B25 Guillow's r/c w/Flight video pg6

[woundedbear]

Hey! davidchoate, SIG Manufacturing sells 1/32 x 3 x 36 contest balsa wood sheet for $1.68 when I bought mine I added .25 cents per sheet to get A grain. All of the other thicknesses of contest balsa wood sheet from 1/16 up can be had in 4 x 36-inch size sheets. When I buy balsa wood I always buy from SIG, I always buy at least $150.00 worth of wood and things like SIG brand model airplane dope and thinner that way I get free shipping. I have made two orders from SIG so far 1 for 200 plus dollars and 1 for a little over 150 dollars and got free shipping for each order. I like buying from SIG because for .25 cents extra per sheet you get the grain you want, and if you buy their 48-inch long sheet or their 36-inch sheet balsa you can get the weight you want for .35 cents extra per sheet. SIG sells their balsa wood at a good price, but if you don't specify the grain or weight you will usually get B grain and whatever weight their shipping people have on hand at that time. Whenever I buy SIG standard size balsa wood 48 or 36-inch sheet (and their standard is AAA balsa) I always specify the grain and weight I want. So I add .25 cents for the grain and .35 cents for the weight. I know that sounds like a lot .60 cents extra per sheet but if you buy from some of the other balsa wood sellers on the internet and you want a specific grain and weight you pay even more and then there's the free shipping for orders over 150 dollars. I have been 100% satisfied with every purchased from SIG so far. On my last order, I wanted the 1/4 x 1/4 x36-inch stock to be of a specify the weight and I called that order in and said it was important that the stick stock (for longerons) I was ordering to be straight," sometimes when you get stick stock (for longerons or wing spars) the grain will be curved halfway down its length, I have gotten 1/2 x 1/2-inch stick stock (for the leading edge spars) in one kit that had that defect. Of course, I believe in buying from your LHS (Local Hobby Shop), but in my case, that would be a long drive so I just order from SIG. Hope this is helpful, all of the advice I have gotten from the folks on this forum has helped me, I wanted to give something back, really hope this advice helps everyone Dave the Wounded Bear.

[woundedbear]

OH yes! I forgot one thing when you order from SIG and you specify the weight Their standard weights are, Soft (6 to 9 Lbs. This weight is by the 12 x 12 x 12-inch cube of wood) Medium is 9 to 12 Lbs. and Hard is 12 to 16 Lbs. They also sell extra hard in a special category ( very heavy ), and C grain balsa wood sheets, and Contest is also in a special category. SIG Contest balsa wood is 4 to 6 pounds, these special category balsa wood sheets only some in the 36-inch lengths and a maximum of 4-inch wide sheets. Be sure to check prices as they are subject to change.

[davidchoate]

Too much plastic. I was going to do this kit, but figured I would watch Your's first, and learn. I remember saying that I was considering a B-25 of the Doolittle raid because they were stripped to the bone, and I joined the B-25 Lovers Club on fb, and there were so many variations and field adaptations You can get away with a lot of Scale variants. My research so far is leaning towards the Dumas Donier 335. Its got a huge fuselage, and more than ample wing area, and light construction. all the C-47's I watched were very "twitchy"and the Pilots were very happy to end the flight it seemed.

[Bill Gaylord]

Too much plastic. I was going to do this kit, but figured I would watch Your's first, and learn. I remember saying that I was considering a B-25 of the Doolittle raid because they were stripped to the bone, and I joined the B-25 Lovers Club on fb, and there were so many variations and field adaptations You can get away with a lot of Scale variants. My research so far is leaning towards the Dumas Donier 335. Its got a huge fuselage, and more than ample wing area, and light construction. all the C-47's I watched were very "twitchy"and the Pilots were very happy to end the flight it seemed.

The problem isn't so much the plastic, but the combination of having twin engines hoarding what valuable wing space there is, along with the added plastic nacelle weight to boot. If this model was single engined, it would be a walk in the park. The clear parts are lighter than the white parts, so the remainder of the parts aren't really being that bad, in terms of weight. That said, all these builds require a plan, to meet some reasonable spec. This one is looking really good so far, with under 10oz in range if all goes well. 9oz would be a lot better, if possible. I weighed parts individually the other day and actually ended up with the model looking at around 9oz, but I thought it sounded too good to be true, and maybe I made an error. Hopefully it actually will end up closer to 9oz.

[Bill Gaylord]

All painted. The bottom light blue grey paint was airbrushed, using about 1/2 bottle of mixed paint, or approximately 1/4 oz. For the added effort, it would be worth painting an entire model with the airbrush, as it is at least several times more efficient in terms of weight, versus can bombs. The thinner the mask line, the better. The tape pulled a bit of the side grey color, when removing the mask for painting the bottom color, but the thin 3/32" tape line does not pull much paint and is easily touched up with a fine tip brush. This problem does not exist when painting the wing/nacelle bottoms, as all the masking is applied to the plastic parts, which hold paint well. The parts are drying about 5 feet under the heat lamp, which has proven to work well for reshrinking the Microlite covering, after painting. Balancing looked good when I last checked it, and the AUW is looking so good I don't even want to mention it, until the model is fully assembled with the balanced checked.

[woundedbear]

She's looken good Bill Love that paint scheme

[Bill Gaylord]

Thanks. Some years ago I saw the scheme on a large H model that one of the Smith brothers of BSI glues built, and wanted one ever since.

Minimizing the harness length and soldering with shrink tube applied, where there is just enough room to get in there is a pain, but worth the effort. The model is now assembled and running. I'll take photos once the waterslide decals are applied. The finished airframe is about 2 grams over 6.5oz, with about 27 grams for the Eflite 2s-430, which I may very well not use, and use an even lighter battery. With the 2s-430, the AUW is about a gram over 7.5oz which is excellent, but it could be even lighter, as the battery is moved as far rearward as possible in the bay, to balance. I'd prefer to use the lightest battery that can supply roughly 6A of power, moved further forward, possibly in the 300mah range. I haven't tested it, but I have an Eflite 2s-200 (supposedly 30c) that balances the model fully forward in the battery bay. 2 minutes of flight time is fine, with the lightest weight being my primary concern. OTOH, the two motors ran at full power have more than ample power for this model, without even bother to run a power check. The 5" prop tips clear the side guns by about 3mm.

[Bill Gaylord]

Finished, but I'll be waiting for some grass growth to maiden. I'll also be using something in the 300mAh range which I may need to acquire, which will give an AUW of around 7.25oz. The Eflite 2s-430 I have balances at the rear of the compartment, and is heavier than needed. I have a lighter 2s-350 Flight Power that may work well also, granted it's still in good condition. I'll have to charge and test it, as it hasn't been used in some time. I'll have to take better photos also, especially to submit to Guillows, as these aren't the greatest.

[mustangman]

Great work on the B-25! I have this kit too but don't think im up for a rc version, I would probably smash it up lol.. I have two mossies also. one I got on ebay it was lissing parts but I got the lazer cut parts. Mark

[woundedbear]

Hey! mustangmn How did you get 2 De Havilland Mosquitos? I would be happy to have just 1 ! And laser cut too! WOW! How did you get the parts laser cut? If you could get the vacuum formed parts reproduced and all of the balsa wood parts laser cut you could make yourself a lot of money selling them! Really, If you could get the vacuum formed parts (canopies and white plastic parts) reproduced and the plans sheets printed plus all of the balsa wood parts laser cut you could make a nice profit from selling them as kits. Of course, if somebody who had the other Guillows kits that are out of production, "but in demand", the P-39, the Mosquito, and B-29 kits they could get,"well maybe not rich but they could make a nice profit" from selling them. If you have ever seen what kind of prices the (OOP) Guillows kits are going for on eBay you know what I'm talking about here. Wow, 2 Guillows Mosquito kits you must have paid a small fortune for them?

[mustangman]

Hi wounded -no I didn't pay alot for them one was missing parts. Theres a place that laser cut parts for these kits .I had at least three of them at one time. I sold them to a guy in france.I doubt if guillows would like me selling knock offs of their kits. That might be a problem.

[Bill Gaylord]

Hi wounded -no I didn't pay alot for them one was missing parts. Theres a place that laser cut parts for these kits .I had at least three of them at one time. I sold them to a guy in france.I doubt if guillows would like me selling knock offs of their kits. That might be a problem.

If you can get lucky, get one with the plastic parts but missing the wood. Never seems to happen with the Mosquito or P47 however. Personally I'm through trying to get one of those kits, and I've molded more than enough plastic parts so there's no exclusivity there. The nostalgia of building and having these kits is the only reason I would want one, as anything can be scratch built.

These kits used to sell for $60-$70. I should have just bought one then. A few guys who got their family inheritance or won the lottery came into Ebay recently and started buying them in the $200 range. One guy bought 2 of a kit. It screws it up for everyone (with the exception of estate sellers who are quite likely not part of the hobby) and then the sellers have it in their mind for ages that they should get that price. Look right now at a Mosquito auction where you bid against the seller, starting at $100. That shows how bidders way off the bell curve effect the trend, along with how the sellers keep them, as they believe they are really worth more than they are. They refuse to sell them at the actual going rate, with the exception of selling to a few people who have money to throw around at far higher than going rates. Let it sort itself out over time, and people will realize there are countless numbers of these kits out there, with an ever diminishing number of people who have interest in them. At that point, they can either keep them, build them, eat them, or sell them at a realistic price, and wish they had sold them for a bit more when they could have, rather than "holding out". I've seen that happen with a number of unique kits. The Sterling P26 is an example, having nice molded parts including a radial engine. They used to sell for $60-$70. In a very short time period, it became apparent that there were far more than enough of these out there for anyone who may ever want one in the future. The price rapidly dropped to the $30-$40 range, sometimes less.

[woundedbear]

Hello Bill. I would like to buy the vacuum formed parts for the Mosquito and P-39 Airacobra and a B-29 Kit sometime and reprints of these kit's plans sometime in the future and if there is a company that doses the laser cut balsa wood parts for these kits I would also want to go with having the laser cut wood. I am one of those guys who can't cut the die cut parts out so well. The way I see things if Guillows will not bring these kits back for their customers who want them and if there is a way to have one that was never offered as a laser cut kit then I think it is OK to get one if you can. I do see the reason why someone would have issues about the copyrights and the fact that at some point a person did the drawings and it took that person a lot of time and effort to do so. If you look at the copyrights on the plans sheets you can see that the persons who did the drawings did them (BC) before computers, and you can't but admire the effort and talent that went into the original drawings. Of course, CAD is something I don't know anything about I came along during the olden days of (BC) myself. That being said I do want to have a P-39, a Mosquito, and a B-29 to build at some point and it looks like to have one of these Guillows kits I will have to go the draught of buying them from somebody who has had the vacuum formed parts reproduced, and I have heard that you can buy (OOP) Guillows plans sheets from the AMA, and there are folks who have invested in the computer controlled laser cutting machines that can do the laser cutting for you, and it looks like the technology will get more affordable as the years go by. And there is always the chance I might get lucky and buy a complete kit on eBay. I think in the coming years it's the copyrights that will matter and if some guy way smarter than me can design a model airplane I think that guy deserves to make money from his or her work. If one of you on this forum who has the talent and the skill to design a model I think you should get paid for your work and I for one would gladly pay. But as far as the kits that Guillows has discontinued I will get one, however, I can. There may be reasons why Guillows discontinued these three kits (the P-39, B-29, and the mosquito) That is something only the folks at Guillows know for sure. But the fact remains there are people who want to build these airplanes at some point and surely Guillows must know this. They must know that their OOP kits a bringing ridiculous prices on eBay so why don't Guillows bring these kits back as laser cut kits? Only the people at Guillows know. I personly don't want to see Guillows go away as a company they have been around since before my Mother was born and I sincerely hope Guillows will be around for future generations of children to have to discover the wonders of flight the way I did. I live in North Carolina," the poorest state in the lower 48", and have seen the exodus of textile jobs to China and the furniture jobs are most likely next. In the" Old North State", there was textiles, furniture, and Tobacco that's the way you earned your money here, this is all North Carolina had and the people who owned the textiles and furniture factories are guilty of economic treason it's as simple as that. The people of North Carolina were a cheap source of labor then they found out about the Chinese and with the help of our government the deals were made and the people of North Carolina lost big time! The people of North Carolina had made these factory owners millionaires, the slave labor of China made the same factory owners Billionaires, and that seems to be the game," the person who dies with the most money wins", wins what? I don't know. But I do know this at some point it has to stop, WE THE PEOPLE HAVE TO ACT! We can't all work at the Wal-Mart store! I don't want to see Guillows go away. I want to see the next generation of kids have the fun times like I did with first a Guillows stick fuselage, (C Grain) sheet winged, rubber band powered Guillows airplane! We need to act now are that is exactly what will happen to not only Guillows but all of the jobs that WE THE PEOPLE use to do before the free trade agreement was written into law. I for one remember a guy who ran as an independent candidate for president who said,"if you boys pass this free trade agreement you will hear a sucking sound that will be all of the jobs going away". I personally don't know what to do to change things. I vote but every candidate has already sold his or her soul to somebody who wants to be the winner of the," he who dies with the most money wins contest". But I am insane. I have the paperwork to prove it, so nobody will listen to me, so it's up to you.

[Bill Gaylord]

The big kits don't sell price wise. It's difficult to get more than $50-$60 from people for anything unless they really want it. They probably leaned that lesson with the relatively new PBY release, and would have done better re-issuing the P39, especially as an LC kit. The Mosquito is more of a collectible than practical. I imagine they wouldn't sell many if re-issued and they know that. It would be really nice at DC3 size, but for some reason it's not built nearly as often as other kits, although they've probably sold a fair amount due to popularity and price, being a good bit under the PBY. Funny thing is that sales and build numbers don't always correlate. Companies know that, and I'm sure they're primarily concerned with sales. The Spirit of Not being Able to See Where the Heck You're Going (aka Spirit of St. Louis) sells well due to it's popularity, although it isn't built often compared with other kits. I'll call not re-issuing the P39 the biggest miss as it's popular enough, and there's nothing comparable out there with nice molded parts in it's size range, which is large enough to be a practical flyer.

Once you get onto balsa cutting, the speed and precision really goes up. I can remember spending hours cutting what I would cut in minutes now, with far more precision. My method is to simply score the wood under the plan, using a dull exacto. No copies needed, and it doesn't destroy the original plan. The impression left creates a guideline for cutting. OTOH it sounds sloppy to people, but I've determined that the translation error in cutting templates which are glued to parts, and then cut around is easily as much.

[woundedbear]

Thanks Bill for the encouragement about cutting balsa wood. But I just can't get the hang of cutting balsa wood with an X-Acto #11 blade. I still have my trusty scroll saw and some jeweler's .02 and .03 blades Some of them are the spiral types and they make cutting curved shapes easier. They also make cutting out perforations in wing ribs and fuselage formers more precise and you can cut right up into inside 45 degrees square cuts. The biggest problem I have right now is my computer. I have become addicted to the internet, and even though having a computer is handy for getting information is nice, but for me it has become something that has taken up too much of my time. It's the first thing I do every morning. I check my email and before I know it it's taken up my whole day. Writing comments, answering surveys. I have found old friends through facebook but I have also wasted a lot of time on politics. I have come to the conclusion that there is no free press and trying to get people to ask the hard questions is pointless. The issues that we do not even think about, are being left for the next generation and they don't even have a clue so the world is just going to learn the hard way, besides things, have been neglected for so long now there just might not be any way to stop returning to some kind of lawless world like you see on the popular TV shows that folks watch now where we will degenerate back into some kind of city-state system with the strong controlling everything with guns. These TV shows are showing people just what the country could turn into. But that's something that this hobby and this forum are not about. Hobbies are something that is just fun and I must apologize to everyone here for bringing politics into the discussion. Sometimes I have trouble with keeping such things off of my mind and it spills out into places where it does not belong. So there you have it I am sorry I got carried away. That's why I call myself the woundedbear the name fits me like a glove. From now on it's only about building and flying model airplanes on this forum!