Joe's Old Sig Kadet from a past great Friend Being Restored again.

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Neons
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Joe's Old Sig Kadet from a past great Friend Being Restored again.

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Joe "McCoo"Correia. My childhood flying friend passed away in 2007. We flew planes back in mid 1950's and just studied warplanes and read all the model magazines back then. We built our favorite planes of the Allys and Axis and we had common rivalries over what flew better, faster, out maneuvered , and all the rivalry idiosyncrasies of all the planes in an all the wars. We were just getting out of the Korean War era so there were not loads of jets back then to have a favorite. It was either a Sabre or a Mig, Old WWI and WWI movies. How about the few Korean War movies like the favorite "Bridges of Toko Ri"? Or an Army movie." Pork Chop Hill" and so few others.

Well after many years of control line flying into the 60's I moved on with other things important to life like a family. I came back once in a while to fy then away again. Later we had a model RC Boat club. Then my retirement came in the early 90's and I was back starting RC flying with my pals and Joe. It was a great time to be involved again in flight. As time went on Joe took seriously sick in 2005. He was bedridden in a rest home. He finally passed in 2007. It was a tragic loss. All his model material had to go. Much was being just thrown away. I was offered to have whatever I wanted. I moved many planes motors and hardware out.

That is where I acquired this pretty old Sig Kadet. It was given to him to learn on by a well known local flyer, Don Jackson. They were good friends also. He never flew the plane. It had a lot of hours on it from the past owner. That is where my acquisition started with some great RC flight. I converted the plane over to electric power with a Turnigy motor which was adequate power of maybe a 0.50cc nitro motor. I used a Rhino 4S lipo 4200mah and a 14x6 prop to power the plane. It was a love affair to this day I will never let go. This is one of my finest flyers. Joe flies it with me if only in memory.

So I will start with two videos with Joe's Sig Kadet here:
This is my Commemorative video taken at another friend many years flyer, Frank Baptista's home that also past away a few years back. I have a tilt camera under the wing here flying around his fields in Berkeley, MA
https://youtu.be/WYAa_D4cci8

This is Joe's Sig Kadet Senior chasing our Club trainer nitro Sig Kadet Senior with Gary Carriero piloting.. I have a camera strapped under the wig with a tilt on it as in the first video. This is the year 11-2013.
https://youtu.be/T-7WtKV90aQ
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Joe's Old Sig Kadet Being Monokote recovered again.

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After many flights in the past few years I was getting many Monokote popping spots in my transits to the field. Maybe at this time the life of the covering was reaching its lifespan. It would break a hole with the slightest bump. It was time to recover the plane and look at the glue joints. November 2017, I stripped the plane down and found some Circus Pink covering. While I had the fuselage apart I found the frame glue was getting old and some stringers were loosened easily. I re glued the joints in the plane as I went along peeling the skin off.

Well in my spare time I finished the job and it was ready to be flown again for a new life. The little known I was in for a surprise coming up on the next few flights.
7-2017 Sig Kadet recover (0).jpg
11-07=2017 Joes Recover Sig Kadet Senior (1).jpg
11-07=2017 Joes Recover Sig Kadet Senior (1b).jpg
11-07=2017 Joes Recover Sig Kadet Senior (2).jpg
11-07=2017 Joes Recover Sig Kadet Senior (3).jpg
11-07=2017 Joes Recover Sig Kadet Senior (5).jpg
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Re: Joe's Old Sig Kadet from a past great Friend Being Restored

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Well after all the time I spent recovering I brought it to the field in Spring 2020 and did a re-maiden. I assembled the wing and installed the battery and I was ready to go. It was another of those beautiful take offs with a half throttle roll out and she tracked straight down the field as I gave it some more throttle. She lifted off the ground like a real planes with steady lift and hardly any elevator stick. I entered a nice large circle pattern over the large flying area. As I started the second lap out of no where the wing blew off and I killed the throttle about 250 ft altitude, The fuselage plunged in spiral dart like a missile all the way to the ground. The wing slowly dropped in a twirl and damaged a wing tip.
8-18-2020 Sig Kadet Fuselage rebuild (0.1).jpg
So it was a heart breaker. I had 10 large elastics on the wing. One of the flyers heard a pop as I took off. I will try something different next time as a safety backup with all new elastics. Anyway. I picked up every piece I could find related to the disaster. As you can see that it was what looked like a total trash job. Not for me. I will repair it again just for the sentimental value. It is one of the best gentle flyers. Anyone else would have placed it in the barrel. I do not have the plans for this plane. I glued all the pieces I could as a puzzle back together and looked them over. I would use the broken nose section and use it as patterns.

The first thing to do was to repair the fuse behind the wing after separation. I replaced some of the rib stringers and put it aside. To start next with the main fuselage ahead of the rear dowels for the elastics. I laid down the best of the 2 sides with wax paper to prevent gluing the new to the old. I pinned and glued all new stringers on top of the old parts. Gluing as I went until completing one side. Next was to separate the frame and do it again with wax paper and pins and create side number two.
8-18-2020 Sig Kadet Fuselage rebuild (0.2).jpg
The fuselage is the same width from the wing rear all the way up to the firewall. It is box like. That makes it easy. Now I took each side and pinned and clamped it to the separated tail section to get a nice mating together temporarily. Then after cleaning up the old 1/4 inch firewall I mated it to the new front section of the frame. There was a lot of measuring and straight edging to get it straight before any permanent gluing, Once I stabilize any wiggle and twist with pinning and clamping I started cutting the cross member sticks to stiffen all up for a new strong frame. I framed the landing gear in also. Once all was strong and framed I separated it from the tail section to make the new building life easier to handle.
8-18-2020 Sig Kadet Fuselage rebuild (0.3).jpg
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Joe's Old Sig Kadet- Sheeting the nose.

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As you can see in the past post I am installing gussets in vital areas. I have a doubler sheet in the nose, I have the nose gear mounted and a raised servo tray. I have made a spacious large battery tray now where the original had a fuel tank years ago. It will have a Velcro sheet on the flat and a strap. I have the original wheels and wire trike gear. I salvaged the motor bulkhead, the front windshield and elastic mounts. I am also salvaging the cowling cheek pieces.
8-18-2020 Sig Kadet Fuselage rebuild (2).jpg
In this next photo I was able to do the sheeting on the bottom and the sides. I traced the side windows onto some very thin plywood about 1/32inch and cut them out and placed some new clear plastic windows on them. Then I glued them in place. By the way some of those stringers are special cut hardwood as you can see on the wing saddles. It is looking more like an RC car here. Time for some preliminary sanding and spackling on the sides to even out the side balsa edges, I use Lite Spackle as it is quick and easy sanding.
10-30-2020 Sig Kadet Fuselage rebuild (0).jpg
In the next photo I am framing the hatch cover and the coverage over the battery. It also is the base for the windshield too. I spent time on the motor mount as it had a bend and a pushback in it. I disassembled it to hammer it flat and get its proper shape back. After this I am preparing to cover the nose and make a snug fit hatch.
10-30-2020 Sig Kadet Fuselage rebuild (1).jpg
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Re: Joe's Old Sig Kadet from a past great Friend Being Restored again.

Post by Neons »

These photos show the nose all sheeted up and sanded. The hatch fits great with hard to see lines. It has a front dowel and I will put a rear magnet hold down. The rear of the hatch is angled to make it easier to open and close due to wood swelling on humid days or dampness, The seams are tight. You can see the motor all set in place. I have a couple degrees down thrust. With this mount it is easy to set.
10-30-2020 Sig Kadet Fuselage rebuild (2).jpg
10-30-2020 Sig Kadet Fuselage rebuild (3).jpg
The cowling was straight forward gluing the 2 cheeks in place with a new top block and some 1/16 sheeting in the front all the way under. I spot glued the cheeks to the firewall to stay in place. Then did the block and sheeting. I then cut the spot glue and removed the cowling. Inside I glued some plywood to screw the cowling in place. Once solid in place it was ready to finish sand. Then I block sanded it to get a fair mating shape to meet the nose covering. Once all was done I mated the front sector to the tail section to make sure it will be even for the Monocote later.
10-30-2020 Sig Kadet Fuselage rebuild (4).jpg
I was able to finish the day with a flat black coat of paint, I mixed in some Talcum powder to create a form of wood filler and will sand between each coat build up.
10-31-2020 Sig Kadet Fuse -Start Paint.jpg
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Re: Joe's Old Sig Kadet from a past great Friend Being Restored again.

Post by Neons »

The finish is here for the fuselage. The black paint is water-base Walmart crafts. I added two coats of gloss black and two coats of Mini wax Polyurethane gloss. I blow dry it and lightly sand between coats. It is very shiny. I have to just mount the windshield here and a pull nob on the battery hatch, I will also glue a safety line the the hatch to prevent loss in flight. It is a good idea for most planes with canopies and hatches that cannot be replaced. Now on to some happier flight times.
Sig Kadet Fuselage rebuild 10-30-2020.jpg
Happy Flying Guys.
Bob Pacheco
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