14" span Pitts biplane- go big or go home!! Frank's Covid build #5

[pmackenzie]

You left out step 7 - clean the black and red paint from your finger tips

[Andy Hoffer]

Excellent point @pmackenzie !

@Frank v B is so lucky to have so many folks looking out after his better interests! 

Andy

[Frank v B]

Pat,

Good thing it was not pink! 

Getting to the finish line:
- picked the wheels from the internet (Photo 38) and shrank the appropriate one to 1" diameter.  Glued it to the balsa wheels: (photo 40, special focus on the background for Andy to analyze).
- adding the rear skid/tail wheel and the pushrods (photo 43).  Note the plywood horns.  The skid was glued into a 1.5" piece of small aluminum tubing that went through the stab.
The pushrods are small piano wire the diameter of a dress maker's pin sliding inside an aluminum tube.  The tubing is just to eliminate flex of the thin wire.

The only thing left- to answer Guy's question of the trim stuff (flames, feathers, stripes, etc.).  Stay tuned.

Frank

[Frank v B]

FLIGHT READY!!!

Photos of the final flight-ready plane.... before the trim decision.

14" span, 2.8 oz ready to fly!!

Frank

ps: Chris O'riley, the designer of this Pitts also designed a TigerMoth which could have been the one I Pat MacKenzie fly when indoor was in its infancy.  I saw it fly in an Oakville gym.
http://www.chris3d.com/files/micromoth.pdf

[GuyOReilly]

@Frank v B Your Pitts Looks absolutely AMAZING!
So small and yet unmistakably a Pitts.
Great Job, looking for Maiden Flight.
 

[Andy Hoffer]

Beautiful @Frank v B !

I love the close and flush fit of the cowling around the motor bell.

Super job on the "photo-finish" wheels. 

Photo 3440 was very well executed.  It left no doubt as to the subject of the image, yet still conveyed the ethereal environment whence came the Micro-Pitts.

And photo 3444 shows perfect landing attitude!!  (I like the big control knob on your watch!)

Bravo!

Andy

[pmackenzie]

ps: Chris O'riley, the designer of this Pitts also designed a TigerMoth which could have been the one I Pat MacKenzie fly when indoor was in its infancy.  I saw it fly in an Oakville gym.
http://www.chris3d.com/files/micromoth.pdf

Yep, my old micro Moth was his other design.
Still have it, but it needs some TLC. I have thought about doing a brushless outrunner upgrade, never liked the gear box noise.
And of course it has an old 72 mhz RFFS actuator rcvr, which if I recall only worked with Futaba. I don't have one of those anymore. JR I have, but no Futaba.
I bought a Spektrum compatible Deltang actuator rcvr a while back, so I could stick with the actuators. They worked just fine and are very light.
Might post some images......

[msatin]

Very nice indeed Frank!

[Andy Hoffer]

Bonus photos!

I know it's a long way to Halloween, but....

#5625 - The spectre of spring balsa planting waiting to emerge from his chrysalis!

#5627 - At first glance this is a mobile precision gull dropping target, but in fact it is just @Frank v B 's spray paint test platform.  With sufficient use this morphs into two fully formed monocoque stressed-skin fuselages, ready for wings! 

Andy

[Frank v B]

See, Mark is nice to me and.....Andy is just Andy.

To answer Guy's issue about decorative issues: Stripey things.  Yes, artistic versions of directional arrows.... this way you idiot!
Will have to do something about the colour of the prop*.

Frank

* these GWS props are best for these small motors but hard to get.  Went to HobbyHobby and found 4 of them.  Bought them all.  Good to see Tom B. again.  We have known each other for over 30 years (same flying club).

[Andy Hoffer]

@Frank v B

You are getting perilously close to making your Pitts too beautiful to fly.  Gravitational forces increase exponentially with the aesthetic appeal, starting with an exponent of 2 for a great paint job, and increasing by one integer value with each subsequent increase in trim decoration!

Andy

[Frank v B]

Andy,

Are you OK??  That is getting awfully close to a compliment. 
Go get tested please. 

Frank

[Andy Hoffer]

Andy,

Are you OK??  That is getting awfully close to a compliment. 
Go get tested please. 

Frank

Thanks @Frank v B

I'll bet it's that darned Dutch variant of COVID-19.  I'm pretty sure I know where I picked it up!! 

"Scheveningen!" (Oops. Pardon me.  It just slipped out.  Doesn't leave much room for doubt.  I guess I'll have to do a 14-day quarantine in the Polders.)

Andy

[GuyOReilly]

@Frank v B these stripes just set the Pitts apart.  It was beautiful, now it is gorgeous!!