Electric Cox F-8 Bearcat X2

rsv1cox wrote:

A badly cracked fuselage on both sides right between the lead-out openings and a cracked cowl but the elevator is perfect.  I did measure the black and red insulated lines at exactly 15 feet.  Looks like 22 gauge stranded, flexible enough but definitely not dacron.   Will do well taking off from my driveway and backing out onto the lawn, should be able to avoid the trees, unlike the Baby Ringmaster which found them on 35' lines.  

Of all the Cox products that I have seen these are the most "toy-like."  Nothing even the most casual control liner would consider.  Collectible, maybe but nothing I would write home about.  Good for my purpose though.

Hi Robert! Thanks for the info on the lines/wires!! Looking closer at your photo(s) I see now; that the bellcrank uses separate conductors for the motor-leads/flying-lines. Still.. there isn't much stress-relief for those 15-foot/22AWG flying-wires.. for their intended purpose. I'm sure that you could make some reliability improvements in that area.

Now that you have a few models to play with.. just remember; as "toy-like" as they may be... it's us adults who design them..  

I'll bet $$ (not a lot though..) that a modern brushless motor could be fitted.. with an on-board LiPo pack/timer-combination that might closely keep the weight/balance where it should be. The real bonus is being able to try some conventional 1/2A control-lines of possibly twice the length.

I thought (he ain't going to wait i know better than that ) 15' Thats pretty short , well for Nitro anyway ! Got Glue !!

getback wrote:  I thought (he ain't going to wait i know better than that )  15' Thats pretty short , well for Nitro anyway ! Got Glue !!  

This will be interesting Eric. I like model railroading.. but I'm glad that Robert has come back around.

I was thinking that the cracks in the fuse could be reliably mended using clear packing-tape.. and hold better than any glue for plastic. No points for appearance.. but a wise old man once said; "Paint and Chrome.. Don't Get-ya' Home"..

Nice complete elevator..

Are the gear-doors anywhere for this one?



Looking at the location of those cracks in the fuse..



I think you could use the clear packing-tape (1-pc. looped-over).. and use a #11 blade to cut windows for the bellcrank side. Same method for the opposite side. The yellow vinyl tape is a great color-match.. but it cannot compare with the tenacious-grip that packing-tape has on this type of material. Pre-clean the areas with an alcohol pad.. and that tape will stick really good.

Yeah, both of these are hair pullers.

Second one lost it's wheel pants and was crashed taking out one side of the motors peg style retainers and cracking the cowl.  Fixing with Testors red tube.  Let it cure overnight and it's a winner, but will still back up with some sort of tape, maybe yellow vinyl but it can stretch.  








This one #1 is driving me nuts.  Horz. stab just flops around (on #2) also.  Can't figure that one out.  


# 2 vert stab suffers from Killer Whale fin flop over disease when held in captivity.  


And yup, NIB #3 still sits.  Gotta recover and fix the other two before I face that one.



Fixing and quartering a locomotives valve gear doesn't seem so bad after-all.



Sorry for all the pictures.  To close to lunch to cull.

That's a popular motor Robert.. and it's likely in good shape. The "380RS/RS380" is a reference to its size. It's your standard can-motor for a multitude of hobby-applications calling for that size and output. You might be able to source an alternate propeller-mount for running a variety of metric propellers.. which are widely available for today's RC quad-copters.

This web-link might prove useful.. Your motor-specs are here.

RS380 motor

Link to airscrew adapters for 2.3mm output shafts.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=airscrew+mount+for+2.3mm+output+shaft

I'm liking this thread..

rsv1cox wrote:
Sorry for all the pictures.  To close to lunch to cull.

Never any need to apologize for photos Robert. I enjoy "shooting" photos.. and I enjoy looking at other people's photos. I see it as "fine-tuning" what's on their mind.

Thanks roddie.  Up on that motor now.  It's a spinner and hauls it around on the floor pretty good.

No wheel doors anywhere in the box.  I think they were damaged when it crashed and the PO just tossed them.  I will need something flexible to backup those plastic cement repairs as it's concave in there with a twist.  Good idea about cutting out the windows for the lead-outs.  Maybe Duct/Duck tape carefully applied.  

Managed to get the alignment pegs for the motor back in the right place.  Couldn't tell, rotated it a couple of times until it snapped into place.  Took it out again smeared cement on the uprights and put it back in then backed that up with more cement on the exterior.






Upward and downward.  Thankfully nature still makes balsa.

Both have come along way in the last couple of days and are at least flyable now.  

Didn't have to back up the cracked fuselage repair.  Tester's red tube does a great job, solid as a rock as is.  Repair is almost invisible on the outside.  Drove me nut's putting them back together, requires three hands.  Get the motor in and the bell crank slides out, put the other half in and the elevator assembly goes south.  Align pins and the motor moves.  X2.



Had to hog out the two stage propeller to fit to the drive washer, 9/64 & 1/8 or I would have to disassemble the thing to remove it.  




Cut the pilot off at the shoulders to fit.  Canopy is too small but so what, I'm not restoring the Mona Lisa here.  Got to do the other one.

Used roddies method of cutting out circles to cover the reliefs for the original canopy's pegs.  



Might have to find a trim use for the green vinyl tapes that I used as put-it-back-together aids.  I like the contrast.

Still teasing after all these years.  At least I have it down in the basement, just haven't had time to fully open it yet.



https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=still+crazy+after+all+these+years&qpvt=still+crazy+after+all+these+years&view=detail&mid=8A4E549C360AB9D47F338A4E549C360AB9D47F33&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dstill%2Bcrazy%2Bafter%2Ball%2Bthese%2Byears%26qpvt%3Dstill%2Bcrazy%2Bafter%2Ball%2Bthese%2Byears%26FORM%3DVDRE

Great repairs there. Will be nice to see it up in the air one day.

NEW222 wrote:Great repairs there. Will be nice to see it up in the air one day.

Pretty soon Chancey, no pit crew required.  Better no witnesses either.

Oh yes, vertical stab/rudder repair of the flop over.

Looking good Robert!

Finally found time to open up #3.  This guy knew how to pack, I had warned him that I had received these in the past crushed by the PO gorillas.

Outside cardboard  box was covered by some sort of sticky backed vinyl, inside that was foam and airbag packing.  Actual Cox box was wrapped in yards of bubble wrap, then saran wrap.  Got that off and inside box had more saran wrap.  Got that off and every void was packed with airbags.  Finally got down to the airplane.








New one not without it's problems.  Assembled with one side alignment pins outside the fuselage.  Got to disassemble.  Don't want to.  Maybe I can push a rod through one of the control line holes and pop it out.





Just happened to get the new batteries in today.  Uncharged, and not the correct connectors I made a bridge from a couple of finish nails with the heads chopped off.  Worked fine, but on this carpet it didn't travel far full throttle.

Early morning, early evening, lazy quiet circles. I think
you have a grip on this, Bob. Bliss!
Bob

Hey Robert, You can buy Tamiya plug-sets (web-link below) for those light green packs, if you don't mind soldering. Maybe there are conversion harnesses available.. but a minimum of connections is best in any electrical circuit. Plug-sets are cheap too... The deal below is for 5-pair (male/female).. enough for 3 more of those packs..  

LINK HERE

roddie wrote:Hey Robert, You can buy Tamiya plug-sets (web-link below) for those light green packs, if you don't mind soldering. Maybe there are conversion harnesses available.. but a minimum of connections is best in any electrical circuit. Plug-sets are cheap too... The deal below is for 5-pair (male/female).. enough for 3 more of those packs..  

LINK HERE

Thanks for the link roddie, I saved it.  Going to need them.  None of the batteries that I have or have on order fit.  But, I'm done with this thing, not that it hasn't been pleasant.  

Repaired the ripped box, torn on a diagonal about half way back.  2" masking tape on the inside, Elmer's white on the outside.  I enjoy box art, and this time no cellophane to deal with.




Got to wait for one of you guys to help me fly it.  Say's Adult Supervision required right there on the box.



$46.99 new, not much less than what I paid for it.  Adjusted for inflation I might have got a bargain.



Funny, #2 had two wire hold-downs while #3 just had one.  Maybe to save time and money or maybe just so the instructions could lay flat on the bottom of the box rather than on top of the airplane.




Confession time.  After I got #2 back together I found this bell crank pylon cap on the workbench.  No way I was going to tear it down again to put it back on.  Didn't seem likely that the BC would come off anyway.  



Wound up having to disassemble #3 to get the RH fuselage side over the alignment peg and cure that gap seen in a picture above.  When I did I noticed there was no cap on the bell cranks pylon either, so Cox just left it off.



Wall of shame.  Where good models go to die.  



You might be on to something Bob, early morning warm breeze, a few laps before breakfast.........................touch and goes on the driveway.

A very nice looking fleet you have there. Glad it arrived there safely and well packaged.

Wall of Shame? No...



Just curious; regarding the additional parts located inside those panels..




.. have you checked the other side to see if there's anything forgotten in there?

One more thing..



Instruction-manual scans for the forum archives would be good. Even though the model doesn't have a Cox engine; there is no Cox Motor Forum..

Yes, I sent scans of those plans to Jacob to include in the Instructions section of this forum.  For some reason I couldn't upload them myself.  






I did go through all those compartments.  #3 had them where they belonged, #2 scattered.  Printed up a second set for #2. Green stripes are just vinyl tape, peel right off.

Thanks for the scans Robert!

NEW222 wrote:A very nice looking fleet you have there. Glad it arrived there safely and well packaged.

.... yes indeed! Very yellow though..  Why not take one of them.. and paint it?

Some ideas...




If you like the paint-idea.. I have more photos.. I'm sure you know..

Yes, the boxes cover art shows two blue F-8's in formation with the yellow one and the thought crossed my mind. Think I mentioned that I have a can of Krylon Fusion paint in that color. But it got me to wondering if Cox also offered it in blue. I don't think so as a search didn't turn anything up.

If/when I crash it, I would change color to cover up the repair scars. But, now I'm worrying that I don't have enough asphalt to get it airborne before hitting grass. Elevator throw is tiny at best.

rsv1cox wrote:

If/when I crash it, I would change color to cover up the repair scars.    But, now I'm worrying that I don't have enough asphalt to get it airborne before hitting grass.  Elevator throw is tiny at best.  

You'll know better.. when you have good (factory-spec.) connections.. and a freshly-charged battery.