Where I'm At

[joecrouse]

Looks like you aughta sand that poor beastie and re cover it.

[WIDDOG]

Looks like you aughta sand that poor beastie and re cover it.

LOL sorry about the looks of the plane. From now on I will only use 1/8 “rubber on a 500 series kits. Also I will work more on how the plane looks.

[Bill Gaylord]

Looks like you aughta sand that poor beastie and re cover it.

Looks like it took a few hits from several P40s, F4Fs, F4Us, F6Fs, and P38s simultaneously.

[WIDDOG]

My experimental Zero is now crashed beyond hope of repair. I was testing a motor at two times length @ too much weight and it Kamakisied in from a fairly high altitude. I was going to build another 500 series kit. However, I started to think about how nice those Laser Cut 400 Series kits are. Long story short I’m going to take the big step and go with the 400 Series Zero. I have been reading a really good Thread on this forum about Mass Launch planes. It has definitely sparked a new interest in me. I saw a really nice build on a Zero on this forum. The main reason why I would post is to get building advice and definitely not try to compete with that build or any other build for that matter. I have learned a lot from reading others builds. I’m just an Intermediate level builder/flyer and will post my build as such if I do post the build at all.

[Bill Gaylord]

I watched your video again, and your Zero flew well. Not many people ever get to the point of getting a flight that good out of the 500 series kits. Most of the 500 series builds will never be extremely light either, due to the nose weight needed. I think you'll do really well with the 400 series Zero, as the plane is a good flyer from my experience, although it's an rc version and not ff. You also have settings and trimming experience with the smaller Zero that will transfer over to the larger version. Done again, my only afterthought with the Zero would be to spend the time to build lighter tail feathers to reduce or eliminate ballast. I've been recutting tail feather parts from contest grade wood for these kits in recent times.

I agree with what Dave says, in posting your work. It's not a contest, and there's no reason to worry about what other people think. I'm not even much of a fan of contests to begin with, as they always seem to be "clique oriented", right down to the voting results. Your posting of videos makes the contributions all the more useful. If I were to build a 500 series Zero for FF, I would have wanted to look at your settings. Just getting level flight is more difficult than some think, and after seeing yours fly, the incidence and thrust settings would be a good reference point.

[WIDDOG]

Thanks Bill for the very interesting post. I especially liked your views on contests. I have been following all the Threads on this forum closely. I found one Thread about Mass Launch contests. I think the Mass Launch is a perfect fit for me. I never been in a Mass Launch contest but it seems to me that the other modelers would want “All” the models to do well for the benefit of the over all appearance of the event. Although I never really got my 500 Series Zero “Set Up” my experiments seems it indicate that a 6 inch Peck Polymer propeller trimmed down to 5 ½ inches and 1/8 inch rubber x two loops ( 4 strands). Incidence.. I built and fit the parts per the instruction sheet. I think I will build another one and start with the above “Set Up”. I have started building a Guillow’s Corsair (copyrighted 1954) it has a 24 inch wing span I reduced the plans to a 16 ½ inch wing span. . I don’t know it seems kind of fragile compared to the Zero. Also the Corsair seems a bit more of a challenging build than then the Zero was. I may have to put the Corsair on hold and build a new Zero.