Official FlightLine RC 1600mm P-38 Lightning Thread

[PlaneCrazy]

A tip for putting large or complex shaped decals on an aircraft.....use water with a few drops of detergent added. Spray the surface with the water, apply the decal, slide it around to get it correctly positioned then squeegee out the water. You'll have to wait up to 24hrs for it to fully dry. Another tip is to coat the surface with clear gloss first.

I've posted this tip in the Airplane Tips and Tricks sub forum btw.

Phill

Phill,

It wasn't like I don't know how to put on decals, it's just that the "S" on the verticals straddles the complex hinge line and goes under the pushrods for the rudders.

[Flyer Phill]

Phill,

It wasn't like I don't know how to put on decals, it's just that the "S" on the verticals straddles the complex hinge line and goes under the pushrods for the rudders.

Others might find it handy then!

[downwindleg]

Well I finally got my P-38 to the point where I could do some taxi tests this weekend. I'm doing it as Joltin' Josie but haven't really done anything in that regard except to paint out the red on the top and bottom tips of the verticle stabs and the areas where the paint lifted due to removing the wing insignias. Also ,of course, I painted the invasion stripes in the prescribed manor. Still have allot of work to do before she takes to the air. C.G. , setting throws, connecting flaps,yellow engine covers to match spinners, etc. As you will see from the silver overspray in the grass in the foreground, I was still spraypainting on the plane an hour before taxi time. My wife doesn't want me spraying anywhere near the house so I figured this might be safe? LOL Cheers, Brad

[Arycon]

No video there on either.

So mixed news. My charger and cables arrived so I can cycle and charge my new lipos. I also received the Aces of Iron 1/8th scale WWII pilot. I have him shaved down via a tiny hobby hacksaw used for balsa cutting. I think he lost 4 to 5mm to get to the height I wanted him at. He is still big for the plane but I dont know that it will stand out. He looks fantastic in the cockpit. I am going to paint him soon and can track progress if anyone is doing the same mod.

Bad news is Callie Graphics came and the nose art is too big. Let me say I do not blame Callie in the slightest. This is a tricky business making these applications for us and the fault is mine for not being more specific about what the max height of the decal could be. As of now, the decal would extend onto the cockpit and Id have to slice through the pin-up girl's face and it would ruin the look. I cant do that. So I will see what Callie can do to get it reprinted. She is extremely awesome and every other decal looks fantastic. I cannot recommend her work enough. She is very talented and patient. Just be detailed with your decal requirements. It isnt like she has the liberty of measuring our planes.

Will keep you guys posted. Im sure I will get the nose art sorted with no issues, so I am not at all upset or worried.

[PlaneCrazy]

No video there on either.

So mixed news. My charger and cables arrived so I can cycle and charge my new lipos. I also received the Aces of Iron 1/8th scale WWII pilot. I have him shaved down via a tiny hobby hacksaw used for balsa cutting. I think he lost 4 to 5mm to get to the height I wanted him at. He is still big for the plane but I dont know that it will stand out. He looks fantastic in the cockpit. I am going to paint him soon and can track progress if anyone is doing the same mod.

Bad news is Callie Graphics came and the nose art is too big. Let me say I do not blame Callie in the slightest. This is a tricky business making these applications for us and the fault is mine for not being more specific about what the max height of the decal could be. As of now, the decal would extend onto the cockpit and Id have to slice through the pin-up girl's face and it would ruin the look. I cant do that. So I will see what Callie can do to get it reprinted. She is extremely awesome and every other decal looks fantastic. I cannot recommend her work enough. She is very talented and patient. Just be detailed with your decal requirements. It isnt like she has the liberty of measuring our planes.

Will keep you guys posted. Im sure I will get the nose art sorted with no issues, so I am not at all upset or worried.

Arycon,

I too got the California Cutie decals and indeed the nose art goes above the separation line of the hatch and the center pod but I don't think it's too large. I took a brand new Xacto blade and cut throught the pin-ups face and some of the name California Cutie and it doesn't even show. If you look at the real plane, the pinup's head extends above the gun barell so the position would indeed place her above the cut line of the hatch. Let me know if Callie thinks she needs to make things smaller but I think she has the 1/10 scale pretty right on. The only thing I had issue with was the stars and bars on the booms being slightly too large but they work and that's all I care about....this bird is not entered in the Top Gun so close enough is perfect for me!

Cheers,
Andy

[Arycon]

Dont mean to confuse anyone. My scheme is not California Cutie. It is custom that I did. The line would have gone right through the face and it would have been terrible. The seam through her face just wouldnt have worked at all for me. So I cant speak for California Cutie. Show us picks of yours, Andy!

As for mine...a single email and Callie graciously offered to print a new, smaller nose art for me and it should hit the mail tomorrow. I should have it Thursday or Friday. She is amazing and her customer service is top notch.

[PlaneCrazy]

Dont mean to confuse anyone. My scheme is not California Cutie. It is custom that I did. The line would have gone right through the face and it would have been terrible. The seam through her face just wouldnt have worked at all for me. So I cant speak for California Cutie. Show us picks of yours, Andy!

As for mine...a single email and Callie graciously offered to print a new, smaller nose art for me and it should hit the mail tomorrow. I should have it Thursday or Friday. She is amazing and her customer service is top notch.

OK Arycon.............here's a couple of pictures of mine. By the way, I mentioned to Callie that the Stars and Bars were not quite accurate and heard back from her immediately asking what size I needed and she would take care of it.............you don't get any better customer support than from Motion and Callie!!!

[dkalwishky]

Very nice PlaneCrazy, what scale? 1/8 or 1/10?

[PlaneCrazy]

Very nice PlaneCrazy, what scale? 1/8 or 1/10?

1/10th..........that is what this warbird is..........kinda sorta.........which is why the stars and bars were a slight bit off. Thanks for the kind words!

[Arycon]

OK Arycon.............here's a couple of pictures of mine. By the way, I mentioned to Callie that the Stars and Bars were not quite accurate and heard back from her immediately asking what size I needed and she would take care of it.............you don't get any better customer support than from Motion and Callie!!!

That is one fine looking lady you got there. And I see what guys mean about metal struts. Wow. Nice.

[Flyer Phill]

....Getting ready. Took the lead from Brandon.

[Arycon]

Gah!

So...my pilot is painted. Im glad he is done because now I can button the plane together for the last time. I have to say, I am not impressed with the Aces of Iron sculpt. I would call it OK. I have seen resin casts and normally the lines and surface of the casting are smooth and very detailed. This AoI sculpt has a lopsided feel, like it was two pieces fused together. Im curious if this is because it is hollow to reduce weight. Sadly, the surface of the resin is anything but smooth. While this is fantastic for the rugged leather jacket and helmet, it is terrible for the face and straps. The detail work is there, but difficult to see when painting and it makes the painting process much more drawn out. It does accept paint well, and overall is a "good" replacememt pilot. Im not saying I dont like it, it just didnt knock my socks off like I was hoping. I think this is a result of larger 1/5 or 1/6 scale sculpts shown on the website. Those are much larger so the details may be more pronounced and the face not so gloppy looking.

All in all, it was a challenge painting this thing. It has taken all day. I could have done this a lot better and taken my time but considering the sculpt quality, it wouldnt be worth the effort. I am content with the sculpt. I love the expression and how the pilot is looking at his 11 o'clock. Makes it appear like he has spotted some bogies and it is great.

Photos are below. Pardon the bad photos. Lighting in my home is terrible and the only place I can get an even lit photo is on my kitchen stove. Lol.

[JFandL]

1/10th..........that is what this warbird is..........kinda sorta.........which is why the stars and bars were a slight bit off. Thanks for the kind words!

ROFL,

John

[killickb]

Off topic but I too cannot say enough about Callie's customer service, she is just too, too accommodating! "We" tried three times to get right size decals for my Edwards F/W F-15 --- as with you Arycon was not her fault but she has stuck with me as we got the correct size on more than one unique scheme that I wanted. I have never figured out how she locates the copyable art for these unusual schemes we demand. Would the rest of the world treat customers as she does.

[Sky Wolf]

Off topic but I too cannot say enough about Callie's customer service, she is just too, too accommodating! "We" tried three times to get right size decals for my Edwards F/W F-15 --- as with you Arycon was not her fault but she has stuck with me as we got the correct size on more than one unique scheme that I wanted. I have never figured out how she locates the copyable art for these unusual schemes we demand. Would the rest of the world treat customers as she does.

I agree, she is truly an example of what the rest of the service world should mimic...along with the Motion RC folks! They are proving to be a good combination!

[TiredIronGRB]

Gah!

So...my pilot is painted. Im glad he is done because now I can button the plane together for the last time. I have to say, I am not impressed with the Aces of Iron sculpt. I would call it OK. I have seen resin casts and normally the lines and surface of the casting are smooth and very detailed. This AoI sculpt has a lopsided feel, like it was two pieces fused together. Im curious if this is because it is hollow to reduce weight. Sadly, the surface of the resin is anything but smooth. While this is fantastic for the rugged leather jacket and helmet, it is terrible for the face and straps. The detail work is there, but difficult to see when painting and it makes the painting process much more drawn out. It does accept paint well, and overall is a "good" replacememt pilot. Im not saying I dont like it, it just didnt knock my socks off like I was hoping. I think this is a result of larger 1/5 or 1/6 scale sculpts shown on the website. Those are much larger so the details may be more pronounced and the face not so gloppy looking.

All in all, it was a challenge painting this thing. It has taken all day. I could have done this a lot better and taken my time but considering the sculpt quality, it wouldnt be worth the effort. I am content with the sculpt. I love the expression and how the pilot is looking at his 11 o'clock. Makes it appear like he has spotted some bogies and it is great.

Photos are below. Pardon the bad photos. Lighting in my home is terrible and the only place I can get an even lit photo is on my kitchen stove. Lol.

Looks so real I can almost see what he's thinking...

[Arycon]

Guys, I really need help.

I am planning on heading out (finally) to attempt a maiden, but I'm really concerned about the CoG. I know 65-75mm with the gear down and plane right side up. I have set my batteries as far forward as possible and put C0G marks around 70-72mm but she tends to lean tail heavy. I am not at all comfortable with this, considering they are telling us to add 4mm of up elevator as well. I really don't want to tank a $350 plane out of the gate over bad CoG.

What are you guys finding in flight? Is it CoG sensitive or can it handle the variance of a few mm? I'm tempted to add a 1/2 oz or so of lead to the nose just to have a more nose heavy attitude.

I'm really worried about putting this plane in the air tail heavy and retracting the gear and it being 10 times worse. I've had that happen with a plane before and it isn't fun. Normally planes hit CoG for me no problem, but this thing is spooking me.

Appreciate some feed back. I plan on hitting the field by 8am, so if anyone sees this, give me some feedback, please.

Thanks.

[Lon]

Guys, I really need help.

I am planning on heading out (finally) to attempt a maiden, but I'm really concerned about the CoG. I know 65-75mm with the gear down and plane right side up. I have set my batteries as far forward as possible and put C0G marks around 70-72mm but she tends to lean tail heavy. I am not at all comfortable with this, considering they are telling us to add 4mm of up elevator as well. I really don't want to tank a $350 plane out of the gate over bad CoG.

What are you guys finding in flight? Is it CoG sensitive or can it handle the variance of a few mm? I'm tempted to add a 1/2 oz or so of lead to the nose just to have a more nose heavy attitude.

I'm really worried about putting this plane in the air tail heavy and retracting the gear and it being 10 times worse. I've had that happen with a plane before and it isn't fun. Normally planes hit CoG for me no problem, but this thing is spooking me.

Appreciate some feed back. I plan on hitting the field by 8am, so if anyone sees this, give me some feedback, please.

Thanks.

That was my biggest concern too! In my mind, I kept visualizing taking off, plane tail heavy...crash and burn!!! But NO!!! Trust the people who have flown her. And you, like myself, will be amazed how well she takes off and handles!!! If you've seen my maiden video, you will hear me take a DEEP breath before taxi and take off...and then, such a smooth non challenging take off...you will do good!!!

[Arycon]

CoG UPDATE:

OK. So I am finished with my normal pre-flight checks. Tightened all screws, including motor mount screws and made sure everything is in line. Throws are set and radio is set up and charging. I had to carve a tiny bit of foam from the nose of the cockpit to fit the 4S 3300mAh lipos I have, but they go in fine now. I carved a tiny slot in the foam just in front of the batteries as they sit in the tray. I CA'd a 1/2 oz of lead there and put Dubro tape over. It will hold for the first few flights and if it feels right, I can affix it permanently via epoxy.

With the 1/2 oz and my lipos, she slowly tips to the nose. I can always adjust the lipos by moving them aft in the battery tray if need be. I may not need the weight, but experience tells me she shouldn't be tipping backward at 70mm if that is the proper CoG.

It seemed like a minimal amount to put in without being drastic. It may only need 1/4oz, but the difference shouldn't cause a major shift. If she is slightly nose heavy on take off and landing, I can handle that. Once the gear come up and that weight shifts aft, the nose heavy attitude should help even her out.

Lon, thanks for the input. I welcome and and all advice here, including thoughts on the 1/2 oz...especially if I don't need it. Everything I read says you guys are hitting the skies at 70mm with no nose weight.

I am heading out to the field early AM and will keep checking my phone. I openly welcome input, guys. I'm easily an experienced intermediate flier, but this bird is the biggest I've flown and the most expensive. I want this to go effortlessly.

Sunny with 5mph winds till 10am and slowly building to 15mph by 1pm. It won't get any better for a maiden.

[Aros]

I think I am the only one with the amount of nose weight I've added. I will have to go check but it's a lot. Like 4-6 ounces a lot. However, with the weight she is CG'd at 72mm and flies fantastic. I've never minded adding additional nose weight to my warbirds...It makes them fly a bit more robust...I like a little meat on my girls' bones. When I had a Benedini sound system installed in my FMS 1700mm P-51D, I was so worried about all the extra weight. Between the sound system and the weight I had to add to the nose to get her to balance, she gained a few pounds easily. However, when I maidened, all the worry was for not...Especially with the zip tie prop mod, she flew and felt so nice in the air...It's the closest I think I've ever come to flying what I would guess flying a full scale RC airplane would feel like.

But I digress...I wouldn't worry about adding any nose weight and especially the minimal weight you added. However, as most will tell you additional nose weight isn't needed. As long as you're around 70mm CG (+/- a few mm's), you will be one happy camper when the maiden is complete. She flies as good as she looks. Good luck! Looking forward to a happy maiden report tomorrow!