Building/Flying Kit 904 Skyraider

[WIDDOG]

Wow Howards Skyraider sure does look good. If I can get mine to look half that good I'll be happy. Thanks for the great advice about the Zero. I think I may have to shelf the whole Zero thing for now. After thinking it over I decided it is above my present skill level. Maybe when I get some more experience. I am now 100% in on my Skyraider build though. I was really hooked on the scale flying thing but now I have kind of shifted slightly to flying and looking good. I think this 900 Series is a real good fit for me at the present time.

[WIDDOG]

I could not decide which kit I wanted to build first Kit 901 or kit 904. I ended up ordering both of them.

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this is not my video but it sure is motivating http://youtu.be/kLf3qHvSB7k

[WIDDOG]

Alright my Contest Wood order and re supplies made it here today. So far everything is great as far as the design goes (Elevator seems to be a good size.) . One thing that kind of puzzles me is the instruction's say to use 1/16 inch square Balsa Strips on the elevator and rudder. It is mixing 1/20 inch and 16 sq. on the same part. I have 1/20 inch Balsa Strips so that's what I used.

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[1778ppr]

I’m following this thread because I’m planning on building another 904 Sky Raider. The 904 was the first balsa and tissue plane I completed. It came out heavy because I painted it. I plan to use only tissue and dope next time. It was a fun build and a great kit. The wing attachment point is the weak link on this kit. I plan to build that area of the fuselage up on my next one.

I built up the elevator just like you with the 1/20” parts and 1/16” sticks. I just sanded the sticks down to the 1/20” after the glue set up. I also did the same for the rudder.

Please keep posting pictures. I’m enjoying the thread.

Keep building,
John

[stx44]

I just completed the skyraider as my second model for 30 years.... I had grey and white tissue from the other kit(s) I'd bought.

I used the grey on the upper surfaces, and used white on lower fuselage and wing/tailplane undersides, and split the fin white/grey for the rudder. Its a common colour scheme for the skyraider, and meant I only had to paint a couple of small patches- it came out looking pretty good, all things considered. (kinda modest, I know, but anyways...)

[WIDDOG]

Thanks Gentlemen for the interesting posts. IMO having other modelers post really makes the Thread more interesting. My return to the hobby was also the kit 904 Skyraider. I didn't know a thing about RC, still don't for that matter, but I for some reason I thought I did. Somehow I was going to convert a Skyraider to RC. Long story short I failed of course. I now have a Foamie RC plane and I learned how to fly it. I did learn that really rubber powered free flight was what I liked most. See I like to build models and fly them. Once I fly them I than I like to go on to the next one. I like the fact that rubber power FF hobby actually saves me money. I can go first class all the way in this hobby (Contest Balsa) and it costs like 5 bucks a sheet. Tissue paper is like a buck a pack.

Anyway back to the build.

. The wing attachment point is the weak link on this kit. I plan to build that area of the fuselage up on my next one.

Great point John! Thanks much for posting that info. Maybe a rubber band hold down system?

Also good point I should be thinking about ordering good tissue to cover with. I am thinking about a dark gray Japanese Tissue.

Mitch has gotten me really interested in Mass Launch events. Seems to me that the better everyone does the better for the event. Anyway please keep the good advice coming. It is greatly appreciated.

[WIDDOG]

Thanks Gentlemen for the interesting posts. IMO having other modelers post really makes the Thread more interesting. My return to the hobby was also the kit 904 Skyraider. I didn't know a thing about RC, still don't for that matter, but I for some reason I thought I did. Somehow I was going to convert a Skyraider to RC. Long story short I failed of course. I now have a Foamie RC plane and I learned how to fly it. I did learn that really rubber powered free flight was what I liked most. See I like to build models and fly them. Once I fly them I than I like to go on to the next one. I like the fact that rubber power FF hobby actually saves me money. I can go first class all the way in this hobby (Contest Balsa) and it costs like 5 bucks a sheet. Tissue paper is like a buck a pack.

Anyway back to the build.

. The wing attachment point is the weak link on this kit. I plan to build that area of the fuselage up on my next one.

Great point John! Thanks much for posting that info. Maybe a rubber band hold down system?

Also good point I should be thinking about ordering good tissue to cover with. I am thinking about a dark gray Japanese Tissue.

Mitch has gotten me really interested in Mass Launch events. Seems to me that the better everyone does the better for the event. Anyway please keep the good advice coming. It is greatly appreciated.

[WIDDOG]

Since these kits are not Laser Cut, they are very inexpensive. I bought the Skyraider and Typhoon kits from Guillow's. They where packaged great, shipping fast everything perfect. I am very impressed with them and IMHO for the money they can not be beat. I like to use my own wood and cut the parts out of Contest Balsa. No worries I sometimes use the kit wood as patterns to help me figure out what the part looks like. I acknowledge that the parts are shown clearly on the instruction sheet. Anyway I decided to get the weight grade of the wood. It calculated at 10.58 lbs weight grade. I am using 5 lbs grade wood. Not only is the Contest Balsa lighter it seems better and stronger. Since I don't use the kit wood I don't really want them to raise the price for better wood. Also I hope they don't make these kits Laser Cut.

[WIDDOG]

Even though I'm cutting all the parts out of Contest Balsa, The build is coming along nicely. Actually I don't even mind cutting the parts out of Contest Balsa. I can't say enough good things about the kit. I came "Full Circle" with my thoughts on the 900 Series kits. Now that I'm totally on board with rubber power. I very much like the design of these kits. I have to admit that I'm having a lot of fun with this build.



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[WIDDOG]

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I was looking at Howards picture of his Skyraider. Howard makes this kit a very nice looking model indeed. I don't notice any modifications. It looks like his is built "Straight" as per the instructions. I mean of course his has that really cool LG set up . Since I'm kind of in a hurry to see if I can get mine to fly, I decided to forgo with the LG. Anyway Howards Skyraider is definitely a motivation for my build. BTW my Skyraider is coming along nicely. Since I don't want to wait on a tissue order. I decided to go with white tissue and decals as my finish. Note My decals are dark. I just noticed that Howard must have make the decals on his model. They are different from the kits.

[WIDDOG]

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I use a "Push Stick" to load the rubber motor.Since I like to have a larger accesses opening at the nose. I had to make a modification to the nose cowling. I think it is very simple but effective Modification. Basically the propeller unit fits snuggly into the cowling. Very simple but seems effective so far. If down the road the propeller unit does not want to stay in place I could probably add a wood screw to hold it in place. However, I don't think that will be necessary.

[kittyfritters]

Well, mine was built almost "straight". The nose was modified a little.



The "decals" are actually tissue. The color and markings are of an aircraft that took part in the last Navy war drop of torpedoes in the attack on the gates of the Hwachon dam in Korea in 1951. There is also a small piece of steel on the center line of the fuselage to attach a torpedo with a magnet like the landing gear.

Howard

[WIDDOG]

Hi Howard,

Really nice modifications! Thanks for posting! Question do you cement the thrust bearing to the firewall? . With the Guillow's nose block method they of course do not cement the thrust bearing. I of course mean after you trim and shim the thrust line.

[kittyfritters]

Hi Howard,

Really nice modifications! Thanks for posting! Question do you cement the thrust bearing to the firewall? . With the Guillow's nose block method they of course do not cement the thrust bearing. I of course mean after you trim and shim the thrust line.

In this particular case, I filled the plastic nose with balsa, faced the back of the nose plate and the front of the first former with 1/64" plywood with holes for the trapezoidal key, and built the key. The thrust button is glued to the nose plate and the shims go between the back of the nose plate and the front former. There is just enough play in the key to allow the shims to tilt it but it stays tight in flight (very important!) We're only talking about a few degrees here and thin shims will tilt the nose plate to the desired angle. I usually put them in with a glue stick and use C/A to hold them in place when I get them where I want them.

This is just one way of making an adjustable nose plate. You can buy adjustable thrust buttons, use a Gizmo Geezer front end which has an adjustable thrust button http://www.gizmogeezer.com/pfw.htm, or use one of many structural methods of making adjustable noses on Guillow's models. (Not all of these examples are mine.)





















There are also various arrangements using locating pins, and or magnets. As you can see, there is no one best way to do this. It depends on the structure of the model and what you find works for you.

Have fun!

Howard

[WIDDOG]

Wow Great Stuff Howard. Thanks much for posting. I am trying to post a picture of page 21 of the How To Build and Fly A Balsa Model Airplane. IMHO the Noseblock is very important to the flying of the model. I feel that it is worth the extra effort to make a Noseblock vs. The Guillow's method. I like Howards examples because they incorporate the plastic cowling with the Noseblock.



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