Scale RCM 1/3 Scale Champ Build

TonyHallo said:

What's the target from your Aeronca Bill?

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Probably not until early spring 2025. Hoping to get the windshield vacu-formed in the next couple of weeks. the plug for the nose bowl is almost done. 1 more coat of primer and then fill and sand. The goal is to get paint on everything before Mike goes to FLA for the winter (I'm using his dedicated paint room).

TonyHallo said:

Thanks Bill. I believe the Fall Classic will be in Muncie next year.

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If that's the case, I might be judging instead of flying.

Nice I hope you get it done for next season.

GorillaToast said:

Not nearly as potentially costly, but I was flying my Carbon Cub today and noticed that on the 2nd flight it was very touchy. Landed and saw that I still had the rates set on high from making the turn while taxiing. I never fly on high rates! Aging sucks!!

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I actually switched to high rates landings in the last 2 years or 2. A better pilot recommended it and it stuck with me.l

Doing a little work on the Champ to get ready for upcoming contests. Pulled out the static judging sheets from last year's Fall Classic. Lost 10 point on the craftsmanship section of the judging because of two things that I was aware of. First thing were the wing fairings, when built the fairings over lapped the wings, bent both sides while loading the plane in the van the first time, these were cut off flush with the fuselage so I'm making new ones. I got this idea at another scale contest last year from I believe Gorilla Toast, going to make plywood filler ribs that will used while transporting to prevent bending. The second item was the trim tab, it was built per the plans but it didn't match the three view, the plans showed a straight angled end near the rudder while the three view shows it rounded. In the craftsmanship section each item is worth 5 points, I spoke with the judge during the contest to get clarity and he was almost apologetic about deducing 10 points. At any rate the tab was removed, covering removed and the end was rounded to match the three view. It is now covered awaiting paint.
In the outline section of judging, lost 1 1/2 points. 1/2 point for the left aileron, aftering studying the aileron, I believe the defect is the inner gap between the aileron and wing trailing edge is tapered, I suspect some of the problem is due to build up of the covering near the tailing edge. Where the aileron is thicker, you end up a layer of fabric and a layer of pinking tape, where at the trailing edge you end up with the bottom fabric, overlapped by the top fabric and the bottom pinking tape overlapped by the top tape. of course this is compounded because both the wing and aileron are cover in the same manner. Plan to cut a few layers of the pinking tape near the trailing edge. Lost 1/2 point of the tail group, comment states "Stab to Fuse". I don't see any problem and I can't change it anyway without recovering the stab, maybe the judge will miss it! Finally lost 1/2 point on the landing gear section, after review I believe the defect is the lack of brake parts on the landing gear, the three view shows backing plates in drum protruding inward. Ordered 1 foot of 2" Delrin to make those parts.
Finally lost 1/2 point in the Finish, color and markings section. This was due to the Aeronca emblem offset toward the tail post, I did this to avoid having the emblem painted over pinking tape, a cut vinyl would solve the problem but I don't think one could match the 7AC orange color, it's rather unique so this will remain.
I would be quite happy with a 99 however I suspect the judges will keep looking until something else is found! I remember many years ago a work mate explaining how he got the boss to approve an order, he made an obvious mistake that the boss found so he was happy and approved the revised order!
The Champ build lives on!

Finished making the fairings, etched and primed. The trim tab is also primed ready for color.


Trimmed away the overlapping fabric at the trailing edge of the wing, upon inspection the outer edge of the left wing and both edges on the right wing had the same defect although not to the extent that left inner did. These were all trimmed. Photos were taken at 15' the distance the judges table is away from the subject plane.
The Delrin arrived and started whittling out the brake parts.

Flew the Champ twice this year after making the above corrections. The trim tab was a little off and I didn't like the level flight setting, flew too fast. Before vacation the trim tab was adjusted and the level flight was set to a higher angle off attack. Came home Thursday after being away for two weeks. My grandson had a baseball game yesterday at 1400 and the field was halfway to the Indiana Flyers Club field. Finished installing the Advanced Radio FOD switch and loaded out. Off to the field after the game.
Put the plane together and start up went as expected, stabilizer off, gain set to zero, all surfaces working, this was going to be a trim flight, land and reset the stabilizer trim. Taxi out, line up, avance the throttle, correct with rudder, tail up, lift off, straight flight out, lost control of the elevator and ailerons, didn't time to check the rudder because pitch was was main concern at this point, reduced the throttle on the way down and had audible feedback that it went to idle.
I suspect the stabilizer failed in some fashion because the all the fight surface controls go though the stabilizer, I still had throttle control



Don't know what will happen, suspect it will be trashed. Took a while to work out the bugs and learn effect use of rudder, but I learned to love it. Flew it last year in three scale contests, one first place in novice class (My first contest), two second places, one in ProAM and one in 512.

TonyHallo said:

Flew the Champ twice this year after making the above corrections. The trim tab was a little off and I didn't like the level flight setting, flew too fast. Before vacation the trim tab was adjusted and the level flight was set to a higher angle off attack. Came home Thursday after being away for two weeks. My grandson had a baseball game yesterday at 1400 and the field was halfway to the Indiana Flyers Club field. Finished installing the Advanced Radio FOD switch and loaded out. Off to the field after the game.
Put the plane together and start up went as expected, stabilizer off, gain set to zero, all surfaces working, this was going to be a trim flight, land and reset the stabilizer trim. Taxi out, line up, avance the throttle, correct with rudder, tail up, lift off, straight flight out, lost control of the elevator and ailerons, didn't time to check the rudder because pitch was was main concern at this point, reduced the throttle on the way down and had audible feedback that it went to idle.
I suspect the stabilizer failed in some fashion because the all the fight surface controls go though the stabilizer, I still had throttle control

View attachment 123946

Don't know what will happen, suspect it will be trashed. Took a while to work out the bugs and learn effect use of rudder, but I learned to love it. Flew it last year in three scale contests, one first place in novice class (My first contest), two second places, one in ProAM and one in 512.

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Dammit man. Hate to see that.

TonyHallo said:

Flew the Champ twice this year after making the above corrections. The trim tab was a little off and I didn't like the level flight setting, flew too fast. Before vacation the trim tab was adjusted and the level flight was set to a higher angle off attack. Came home Thursday after being away for two weeks. My grandson had a baseball game yesterday at 1400 and the field was halfway to the Indiana Flyers Club field. Finished installing the Advanced Radio FOD switch and loaded out. Off to the field after the game.
Put the plane together and start up went as expected, stabilizer off, gain set to zero, all surfaces working, this was going to be a trim flight, land and reset the stabilizer trim. Taxi out, line up, avance the throttle, correct with rudder, tail up, lift off, straight flight out, lost control of the elevator and ailerons, didn't time to check the rudder because pitch was was main concern at this point, reduced the throttle on the way down and had audible feedback that it went to idle.
I suspect the stabilizer failed in some fashion because the all the fight surface controls go though the stabilizer, I still had throttle control

View attachment 123946

Don't know what will happen, suspect it will be trashed. Took a while to work out the bugs and learn effect use of rudder, but I learned to love it. Flew it last year in three scale contests, one first place in novice class (My first contest), two second places, one in ProAM and one in 512.

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SORRY to see that, put it away for a while and then have another look at the plane and decide. Just hate to see that.

Need to study the wings to see if they can be salvaged. The only good part of the fuselage is the back which I would change anyway. Used too much spruce back there.