Another 1/4 Scale Sea Fury

[Mike Booth]

Very convincing Trevor.
Superbly rendered. I will look forward to seeing it close up in the flesh.
M

[Trevor Wood]

Hello Mike,

Appreciate the comments and hope that we can meet up in the near future - maybe Barkston warbirds in early April.

Have completed the two outer wing panels over the weekend,rivet and access panel weathering etc - a couple of pictures attached - moving onto the main wing centre section which should have the model finished ready for test flying.

Regards Trevor Wood

[chris willis]

Lovely, i do just love the Hawker family
Been a pleasure to watch
Chris

[Mike Booth]

Beautiful Trevor, you have got it just right , we will make an artist of you yet.
M

[Trevor Wood]

Mike,thanks for the comments,much appreciated - have been out of the UK most of this week but managed to finish the rivetting on the Sea Fury last weekend,also completed the tailhook using the resin moulding available from Phil Clark,this is attached via a nylon threaded rod so can be removed easily,this also acts as a break point if required.

Would have brought the model along to the 'do' in Bradford on Sunday but unfortunately this coincides with the Jet Day my club at RAF Shawbury hosts for the JMA once a year,will try and get the model assembled at sometime in the next few days and post a couple of pictures.

Regards Trevor Wood

[Alan Cantwell 1131]

not going to Bradford? aw poop, was looking forward to seeing this beutifull creation

[stewart clifford]

Will we be seeing it at Barkston next weekend with all of the other radial models currently on the scene?

[Trevor Wood]

Stewart,

Unfortunately business committments mean I will now be unable to attend the warbird meeting at Barkston,I have informed Richard accordingly.

Trevor Wood

[Trevor Wood]

I am pleased to say that the Sea Fury had it's maiden flight on Sunday at RAF Shawbury,flew straight and level with no trim inputs required,the landing gear functioned perfectly,delighted with the outcome.

Need to try a coarser pitch prop since the Moki was over-reving on the 34 x 12 at full power,for the next flight will also try baffling the engine to improve the cooling around the cylinders,I know Phil Clark did this on the one he built and read with interest Brian Rawcliffe's article on his Tempest in the last journal in which he described baffling the engine - the only reason I did'nt baffle first off was that my Corsair has none and runs very well - but then it does'nt have a ruddy great spinner nailed on the front.

All in all a pleasing result and my thanks go to Frank,Keith and Roger and the rest of the guys at Shawbury for their help and encouragement on the day.

A couple of pictures attached.

Regards Trevor Wood LMA 687

[chris willis]

The big smile says it all Trevor, well done another great Warbird in the air
Chris

[Trevor Wood]

Thanks Chris,the adrenalin rush from a successful first flight kicks in everytime,a couple more pictures just prior to launch.

Regards Trevor

[Chris Lane]

Congratulations it looks wonderful.

I once had a ride in the back of a T21 Sea Fury. How about a 5-blade prop!

[Mike Booth]

Cor she is a big girl.
Excellent. Mike.

[Trevor Wood]

Chris and Mike,
Thanks,she is a big girl,the 34 inch prop and the old duffer in the photo lends scale - Chris,I have been looking at 5 blade prop solutions,but to be fair with model multi blade propellers in my view the real problem is turning a reasonably convincing scale diameter or they look somewhat 'dinky' on a large model,on my Corsair the Moki 250cc radial turns a 3 blade 32 inch diameter unit produced by Solo and it looks fairly scale, although in reality it too should be larger for scale size( see the attached picture courtesy of Neil Hutchinson from Cosford last year),the Solo units are superb quality and pitch adjustable so finding the optimum setting for any engine is fairly easy,mine has given trouble free operation in over 30 flights.

Unfortunately Solo do not produce a 5 blade hub unit,although they do a 4 blade item which would be fine for the P -47,P-51's etc out there,or I guess models of re-engined Sea Fury's,the only 5 blade alternative I have found is available from Zinger in the USA ( see picture ) but having reviewed the sizes they have available,and the diameter that the Sea Fury's Moki is likely to be able to turn, I do not believe the 'look' would be right.

If anyone has any ideas I would be pleased to hear from them.

Regards Trevor Wood LMA 687

[Phil Clark]

Stick with the 2 blade prop Trevor.....I was in touch with a guy in Germany when I built our one and he was bench running his 250 on the Zinger 5 blade job........the size he ended up with to get sensible rpm's out of the 250 looked rediculous .......plus I'd imagine you'd loose a lot of performance with almost 4.5" of each blade lost inside the spinner.

Phil

[Mike Booth]

I would agree with Phil.
You could go and have a prop hub machined up for the job, but the torque required to give scale length blades enough bite would be out of the realms of rc motors.
Nevertheless, both aircraft are fine scale replica's and top league in the UK RC heavy metal community.
Great.
Mike.

[Trevor Wood]

Phil and Mike - Thanks for your insight and views on this topic - much appreciated.

Regards Trevor

[Trevor Wood]

Flew the Sea Fury again on Sunday at our club's scale day,tried a 32x18 prop this time,much better but the engine still turning this with ease and needs more resistance,a couple of pictures attached courtesy of Stuart McFarlane,will post a few flying shots when received,she fly's very well indeed,just a few more flights to complete the test program.

Regards Trevor Wood