K & W Model Airplanes Inc.| Flying Scale Models

USA # 1-1999

SCALE RC MODELER ( MARCH/ APRIL 1999 ) VOL. 26
SCALE RC MODELER [PAGE 1] SCALE RC MODELER [PAGE 2]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEW TO THE ARF MARKE TPLACE, 3 SEA BEES MODELS INTRODUCES A FINELY-SCALED NIEUPORT 17 THAT ESTABLISHES A NEW THRESHOLD IN QUALITY, DESIGN AND FLYING FUN…BY RICHARD TEJADA
Like a lot of veteran R/Cers, I was somewhat skeptical about the current rage in scale ARF kits. After more than 40 years of building anything that came in a box I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the nicely packaged 3 Sea Bees Nieuport 17. Designed by Goran Kalderen and built in the Philippines for 3 Sea Bees Models, the bubble-wrapped wings, fuselage, etc., of this 1916 French Scout had well-withstood the rigors of its long trip from Manila to Lake Stevens, Washington (3 Sea Bees factory), and then to my home at Oxnard, California. Unwrapping each part, immediately evident was the most impressive finish workmanship and high degree of fabrication. The kit included scale wheels, a dummy engine, scale display prop and all necessary hardware. As is typical of most ARFs the assembler has to supply the R/C gear, engine and fuel tank. Not included is the .030 Lewis or Vickers machine gun, or scale pilot, all of which are available from Williams Bros. With a 66N upper wing span this 9 lb. 4 oz. model calls for an 0.46 to .60 twostroke engine. After scanning every part and the nicely illustrated 12-page assembly manual my juices were delightfully whetted. I'd set aside my prejudices and give it a go -my first attempt at ARF. SELECTING THE ENGINE After giving due consideration to utilizing my on-hand O.S. 70 four-stroke for the powerplant, I realized that it would not fit within the 3-1/4N deep cowl. Since this was a SRC magazine project, I asked associate editor Chris Spangenberg how to solve my dilemma. Chris felt it was best to employ an engine displacement recommended by 3 Sea Bees Models rather than extensively modify the firewall to accept another engine. Another factor was 3 Sea Bees Models' recommendation not to overpower or overstress the model. Remembering that the prototype Nieuports of World War I had a reputation for shedding their wings in power dives, I decided this was prudent advice.
The 3 Sea Bees Models' Nieuport 17 seen as it arrives. Packed in bubble-wrap it survived the lengthy trip from the Philippines to the factory in Washington to the author's California residence without mishap. Seen inside the cowl is the dummy rotary engine and scale display prop that are included. Not shown are the bags of hardware and accessories.
Luckily, Chris had an O.S. 60 FP he agreed to let me borrow to expedite assembly. As it was, the built-in engine mount had to be moved 1/4" farther apart to accept his O.S. 60. The mounts also had to be modified to locate the engine as close to the firewall as possible so that proper spacing between the cowl and prop was maintained. Also, the bottom of the fuselage required a cleft to be cut into it to accommodate the muffler. The result was a compact installation that nested perfectly within the cowl. In checking the CG just before the test flight, we found we had to add a 4-oz. weight taped inside the cowling.
Builder Rich Tejeda with his ready-to-fly first attempt at scale ARF. It required slightly over 30 hours to assemble, power and rig the O.S. 50-powered Nieuport. A veteran modeler and retired civil engineer, building and flying R/C now consumes much of Rich's time. He considers the ARF kit's overall finish and design excellent.	THE ASSEMBLY MANUAL For the most part, the Assembly Manual was very instructive. It begins with a brief history of the Nieuport 17; its design and construction then goes on to cover various paint schemes in addition to the scout flown by Ace Major Raoul Lufberry in Escadrille Lafayette N124 in 1917. The Manual then recommends a stepby-step assembly sequence that has key points illustrated for clarity. It concludes with basic instructions and rigging for the first test flight. The only topic that might be better explained was the installation of the servos. Here a sketch showing the linkages would have been of great value since, for CG purposes, the upper and lower servo tray, receiver and batteries are located in as-by 6--10ng space shared behind the firewall with the fuel tank. The booklet suggested mounting the elevator servo inverted in the upper tray; a very awkward installation for connecting the rudder tiller arm. By making a small cutout in the lower tray a more direct installation was achieved.Realizing that only so much data can be crammed in a l2-page manual I would say the basic steps are well covered, but that the modeler should possess prior experience in servo and linkage installation.
Closeup of the cockpit area showing the finely detailed Indian head insignia of the Escadrille Lafayette. The model carries the marking of AEF Ace Major Lufberry, who scored many of his victories flying the Nieuport 17.
FITTING THE RUDDER & ELEVATORS TO THE FUSELAGE This phase went together in a very straightforward manner that required only a little tweaking to obtain proper alignment for the control rods and servo linkages. The prefabricated elevator and rudder were mated using the various nuts and bolts supplied with the kit. The plywood elevator control horns had to be relieved on the exterior surfaces in order that the clevises were more in line with the control wires.
Rigging the 3 Sea Bees' Nieuport 17 required half of the assembly time, but by properly adjusting the flying and landing wires to assure accurate dihedral and incidence the model performed flawlessly on its maiden flight.


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SCALE RC MODELER ( MARCH/ APRIL 1999 ) VOL. 26