Scale Project Stearman

[rodman]

Hey Guys

This is a build thread I'm moving to GSN from my own personal website which I have closed

this has been a long term project that I am hoping to finish for next years flying season.



Like most of you I like scale flying as much as like 3D,

and like most of you I don't have as much time to work on projects as I'd like.

So here is my first build thread on GSN

 

[rodman]

Hey Guys

For a while now Cindy and I have been looking for a Warbird project to do.

We looked at P51's, P47's, P38's, B25 Bombers and WW1 airplanes Just couldn't decide what to build.



So last year at the Rally of the Giants there was a 1/3 scale PT17 Stearman with a Moki radial engine on it.

Any one who has ever heard one run knows how cool they are.

So the thought of possibly doing a Stearman sat in the back of my mind for quite some time



A new kit from Balsa USA was more money then I was willing to spend so I kept watching the classifieds

for something to pop up but they almost never come up for sale.



Well around Christmas a partially built Stearman came up for sale on GiantScaleNews

it was an older kit probably 5 or 6 years old and on its second owner.

I kept an eye on it for 2 weeks then made an inquiry about it.

the guy still had it and said let me know if i had any interest in it

I gave no response back to him, and after another week went by I got another reply from him with a greatly reduced price.



Ok we got a deal so Cindy and went to Rhode Island to get it

as it turns out this was one the guy bought as a back up for one he already had with a 250 Moki on it.

so it was just lying around collecting dust and he needed the room for other things.

 

[rodman]

So now that I have it what do I do with it?

now the research began!



I want a Radial Engine even if it takes me 2 years to get it that's what it takes!



So the airplane would need about a 200cc size radial which means Moki 215 $3775 from troy built

again back to the classifieds nothing, nothing, still nothing came up.

Then I saw Horizon Hobbies was offering a 7 cylinder 160cc for 3299 ok a little better this might be doable



Doing a little more research the 160cc engine is going to be to small I'll need the 260 Horizon sells for $3499

well at the time I was doing a lot of over time so I saved all that extra money and sold a few things at some swap meets

and was able to get almost all the money for it but I'm still short a little bit for a comfort margin.



Moki 215cc

Horizon 260

 

[rodman]

So now what color Scheme

almost every one I have seen has the blue fuse with yellow wings

so googled color schemes for PT17 Stearmans and came up with some other options



I chose an all yellow scheme used by the Navy.

So here is what I brought Home

And a couple of big box's with parts in them.

 

[rodman]

The guy who originally built the plane bought all the up graded fiberglass parts for the Super Stearman from fiberglass specialties

Some of which I won't need for the PT17 version like wheel pants.



So after cleaning the dust off it I began to find damage from being stored all these years

Some broken formers and missing parts

So I began replacing some of the broken parts

New piece in place.

Again on the other side missing a piece.

Replaced

Damage around the cockpit

Repaired.

 

[rodman]

Now this airplane is a old kit and has the old style steel landing gear on it

Balsa USA has replace the steel gear with aircraft aluminum set from Sierra giant scale



After doing some research I found out that at 53 pounds for this airplane the steel gear

will bend with a hard landing that's why Balsa USA doesn't use them any more.



So I called Sierra to order a set of landing gear the owner was very helpful

and flat out told me the airplane will be too heavy for the steal gear

So I got the last set he had in stock $360 bucks but they are beautiful

5/16th axle's with castle nuts and cotter pins.

 

[Bartman]

rodman;13855 wrote: ..................I want a Radial Engine even if it takes me 2 years to get it that's what it takes!...............

Those are beautiful little engines! I can certainly understand your commitment to getting the right engine!

 

[rodman]

So here is a picture from RC Universe of a Stearman with the EVO 260 mounted.

Looks like a perfect fit to me.

 

[rodman]

Bartman;13861 wrote: Those are beautiful little engines! I can certainly understand your commitment to getting the right engine!

Yeah I just couldn't see putting a big 2 stroke on it and building a dummy engine around it.

the other reason is that our home club requires cans on any engine 85cc and larger.

Even though the four stroke radial is 260cc its quieter than my 120 on cans and has been excluded from the noise regs.

 

[rodman]

So after finishing one project and saving my over time money for 6 months

I ordered the Engine from Linda's Hobby shop Lucky for me Horizon was

having a 10% off sale when I ordered it

I picked it up from the Hobby Shop and I mounted it on my test stand at home and fired it up.

here is a Video compilation of the five runs I made that day.



Evo 260 Radial Engine.