Back to my roots, Balsa!

[Spitfire4life]

Hey guys,

I was getting a lot of questions and interest when I posted this video internally on the MotionRC company chat portal, so thought I'd share it a little wider. I've been in this hobby over 20 years and as much as I love foam (and everything good it does for the hobby), I can't let go of my love for balsa scale models (kit and ARF's), and this 1/3 Balsa USA Super Cub is my biggest yet. Being away from Europe I had to put down these personal toys but as I'm getting more settled here, I can start to dust them off again and share.

Do note that I plan to re-engine this model this spring, going up to 70cc as its somewhat lacking with the twin 50.

Anyway, the point is, that got me wondering just how many of us here also fly balsa, and if you have anything you are proud of, please do share it here, would love to see it.

Stuart, MotionRC Europe.

[xviper]

I started with balsa planes in the '60s in U-control and gas engines. After a few years, life kinda got in the way and I didn't pick up flying models again till only the beginning of this decade. I went straight to foam. However, I did built one balsa RC model. It was a lot of work and repairs weren't easy. I really liked it and it was always a crowd pleaser and it was fixed several times. After the last mishap, it was totaled and that was the end of that. I had one other balsa kit but I just didn't have the patience to build it so I gave it away. You might say that my "roots" are in foam and the tree hasn't been growing that long. The following is the only video that was made for me of that "plane" by a flying buddy who was and still is in the movie industry.

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[CVA59]

I too have been building & flying balsa kits for 25+ years and they are truly my first love. My kit of choice back in the day was anything Carl Goldberg, he always have some really quality planes. After that I moved into the TopFlite Warbirds. I do also agree that the foam planes have been a huge benefit to the R/C airplane world. No matter how many foam jobs I have I will also have some balsa planes as well. Right now, I am half way through a PICA Shoo-Fli Bi-plane that I cannot wait to get going. I converted it to EP so it should be really fun. I am finding more and more than some days I feel like tinkering with balsa and some days I feel like EDF stuff. Just depends on what kind of mood I'm in. Plus, one thing I like about balsa, you can change, modify or improve anything you want during the building process and make it "yours". The foamies, not so much.

BTW........That Cub is NICE!!! I have the plans for a 33% Hostetler Tri-Pacer. That will be my next balsa project.

[Twowingtj]

Always stayed with the balsa/build up roots. Started in 1964 with FF and UC. Have always enjoyed the build. My wife also builds and flys. All of our birds are electric now though. Including my 1/3 scale Fokker D-VIII and her 1/4 scale Tigermoth. We both love our foamies, especially the Freewings and Flightlines. There is just a whole other level to the hobby, building and flying the big wood birds.

The D-VIII has a 100cc elec motor in it. Not underpowered at all:)

[CVA59]

Always stayed with the balsa/build up roots. Started in 1964 with FF and UC. Have always enjoyed the build. My wife also builds and flys. All of our birds are electric now though. Including my 1/3 scale Fokker D-VIII and her 1/4 scale Tigermoth. We both love our foamies, especially the Freewings and Flightlines. There is just a whole other level to the hobby, building and flying the big wood birds.

The D-VIII has a 100cc elec motor in it. Not underpowered at all:)

All I can say is WOW!!!! That is a very nice plane!

[Spitfire4life]

Some nice looking balsa jobs there gents, I'm glad to see such diversity amongst us and hope more will post with their own.

Xviper, that one interesting own build, I think given the results, you would be very happy with that, look like it flew surprisingly well and a lot of fun too!

CVA59, its a funny old world, I went through a similar process with CG kits before then graduating onto the TF ones. Got SO much pleasure in converting my CG J3 into an L4 Cub, and the memory of that will stay with me always. And please consider a thread on the Tri-pacer, that would be a great build to follow here.

Twowingtj that's one smart looking D8, very nice size too. How does it fly? I hear they can be a bit tricky in the stall, though I expect in general they fly and need to be flown like most WW1 types, the parasol wing is a little different though for sure. Is this from Balsa USA? I ask as I have in fact just today picked up a built 1/4 BUSA D8 for an OS 160 Gemini Twin I also collected this morning. Wanted something a little different and I think the D8 is certainly that. I think I'll create a separate thread for that project if there is some interest.

Stuart.

[Twowingtj]

All I can say is WOW!!!! That is a very nice plane!

Thanks! It was a labor of love. It flys great too.

[Twowingtj]

Twowingtj that's one smart looking D8, very nice size too. How does it fly? I hear they can be a bit tricky in the stall, though I expect in general they fly and need to be flown like most WW1 types, the parasol wing is a little different though for sure. Is this from Balsa USA? I ask as I have in fact just today picked up a built 1/4 BUSA D8 for an OS 160 Gemini Twin I also collected this morning. Wanted something a little different and I think the D8 is certainly that. I think I'll create a separate thread for that project if there is some interest.

Stuart.

Thanks. It's actually based on a Ron Weiss design. Balsa USA doesn't make the D-VIII in 1/3 scale yet. If powered well, it flys more like a WWII bird. Tapered tips and higher wing loading makes it quite a bit different than the typical WWI biplane. Mine has a fair amount of washout built in, so tip stalling isn't really a problem. With the really short nose and long tail, it took 8.5lbs of lead to balance, even with 4ea. 5000mah 6S lipos shoved all the way forward. A lot of custom fabrication to get the design where I was happy with it. Was very comfortable to fly when only about two minutes into the maiden. A goal is to fly it at Rhinebeck this year.

The one you scored looks great! Lot of nice details. Being powered with a 160 twin, she'll be a blast to fly. The Balsa USA 1/4 scale birds are really nice. Have fun!

[CVA59]

CVA59, its a funny old world, I went through a similar process with CG kits before then graduating onto the TF ones. Got SO much pleasure in converting my CG J3 into an L4 Cub, and the memory of that will stay with me always. And please consider a thread on the Tri-pacer, that would be a great build to follow here.


Stuart.

Yes, it is a funny world. I will definitely start a build thread on my Tri-Pacer. I am hoping to start buying my "lumber yard" sometime in the next month or so, LOL.

Thanks,

[Twowingtj]

CVA59, Looking forward to seeing a thread on the Tripacer build. Hostsetler plans make for nice builds. National Balsa can hook you up with either the short or full kit for the Tripacer. They're great folks to work with. Let them know that Tony with the Binghamton Aeros recommended, if you decide to go that way.

[CVA59]

CVA59, Looking forward to seeing a thread on the Tripacer build. Hostsetler plans make for nice builds. National Balsa can hook you up with either the short or full kit for the Tripacer. They're great folks to work with. Let them know that Tony with the Binghamton Aeros recommended, if you decide to go that way.

Awesome! I will do that, thank you for the help. :Cool:

[F22trainer]

I much prefer balsa. Did a Cub last year from House of Balsa, same size as the HZ Carbon Cub. So I figured the replacement parts for the HZ Cub would fit nicely in the model and modified it to have ailerons. Even the motor and ESC - it weighs 1/2 what the Cub weighs with a 1200 mAh battery. It leaps in the air at half throttle. Currently I have a Sig Ryan near finished and my first RC plane (MEN TRAINER) are favorites as well. Even a Goldberg Sophisticated Lady ARF nearly ready for a maiden with Graupner power pod and a Park 380 from eFlite.
Still in the box - a Top Flight Corsair (red box), a rare DeSouther monoplane, a Goldberg Gentle Lady, and a Guillows conversion P-38 (ver. 2.0).

[Spitfire4life]

Hey FF2, some nice projects there, particularly taken with the Ryan. Can we have some more details on that one please (set-up etc) more pics are always welcome too ;).

Its an interesting observation regarding interchanging of parts from a foam model to a balsa build. I found the same recently on my Savex Spitfire. Although mostly a composite kit, I found detailed parts from an 6s PnP Spitfire very suitable. Will save me a tone of work and time. More kudos to foamies.

Stuart.

[F22trainer]

Hey FF2, some nice projects there, particularly taken with the Ryan. Can we have some more details on that one please (set-up etc) more pics are always welcome too ;).

Its an interesting observation regarding interchanging of parts from a foam model to a balsa build. I found the same recently on my Savex Spitfire. Although mostly a composite kit, I found detailed parts from an 6s PnP Spitfire very suitable. Will save me a tone of work and time. More kudos to foamies.

Stuart.

Thanks Stuart.
The Ryan was a gift from one of our club members - he used to make models for Hollywood films like Empire of the Sun and many others. Anyway, I put eFlite Power 60 and a Platinum 100amp ESC from Hobbywing and Hitec servos. She put on a little weight coming in at 9 lbs as I was hoping for 7 ish. I ditched the plan set up for controls with bellcranks etc. with servos set up like most foamies. Battery will be 4000mAh 6S for the maiden and testing and should swing a 14 x 8 wood prop nice but I will be playing with that also.
See the build thread under Propeller Planes - Old Kit New Tech ver. 2.0.

[F22trainer]

https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/rc-airplanes/propeller-airplanes/131951-old-kit-new-tech-ver-2-0

https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/rc-airplanes/propeller-airplanes/123702-old-kit-new-tech

[Spitfire4life]

Thanks for the links F22, I'll be sure to check them out.

Started work on replacing the 50cc twin in the Cub this evening, first task, remove the engine ;) I think I may move this engine upgrade over to a different thread in time, but for now, this was little fix of balsa today.

Stuart.

[Dirty Dee]

Back in 2010, I really wanted an A-10 in my fleet, but was disappointed with all the foamies available at the time, since most were not very scale and looked off. I decided to try my hand at designing and scratchbuilding one for twin 90s and 1/11th scale. It was a really long process with several breaks, and by the time I had it finished (6 years later), freewing came out with one that was finally worth purchasing.

The unfortunate part, is that I wasnt flying much when my A-10 was finished, so I choked up on the second flight and stalled 5 feet above the runway and tore out all of the landing gear, and destroyed the wings. The repaired fuselage has been sitting in my workshop since, but there isnt much motivation to build new wings now that I have the Freewing A-10.

I then decided to design something much more simpler and quicker so I tried out hotwiring pink foam and using depron for an ERJ-145. This was a fun plane to build and it flew great. Though I recently sold it off to make room in my hangar and help fund my current 2 meter wingspan A330 project.

[CVA59]

Very nice work!

[MikeT]

Seems to be a growing trend as far as building and I for one a glad to see it. Working on my Avenger and next up a BUSA 1/4 Scale SE5. My BUSA 1/4 Scale N-28 is also a great flyer. Nothing like the smell of balsa in the shop.
Mike

[CVA59]

Seems to be a growing trend as far as building and I for one a glad to see it. Working on my Avenger and next up a BUSA 1/4 Scale SE5. My BUSA 1/4 Scale N-28 is also a great flyer. Nothing like the smell of balsa in the shop.
Mike

I agree. However, for me. I have always done built up nitro/gas balsa planes. Only in the last year have I finally reached a point to step into electrics and foamies. Both have their advantages and disadvantages I guess.

Those are some REALLY nice planes Mike! What kit is that TBF?