[Trumpetman]

I've got some free time before I start a big IMAC build for a friend of mine (Carden? Dalton? CARF?) So I've been working at clearing up my hanger. I've had an old damaged 42% Ultimate sitting in the garage for about 3 years and I've decided its time to get this thing in shape. It was given to me after it suffered a midair collision. The top wing was repaired and reinforced by a local guy with fiberglass and I probably could have just sanded down the repair and recovered the affected area. The fuselage was in pretty good shape with only the firewall and cowl being damaged. As I thought about it I became more concerned about potential hidden damage so it is going to get a complete stripdown, rebuild and recover.

Oh, I'm also going to bash it into a Pitts model 12

[Trumpetman]

The Pitts model 12 was designed around the great big Russian radial engine and kind of looks like a Suk with two wings! It turns out that I did not sell my Supercub 2 weeks ago --- I traded it (along with a few dollars!) for a nice Moki 215

I've been losing sleep over trying to decide what airframe I wanted to build for this motor. A few nights ago I was surfing through pictures of big Moki powered models when I came across the Jtek 41% Trueworthy Pitts model 12. The big Ultimate is now going to transform into a standoff (way off) scale Pitts model 12. Nobody is going to care what it looks like once the hear the music the big Moki cranks out!

I plan on reshaping the rudder and the horizontal stab./elevator along with adding formers and sheeting to fair the fuselage into a nice big 15" diameter cowl on order from Fiberglass Specialties. I'll leave the wings alone (other than repairing and recovering). By rebuilding this plane I'll have a nice airframe to fly at events next summer and I'll be able to take my time and decide on what I really want to build for this motor.

[Trumpetman]

While I wait for the fiberglass cowl to arrive I've started to work on the wings. The top wing was obviously most damaged in the midair so I'm starting with it first. I stripped off the covering (this was not fun) and cut the ailerons off using a dremel cutoff wheel.


The Robart pin hinges were melted out of the sockets with a soldering iron. I've filled those holes and I'll drill new holes for new hinges. I'm going with only one servo per aileron. This plane was designed at a time when 150 ounce/inch servos were the special big torque models! One 500 to 600 ounce/inch HV JR servo ought to do just fine.

I'll need to do lots of sanding and filling but a couple of nights should get the top wing done.

BTW, I felt I had much better control of the project as soon as that giant Futaba sticker came off

[TBrum]

Nice Gordon . Excited to see this come together!! Awesome choice of motor

And great thinking to remove that sticker, LOL

[Ulti128]

Super Gordon!
Go! Go! Go!

Yves

[LEE]

Love rebuilds! This one should be fun and the Ultimate frame with a round cowl should look interesting and have a lot less coupling issues than a Pitts airframe.
I think a nice big orange Futaba sticker on the whole top wing should suffice

[bradleyban]

Gordon whats the original manufacture of that plane??

An Ultimate with a radial??

[Trumpetman]

Originally Posted by bradleyban

Gordon whats the original manufacture of that plane??

An Ultimate with a radial??

Brent could not remember who the manufacturer was. It may have been a prototype for a 3W Ultimate?? The fuselage is put together on an interesting way! Much different than today's approach.

LOL don't worry, when I'm done it won't look like an Ultimate. The rudder on this model is ridiculously oversized and will see a major reshaping....

[Phil202]

I'll be following with very high interest, awesome Gordon!!
Can't wait to see how this turn's out...

[Scrappy]

Sub'd!!!

This should be fun to watch!

Moki =