Mike's Reed Speed 2 Bearcat build thread...

[Mike Mulligan]

Well, I guess since its almost ready to paint at this point, this is more like a "built" thread, but I figured I'd post the pics here rather than clog up the Reed Speed discussion thread.

When I found out about the Reed Speed contest, I got really excited about it and decided I had to build a plane (or two). Roddie's Rare Bear inspired me to build the "other" highly modified Bearcat racer, Darryl Greenamyer's Conquest 1. I'm a Bearcat fan in general, and Conquest has always been one of my favorite racers, so it was a natural.




I didn't really measure anything, just sort of eyeball scaled the thing. Did a few sketches then made patterns and cut out the big pieces. The fuse is 1/4" balsa, the tail is 3/32" balsa, the wing is 3/16" balsa and the stab is 3/32" bass.




Most of my planes are full size stunters; This thing is TINY!

This thing has been a lot of fun so far and I hope you don't mind me sharing. I have a bunch more pictures and I'll get them posted as time allows.

Cheers!

Mike

[duke.johnson]

Looks great.

[JPvelo]

Mike,
What are planning on using as far as your engine setup?

Jim

[Mike Mulligan]

Mike,
What are planning on using as far as your engine setup?

Jim

After reading through the various threads, I've got a Killer Bee back plate with a Killer Bee crank and a TD piston, cylinder and head. I get the feeling that this is sort of the 'minimum' setup to be anything like competitive.

I'd like to play around a bit and try a pressure bladder, so I'll probably get a second back plate to drill out and install the fine thread needle.

I'm WAY behind the power curve when it comes to hot rodding these engines and have a lot to learn. There seem to be an almost infinite number of head/plug variations available, for example. We'll see what time and budgets allow, I suppose.

[JPvelo]

Mike,
Have you read through this:
https://www.coxengineforum.com/t753-the-revised-2011-gibeault-mouse-race-program
There is a lot in there about tanked bees that doesn't apply to backplate motors. There's also a lot about prepping the crank/case/piston/cylinder that is extremely helpfull.

This seems to be the best glow head, the Nelson by Doug Galbreath:
http://www.the-printer.net/DookCat.html#head

Also,
Prop choice is CRITICAL!

Jim

[Mike Mulligan]

Mike,
Have you read through this:
https://www.coxengineforum.com/t753-the-revised-2011-gibeault-mouse-race-program
There is a lot in there about tanked bees that doesn't apply to backplate motors. There's also a lot about prepping the crank/case/piston/cylinder that is extremely helpfull.

This seems to be the best glow head, the Nelson by Doug Galbreath:
http://www.the-printer.net/DookCat.html#head

Also,
Prop choice is CRITICAL!

Jim

Thanks for all of the tips, Jim. Very much appreciated.

I have Paul Gibeaut's article saved. That is really a wealth of info and I was going to use it as the blueprint for prepping my motors. The cylinder heads were another matter altogether. When I saw what was available these days I was amazed. I was also slightly afraid I would end up trying them all at some point! I really appreciate the tip.

Thanks again!

Mike

[Mike Mulligan]

A few more pics and a secret revealed...

Here are a few shots of the motor mount and how it is installed. One thing I wanted to try was to have a plenum for feeding air to the venturi. The pics show what I came up with. It may just be an exercise in over complicating something as simple as a 1/2A profile CL plane, but it was fun to do.  

The motor mount is made from 3/32" basswood with 1/64" ply skins. I put some .3 oz. carbon veil in between the layers as well. It made me feel like I was doing something high tech!



There will be an o-ring to seal the venturi to the motor mount.


The motor mount glued into the fuse. The slot in the nose ring is the air inlet. You can see where this is going...



The bottom of the intake is also the floor of the 'engine room'...




The sides and rear bulkhead enclose the air intake, the engine area, and strengthens the motor mount.




The cowl skin encloses the whole thing. There is a piece of carbon tube that the needle goes through so there are no air leaks.




I doubt there will be much of a performance advantage, but it can't hurt and makes it look like I'm up to somethin'.

Next up is the stab and elevator, and yet another attempt to over-engineer a simple little model...

[Theo Kleynhans]

This is impressive Mike!!

WOW man! You have really thought this through.

Beautiful Mike.

Theo

[RknRusty]

Yeah Theo, I think Mike's bringing the race to us this time. I'm going to refit the Mustang and hopefully squeeze some more speed out of it. I don't think it'll be quite as easy to bring home the Gold this go-round. Technically that would be the Silver for me, since Jim recused himself from prize contention as the sponsor. I think he should qualify this time. Anybody second that motion?
Rusty

[Mike Mulligan]

I absolutely agree 100% Rusty, Jim needs to run for the prize this time.

Thanks so much for the kind words, guys...

[Cribbs74]

I agree. No problems here.

Nice work Mike.

[batjac]

Me three. I see no reason for him not to compete. He's not the one doing the judging, so no conflict as far as I'm concerned.

Great job on the Bearcat. I'm duly impressed.

The Non-Judgemental Mark

[roddie]

"Me four".. I'm for Jim competing this time too! Mike, your Bearcat is "over the top" high tech! I LOVE it!!

[RknRusty]

The Ayes have it. Jim competes for the prizes this time around.
Rusty

[JPvelo]

Thanks guys,
No prizes this time but I'm  happy to compete for bragging rights. I have a feeling from what I'm seeing competition is stepped up across the board for this one!

Jim

[Cribbs74]

Yeah, it's been stepped up.

I wonder if we could solicit for prize donations from Stunthangar or Stuka Stunt.

We have been beating up Bernie and Matt pretty bad. I would be happy to be prize coordinator.

[JPvelo]

Ron,
Pm sent

[ian1954]

I have been studying profile models and this is another very fine example of altering the slab sided to create a pleasing (to the eye) shape.

I think the front end on this bearcat is very neat and well executed.

[Mike Mulligan]

I found this vid of Daryll Greenamyer's 1969 world speed record in Conquest 1. Some pretty cool shots and some interesting insight into what goes in to building and flying one of these modified racers.

[Mike Mulligan]

And now, our next installment in "Mike's Guide to Over-Complicating the World's Simplest Model Airplane"...  

The stab and elevator are made from 3/32" basswood. I had always planned to use a single elevator for simplicity and drag reduction reasons, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to hinge the thing.

I thought about cloth hinges, sewing the elevator on and using those flexible plastic hinges, but I tend to get a bit OCD over things some times and each of those had some issue that bugged me a little. Most were very practical issues like appearance... (I can be quite shallow, at times.   )

What I came up with was a lot of extra work, but like the rest of this thing, it was pretty fun to do and came out looking pretty cool, I think!

Essentially, it's a piano hinge made from aluminum tubing. The mating edge of the stab and elevator were 'notched' with a round file and 3/32" tubing glued in alternate places. The hinge pin is 1/16" aluminum tubing. It took quite a bit of fiddling to get it all to go together and function properly, but in the end it made for a pretty free swinging elevator.

The elevator horn is made from two pieces of 1/64 plywood laminated cross grain and glued to the inner edge of the elevator.

I think it will be tough to keep paint out of it, but with some grease in the hinge and some careful masking I think I can get away with it!

Pics...

[OVERLORD]

Very nice precision work, Mike, I love it!!

Lieven

[Mike Mulligan]

Thank very much Lieven! I must say that I found your Caudron to be quite inspiring. Very nice work.

Is that a Tatra in your avatar?

[batjac]

What I came up with was a lot of extra work, but like the rest of this thing, it was pretty fun to do and came out looking pretty cool, I think!



I think it will be tough to keep paint out of it, but with some grease in the hinge and some careful masking I think I can get away with it!

Awesome concept. Even better execution. I love it. As for painting, I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you have some scrap wire, or maybe some toothpicks, you could put them flush in the hinge tube while painting and then just push them through when you're done. The only hard part would be the one hinge tube flush against the stab. But I'm sure you could work that one out.

The Worry-Free Mark

[Theo Kleynhans]

Impressive hinging idea Mike.

Your plane is looking stunning.

I will have to finalise on a plane and get started.

Theo

[OVERLORD]

Thank very much Lieven! I must say that I found your Caudron to be quite inspiring. Very nice work.

Is that a Tatra in your avatar?

Yes Mike, That is a Tatra T77.

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