Official FlightLine RC 1200mm F8F-1 Bearcat Thread

[Grossman56]

Are you running the stock system? I ran mine with the 650kv and the FMS 1400mm Corsair prop, totally awesome and no difference with her slow speed characteristics.

Grossman56

[radfordc]

Thx! I was hoping to fuel a Reno style racing series at my club before covid restrictions and such. I put a camera on the Rare Bear yesterday. I wasn't sure what to expect after clipping the wings, but it doesn't seem to care.

Very good! I think air racing using electric scale planes would be a hoot. Have classes just like Reno...unlimited warbirds, T-6's, jets, etc. Make everyone fly a stock power system but let them customized the planes as desired. Even better...race using FPV goggles!

[WrightBrosRC]

Are you running the stock system? I ran mine with the 650kv and the FMS 1400mm Corsair prop, totally awesome and no difference with her slow speed characteristics.

Grossman56

I'm running the stock setup with the spinner from the Spitfire. I experimented with the FMS setup and other setups too, but as I mentioned, I was attempting to get others into racing and keeping things the same for everyone on the stock setup means less expense, more interest, etc. It would be great though to see an unlimited class with this airframe. How fast can it go before ripping the wings off? LOL

[Grossman56]

It's pretty awesome, here in Cody we're up 5000 feet and the difference was unreal. When I took it to Muncie which is Sea Level, it was even better. I took off and went vertical until I could barely see it, the sucker climbed like the proverbial home sick angel.
Now I definitely need a new one!!

Grossman56

[Big12fan]

Any chance someone can show me the stock motor mount screw. I’m piecing mine back together and can’t remember what the motor mount screws looked like. Thanks

[Evan D]

It's in the manual.

[SanExup]

https://www.motionrc.com/products/flightlinerc-motor-mount-type-a

[Evan D]

I wrote what I said so he would learn to find info himself...

Interesting that links picture is wrong though. They show a sheet metal type screw with a flush mount which is wrong for both mounting the X mount to the motor (machine flat head) or to the firewall (sheet metal type pan head).


Pg8 of the manual.

[SanExup]

Oh well, I tried. I just happened to have motions page open this morning. I assumed the photo was the correct one under spare parts.

[Evan D]

yeah you’d think they’d have a good picture!

[Big12fan]

I wrote what I said so he would learn to find info himself...

Interesting that links picture is wrong though. They show a sheet metal type screw with a flush mount which is wrong for both mounting the X mount to the motor (machine flat head) or to the firewall (sheet metal type pan head).


Pg8 of the manual.

Funny how we use forums to try to help people. It’s ok, I found it on the motor replacement for the spare parts page on motionrc. Thanks for the help though.

[Evan D]

The manual is always a good starting place.

Yeah, not talking about you perhaps but some just don't care to learn and want others to do the work for them.

[WrightBrosRC]

Funny how we use forums to try to help people. It’s ok, I found it on the motor replacement for the spare parts page on motionrc. Thanks for the help though.

The forums are full of opinion, attitude & mind reading while being short on understanding. I'm sorry your inquiry was met with assumption.

[Evan D]

No assumption involved in my answer to him... :)

[Grossman56]

The Bearcat once again graces my fleet. Sold off some planes that weren't being flown and and invested in my favorite airplane. The price has definitely gone up, from $199 originally to $279, and I'm not going to get into the politics behind that, suffice it to say that it a bigger percentage of my income than it used to be.
On the plus side though, the quality of the kit remains outstanding so the molds are holding their own! I changed out the motor and ESC to a kv 650 and a Mantis 85A spinning a 1400mm FMS Corsair prop, which has proven to be the ultimate combination for 4 cell performance. I also swapped out the tires for Dave Browns, I just love those tires!
The one thing I found was that the battery strap was way too short to hold an Admiral 3600 4s pack in place. Don't know what happened there but I had a spare FMS strap that did the job. With the stock strap, I could get maybe 1/4" of velcro to grab but it was so little it would just let go. I even took the decking out to see if the strap was hung up on something, but no, its just a 1/2" too short. Alpha may want to look into that as there would be nothing more frustrating than to build the plane and then try to mount the battery, but you can't!!
If you're wondering what it looks like with that big prop, here's some pics from the first time I installed it.

And here's the ground clearance...

I've never had a problem touching the prop both landing and taking off and the slow flight characteristics remain the same as with the stock system.

Grossman56

[SanExup]

What a beauty!

[Grossman56]

I decided to go with a lighter blue this time, which looks great so far. One issue I've found is that the decals don't stick worth a dang and they were bubbling off the backing board. Personally, I think they have a life expectancy. Hopefully they'll work, but if not I guess Callie is my only option. We'll see.
I was gong for a blue similar to this...

She's a little darker but picture some where in between. First coat of Spar Urethane on her now. It's been hitting 100 degrees out here in Cody, so the drying time is great!

Grossman56

[quitcherbitchen]

That look super sharp Grossman. Great job

[Grossman56]

Work on the new 'Cat continues, just got another coat of Spar Urethane on her and the first pictures of the work so far..

Still working on the motor, shaving it down to fit over the 650, then some detailing on that. Right now I can get her to CG up on the stock points and she's a pretty forgiving bird. I used a 4000 4s battery sitting back to line up with the back of the floorboard. Worse comes to worse I can use a 3600 instead, but I always used a 4000 in the past, the only difference being that I had a 1/4 oz of weight where the tail hook would extend. Still some detailing to do but so far so good!

Grossman56

[Grossman56]

Well, enough detailing, lets see how the sucker flies!
I cut a hole in the back end where the arrester hook would be and added 1/4 oz of weight there.

I'll cover it over at some point, but with the 650 kv and Corsair prop, she needs a bit of ballast in her butt!
4000's sit just forward (1/4") of the aft edge of the battery hatch deck.
Maidens are always nail biters, but I really did my homework on this one. She blasted into the sky and went straight up, too much up elevator, to heck with the landing gear, get that nose trimmed out!! Gear up, turn on the gyro, and everything is good there a couple of passes and everything else is right on Flaps come down and gear extends, lands like a lady!
So, I mark the position of the elevator on the fuse (note the black mark on the fuse lining up with the elevator and the bottom of the lowest indentation on the rudder) and reset all the trims (check the sub trim) and adjust the clevis to get as close to the same position as it was. Back up in the air and there she is, the Ol' Bearcat that I love. The Dave Browns are a tight fit width wise on the axle so I Foam-Tac'd the locks on, have to see if there are narrower DB's when I replace them. But they are the way to go, they literally suck onto the runway, awesome!!
So, another maiden in the books
Grossman56