flying88

here is my kavalier!

EscapeFlyer

My Feedback: (1)

WOW GUYS!!!!!

I really like this little gem. Great looking airplanes.

There's just something 'bout the classics that just cannot be replaced. I'll have to add one of these to my arsenal.

Brian

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

Nice to see the the Kavalier showing up again! If you're building one remember this is a "builders" model. I'm presently building two of them, one from the kit(for an older clubmember who LOVES this plane) and it will be tri-gear and one scratched from the plans (for me) as a taildragger. It's fun to build in the old style though much time can be spent on the construction process. GO SIG!!

Soft landings,

Joe

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Make sure you get your matching paint before covering for the cowl. Paint and covering matching has really become a problem so it's better to have everything in hand ahead of time.

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

Paint?....we don't need no stinkin' paint [X(]

Well, maybe we do. Anyone know a good paint product match for Ultracoat coverings?

Soft landings,

Joe

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

One friend has now spent a month looking for one of the Ultra yellows. He found what was supposed to be the match, it was Ultra paint, it wasn't even in the same zip code. I had the Ultra match for the blue he needed, it was a true match. Auto paint store wanted more to match the color then a new painted cowl would cost. Radio South has the match, I haven't tried it though. From what I have been told it too is high dollar stuff. Matching the covering colors has now become a big problem so you really need to think ahead when designing your scheme. I'm thinking, just a thought at this point, that the next plane I do with a cowl I will air brush the cowl into the covering to start a blend. Paint is really becoming a big problem for builders.

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

I was thinking I'll probably use a white on Norm's kit cowling and perhaps the main landing gear as he's selected yellow, blue and white as colors for his plane. On my Kavalier I'm going with a built up wood cowling ala "old style" so I can then cover it all with the Ultracoat. BTW Gray Beard...I'm using your dark red, light blue and white colors on my model in a similiar scheme to the photos you posted. That light blue/red combo really "clicks" with me! Aren't these old designs great!?

Soft landings,

Joe

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Just a wee bit lost, I build so many planes I loose track. I can usually remember!!!! Never mind, I posted a photo of a Kav I built, I remember. That one was for the guy I pitted for. Our club had a racing class for the KAV trying to get guys back into building. That's when I ended up building so many of them. I made quite a bit of money back then and discovered how far people will go to cheat, I mean have an edge!!! That plane was coverd to match the plane on the kits box. It took me a couple of tries to get a color match on that cowl even back then!! The photos are one of the misses!! I built one that looked bone stock but the owner couldn't park his plane too close to another one or some differences seemed to show up!!! The beauty of the KAV is after the race the plane was a great little stunt plane. If buit close to stock!!
Gene

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

That's the one, Gene. Showed the photo to my wife, Joyce, and she sure liked the colors. It's a fun, relaxing, build and I'm sure enjoying the time spent constructing these two Kavaliers. Sure beats watching snow come down....! Have both wings about finished, one stab built and both fins. Will finish the wings and second stab and then it's on to the fuselage builds. For some reason I'm really looking forward to flying the Kavalier...maybe it's because of the memories of good times building Sig kits and flying RC in the '70's and 80's...and the actual craftsmanship involved in building these kits. Whatever it is, the time spent in the shop is very peaceful and rewarding. Now...if I can just figure out how to get that OS 75AX to stay on the nose.......JUST KIDDING!!

Soft landings,

Joe

flying88

<font color="#00265e" size="2">squeakalong</font>
&lt;script type="text/javascript">titleAndStar(744,115,0,false,"","")</script&gt;
<font color="#00265e" size="2">do you have any pic's of the kavalier build??</font>
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squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

Not really a lot to show photo wise as I hadn't taken any pics during the build. Went and shot a few photos of what I have though for you.

Soft landings,

Joe

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Trust me, if you want the 75 in there you can do it. This is another one I built for the same fellow. In this case it was for our unlimited class. There really are limits though. It's another SIGm the little 32 size Kobra. I was shaving grams off of it but when he decided it just had to have the turtle deck and canopy installed I gave up. I stuffed his WEBRA .55 racing engine in the front and built the cowl around the engine so it could be removed and installed. I had the plane completely assembled without the engine, muffler, spinner and prop. It came in at either 3 or 3.5 pounds. After I installed the engine it came out to either 4 or 4.5 pounds. He wanted me to test fly it before I sent it to him, NO WAY!!!! I got a call from him on maiden day while he was at the field. His knees were still shaking and he had not removed the sweat from his brow. Said it was a mite twitchy!! Then he went onto the low rates and got it to settle down. You can get big engines in small planes there there is a point where it looses the fun factor. The little plane really scoots!!
I really like the SIG kits too!!
Gene

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

There won't be a .75 in this one, Gene. I have a .46AX that will most likely go in my taildrager version and Norm gave me an OS .40LA for his kit version. These models are being built for sport flying and the vintage atmosphere they provide so nothing really fancy going on here. That's a nice Kobra in your photo and it looks fast just sitting on the tarmac. Yea, I like SIG planes...that fuselage in the background in my photos is a scratch build Astro-Hog; the pilots name is Rudy Bagga. Need to mount the tail and wing and get some covering on that one.

Soft landings,

Joe

flying88

VERY NICE JOB!!

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

The club had a rule, all the Kavs were to have the OS .46fx and they still hauled mule!! At the end of the day they were flown as stunt planes. To show you how fast with a .46 they were. One day I was running the pylons with my 60 size super kaos, it had a YS 1.10 fz in it at that time. My buddy took up his little Kav i built him. He went scooting by me, I started cutting the pylons and he still pulled away from me. I finally started cutting half the course and I still couldn't keep up with that Kav. I gave up and we both just started doing stunts. He thought I was just fooling around, not so, I was really trying to keep up!! I even like the looks of the Kav, very sleek.
Gene

EscapeFlyer

My Feedback: (1)

Building the classic Sig kits is just like plans building!!!!

squeakalong-

Your build is VERY clean. Something to aspire to for sure.

Brian

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

I apppreciate the kind comments folks. Thanks!

Gene, that OS .46AX is a super nice engine for its size. Had one installed on the GP Cherokee ARF and the Knockabout ARF and they both really flew fast. The Kavalier should do as well or better. I have the OS .55AX too, but I'll be putting it on the Astro-Hog; I think it would be "over-kill" on the Kavalier LOL!

One nice thing about the SIG kits is that as a result of their plans and manuals, and, with the builder taking the time to do a good job during construction, the outcome can certainly be favorable. I've built many of their kits over the years and absolutely cannot think of one build I did not enjoy. If you are successful with these kits you can scratch build from plans. I, for one, would be quite sad to see the SIG kit line cease production.

Soft landings,

Joe

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I put one of my old students into the .55ax and it has been used in two H-9Pulse 60 size planes. Although not really as good as a .60 in the plane it will still fly it well enough to do every stunt you can think of for sport flying. It would be over kill for the Kav. I think the Kav would fly nice with a .32, even smaller if that's all you have for an engine.
MAN plans no longer come with the building article so they aren't as easy as they once were, just the plans only. I think anyone who has built several of the SIG kits wouldn't have any problems building from plans but they still would have to keep an eye on those numbers telling you how hard the plane is to build, stick with the #2 until you have built from plans a few times. Size of the plane makes no difference but I have some plans from Ziroli for a 40 size bipe that would make most builders scratch there heads. I just bought the plans for a 1/4 size Sukhoi 29 with an 80 inch wing and it is a pretty easy build and a good one for honing your sheeting skills. Sure are some nice planes in plans!!
Gene

flying88

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flying88

THIS THREAD IS WORTHLESS WITHOUT PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Sorry, did you start at the beginning?Maybe there are some from way back when??

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

...I'm sure glad we have the blocking feature available....and I don't think he needs any pics to understand that.

Soft landings,

Joe

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

8 pages and started in 04. Anyone wanting to see photos and the build shouldn't start on the last page. I just went back to page one and looked. There is a lot of info in this thread if you bother to look. These days it's more of a thread of LOOK WHAT I JUST BUILT. It's fun to see how others have finished there planes. I still love seeing others Kavs and talking about a nice little plane.

flying88

=)

flying88

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