Banshee. The scheme is sorta 1960's RCAF F-104 Starfighter

[Dutkoski]

Here is the original Banshee, I had black hair then, 16 years ago...yikes, time flies

[Dutkoski]

Couldn't wait, so, cut the coil off the wire and there was more than enough wire stud left to mount the oleo strut. Has a much nicer stance and a 3.5 degree of positive incidence. That should work fine ......... Famous last words, huh.....

[pogo]

Originally Posted by Dutkoski

Yep, FYI, was figuring on doing an upgrade of the kt before I had sorta shut down. Was going to make hotwired wings with a scale airfoil but thicken it up. Was hoping to get enough thickness for retracts. Also, since I have the templates, was also going to hotwire the vertical fin. On the production versions, always had trouble with it warping a little because it was thin and flat. In away, it should have been better being balsa.

Redoing the templates for hot wiring the main fuselage, making the wall thickness thinner so a larger single would fit. Right now, the wall thickness is about 1/2", reduce it to 5/16" top and bottom and add a 1/4" to the outside depth, that would give me an extra 5/8" of interior depth.

Also, slim down the foam parts that make up the nose section, more room for the retract.

If you can wait a bit, making two or three kits isn't much more time consuming than making the two for me. I even have boxes left in the garage, so I could ship it to you.

Do you still have the Banshee or did it become a lawn dart? I liked your scheme, very clean looking. I'm in the process of making another for myself, going to paint it up like my original Banshee. The scheme is sorta 1960's RCAF F-104 Starfighter

Great!! Sign me up (in ink, not pencil- I'm serious!) I'll come pick it up, and will buy you the beer I owe you. (for the F-18 canopy). No rush, of course- it'll be awhile before I can get to it.
If you can get the wing thick enough for retracts great, but if not I think (non-scale) pods to house the lower part of the mechanism is what I'll do.
The Banshee, alas, did indeed become a lawn dart (3rd flight) due to a control horn pulling out. My fault, obviously. A sweet flier though, and the crash still hurts.
Tom

[Dutkoski]

Tried to fly this morning but during the takeoff run, it was apparent the old motors and batteries didn't seem to have the power anymore so aborted as the model just left the ground and glided safely to a stop. Checked with a watt meter, yep, power level was much less, by over 100 watts combined.

Did some figuring, I still have about a dozen RC Lander 64 mm EDF's in stock, with motors. They advertise on a 4 cell, it'll generate 1020 watts of power at 68 amps. So cut a big hole in the bottom of the fuse and removed the twin 50's, thrust tubes and the center section foam partion.

Then I did a weight comparison between the two power systems.

Twin 50's, wire, two 40 amp ESC, and the four 2200 two cell batteries, tipped the scale at 31.75 oz.

The single 64 mm and motor, one 80 amp ESC and two 4400 two cell batteries was less wieght at 29.10 oz.

Bear in mind, motor wires were not included, and the thrust tubes from the twin set up was not include.

Bottom line, for the same wieght, the single will produce, on paper, 220 more watts of power. It's also a tight fit, the depth of the interior space is 75 mm annd the diameter of the EDF shroud with the bell lip is ......... 75 mm. Like I said, tight.

Looks like I'll be doing some wood turning on the lathe tonight to make a mould for the bifurcate thrust tube.

[Dutkoski]

Almost forgot this model, busy working away on the Mig-25, so today, got back at it. Since the single 64 mm is a bit lighter than the twin 50's, I can mount it in the same location inside the fuselage. But, a bifurcated thrust tube is required. So, on the lathe today, turned out enough pine to make the tube.

Drew out the outline on the work table and cut the pine to match. The parts are bonded together with bondo and then the main portion is plit down the center so there will be a left and a right. Then sanding and blending the turns so the airfow is not hampered.

I know this is more work than most guys do for one or two parts, but you will get the lightest part doing it this way. Also, I now have a mould for any future project that needs a similar thrust tube.

[Dutkoski]

The mould has been sawn in half, roughly sanded and first layer of bondo applied. Even with just the first coat on, you can see how the tubes are blending smooth.

By the end of the evening, I should have a pair of moulds.

[pogo]

Looks good, John. I made a pipe(s) for the F-18 using the lost foam method, which of course can't be replicated.
Have you got a comment on my post above requesting a kit (of the 90mm version)?
Tom

[Dutkoski]

There isn't enough depth in the fuselage to fit in a 90 mm, in this foam version. The composite version is a 90 mm and even so, it's a tight fit. There are days I wish I designed the model a couple of scales larger, like 1/14th instead of 1/16th.