The Utterly, Utterly Awesome Spartan Executive....
Now in 50% scale for RF 7.5...
I had the rare opportunity to see a visiting one of these takeoff from Van Sant Airfield near Tinnicum PA a few years ago, and it still tingles...
All Polished aluminum from a grass field, we were instantly transported back to the wondrous era of Earhart and Lindberg
....Airborne quick, they roared down the entire length of the strip about 20 feet up and close to 200mph before pitching into a climb that looked more like a like a rocket going vertical than a "vintage antique" to eyes more accustomed to following the Stearmans and Glider tugs that live at Van Sant...(along with a Tiger Moth, Travel Air, and Ryan STA at this quiet little no-tower-all-grass-field in Bucks County... we are certainly blessed!).
Major Physics rebuild here to make her fly reasonably well in large scale to do Justice to that magnificent EA...Rudder and Elevator balances fully modeled with some additional Wing Tip details, Weights, CG, Ballast, Prop and Custom Torque Curve with that Big-Fat Radial sound...Scale-like top speed (130-ish = 260-ish) vertical stalls, and rock steady (low level!) high speed handling.
Takeoff with or without flaps, roll on 3/4 throttle and give a little down-stick to get her on the wheels before getting airborne/full throttle for your best looking "scale" takeoffs....land with flaps, throttle at idle and hold that elevator thumb in all the way through the glide...flair a little, goose the throttle a little, have fun with it...
Good-lookin' landings will take some practice... she is a big heavy model that takes a while to bleed off airspeed, and thus will SEEM to "fly at idle" forever to land anyplace you want without thinking...and then its too late...full power late in the game does NOT make her instantly jump back into the air to correct a miss-judged approach!
Waco Field is my favorite (change field propertied to "grass/short" or even "asphalt" to make it smoother)
Squeezing into Carl Henson is fun, but takes a bit of work to master.
As my usual builds, no High or Low rates
Retracts on 7, Up is "up", Down is "down"
(why everyone else seems to have it "backwards" I'll never understand!)
My one disappointment with this build is the occasional Landing Gear jitterbug at idle...roll the throttle a moment and it usually goes away but its annoying...cant seem to fully eliminate it on some Large Scale Builds with springy gear...
Flaps are on Channel 5 (same up/down orientation as the retracts)
I was going to link them to the retracts because 5 is a bit awkward for flaps, but we all know not to taxi with the flaps down, right
Sure, the scroll knob is the best placement for the flaps , but I needed to to leave room for Moveable Cams to look around THE BEST Cabin Interior you'll EVER see in RF 7.5… Red Velvet and Burled Walnut..Red Leather Seats, Window Curtains and Champagne on ice…working Yoke and Throttle Lever… fantastic Instrument Panel. Just. Amazing.
Pilot an Passenger Cams (F4 and F5)
Pan Channel 6
Tilt on Channel 8
All Credit (and much Gratitude!) to the original creators:
Colorscheme by Maj. Numbskully
3D model by jeffpn
Physics by dhk79, mostly
Thanks for letting me "have that morning" at Van Sant any time I need!!
Now in 50% scale for RF 7.5...
I had the rare opportunity to see a visiting one of these takeoff from Van Sant Airfield near Tinnicum PA a few years ago, and it still tingles...
All Polished aluminum from a grass field, we were instantly transported back to the wondrous era of Earhart and Lindberg
....Airborne quick, they roared down the entire length of the strip about 20 feet up and close to 200mph before pitching into a climb that looked more like a like a rocket going vertical than a "vintage antique" to eyes more accustomed to following the Stearmans and Glider tugs that live at Van Sant...(along with a Tiger Moth, Travel Air, and Ryan STA at this quiet little no-tower-all-grass-field in Bucks County... we are certainly blessed!).
Major Physics rebuild here to make her fly reasonably well in large scale to do Justice to that magnificent EA...Rudder and Elevator balances fully modeled with some additional Wing Tip details, Weights, CG, Ballast, Prop and Custom Torque Curve with that Big-Fat Radial sound...Scale-like top speed (130-ish = 260-ish) vertical stalls, and rock steady (low level!) high speed handling.
Takeoff with or without flaps, roll on 3/4 throttle and give a little down-stick to get her on the wheels before getting airborne/full throttle for your best looking "scale" takeoffs....land with flaps, throttle at idle and hold that elevator thumb in all the way through the glide...flair a little, goose the throttle a little, have fun with it...
Good-lookin' landings will take some practice... she is a big heavy model that takes a while to bleed off airspeed, and thus will SEEM to "fly at idle" forever to land anyplace you want without thinking...and then its too late...full power late in the game does NOT make her instantly jump back into the air to correct a miss-judged approach!
Waco Field is my favorite (change field propertied to "grass/short" or even "asphalt" to make it smoother)
Squeezing into Carl Henson is fun, but takes a bit of work to master.
As my usual builds, no High or Low rates
Retracts on 7, Up is "up", Down is "down"
(why everyone else seems to have it "backwards" I'll never understand!)
My one disappointment with this build is the occasional Landing Gear jitterbug at idle...roll the throttle a moment and it usually goes away but its annoying...cant seem to fully eliminate it on some Large Scale Builds with springy gear...
Flaps are on Channel 5 (same up/down orientation as the retracts)
I was going to link them to the retracts because 5 is a bit awkward for flaps, but we all know not to taxi with the flaps down, right
Sure, the scroll knob is the best placement for the flaps , but I needed to to leave room for Moveable Cams to look around THE BEST Cabin Interior you'll EVER see in RF 7.5… Red Velvet and Burled Walnut..Red Leather Seats, Window Curtains and Champagne on ice…working Yoke and Throttle Lever… fantastic Instrument Panel. Just. Amazing.
Pilot an Passenger Cams (F4 and F5)
Pan Channel 6
Tilt on Channel 8
All Credit (and much Gratitude!) to the original creators:
Colorscheme by Maj. Numbskully
3D model by jeffpn
Physics by dhk79, mostly
Thanks for letting me "have that morning" at Van Sant any time I need!!
