Top Flite SE5A - 50 year old (partially built) kit

[Michael]

Last year I was 'gifted' a vintage Top Flite kit of an SE5A biplane. I would guess that this kit is from the 1970s. Most main parts have been well-built. However, there is a 'ton' more work to do, and a lot of customization for modern equipment and an electric power system.

I was lucky that in the kit box were separately purchased scale wheels and machine guns. There was also an older (maybe 15 - 20 years old) Axi 2826-12 electric brushless motor, an speed control (without label), and a more modern Spektrum receiver. I will test the electric components before using them.

The instruction booklet has no photos, and only a few line drawings. The back cover shows other model kits for sale, the most expensive being under $40., for a 60-size pattern plane.

After many months, I finally decided to attempt to finish this model.

[Michael]

After looking at the parts and planning how to proceed, the first thing I did was modify the front fuselage to make space for a battery pack, and fashion a firewall to install the motor.

The motor should turn a 14/6 propeller on a 4-cell lithium polymer battery pack. I think this will provide ample power to fly this plane (53" wingspan), based on my experience with other models of this size. I have no idea what the completed model will weigh.

[Frank v B]

Michael,
Neat project.  Designed by Mr. Scale.... Dave Platt.
Will check some old magazines to track back its history.
Judging from the packaging and price it has to be from the '70's.
Keep the post going.  There sure is still a ton of work to be done.

Frank

FURTHER THOUGHTS:
- re: what the finished product will weigh?  Roughly 1 pound less than the IC equivalent.  Caution on short-nosed WW1 models.  They tend to come out tail heavy on conversion.
- this model appears to be from the late '60's to about 1970.
- here are photos from the 1973 (Canadian) Academy Products Catalogue.  It is shows this model priced equally to the KwikFli III.  At that time Canadian prices were almost double the published US prices because of the value of the dollar and import duties*.
- caution: It is Top Flite kit number 13.  (from Wikipedia "Fear of the number 13 has a specifically recognized phobia, triskaidekaphobia, a word first recorded in 1911. The superstitious sufferers of triskaidekaphobia try to avoid bad luck by keeping away from anything numbered or labelled thirteen). Bring it on!

Frank

* my first RC model in 1966 was the Goldberg 1/2A Skylane.  The price in Canada was $9.95.  In the US it was $5.95.

[Michael]

The instructions that come with the kit, written by Platt, indicate that the longer nose on this biplane basically makes a tail-heavy model improbable.

Anyway, it is fun to work on an older kit.

So far, I have spent several days working on the main landing gear. I'll post photos when I've achieved some more progress.

[Michael]

The pre-bent landing gear wires are attached (screws and a metal clips) to plywood; the front wire to a wood plate that fits into a slot in the fuselage, and the rear to the rear of the bottom wing. A small part of the fuselage bottom is built onto the landing gear, and when the bottom wing is screwed onto the fuselage, the landing gear is held tight. The bottom wing can be removed if necessary, but it'll be difficult, especially when attached to rigging and struts. I'll likely build a hatch in this area, to get to radio components.

The wires are glued to metal plates that hold the wire axle. I felt that this was not strong enough to withstand harder landings, so I braced the area with carbon-fiber tape and epoxy.

Die cut wood parts are glued to the assembly, and then sandwiched with more balsa. These landing gear struts will be sanded to an airfoil shape.

I cut and shaped the hardwood axle-fairing, and test fit it with the wire axle.

This was many hours of work, but it was fun and rewarding.

[sihinch]

I really can't wait to see this, Michael. Bravo

[octagon]

I have a Royal SE5 about the same scale and size. Should be fun to fly them together.

[Michael]

I started working on the lower wing. While mostly built, the ailerons were not yet constructed, so I built them.

The plans show a system of rods and bell-cranks to move the ailerons, with a servo in the center wing, but no holes had been drilled or cut out of the ribs. I'll have to do that carefully with the assembled wing. The wing airfoil is quite thin, but for simplicity sake, I may install a small servo in each wing for the ailerons. I'm thinking/planning what to do.

[Michael]

I've decided to skip the original aileron bell-crank control system, and go with a small servo in each lower wing panel.

I cut holes in each rib for the servo extension wires, and used balsa as a base onto which the servo will sit on its side. I cut and glued balsa bits onto that base to hold the servo in place, and then used thin plywood (1/64th inch) as a cover which also holds the servo firmly in place.

[GuyOReilly]

Looks fantastic!  Them be thin ribs. 

[Michael]

Lower wing ailerons sanded, fitted and temporarily hinged, and control horns cut to shape.

Tail parts sanded, fitted and temporarily hinged, and pinned in place.

I'll work on the servo-tail linkages next.

[Frank v B]

Love the wooden structure. 
It so needs fabric covering (Solartex) but it is no longer made.
Worth sending 5-6 members out to the 905 Swap Meet and buy up any available before anybody else can even look at it.

Frank

[Michael]

I have 2 large rolls of matte-fabric covering; one olive drab and one natural white (matte green and off-white).

[Michael]

The tail has been temporarily mounted, and the 'flippy' parts have been hinged. I used the old method of using wire, wood stick, thread and glue to make the pushrods; this has worked well for me in the past. This was all simple work, but took several hours to make sure everything fit just right.

I wanted to make a steerable tail wheel, but I think I'll stick with a wire skid, which is scale. I've seen a few photos of full size SE5A biplanes with a wheel at the back, but I think these are more recently refurbished planes.

[Michael]

The tail control horns are made of wood, and were already installed/glued on.

I'll probably put a fake/non-functioning pushrod on the other side of the rudder, just to look more scale.