Looking for a recommendation

[iandhunt]

I have been looking into getting away from EPO foam and starting my slow transition into balsa frames with Ultracote covering. I have, in particular, been eyeballing this beauty...

Super Cub 25e

I have also been eyeballing and courting this gem as well...

Taylorcraft 450

I have never played with balsa and Ultracote...as most of you know I live in interior Alaska and I am concerned that the Ultracote might become brittle in extreme conditions...like below freezing conditions.

Looks aside, since I have no more love for one over the other, which do you all prefer? Both are ARF and both were competing designs after Taylor left Piper A/C company back in the 30's. I might be able to "stretch my dollar" further with a Taylorcraft than a Super Cub. What does everyone think?

[Crazy Horse]

Ian,

Difficult to choose between them, the 25e looks more "scale" perhaps. I like the undercarriage on the 25e but also that of the 450. Looks wise, I rather prefer the 450, both for colour and sleekness. Balsa, great until a crash, then lots of work. At least in my limited experience with it.

However, if I really had to make a choice it would be MARMITE every time. Totally unaffected by cold conditions, looks great, smooth and easy on the eye, no need to repair, just replace it with another jar.

[jklong03]

Finally found some marmite at an English fish and chips shop here in town, but their $13.90 price for a small jar of your ambrosia I am afraid went toward a few cans of paint for my newest project, sigh.. Perhaps soon.

[jklong03]

Finally found some marmite at an English fish and chips shop here in town, but their $13.90 price for a small jar of your ambrosia I am afraid went toward a few cans of paint for my newest project, sigh.. Perhaps soon.

[iandhunt]

I think I will just get the Taylorcraft. Less money up front in the event of a crash. I am going to retire my Super Cup LP in a few weeks though.Been a tough old bird but I need to grow beyond its capabilities. I think that I will purchase the Super Cub 25 down the road. I would hate to have those "wonderful" government movers damage my balsa Super Cub once I leave Alaska next Summer.

[hghost]

Absolutely no greater feeling than to build your own plane from balsa.Every spar in it's place and every rib and panel....one step at a time as she comes beautifully together .

I love it...it was the watching it shatter that broke my heart

I hope you have a far better experience with the flights than i did.

Still love to build them , I am sure you will to once you start.

Good Luck

[iandhunt]

Sept 16, 2013 1:33:15 GMT 1 hghost said:

I love it...it was the watching it shatter that broke my heart

That is what worries me too! I might buy this plane now but not fly it until next Spring. Picking balsa pieces out of the snow is not my definition of fun!

[hghost]

Sept 17, 2013 19:05:25 GMT 1 iandhunt said:

Sept 16, 2013 1:33:15 GMT 1 hghost said:

I love it...it was the watching it shatter that broke my heart

That is what worries me too! I might buy this plane now but not fly it until next Spring. Picking balsa pieces out of the snow is not my definition of fun!

I can relate

But i also must be honest, I had no experience flying anything, plus technology has changed
drastically from those days

We had toggle switches that turned the motor on and it ran until you landed or crashed and it was normally crash.

You had 2 channel, Rudder, Elevator that was it .

It had one speed and when it was battery power those old batteries dropped in voltage suddenly , which made
those issues worse. Never heard of timers or all that stuff, you watched a plane suddenly loose altitude and you
had only a few seconds to a minute , to get it down or it fell out of the sky and no control at all .

Battery power was sort of new , not allot of info and no clubs and stuff near by back then

Going to a library to read about it was all we had and even it was limited books to read .

Nitro / gas was better then , but back then so expensive and limited places to fly . Growing up poor and working
for a couple dollars an hour did not leave you much to buy anything, much less have a hobby.

Later on I bought more planes as I worked more, but as i said by then the crashing and watching wood splinter
was horrible, and left me with a bad taste . Still loved to build them when i could.

So over the years trying to make a living and moving around some left allot of them destroyed, broken and lost pieces
and stuff and I just boxed up many of them ( glad i did Or I would have none.)

The Old Cub I had was in the rafters of an old building here on my old Home place. Where I now live.

Looking at it and going over it again and it bought back memories ( my Mother actually helped me cover it- Fond memory ) ...So.....

Decided to try it again since I have little to do now days....but everything has changed, technology so advanced
I have no clue ( everything I thought I knew , Now I am learning , I know very little )

So i think since you have been experienced in flying the Cub, you will not have that much of an issue
going over to balsa, same thing, little heavier, but new Tech, allows far better ease of flight or should that is.

Got to believe it will be just fine.

Good Luck