Will they never stop?!?

You can buy small sheets of styrene at most hobby & crafts stores, or look around house. Styrene glues up nice and its easy to work with.

batjac wrote:As soon as I think I get a handle on my building list, something else pops up and throws my order all to hell.  I just got a PM from Keith Morgan over on Stunt Hanger asking me to take a look at his Cox PT-19 copy to see if it could be included in the 2nd Annual ICPT19FIIYGI Day.  Now I gotta build one of THESE babies….  The thread is here: http://stunthanger.com/smf/index.php/topic,37584.0.html

It is made of coroplast, and is the same size and dimensions as the Cox PT-19.  And a couple of ounces lighter.  Looks pretty good, too.  I’ll have to see if I can find blue and yellow coroplast.  Or maybe some red and white.  Or both.  Maybe enough to build three planes.  One Babe Bee, one Product  Engine, and one Medallion.  And then a camera plane version.  And then…

Here is Keith’s picture of his prototypes with an original Cox PT.


The “Where’d My Signboards Go?” Mark

I had thought about building one a while back, just never got to it... that's awesome, I'll have to build one now

Thanks Mark

Yes, perhaps a plastic graft would be better. Coincidently this morning while I was working on this:



the end broke off my cheap Harbor Freight box cutter. That color looks familiar I thought.



and so it does. Almost a perfect color match. Lots of curves and angles too. I ought to be able to fashion something out of it that would fit and blend right in.

That Skyraider is gonna be NICE, looks like you can get'er back to 100% mint!

I also use the brush on plastic cement, its the clear, watery stuff as well as good o'l Testors, depending on what needs to be done. The stuff in the bottle really softens up the plastic, so you can almost weld it together, the Testors stuff actually has a slight gap filling ability. I'll sometimes soften up the two surfaces that are to be mated together with the liquid stuff, then apply a little Testors if I need a really strong bond and not concerned about looks.

rsv1cox wrote:



Almost a perfect color match.  Lots of curves and angles too.  I ought to be able to fashion something out of it that would fit and blend right in.  

Bob, It may be a good idea to file two notches in the bottom-rear of the fuse; directly in-line (vertically) with the rubber-band tabs on the rudder-fin. Your homemade tailskid would probably keep the band(s) from slipping-off.. but if the bond breaks for the tailskid.. the rubber-bands could slip off the back.

(Love that Skyraider!!)

Thanks for the comments on the Skyraider.  The interior of the fuselage and the engine are clean, I doubt if it's ever been ran.  

Unlike Mark's Skyraider the side decals ran right through the center line so I had to sacrifice them to separate the two halfs otherwise I might have just surface cleaned it and left as is.

But me being me, I dug into it.  I thought I could just heat those paper pressure decals with a hair dryer and pull them off.  Not so.  I used Windex and a cloth to get most of the adhesive off after stripping the paper.  

But this left the unexposed lighter plastic which indicates the original finish.  I would like to get back to that finish from the yellowed surface of the rest of the plane, but nothing seems to touch it.  Maybe a session in the dishwasher would work?  

Good idea about notches roddie, but I used 1/2" brass screws through the fuse coming in from both sides on the other PT skid and it's not going anywhere.  I will probably do a better job on this one, paint it yellow and hope for the best.  But....I' still playing with the idea of using the whole plastic knifes case for a skid angling it backwards and becoming more of a true skid.

Edit add: I thought it would be an easy matter to find replacement decals for the PT, but it isn't. I found these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/T2-Original-Decals-for-Guillow-s-803-Stearman-PT-17-Model-Airplane-Kit-/111569873798?ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

for the PT-17 but at 2 7/8" they are to large at a 28" wingspan. But, oh would I like to build one to fit.......

if you want to make some I have full size copies I can send you and you can download and print, but the guy on eBay sells them, he might not have a set listed. Search eBay for Cox decals and contact seller.

p.s. I just looked and I don't see any repro decals...and the decals are an adobe file?


https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/049Collectors/files

send me an email: aerohusker1@msn.com and I can send the decal file to you.

Thanks Mark, I snagged it off your website and will run some decals.

I won't be able to use that plastic piece from the HF box cutter, I just couldn't get a proper fit. So I sandwiched some balsa pieces over the plastic and will sand to fit. This way I don't have to lose any fuselage plastic and compromise the structures strength.

Back in the late 1970's when I was stationed at the Naval Air Test Center in Patuxent River there were a couple of Navy test pilots that lived on my street. They used to watch my son and me fly balsa C/L models.

Before long they were out there with a brand new Cox PT-19 attempting to get it airborne. It was entertaining to watch these accomplished test pilots struggle with that little airplane. Crash after crash, but they never gave up and finally learned to fly.

I picked their brains about Naval Aviation as they knew it. They were instrumental in the development of the F/A-18 but most interesting when they shared experiences with the A-4 which they referred to as the Scooter and the F-4 Phantom which they both agreed was a dog to fly.

My Uncle (he's given me a lot of C/L model stuff) was a USAF mechanic in the late 60's early 70's. He worked on F4j's. He later attended East Coast Aero Tech. and then went to work for Sikorsky. He's my mom's brother.. and would fly C/L frequently at HAFB in New Mexico when stationed there, and also flew with his dad, my dad and a bunch of other guys back in the early 60's. Being born in 1960; I was just a little quirt.. but I remember them flying their models.. and trips to the LHS. I remember a group of us going once.. and my uncle spotted a good size balsa kit on the shelf.. and saying "Wow!.. a Mauler"!!! 45+ years ago.. and I remember it like it was yesterday.

I'm guessing it was probably this kit that's on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/J-Roberts-Martin-AM-1-Mauler-Control-Line-Balsa-Model-Airplane-Kit-Rare-/231444260687

We have at least one "Navy Carrier" modeler here on the forum.. but I can't remember who. I have a NIB J. Roberts Flight-Control 3-line handle.. and I had the bellcrank made for it.. but that's been MIA.

On the decals.. Some options are scaling an image to size and having them laser-printed on adhesive-backed shipping-label paper. You can obtain full-sheet labels in white or clear, matte or gloss. I laser-printed images to matte-clear for my Bearcat model and sealed them with TF Lustre-Kote crystal-clear. There hasn't been any evidence of "bleeding" at all. Graphics really make a model "pop"!

I'm embarressed to say that with 20 years in the Navy I never heard of the Mauler. I should have as the "smaller and simpler" AD Skyraider (my old squadron) replaced it.

Looks like a nice kit. Large C/L model ought to really tug on the lines.

Making pressure sensitive decals makes sense. I have an ink jet printer, might not look as nice.

Almost done with the PT-19. I still need to attach the tail skid and assemble then wait for spring or at least a warm day.

As mentioned, I sandwiched two pieces of balsa over what was left of the PT-19's plastic and finished with filler and Testors blue enamel. I may second coat it with blue mixed with a little white to lighten it up a bit.





I made the skid out of poplar and formed a heavy duty paper clip around it (see pliers) and secured it with epoxy then painted with Testors yellow enamel.



I will use plastic glue to glue it in place then secure with a couple of wood screws.

Nice work Bob! Yes.. that's the same rotary tool kit that I have. (we know a bargain when we see it!)

I bent-up another landing-gear for my PT-19 having slightly longer legs and slightly larger wheels.



The wheels are Sig 1/2A type, which are fairly lightweight and also more aerodynamic.. having a symmetrical profile vs. the one's that came with my model, which have an open backside. The combination of larger wheels (1.375" vs. the stock 1.187" dia.) combined with longer gear-legs made the airplane much easier to R.O.G. on short grass. The wheels roll better.. and the whole arrangement pitches the nose up 1" for more lift. I used 1/16" music-wire and matched/formed the radius of the stock gear-wire to fit into the firewall notches.

I might need to go to larger wheels too roddie, I think I have the tail skid about one quarter inch to long.  This later model? does not have the rubber band tabs on the fuselage like my other one,  these just connect the wing tabs and go over the fuse unlike the earlier style that gives you the options of either, or, or both.  





I copied your music wire leadouts but added swivels.  It might add to much weight, but we shall see.  Anyway, it's finished.  Now to connect the fuel line, solder the music wire twists, gas up, flip and.....

I'm working on trying to replicate new plastic PT-19's. I made a wing mold but the plastic I am using is too brittle to withstand a hard impact. So I am currently looking for a better material. I'll post back once I have better luck.

Shawn