Couple Kittens followed me home..

Cg is likely a good start. I like your pinch off clip. I may try that on my F2D planes. I was going to try the office type spring clips this year, but this looks better. I really don't like starting with bladders. Luckily I get some help there at the bean field. Like the ideas for the golf ball for a mold. Would a ping pong ball work? I have some of the Little Red Caps that I have not tried yet. They are supposed to be good for 1/2A. Less pressure so the needle is not quite as sensitive. Alan

Thanks for the look at the C\G! Dono about the ping pong ball idea.. somebody else was posting about the pop bottle molding..

Hi Mich,

With that geometry, use your regular handle. I like 42ft 20#fishing line.
It will go like snot.
Figure 8's will be your friend.
Landing upright, is an art...
Take care,
Have fun,
Dave

P.S. Dollar Store CA glue. Get it where the castor oil wants to soak in....

Hi Mich,

You can wrap solder around the front end of your Cox, to get the CG fwd.
It will slow things down a bit, then peel it back to your liking...

I have an undefeated 'Piranna' own design, with a BlackWidow.
It scares both Ring Masters and Flight Streaks....

We fear, a nice stable Kitten will turn inside us...

Towing streamers is fun,
No kidding!
Put a streamer on it.
It is a Combat Kitten,
It is fun,
Take care,
Have fun,
Dave

Everything looks good, hope the bladder is loose in its tube when fueled up. I don't have the plans for the kitten, but the big cat shows the C/G a bit closer to the leading edge. A tail heavy 1/2a does not last very long. The plane looks very nice form and function wise .
                         Mike1484

Checked an old handbook "Secrets of model airplane building by Sterling models". It showed a picture that the C/G should not be back behind the leading edge more than 25% of the wing cord. That seems pretty generous to me. I would think 20% would be a good starting point and move back for a more responsive control .
                                                                   Mike1484

Nice clean job on the bladder tube , have you test ran it yet ?

I myself wouldn't use 42' lines for a reedy. Until a woodie gets up to speed it can be a herky jerky ride for a lap. Make certain that you sight the plane from the rear and insure that the trailing edge is centered all the way across the plane. If it isn't reheat your covering and twist it further than what it's warped and let it cool in your hand for a bit. Putting a 5-6' streamer on the plane can also tame a twitchy plane. One thing that can help until it's been trimmed out is to tape a nickel on the outboard wing with some clear packing tape just to offer a bit more tip weight for the initial flight. Just like Half A Dave suggested, remove it after flight.

I fly it level insuring that it's not banked up or down on the end of the lines. If the outboard tip is high, when you go inverted the plane can potentially fly across the circle. If all looks good, I do wide maneuvers insuring that the line tension is the same on inside and outside maneuvers. If it gets light one way vs the other then you have a possible warp. I then trim for speed. I want enough elevator to turn but not too much where it stalls. This is where a tall horn comes in handy as it offers some adjustment.

getback wrote:Nice clean job on the bladder tube , have you test ran it yet ?

Thanks it was a chore for sure..Haven't run it yet..maybe Monday if its warm ill run it in the shop.

Streamer✓ any body have a C\G location off the kitten plans? Ill see where 20% lies at..Thank you guys for all the replies, kind words and shared wisdom..

Hi Mich,

I am looking for a book of plans that I think has the Kitten plans.
Know I have it some where, it will be in the last place I look...

Should have the CG and streamer attatch details...

Later,
Dave

Just a quick Yahoo search give me a free plan service . Maybe Aerofred The balance is very far forward just at the back of the leading edge piece. https://freercplans.com/plan-combat-kittens-4205.htm

Hi Mich,
Found it!

AMA Kit Plan Book Volume One. Compiled by Frank Ehling.
No date I can find, gotta be late sixties...

The Kitten has the CG at the back edge of the LE stock.
Further fwd than similar combat wings, which are ~20% back from LE.

No details on streamer attatch on any of them...
Ken will know...

Hope this helps,
Dave

P.S. I gotta put this book back where I found it, got enough projects on the go already !

One thing I noticed immediately when I built my first one was it flew better than ANY Lil Satan I owned. It was night and day. Having two in a box made it even better. I built several of them but I still own one unbuilt from the original box when I made the first one.

More good stuff here. C.G position, trimming info and the fact that it will out fly a Li'l Satan is all good stuff. Can't wait to here how it flys . My C.G position is for the big cat and is wrong, look at the kitten plans it is way forwad.
Mike1484

As far as streamer attachment is concerned, drill a hole in the outboard boom and tie it on.

Thanks SO much everyone! Got some figuring to do. Tempting to skeletonize the Basswood elevator and see what that's worth on the C\G  Probably would balance better with a Tee Dee on a bolt on beam mount...hmm Toledo show  is coming might need to go TeeDee shopping..or do I add to the existing mount layering it up to get the postage stamp engine forward and a couple holes in the bass wood elevator to loose tail weight...I'm so glad I have the C\G info..probably woulda been  like a bottle rocket without the stick..maybe ill find a Kitten kit at Toledo show too!

P.S. if any forum members need really small precise TIG welding I run small welding business in Livonia Mi and might be able to help..
alloys like titanium and aluminum or stainless are no problem..I've saved a lot of little precious items over the years for people and companies.
Don't be afraid to ask..

Ken Cook wrote:             One thing I noticed immediately when I built my first one was it flew better than ANY Lil Satan I owned. It was night and day. Having two in a box made it even better. I built several of them but I still own one unbuilt from the original box when I made the first one.

So cool! What a precious kit that is! I'm going to start looking for one.

Ken Cook wrote:             As far as streamer attachment is concerned, drill a hole in the outboard boom and tie it on.

That makes sense also keeping lines tight.

HalfaDave wrote:Hi Mich,
Found it!

AMA Kit Plan Book Volume One.  Compiled by Frank Ehling.
No date I can find, gotta be late sixties...

The Kitten has the CG at the back edge of the LE stock.
Further fwd than similar combat wings, which are ~20% back from LE.

No details on streamer attatch on any of them...
Ken will know...

Hope this helps,
Dave

P.S. I gotta put this book back where I found it,  got enough projects on the go already !

Thank you Dave

Dave’s already helped out with the CG info but here’s a visual to go with it…I have the kit… Nice job on the fuel pinch off by the way!!!



My kit will go in the For Sale section soon…. Little above my pay grade for CL

Thanks RDW777, I started with sorting out my hand position for gripping the plane while starting and knew I wanted momentary fuel flow with easy changeover to constant fuel flow. Eventually modifying the design of an existing fuel pinch I got from a friend and fabricating the one you see pictured to allow the release of pressure by rocking the side of my index finger onto the wire "button", allowing for prime and fuel control while initial running\starting, once the engine starts I can hold the button and if it stalls just release and fuel flow stops..or if the engine is happily running perfect while the button is held then simply using my right hand push the fuel line down to the "run" position below the pinch area in the little loop of the "button" and your ready for flight..the whole mechinism is also adjustable up and down via two mounting screws on the side of the engine mount for perfect position against the finger\knuckle.


PM me how much you want for the kit..

C/G conundrum...engine mocked up 1" forward big loop of solder and still 1" behind the C/G..DOGONE..