Official FlightLine RC 2000mm B-24D/J Liberator Thread

[quitcherbitchen]

Yes, I did, but I cheated - I have B-17 style doors that swing open on hinges. That makes it pretty easy. I am in progress on a VQ 110" B-24 with proper sliding doors. My advice is - skip the sliding doors. Nobody will notice, and it is about 100x harder than everything else on the model.

It's been a while, but if I recall I have a carbon rod down the spine to make up for the loss of belly strength (too lazy to go look...it's hanging from garage roof). Anyway I haven't had any structural problems.

By the way, on my foam B-24, I put two receivers in it, and so a second transmitter controls turrets, flaps, gear, bomb bay doors, and bomb drop. That way I can give it to a person with no flying experience, and they can participate as bombardier. There are always somebody's kids or grandkids hanging around the field, and they love being able to do this. Of course I lose a lot of bombs that way .

I totally agree that the swing style doors are the simple way to go. I think if you did make them roller style they would have to be on some sort of trigger spring that would pull them open fast. Probably wouldn't be able to close them with the radio. Almost like a trap door. Set by hand and activated by a servo pin release.

Isn't frustrating not being able to hit anything with your rookie bombardiers?

[Gringotuerto]

I totally agree that the swing style doors are the simple way to go. I think if you did make them roller style they would have to be on some sort of trigger spring that would pull them open fast. Probably wouldn't be able to close them with the radio. Almost like a trap door. Set by hand and activated by a servo pin release.

Isn't frustrating not being able to hit anything with your rookie bombardiers?

That's an interesting idea. But I notice that I only open them when one a bombing run, and at that point nobody can actually see what type of door it is. So the swing type works fine. I would be concerned with something that doesn't close. I've flown a couple planes with open bays (in one case a Hangar-9 B-25 where the battery hatch accidentally fell off, exposing an area approximately corresponding to the bomb bay), and they did not fly well. The back of the plane is like a giant parachute. It works for straight and level flight, but landing that way adds another challenge.

I don't mind errant bombs, I 3D print them so they are pretty expendable. It is kind of funny when somebody drops them wildly off target, or drops the bomb before opening the door, so they come tumbling out when the door opens.

[Builda]

The pre-printed sets are on order, friends. We're not doing a pre-order on them; they'll be uploaded to the website when their container arrives (multiple inbound so I can't say definitively when it will arrive exactly). **EDIT** I spoke with Freewing and the B-24 pre-printed sets shipped earlier this month.

The free printable files were posted on this thread in December.

Hey Alpha are these 3D printing files still available for free download and if so can you point me to where i can download them please mate👍Cheers

[Hugh Wiedman]

Hey Alpha are these 3D printing files still available for free download and if so can you point me to where i can download them please mate👍Cheers

To help out Alpha since he's always so busy designing, building, manufacturing, planning, writing poetry and calling all their customers of his fantastic products, I thought I'd give him a short break and help you out. Just look under "upgrades" on the website, 3D parts, in the tab next to spare parts for the B-24. This, like the F-4, are ones that Motion still offers.

[Builda]

To help out Alpha since he's always so busy designing, building, manufacturing, planning, writing poetry and calling all their customers of his fantastic products, I thought I'd give him a short break and help you out. Just look under "upgrades" on the website, 3D parts, in the tab next to spare parts for the B-24. This, like the F-4, are ones that Motion still offers.

I tried that-i can only find a kitset of Pre-Printed parts. The only STL files i found anywhere were a pair of nosegear doors!

[RRHandy]

To help out, the files you are looking for are in the description highlighted in blue third paragraph and there are 20 files in it for down load.

Ron.

[Hugh Wiedman]

Well it's R.I.P. for my silver B-24. Already posted in "What I Flew" a full explanation, but at our clubs annual AeroFest event for Large Scale aircraft/helicopters, I announced my intention to land, was cleared for landing, and then just 15 feet above the center of the runway as I was coming in, a 1/5 scale F-16 Turbine "clocked" me from behind as the :poop: for brains pilot decided it would be a good time to do a high speed low pass over the runway (against 2 club/event rules). And not only did he not offer to reimburse me, he never even apologized!!! :face_with_symbols_o This guy is loaded (must have embezzled it) and has dozens of the high cost turbines but thinks he can do as he pleases. Fortunately I still have an Olive B-24 (which I fly the pants off) but generally use the silver only for events. And the A-10 I brought as well at least spared the "wrath of the turbines". Both have sound systems and operating turrets with gunners and a rebuilt cockpit, but when the Olive B-24 found out his "buddy" was D.O.A., it's been severally depressed for the last few days. :sob: May have to get him a Mig to play with! But man, those B-24's just fly so well, have plenty of power and land like a sweet heart. May have to get another Silver just for the heck of it.








Isn't that A great photo? The organizer was taking photos of my landing when he got lucky and shot this. Talk about "Sh.... Hitting the Fan"!!!! One of the mains is 5 feet up over the plane!

[RRHandy]

Sorry for your loss. I would make him pay for the plane and time you have in the repaint, broke the rules X2. I have made people pay for their f-ups.
Did he get to land or did it go in too?


R.

[Prowler901]

So sorry to see this, Hugh. I've always admired your two Libs. You've done beautiful work on them.

The arrogance of some people really astounds me. I just don't understand how they can be like that.

[quitcherbitchen]

WOW!! As far as breaking the club rules. Being on my Club Board I would suggest you contact the Safety Officer with this Photo and put in a petition to sanction him. He will only do it again. People need to see the cost of stupidity. I don't know what is in you by laws, but know would be a good time to either find out or write a new by law pertaining to observers or disregard for safety when more then one plane is in the air.

[themudduck]

What an incredible photo, should be in a magazine. Don't let the bastard get away with that, its BS. Its his responsibility to avoid you since his jet is faster and larger. (not to mention that just as you said, you had the right-of-way since you were landing) At the very least you need to let everyone in the club know about his dirty deed.

[quitcherbitchen]

Great Idea!! send it to the AMA.

[Wild Man]

Hugh there are more arrogant guys around like this SOB. He needs to step up apologize, and pay you for the damages. I have seen this more then I would like to admit to. maybe he should be kicked out of the club?

[themudduck]

The more I think about it the more angry I get.

[Wild Man]

the whole thing is a bad deal. Out here in big Sky country he would have had the you know what kicked out of him if he didn't apologize and pay for his mistake. Things can get rather ugly sometimes

[Gringotuerto]

Hmmm...interesting, our club kind of has a "c'est la vie" policy about mid-airs, and so far it seems to have all been reasonably congenial. It is very subjective to say who is at fault, and nobody has a mid-air on purpose. So at our club, there seems to be an understanding that everybody takes care of their own loss. But there is a spectrum of fault, and I suppose in a case where fault is at one end of the spectrum, somebody might bring up compensation. I haven't ever seen it raised yet in my many years at my club, but I can't swear it has never come up.

I guess different clubs must have different habits in this.

Anyway in this case, if his plane ultimately crashed (it doesn't look too good in the photo) then his flying cost him a lot too. I can't even imagine what a 1/5 scale turbine jet costs. Well, I guess it doesn't matter since your plane is gone either way, but somehow it might be even more irritating to get blown up by a much cheaper plane...?

[Hugh Wiedman]

I'm pretty much over it although I am going to file a formal complaint. I would normally take a "c'est la vie" attitude if it was a mid air crash, however, to be "rear ended" on landing after being cleared directly over the runway about 15-20 feet high is unacceptable. As I said, the other rule for this Event (and our normal club rule) is never fly directly over the runway. Who in their right mind would do a high speed low pass over the runway when someone else has been cleared to land (even by the offending pilot). I don't expect reimbursement and would have refused to take it anyway, only a bit of humility in acknowledging that he made a stupid decision (and I'm not above making stupid decisions myself now and again).

He was able to land it without further damage but has probably a couple thousand dollars worth of repairs. Not that much considering his cost is somewhere between 10-$15,000. I even expressed my sympathy to him after the incidence and told him I hoped he could get it fixed, but his only response was "we'll see". On second thought I should have gone postal on him! I'm done being the "nice guy".

[quitcherbitchen]

Hugh there are more arrogant guys around like this SOB. He needs to step up apologize, and pay you for the damages. I have seen this more then I would like to admit to. maybe he should be kicked out of the club?

Our Club would have you lodge a complaint and then the board would have a meeting about sanctioning him. Meaning he either pays if it was determined that he broke a club rule causing the loss of your model or he gets banned for a certain time period--grounded. Board members don't make many friends this way, but safety is safety and if you break a rule that the club may get in trouble for there has to be repercussions. We have found most mid airs are from repeat offenders. Personally I land if a turbine goes up. I won't risk the difference in speed Vs avoidance. Closing rates are just too high to get out of the way. I doubt that guy was even paying attention to your call out to land. Just my 2 cents. I have been a safety officer for more then 4 years

[Hugh Wiedman]

Our Club would have you lodge a complaint and then the board would have a meeting about sanctioning him. Meaning he either pays if it was determined that he broke a club rule causing the loss of your model or he gets banned for a certain time period--grounded. Board members don't make many friends this way, but safety is safety and if you break a rule that the club may get in trouble for there has to be repercussions. We have found most mid airs are from repeat offenders. Personally I land if a turbine goes up. I won't risk the difference in speed Vs avoidance. Closing rates are just too high to get out of the way. I doubt that guy was even paying attention to your call out to land. Just my 2 cents. I have been a safety officer for more then 4 years

Your not far off. Neither he or his spotter (a requirement of all turbines if anyone else of any kind is out) were paying attention to anyone else, even though they both called clear when I made the announcement to land. Like you, I always land when a large turbine goes out as well, which is what I was trying to do exactly. He was up for less than 30 seconds when he struck me as I immediately called for landing although I still had over 4 minutes left on my timer. There were also 2 others up when I was flying, however, both were large scale gas (a WWI Bi-Plane and a civilian aircraft) and we all kept our distance from each other. As soon as he got his F-16 in the air, I tried to get out of the airspace but didn't quite make it.

[barron06]

Well it's R.I.P. for my silver B-24. Already posted in "What I Flew" a full explanation, but at our clubs annual AeroFest event for Large Scale aircraft/helicopters, I announced my intention to land, was cleared for landing, and then just 15 feet above the center of the runway as I was coming in, a 1/5 scale F-16 Turbine "clocked" me from behind as the :poop: for brains pilot decided it would be a good time to do a high speed low pass over the runway (against 2 club/event rules). And not only did he not offer to reimburse me, he never even apologized!!! :face_with_symbols_o This guy is loaded (must have embezzled it) and has dozens of the high cost turbines but thinks he can do as he pleases. Fortunately I still have an Olive B-24 (which I fly the pants off) but generally use the silver only for events. And the A-10 I brought as well at least spared the "wrath of the turbines". Both have sound systems and operating turrets with gunners and a rebuilt cockpit, but when the Olive B-24 found out his "buddy" was D.O.A., it's been severally depressed for the last few days. :sob: May have to get him a Mig to play with! But man, those B-24's just fly so well, have plenty of power and land like a sweet heart. May have to get another Silver just for the heck of it.








Isn't that A great photo? The organizer was taking photos of my landing when he got lucky and shot this. Talk about "Sh.... Hitting the Fan"!!!! One of the mains is 5 feet up over the plane!

Can you post a link to "what I flew"? Looks like several things were missed. I think the biggest problem was this guys caller. Whenever I'm flying my turbines with non turbines, I prefer to stay at least 40-50ft above the ground over the runway. I can always fly my pattern as desired when I have the field. When I fly my electric / foamies, I simply don't fly when turbines are airborne. Dont want to be the one ruining a 15k aircraft, even if it is his fault. Sometimes, they take off when Im airborne. Hasnt happened but if I ruin his day, thats on him. I should have offered you compensation though.
turbines and slower aircraft dont mix well. Its like planes and helis.. or 3d plane guys who still hover at the far side of centerline, not moving, when youve called landing...