KCJarman

January 5th I am picking up a Pilot Models Christen Eagle kit. My uncle has been in the hobby for about 50 years and picked this kit up brand new in the early 80's when the company went out of business. He has kept the kit indoors and free of moisture. All the parts are in perfect shape and intact.

I am currious to know if anyone has any information on this plane as it is almost impossible to find any info on it.... I did find a web site that had an approximate value of the kit at around $500.00 but, I am interested to know if anyone has built this kit or has any info on it first hand.......


I am not really into Christen Eagles but, he is just giving it too me to get it out of the house.... I'm still going to pass him some cash, if he'll take it..... but I dought it. We'll see....

I am into 3d and Scale aerobatics and I would love a 25% aerobatics plane but I'm not sure that this Christen Eagle is something that I should keep or try to sell or trade for something more capable.... Any thoughts????

Pilot/OK 1/3.7 Chirsten Eagle.

Here is the price guide that I referenced to....

http://members.aol.com/skylane42a/price.html

Here is the only info that I can find of the plane although mine is a Eagel I not an Eagle II...
http://www.geocities.com/jbrundt/eagle.html

KCJarman

WOW!!!!


I have posted this topic on 4 different site's and it has gotten 96 views in less then 24 hours..... but NO COMMENTS.....


IS THIS A TABOO PLANE OR WHAT??????[:@]

Bird of Paradise

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KC:

The Pilot Christian Eagle is a terrific aircraft, especially for its time. I had a friend who flew the wheel pants off of one with a Super Tigre 3000. The plane was kept assembled so that the flying wires didn't need to be reattached each flying session. The airplane will knife edge with very little rudder input. As I recall there is a lot of building to get to the final product, and of course, a great deal of care must be taken to have a great flying airplane in the end.

Not sure what today's value would be as there are similar ARFs out there.

Regards,

Mike

KCJarman

Thanks for that..... I am curious if this plane would be IMAC capable....????? I want to compete this next year but I want a capable plane and I don't want to put a lot of time and money into a plane that will sit at the house... thx.

Hammbone

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http://www.geocities.com/jbrundt/eagle.html

KCJarman

That's in my original post chief..... post number 1....

Already been there

Tired Old Man

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It's a very good plane. I recently traded one off for something else. It's a difficult build that requires time and decent skills but it's quite rewarding. It originally flew with a geared 60 since that was the largest engine size available at the time. I'd use a Moki 1.8 or similar now. It's quite capable of any aerobatics that a Pitts or Eagle will fly but you'll have to work hard for precision IMAC maneuvers and get the plane well trimmed out. Don't even think about 3D with the exception of a short hover.

KCJarman

Thanks for that...... I not too concerned about the build..... I have plenty of build experience......

I think that I will go ahead and keep this one..... after checking out a few online videos it is a pretty decent aerobat..... it may take me some time to get it done... but it will be a nice plane to add to the stable.... and more than likely a perfect choice for my FIRST GASSER!!!!

Tired Old Man

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BTW, It's not a taboo plane but one that was around long before most of the current modelers were. When it came out it was fairly high priced compared to a lot of other kits and there was not a large number of them sold compared to the usual $40.00 kits. An acceptable number were sold for certain but not compared to cheaper planes. Everything was comparatively more expensive then. Think late 70's early 80's.

KCJarman

Understood..... all good info.....

I'm not going to have a problem with fitting standard size sero's in this thing am I??? LOL...... weren't servo's like 2lbs a piece back then.....LOL[sm=lol.gif]

IFLYRC-RCU

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Hello -

I built one of these kits back in the 80s. Yes, it's a lot of work,, and the final product is nice. I used Byron decals [cut down] to do the graphics. I used a Satio 270 in mine. Very nice combo. Flew it for 5 years before a true flat spin finished it off. Ooops!

As for IMAC .. well, the Eagle might not be the best choice. Lots of roll coupling and being short coupled.. it is a bit squirmy. I would build it for fun and sport flying.

A mid wing design is hard to beat fro IMAC ... The Great Planes ARF is a LOT easier at this point in time..... a little bigger. But, you've got a it , so....... build

Have fun !

Tired Old Man

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Standard servos will fit fine. At the time standard servos were also used and generally they were only marginally larger than the ones of today. In any case, you built the servo boxes to fit what you had and you'll still be doing the same. Planes came in kits and did not have precut openings for radio components. You've got building experience and understand this. There will be quite a few reading this thread where purchaing a box containing a set of plans, lots of wood sticks, sheeting, and bottles of slow drying wood of glue is a totally foreign concept and unfathomable. We won't even try discussing the application of a covering scheme such as the Christen Eagle

KCJarman

[sm=50_50.gif] Soooo..... what your saying is....... a lot of people only work at HALF the hobby..... [sm=lol.gif] Na,,,, I'm just jokein..... I have been building for a long time and enjoy it very much... but, some people don't have the time nor the patients to build a full kit..... and some that do don't even fly the one's they build....[:'(] LOL.... I know a few like that... and my uncle was one of them... he would spend sometimes over a year on a kit..... take it to the flying field and sit in the pits with it.... trying to get the nerve up to put it in the sky..... then he would call me out and say... Hey, you wanna maiden this thing for me????? God bless him... he just didn't have the nerve after all that time put into the build to have it die by his hand.....

He told me yesterday that the reason he didn't build the Christen is that he wanted to wait till he could fly better to build and maiden this thing himself..... Well, he waited too long and now his health will not allow him to do it.... that is the reason that he is giving it too me.... he wants me to build and fly this thing FOR HIM!!!!!!

After hearing that, there is no way..... that I can let this thing go......... and IT WILL BE THE PLANE THAT HE WANTED IT TO BE!!!!!!

I just want him to see it when it's all done.....

IFLYRC-RCU

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OK then

Git Yer Glue !

Its cold now.. aka, building season.

Have fun !

Doug Cronkhite

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The Pilot/OK Models kits were really something once you figured out the building steps. They had english translations of japanese instructions but the translation was humorous at best. Fortunately, the plans themselves were very good and you could pretty much build the airplane from the plans alone.

It'll be a nice flying airplane, but not a precise one.

KCJarman

Thanks alot for the info guys...... I'm looking forward to getting started on this Christen..... It should turn a head or too at the flying field.... expecially when they find out it's a 20 year old kit.....

jsm77777

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I built the Pilot Pitts version about 10 years ago. It was a nice kit, and easy to build. I equipped it with a Supertigre 3000 engine. Today I would use a DA-50 or even 85 in it. I never flew it, as I traded it for another plane. Pilot had several of those kits including a Decathlon, and Jungman. I have seen them fly and they fly well for a sport plane, not really great for IMAC precision, but they fly better than most people give them credit for. Scott

KCJarman

I'm thinking maybe a G45 for power..... or even a Brillelli.... we'll have to see what she'll take..... I wouldn't think wing loading will be an issue with this plane.... LOL

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KCjarman,
I built the Pilot Christian Eagle 1 by Ok Model Co. Ltd. back in the 1980's. I flew it just a few times back in the 1980's. This winter I am getting it ready to fly again. This one is powered by a Veco 61. Same as a K&B 61. 2 things that I would recomend is replacing the plastic cowl with a Fiberglass one. Mine cracked and this winter I accidently dropped it on the basement floor and it broke into many pieces. Also where the center struts A, B and C attach to the underside of the upper wing you need to use larger pieces of wood on the underside of the upper wing. The wood that came in the kit split and I replaced it with thicker wider pieces this winter.
Also mine came out very tail heavy. I flew it tail heavy and it didn't turn very well with aileron's. I probably didn't have enough aileron throw. I am going to get the CG where it is supposed to be and try it again this Spring.
I didn't purchase a Fiberglass Cowl but took 3 balsa blocks, stream lined them and epoxied them to the front of F-1. It doesn't look too good but it is a lot cheaper than buying a fiberglass cowl.
Seems like the other replies to you are in regards to the bigger Eagle 2.
Mine is 42 inches long, wing span 49 and 1/2 inches and wing area 744 sq. inches.
They call for a 40-45 2-cycle or 60 4-cycle.
If you are going to build this kit and have any questions I will try to answer them. Regards Captain Buford
I tried to attach a pic of my Eagle 1 minus plastic cowl and bird feather. Hope the pic uploaded.

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I flew my plane about 2 weeks ago and also today. By correcting the CG and tuning the engine it flys pretty good and the ailerons are plenty responsive. One other thing that should be modified is use a one piece front landing gear as the two piece landing gear is too easy to tear out of the fuselage on rough landing. I had 2 rough dead stick landings so I am going to have to work on replacing the two piece landing gear with a one piece,

rharmon

FWIW, I fly the full size Eagle nearly every day here in KAEG. This is my third over nearly 25 years. If theres ever anything I could help you with having to do with the Christen Eagle, Let me know. ( started R/C in 1959)
Ron Harmon [email protected]