Ojimak F7F Tigercat RC conversion

**jlcopen** · #1 08-19-2010, 04:51 PM

I decided to transplant the parts from an inexpensive foam RC airplane into an up-sized version of Ojimak's F7F Tigercat model. It's no masterpiece, by any means, aesthetics being a secondary priority here, but it was a fun project! See the full time line photo album with descriptions here:

New Paper Model Project | Facebook

Thanks to those who posted about using Nitrate Dope as a finishing agent - it worked well for this project, albeit hastily applied.

**cMags** · #2 08-19-2010, 05:14 PM

Well.....

Does it fly??

**Don Boose** · #3 08-19-2010, 05:22 PM

Looks great. Hope to see some in-flight photos.

Don

**jlcopen** · #4 08-19-2010, 05:34 PM

It flew...like a brick, actually - ha ha! I'm going to strip off the landing gear

, then cut it open and remove a counterweight I had to add to the nose, reposition the Lipo battery, then see if I have any better luck with flight. Thanks for the interest!

**jlcopen** · #5 08-20-2010, 11:53 AM

Okay, I removed my landing gear and repositioned the battery for better balance, but it wasn't enough! It never quite flew - just too heavy, as some up-elevator trim didn't make enough difference. Maybe I'll gut this one and try a "profile" plane next. Oh well, it's all fun!

**cMags** · #6 08-20-2010, 12:01 PM

You could try a lighter cardstock or plain paper even, or skip the dope. Either of those would lighten the plane, but it would be pretty fragile. May want to strengthen only the nose cone and have spares ready.

**wowhaza** · #7 08-20-2010, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmags

You could try a lighter cardstock or plain paper even, or skip the dope. Either of those would lighten the plane, but it would be pretty fragile. May want to strengthen only the nose cone and have spares ready.

I don't think a plane made of regular paper would be able to hold a motor and battery and what not. This is a neat idea, I might try it sometime with my spare r/c planes.

**alpinemike** · #8 08-20-2010, 12:41 PM

This is an idea ive been kicking around for a long time. although i am looking into using most of the details from the larger 1/33 and 1/32nd models. I think the trick will be in using light weight depron foam and balsa ply veneer. i read one builder even prints the skin graphics onto paper then laminates them to his foam skins.
You can get Depron sheets as thin as 1mm.

**cMags** · #9 08-20-2010, 01:14 PM

One of the guys here, MBauer I think, designs, builds, and flies RC paper models - he has a SR-71 that's like 6' long.