mightypeesh Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hi Chaps. I thought I would pop this in whilst waiting for better weather for my 'Galloping Ghost' project to fly. I found an plan for the classic Keil Kraft control line trainer 'Phantom' and also the 'Phantom Mite' on the web ages ago and loved the lines of the model straight away. I just screams 'vintage' all the way, and have been thinking about making an rc version since. When in the club caravan the other day whilst waiting for the wind to abate I found these in the 'crashed spares or repair bin' Mmmmm some 2 inch vintage style wheels . So obviously having a couple of bits of muddy plastic in my sweaty hand it would be rude not to build the rest! just so happens they are the correct size for the Phantom ('Phantom - 'Ghost' - bit of a theme going on with my builds me thinks!) I am going to keep it the original size - 21", though I am going to change the construction of the fuse somewhat to remove the steel girders that run down it and save some weight. It will be aileron/ elevator and power will come from a small turnigy motor that should give around 180 watts with a small 3s pack. Also I will add some 'down and side' to the motor and a bit of dihedral to the wing. If I can keep the weight down enough she might even fly! Oh and I am going to pop a dummy diesel engine poking up out of the front, and maybe the wires on the wing too. The major purchase for this project is a couple of quid for the 6.5mm balsa balsa for the wing and 12 quid or so for the motor. The rest is from stock and odds and sods, and of course the free wheels. Don't you love a new blade in your Davids Plane? The wings are shaped up to a vague profile. When sanding and sawing balsa I wear one of these as I am asthmatic and the dust sets me off. A bit OTT but better than the paper masks as your glasses do not steam up. There we go, some nice shaped wings and bits, onto the fuse next. Just a question - How were these planes finished? Was it coloured dope, or tissue on the balsa and paint, just sanding sealer and paint? Cheers folks, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braddock, VC Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 My elder brother built the phantom and I built the mite, we doped damp tissue on then painted with silver paint and RAF insignia, brother's had an ED Hornet and mine a DC Merlin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastFlyer Smyth Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Subscribed. Very interesting. I have downloaded the Vickers Vampire C/L plan (probably from the same source) with the intention of building it and doing a blog later in the year. I finished my Phantom first with sanding sealer then with white tissue and clear dope followed by a liberal coat of fuel proofer, with a final adornmant of a black "301" on the tail Fin (my old ATC squadron number) I liked the look of the "naked" balsa. Good luck with it mate. Edited By FastFlyer Smyth on 20/04/2014 11:59:57 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Goodwin Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 One of my earliest modelling memories is of my dads Veron ( I think) Nipper, small CL model with a Frog up front. it looks very similar to the Phantom Does anybody else remember the Nipper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew767 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hi Simon To answer your question...in the early 70's i covered mine with tissue then painted with Humbrol coloured dopes (Blue,white and silver if i remember correctly) but these are no longer available. As yours won't have the muck from an engine you could use acrylics,they'd be much lighter to boot. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 Cheers chaps, I would like it to have the 'feel' of the original, so maybe some light tissue and sanding sealer with the acrylic option - dope gives me such a headache. Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hi chaps bit more today as you can see I am using the Hi-tech way of drawing up a plan bits an pieces from the 'suck it and see' school of design. coming together It;s shrinking as I build it! I am waiting on delivery of the motor, so it will be a few days before next installment. Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 Just a bit of 'old skool' U/C making today. Bit of wire bending, soldered on a couple of washers as stops and the assembly sewn onto a ply plate with some epoxy to keep it all in place. Very enjoyable. The sides are just taped in place at the mo as it really is a case of 'cut it and see' on this build. Need a bit more forwards sweep me thinks. Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastFlyer Smyth Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Good work. Those original beech bearers went back a long way making these little beasties pretty strong ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 The beech bearers and the 1/2 inch thick balsa on top! Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted May 8, 2014 Author Share Posted May 8, 2014 Bit more chaps. Some wire bending and soldering to make up some torque rods for the wing .......bit of laser cutting to make the dummy engine... looking good...... carved a buck for the canopy and did a bit of vacuum forming.... ...really getting there now!......Oh and I found a period pilot.... What a happy chap. Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew767 Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Superb Simon....Looking forward to see how it flies. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Love it , I have one in my loft some where . I really like the dummy engine it really makes it look the part , Super job well done love to see it finished , Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Funnily enough, the urge to stand in a field turning in circles overcame me last year and I downloaded a plan for the last CL model I flew in the days before I took up RC. Wonderful how the memories flooded back with the heady smell of diesel fuel...but I don't remember being dizzy after a flight back in the day... I covered mine in tissue applied with dope and painted it from a Halfords aerosol in the nearest shade to how I remembered the old one, fuel proofed with Poly-C like Skin Crylic - not the lightest method but it still flies well. I managed to crack the cowling and haven't got round to repairing it - can't recall where I put the two halves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastFlyer Smyth Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Simon, Blooming superb mate. Nice one !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted May 9, 2014 Author Share Posted May 9, 2014 Thanks for the comments chaps. Looks great in blue Martin - I am just considering colours at the moment, so am looking around for inspiration. Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toni Reynaud Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Lovely to see. It looks really good. Any figures of weight yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Simon, That buck for the canopy looks neat, is it MDF or some flash porous medium for vac forming? The little motor really sets the model off well too. I fancy building one like Martins, does anyone know what sort of line length they would normally be flown on? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 every time I read this thread -its brings back memories.......of the one I had -circa 1960's. is the plan available from anywhere? ... well done by the way.... ken Anderson ne..1 .....60's dept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Etheridge 1 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Control line planes with 1.5 cc engines normally flew on 35 foot lines. The PAW range of engines were the best for CL other than Oliver etc. The Davies Charlton 'Sabre' and ED 'Hornet' were nowhere near as powerful. Simon's RC Phantom should 'go like the clappers '. MJE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted May 9, 2014 Author Share Posted May 9, 2014 Hi chaps, Hi ken. The plan I used was this one **LINK**. It needs a bit of a tidy, but it has a scale drawn onto it which is handy for printing the correct size. The buck for the canopy I made from 'chemiwood' which is a polyurethane material used in model making etc. It has a texture similar to set car body filler, and machines very well and takes a very fine finish when sanded with fine emery papers. Lovely to use, and much better than MDF. On the weight front I think she is going to be a bit of a brick! At the mo she is on about 240gms which is I think about 8ozs? That is with 2 servos, rx, and motor in place. add some more for lipo and esc as well as finish and paint and the final wing loading is going to be high. She certainly wont be a floater!!!! Still, I have confidence that she will fly - somehow or the other! I will have plenty of power however so we shall see what happens. Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 many thanks Simon......I've just got it downloaded....just like that..... ken Anderson ne..1 ...........KK phantom dept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Posted by AlexJ on 09/05/2014 08:38:56: Simon, That buck for the canopy looks neat, is it MDF or some flash porous medium for vac forming? The little motor really sets the model off well too. I fancy building one like Martins, does anyone know what sort of line length they would normally be flown on? Alex I'm flying it on lightweight (.012) 35 foot braided lines (Sullivan) which it seems to work fine on although when the engine stops, the average house brick would be embarrassed by the gliding performance! Remember though, that mine is the smaller16" span Mite version powered by a 0.76 cc DC Merlin. I just carved/sanded a balsa former for my canopy, painted it with (meths) thinned epoxy and used the heat shrunk pop bottle method to form it. Good for a one-off but glass-clothing would make it more durable. Edited By Martin Harris on 09/05/2014 12:08:02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 Hi ladies and gents, Got some more done.... some more detail on the 'engine'.... battery hatch and some magnets to hold in place...... Old skool hinges...I loved doing these...... Nice kit of parts, all covered in tissue and sanding sealer. Looking good in primer, with Fred the pilot (after a diet - see here for how he lost a few grams or so **LINK**) Some humbrol acrylics and an airbrush......and.... Looking cute or what!!! I now need to make some decals up, and squeeze the rest of the radio gear into the fuse. When I started it seemed to have loads of room........shrinking at a rate of knots now I have to fit it all in....... Cheers, Simon Edited By mightypeesh on 22/05/2014 19:43:09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Lovely Simon, brings back lots of good memories, that does. I'm looking forward to a flight report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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