Lockheed P38 ARF

OK fella's - I enjoy the banter as much as anyone and I have been known to add to it now and then but I've got a few more complaints about this @#$$%^ kit so lets get back on track for a while. To put it bluntly NOTHING lines up - NOTHING fits and I'm going to have to substantially pull the thing apart and rebuild, straighten, re drill, re align and recover the whole damn thing to get a model which has a chance to fly straight and level without twisting into the ground - or worse the pits or spectators. I firmly believe that if any one tried to assemble this kit as is - which is practically impossible anyway - it would be no more than a potentially lethal, unguided missile!!

To add to the problems already mentioned: -

1. The kit of nuts and bolts, fittings etc provided are either sub standard quality, have no discernable use in the construction or are mostly of the wrong size anyway. It appears as if some one just dug there hand into a tin of miscellaneous fittings and chucked a handful into the packet!

2. The wing, centre nacelle and booms are supposed to be joined together by 6 bolts in three groups which are anchored into blind nuts set in the nacelle and booms. NOT ONE of the pre-fitted blind nuts are at the right centres. In fact the two bolts which join the centre nacelle to the wing halves leave a 1/4 inch gap between the wing halves. As I spent a couple of hours sorting out the gap that was there at the wing trailing edge in the first place this made me say "sugar" and a couple of other words in a loud voice.

3. The plate that holds the blind nuts in the port side boom is glued in out of alignment which probably doesn't matter anyway as the bloody blind nuts are set 5/16th of an inch to far apart for the corresponding locating holes in the wing.

4. I began to remove the engine fire walls to re-glue them in at the proper angles for side thrust and down thrust. The Starboard bulkhead fell out in my hand when I pushed it. Close examination suggests that only three of the ten contact points had any glue on them at all.

5. I've been examining the model to see why the thing is so badly miss aligned - there is a twist in the starboard boom such that one side where the wing mounts is 3/16th lower than the other.

6. One prebuilt flap is 1/8th of an inch THICKER than the other and one prebuilt aileron is a 1/4 of an inch LONGER than the other.

7. If you see some one skipping down the high street in a monkey suit while insisting he is a teapot - just lead me to a quiet corner and give me a nice cup of tea before I do something really crazy like converting to that evil bloody electrickery clan.

8. I've photographed all these problems and as soon as I finish throwing punctured Lipos at then I'll post them on here to see if any one can make sense of it.

9. I will NEVER surrender.

As you live in Australia it could be possible that you're trying to build it upside down.

I know its a challange Mick, but the list of faults is now getting stupid. I know you will sort it, but it will be interesting to see the pictures.

Garry

I wonder why the previous owner traded it to you? upset him in the past have you?

Old Fart wrote: As you live in Australia it could be possible that you're trying to build it upside down.

Damn it OF - you could have told me earlier and saved me a lot of anguish!! I was wondering why it had all that anhedral too.

Garry Pollard wrote: I know its a challenge Mick, but the list of faults is now getting stupid. I know you will sort it, but it will be interesting to see the pictures.

Garry

Yes Garry I agree - how it ever got out the factory door - even if it is a "copy cat" kit I don't know. I'm getting to the point where I'm considering my options as I might as well go and build off a plan from scratch. I could just put it together and hang it from the ceiling as a static display, or I could put two electric motors in it, try to get it to a reasonable height and make a kamakazi dive to entertain the spectators or I could just burn the bloody thing.

On the other hand it did cost me my Ugly Stick float plane so it owes me something and I object to being beaten by a bloody ARF kit. It seems now my only choice is to disassemble the thing, make some sort of jig to square it all up and rebuild it entirely. As my original plan was to build it as is - then pull it down and reconstruct it as a full scale model it seems that unless I'm going to suffer a complete financial and personal satisfaction loss my only option is the complete full scale rebuild now. I'm working in Photoshop and adding some dimensions and comments to the photographs, then I have to resize them for the forum - give me a couple of days to get it done and I'll post them.

I hate giving up and I hate being beaten so that is another reason to continue on.

alan cantwell wrote: I wonder why the previous owner traded it to you? upset him in the past have you?

Yes Alan - I been wondering the same thing - but I haven't upset the bloke and I don't think he knew what a dog it was - all the components were in the original box and still in unopened and sealed packaging. However I am carrying a baseball bat under my pullover - just in case !!

This Kit is so bad that the list of errors is getting (has got??) ridiculous. There is NO WAY it can be built out of the box and even if you could get it assembled it would not fly - or it would be extremely dangerous to attempt to fly !!

Unless I'm prepared to accept a complete financial loss and throw the thing in the rubbish bin I am forced to substantially pull the construction apart and attempt to rebuild it correctly. To this end I'm going to make several modifications to the model and rebuild it nearer to scale. In order to do this the following modifications will be made: -

1. Rebuild the booms and cockpit nacelle to a proper oval section.
2. Fit a retractable undercarriage.
3. Fit scale operating Fowler Flaps.
4. Replace the engine mounting bulkheads
5. Modify the wings into a 3 panel configuration - that is a centre section and 2 outer wing panels.
6. Build a detailed cockpit and fit a scale pilot.
7. Recover and repaint the model with a quality covering.
8. As originally intended I will fit my matched pair of piped NovaRossi 60 nitro engines.

This program will take considerable time and a further financial investment in the model but I'd rather pursue a solution than throw the model in the rubbish bin!! In the meantime back to the Lancaster and the Mosquito projects.

Seems a total bitch Grumps. Why not make it totally unacceptable and electrify it Sorry mate , couldnt resist that one. I will behave now

Garry

Garry Pollard wrote: Seems a total bitch Grumps. Why not make it totally unacceptable and electrify it Sorry mate , couldnt resist that one. I will behave now

Garry

I'm not hard of hearing Gasser - I'm just ignoring you! Any repeat of this sort of filthy language on my thread will end up with me reporting you to the moderator.

Nitro engines are the solution to any problem!!!!!

Grumpy42 wrote: I will fit my matched pair of piped NovaRossi 60 nitro engines.
.

REAL engines.

Eric wrote: Those things with blowlamps in make a heck of a noise, too, before they catch fire! The owner makes the noise AFTER....

Blowlamps - as in turbines??? Lost the plot again Eric??? I might point out that those Lipo power hairdryers are more prone to fire than a good, solid, reliable Nitro engine.