Pawnee Has Begun!

I've started work on the TM RC 1/4 Scale Pawnee tonight. I'm going to blog the build here as I go through it. I'm intending to use the Pawnee as an AeroTow tug plane once complete, and have also aquired the hopper kit for a bit of fun and demos at model airshows.

I've had the kit for sometime now lurking in the shed waiting for me to start construction. It's a very complete kit as far as parts go, but it does lack in a few aspects which were a little disappointing given the cost of the kit.

1. No build manual. You would think for a kit of this size and quality that there would be a build manual. I bought the TM R/C Pawnee kit because of the quality of the other scale glider kits that he has and the detailed build manuals that come with those kits. That being said, I don't think there's anything in particular that would present a major hurdle, at least that's what I thought before I started building!


2. All the ply parts are included, but you need to source a far amount of other balsa and spruce stock to complete the kit. Not a huge deal, but is a pain because of the lack of long balsa stick shapes these days.


3. Plans are confusing. The build is based upon a design from the 80's and consequently the build process and design is a little outdated and the amount of wood and size of the stock used in some of the construction is a little overboard. These days with composite construction methods so easily available, more use could be made of them. One thing it has going for it though it's going to be STRONG! Good for a tug!

Of those 3 points the only one that I'm really disappointed about is the build manual. I've built a number of kits over the 15 years I've been modelling and this would be the first one without any instructions whatsoever.

Anyway, onto the build! Stay tuned!