Guillow's SE5A RC Conversion Build and Flight

Take a journey back in time with a model airplane kit I built as a boy. Instead of using rubber band power this model has a brushless motor and 3 channel radio control. Flight begins at 5:40.
Build log:
forum.flitetest.com/index.php...
Parts List:
Kit: Guillow's Kit 202 SE5A
Covering: Standard 1.5 mil document laminating film from Laminator.com
Craft Smart multi-surface acrylic paint from Michael's.
Motor: Hobby King 1806/2100kv
ESC: 10A BEC
Prop: 6x4
Servo: 3.7 gram (2)
Battery: 850mAh 2S 20C
Radio: Flysky FS-i6
Receiver: Flysky FS-A3
Weight with battery: 8.6 ounces
Maiden flight video: • Guillow's SE5A RC Conv...

[@timbarringer]

I built this same model 30 years ago as a static display model and I still have it. It's great to see it actually fly.

[@SmokeFlame1]

That is by far, the nicest Guillow's RC I have ever seen. And the flying was close enough so that the SE5 could actually be seen. Well done.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much.

[@proofbox]

Nice looking build , in flight it is agile ,I did a Nieuport 11 with a .020 Cox free flight and that thing would glide forever after it ran out of gas , Thanks for keeping these type of models alive today to a generation who has no memory of these things .

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you. I want to build all the airplanes I built as a boy but couldn't afford RC back then. Wasn't the Cox .020 a lot of thrust for your Nieuport?

[@proofbox]

@@Jon.Carlsen Back then if you followed the plans they suggested you install the prop backwards to decrease the thrust , I also tried some different sizes five inches was best as it decreased RPM , and under some circumstance such as a 4 1/2 x 2 pitch on frontwards as you suggest it would do many a unintended loop on it's flight

[@scottfirman]

Use older guys remember well. If you wanted an RC plane, you made it, stick by stick. Sad that they call assembling foam planes a " build". They have no clue.

[@MrDanoman812]

@@scottfirman THAT... is the truest statement i've seen all day. lol :)

[@pufango4059]

RC Hobbyist Extreme does that make you better ?

[@aureliobrighton1871]

It has been said a hundred times ... and I am not holding back .. so beautiful in build, color and 'decalloration' . and the close-ups reveal that sexy much bigger scale appearance in material :)

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much. 🙂

[@jonathansteadman7935]

Wow, I had that kit as a Christmas present about 50 years ago, was about 8 yes old, my dad helped me. We took it to the New Forest , south UK, to fly it with rubber band. A forgotten me memory till I saw this 👍

[@Jon.Carlsen]

That would be about the same time I built one. The RC version flies a bit better. 🙂

[@jonathansteadman7935]

@@Jon.Carlsen your RC one flys a lot better than the rubber band job 😉

[@ynge8046]

super! I built that kit about 50 years ago with a small gas engine and crashed it on the first flight. It is truly delightful to see a successful flying version! good job!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much!

[@chrismofer]

amazing work! I just finished a guillows Thomas Morse Scout as an RC and also posted a video of a DR-1 I completed last year. WW1 biplanes and triplanes are so cool :)

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you! Your DR-1 looks beautiful and flies great.

[@jamesturncliff5960]

Good job I always wanted to do that with my model. I covered it with green translucent covering. You can see through it. Now I'm going to have to cut it apart so I can make it RC instead of rubber powered freeflight. It will be cool to see all the electronics and wiring. But a pain in the butt to do it since it's already covered😅😂

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thanks! The electronics are stuffed in the nose as far forward as possible and held by chunks of soft foam. I still had to add 1/2 ounce of lead to the nose to get the balance right. Parts list is in the video description.

[@bobgreen3116]

Wow. You sir are a professional builder and finisher that is the nicest SE5 that I have. ever seen great great job! 👍👍👍👍👍

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much. 😊

[@bobgreen3116]

@@Jon.Carlsen you deserve it that is great workmanship. Top Gun worthy.

[@charlesmoore3321]

I too dreamed of RC ing my boyhood Guillows planes. Managed a few control line conversions though most of my rubber powered efforts flew like what Charlie Brown got for Halloween.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

The SE5A I built as a boy wasn't a good flyer either. It didn't climb well with the rubber power and propeller that came in the kit. The landing gear was very fragile and every flight resulted in a repair.

[@stevendaleschmitt]

RC might very well be saving the Guillow's company from extinction.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Good point!

[@markfannin3975]

Outstanding video. Great flight and thanks very much for listing all the electronics you used. That is very valuable to me because I am building a similar project. Keep building, keep flying, and keep posting. !! You accomplished an amazing project.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you. You can save a lot of weight in your build by removing excess balsa. Especially in the fuselage bulkheads and keels. Guillow's balsa is dense and heavy. Wish I had done that.

[@jonjepson3650]

Thanks for this. I will be building one in the next few weeks. I will be salvaging a XK a600 Beaver for the electronic parts. Great plane and flying.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Good luck with your SE5A. Build it light. The Beaver is less than half the weight of this SE5A. I hope to see it when you're finished.

[@mbkmmodels9406]

Thank you so much for this video. The build techniques in this are second to none. Great video. Nice work.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you. I hope to see the video of your DHC-2 Beaver flying soon!

[@thomaszaccone3960]

If I was skilled enough to build one of those, I would fear to fly it as it might crash on landing or takeoff. Beautiful job and great flying!!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you! There was some anxiety during the maiden flight. It was tail heavy and I was lucky to land it safely.

[@stevendaleschmitt]

That's a big reason it is so exciting. It takes skill, commitment, as well as guts to get into RC. Start learning with a cheap, easy to fly, easy to repair foamie, build a static model or two, learn a few basics about flight, get to your local hobby shop and get busy!

[@TrailcamsRCPhotoFlying2000]

Nice job on the build ! Your SE5 looks very maneuverable and a joy to fly.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you!

[@FFND16N]

That was a wonderful build & flying model!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you.

[@smokster0604]

Nice build a true artist.....I love flight

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you 😊

[@RexR256]

A master at your craft Jon Carlsen. It's art in motion.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you!

[@garyruxton5226]

It's so agile able to do stunts in such tight maneuvers.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thanks!

[@wjm5972]

built that kit for rubber power back in the 80s fun kit to build

[@Jon.Carlsen]

How did it fly? Mine couldn't maintain level flight.

[@wjm5972]

@@Jon.Carlsen never got a chance , had to move and the kit got damaged .

[@keithnoneya]

Very nice job. It's nice to see someone can build one of these and actually make it fly. Thanks for sharing. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you 🙏

[@zacharynashalook8452]

Wow buddy! This is Gorgeous!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you!

[@ludwigvanzappa9548]

Beautiful work , congratulations !

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you!

[@mxboy96]

Very nice job. Beautiful aeroplane:)

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you.

[@okxtan2648]

Well done Jon.. good finish and inspiring hobby.. in the early 70's my dad bought me some guillows models from u.s.a. J was too young to appreciate the good flying models they were.. other than the heavy wheels they were certainly capable of flying far more than the poor catastrophiK throws I could do at that time.. 😬 J shall made again some.. some dusty boxes are always not open..

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you! The Guillow's models I built as a boy were not very good fliers either.

[@paas624]

I had built this kit in the early 70s. Had seen it in a shop a few years ago and thought about building it again and wondered it it could be RCed

[@Jon.Carlsen]

If I built it again I would try to make it lighter.

[@flashcorp76]

Beautiful Build😊

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you!

[@karlhutson8821]

just stumbled on this, great build and flight. doing the same model now was thinking of glow, but not sure now that i seen electric. thanks for the brain melt.lol great job

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much. I am glad I don't have to deal with little oily, noisy glow engines anymore. I hope you share the build and flight of your Guillow's with us.

[@barrywillis7682]

Superb build, and she flies like a bird. After 40 years, I'm just getting back into building balsa models. I've built a couple of rubber-powered scale models to get my build technique back up to scratch, and am loving the experience once again. I used to build and fly scale diesel-powered. I'm new to RC and electric power, so seeing how you've dealt with these installations is a real help. I have a Guillows Nieuport on the building board, so we'll see how that goes. I note your comment further down the thread about making the model lighter if you were to build it again. Thanks for sharing

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you! Like you, I got back into building airplanes after about 40 years. So much has changed and mostly for the better. I built and flew foam board airplanes for a few years until I was a good enough pilot to risk flying balsa. Rubber power airplanes have very strong fuselages to withstand the tension and torque from rubber motors. There's a lot of weight to be saved by lightening the fuselage. I could've shaved off a lot of excess balsa wood. Then I could've used lighter electronics. Good luck with your Nieuport!

[@barrywillis7682]

@@Jon.Carlsen Thank you Jon.

[@beeleo]

Can you imagine the 'ho-hum' performance this plane would have had with rubber power or even a .020 glow engine and free-flight? Now, it's a little pocked rocket. Great job!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you. It only looks fast in the video because it's a small airplane.

[@CryhavocMike]

Awesome build man!!! I was just looking at this kit last night and wondering about R/Cing it. I think I'll splurge for it and give it a go.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much.

[@pareloader5989]

I’m building the same model right now. Fuselage and wings are all done. I hope that mine turns out as beautiful as yours. Pa

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you. Hope yours flies well too.

[@av8153]

Great job as always !

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you.

[@michaelbrownlee9497]

Wow, flies perfectly.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thanks!

[@thecraftking113]

Awesome build

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much.

[@flights0019]

great job love it

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you.

[@fergusreid7118]

Great video!, flight is so atmospheric!. I am building one at the mo from the original kit, probably end up a tad heavier than your as I added some coffee stirrer wood to the UC and center struts + usual extra wood here and there for R/C convert (not much as the wings are v.strong). Also used a bit of carbon fiber tissue on some wood where it was a bit too soft (not all Guillows wood is hard :-). Great to see that it responds so well with just rudder and no ailerons, I was bothered that the kit dihedral was so small (scale), but now I see that it will be OK.! Very nicely made too, I darn't show my build! Thank you for this video, quite made my Day!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you. Good luck with your SE5A. The landing gear in the kit is weak and the fuselage is heavy. If I built it again it would loose a lot of the excess balsa. I used 3 channel to save weight. But at 8.5 ounces it's not too heavy for 46" of wing.

[@fergusreid7118]

@@Jon.Carlsen It's nearing completion now, I probably over-strengthened the UC but it probably needed it and also added a thin ply disk between the wheel halfs (which I recommend). The strut attachment to the wings was marginal so I added wood around then and pinned the center section struts as well. btw I had to make an accurate cardboard jig to position the center section struts on the fus rather than leaving it to when I put the top wing on - makes for easier alingnment I found. I used your tip of using braided fishing line new-to-me for rigging and am well pleased although I used 10lb weight which looks a bit thin, but still nice. Anyone building this should also add dihedral braces of some sort on the wings, and balsa gussets (I used coffee stirrers again). I used tissue and dope, but the kit tissue in an old kit like mine was too weak but the balsa was fine for the most part. Aged balsa is OK I find, but not aged tissue. I agree on the overweight fus - if building a lightweight - but I don't use soft or even medium 1/16 stringers, I used hard balsawood. The 1/16 stringers are too easy to break when handling the model during the build (easy to repair but messy, I back up the break with another 1/16 strip behind)

[@Jon.Carlsen]

@@fergusreid7118 I used wire reinforced spruce for the landing gear struts. See video at 3:52.

[@robertpapps3618]

Very nice, thanks for sharing!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you!

[@richarddarlington1139]

To bring a Guillow's kit (ugh!) to this level of fruition, two things are required from the builder, skill and... you really gotta want it! I've switched to Dumas kits (highly recommended). Much, much superior quality at very reasonable prices. Lots to choose from, there. Try one!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you! Dumas makes nice kits, no doubt.

[@richarddarlington1139]

@@Jon.Carlsen Indeed. I have several Dumas kits waiting their turn on the bench. I also have the Herr Engineering (remember them?) 30" Ryan ST on order. So many airplanes and yet, only one lifetime...

[@HobiCerdas]

I love it! How many weight of complete airframe without electricity?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much. Without a battery it weighs 7.0 ounces, or about 200 grams. That's a lot heavier than your airplanes. You are quite a prolific builder. Nice airplanes!

[@user-AdiUtomo]

Mantap kak

[@pdel303]

Fantastic, thx!

[@csnocke5]

Absolutely perfect how cool

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you

[@peterpiper_203]

Nice job sir

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much.

[@lawrenceveinotte]

i built the same plane 30 years ago just as a static model, i think i need a powered one now :)

[@Jon.Carlsen]

RC has changed a lot in 30 years 🙂

[@mikebennet7697]

Thanks for all the tips on this clean build. I'm surprised how nice and scale like the model makes banked turns with just rudder and elevator. Going to try my hand at the Guillows Nieuport with the 1306 motor.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Good luck with your Nieuport build.

[@mikebennet7697]

Can you recommend a 10A ESC for brushless motor thats easy to link up with the Flysky receiver? I'd like to get the Turngy plush but all the 10A and 12A seem sold out everywhere. I'm a moron when it comes to electrics. Are the no name ones on Ebay safe? I don't want something thats going to burn up like some of the ones in the cheap foam RTF models.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

@@mikebennet7697 I have good luck with the no-name ESC's.

[@mikebennet7697]

Is that "smiley" cutout in the firewall to allow airflow over the ESC for cooling? looks like the battery is in the rear of the RC compartment and the ESC is up front for cooling?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

@@mikebennet7697 The cutout in the firewall is for airflow. Air escapes through the cockpit. The ESC is tucked low behind the firewall. The battery is pushed up against the firewall as far as it will go. See video at 5:35.

[@davew1234]

Delightful.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you.

[@ConnorAntico]

Impressive

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thanks!

[@pauldesousa6688]

Superb. I would love to see and learn how you applied the rigging. 40 years modelling and I still haven't cracked it. ATB Paul

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much. It is braided fishing line sewn through tiny holes drilled in the balsa. When it all seemed evenly taut a drop of CA glue was put in the holes. It really does add strength and stiffness to the wing and landing gear.

[@mikecarbone828]

Salutations Jon! Very nice build and with beautiful results! It seems to fly very well and has a great glide slope! I’m interested in what you used for covering on this airplane, if you would like to share that information I am sure others would be interested to know as well. I was a bit surprised that you didn’t include ailerons during the build, especially since it is definitely a large enough plane to justify installing ailerons, perhaps you were concerned about how the additional weight of servos would affect the flight characteristics and the overall flight envelope. Overall, this turned out to be a very successful flying model build. Happy flying! Thank you for sharing your experience and posting this video! Please have an excellent and awesome day! ☀️✨✈️

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Greetings Mike. Thank you! There's a parts list in the video description above. There is also a link to the build log where you'll find lots more detail about the build and answers to other questions too. 🛠

[@mikecarbone828]

@@Jon.Carlsen Thank you! I eventually found that information in the description. I haven’t considered using that material before as covering material, it seems to work rather well. Have an excellent and awesome day! ☀️✨✈️

[@edwardeverson7039]

Nice !!!!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you!

[@brownie6451]

What was that covering you used. What prep did you make before painting. Sorry about all the questions, but I'm about to cover a champ myself, and I must say that covering of yours came out flawless. Beautiful job by the way.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much. For all the build details I encourage you to visit the build log on Flite Test I put in the video description above. I covered the SE5A with 1.5 mil document laminating film. I cleaned the film with alcohol before painting. I airbrushed a multi-surface acrylic paint from Michael's craft stores.

[@kf4293]

@@Jon.Carlsen Have you had any problem with the paint coming off the new stuff?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

@@kf4293 Nope. The paint can be scratched but it hasn't bubbled or peeled off. I cleaned it very well before using paint made for plastics.

[@kf4293]

@@Jon.Carlsen What airbrush do you use or recommend?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

@@kf4293 $10 Harbor Freight airbrush kit.

[@FlyingBuzzard]

NICE

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you.

[@willyecharte]

Great!!!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thanks!

[@GNorsworthy]

That's a really nice build. Not sure I would have tried to get away with rudder only but you pulled it off and it seems to fly very well. How does the plastic compare with chalked tissue and EZ dope if you have used it?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you! Free flight airplanes fly very well with rudder-elevator-throttle. The document laminating film is superior to tissue. In comparison it is very puncture resistant and weighs about the same. I have used EZ-Dope and do not like it as a tissue finish. I use aerosol Krylon crystal clear instead.

[@K3Flyguy]

Very nice! Flies well. It seemed to fly a bit fast for the type of airframe it is. Would you say wingloading was high or does the plane just like to fly fast? Beautiful job on the build, flight, and video! Thank you for taking to time to share with us!!!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you. It looks fast on video because it's small and I tried to film it up close. It's flying at less than half throttle. If I built it again I'd reduce the weight but at 8.5 ounces it's not very heavy for all that wing.

[@windsurfer3329]

Great video! Thank you. It identified to me that enough wing dihedral does not need ailerons as it is important for small scale airplanes like this. Can you please tell us the wing dihedral angle? I employ usually 5 degrees from horizontal when one wing rests at the table. I would like to get your recipe :-))) Thanks again.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thanks! Sorry but I don't know the measurement. I set the dihedral to the angle recommended in the plans so it would fly hands-off.

[@dqtran49]

Beautiful Build! Is it flying a little bit tail heavy?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

No, not really. I think it feels just right. The maiden flight video shows it flying tail heavy.

[@klausochs7006]

Awe :-)

[@jonjepson3650]

Hi Jon, I like the covering film that you have used. I presume that 1.5 mil is also 1.5 thousands of an inch which is also .38 micron. Is this covering very tough and can you paint it with spray paints. Any help would be great 😊

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Yes to the film weight. You can spray paint it after cleaning thoroughly with alcohol. Use paint for plastics. The film is very tough but getting paint to adhere well is one down side to laminating film. After one year of flying this multi-surface acrylic is still sticking.

[@jonjepson3650]

Jon Carlsen thanks for the advice I will give it a try 👍

[@twickersruss]

Great Job thanks for sharing. Was that mylar covering? If so, did you just use mylar without tissue over it? It would be light that way but maybe not so rigid. Flys well slower than others I have seen ..so not very heavy.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much. It's 1.5 mil standard document laminating film from Laminator.com. Goes on a lot like Monokote using an iron and a heat gun. It's light, strong and doesn't warp delicate balsa parts. You can cover the film with doped tissue but I think a thin coat of acrylic paint is lighter.

[@chuckintexas]

@@Jon.Carlsen - Hi ! GORGEOUS build ! Looks like you used the Standard Clear Laminating film (as mentioned) . Have you tried their Matte film ? If so, did it take the paint any better ? Just curious. May try both, myself, just to see. THANKS for posting ! - C.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

@@chuckintexas - Thank you, Chuck! I think the matte finish film will hold the paint better than the standard film. I haven't tried the matte finish. I have so much standard film I will have to leave the rest to someone in my will. :-) The multi-surface acrylic paint adheres well enough to the standard film. For a really tough but heavier finish you can cover the film with doped colored tissue that comes with the kit.

[@bingojamas4786]

Beautiful job! I have only used doped tissue over the mylar with great results. After seeing your project I would like to try paint. Did you "prep" the mylar in any way prior to paint?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

@@bingojamas4786 Thank you. It is document laminating film, not mylar. They are probably similar. You have to clean the surface of the laminating film with alcohol or acetone because it has a lubricating release agent on the surface. I used multi-surface acrylic paint that adheres better to plastic.

[@SteveWithnell]

How does the plastic film compare to tissue in terms of weight? Gorgeous build BTW!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

The 1.5 mil film is very lightweight and much tougher than tissue. Paint adds a few more grams.

[@eteet]

I hate to ask so many questions but what kind of covering, paint and decals did you use? Thanks for your help.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

I get asked a lot so I put a list of parts and materials in the video description above. The decals came in the kit.

[@richardbrowne1217]

Awsome build man!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much.

[@wjniemi]

I built a bunch of these kits when I was a kid. Never put engines and radios on them, though, this is cool. I was wondering how you would beef up the landing gear.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you. There's lots of build details in the build log I linked in the video description including the landing gear. I replaced the balsa landing gear with parts I made from pine and reinforced that with piano wire.

[@wjniemi]

@@Jon.Carlsen it looks like it's a really good flyer, too! Thanks for the video, I guess you're living out the dream I had when I was building them 60 years ago.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

@@wjniemi I'm living my second childhood. 😆

[@thebarronflights]

I have this kit on my workbench right now, and decided to have a jolly good think about my RC conversion. I am also thinking seriously about the instillation of ailerons whether by snake or direct drive via servo in the wings, which I intend to add extra ribs too and adding leading edge ribs. My question is at this stage, would you recommend a full sheet of balsa running the whole length of the fuselage below the cockpit level and so enabling to alter the internal former's to allow greater room for the battery extra?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

If I built this again I would build it lighter, removing as much balsa as possible so it could use a smaller motor and battery.

[@thebarronflights]

What motor did you use please .?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

@@thebarronflights Motor: Hobby King 1806/2100kv. There is an inventory of all parts in the video description. Click "Show more".

[@jockellis]

Wish you had shown something of the engine, RC receiver and battery installation.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

You're right. There is much more detail about the build in the build log linked in the video description. Basically the battery, ESC and receiver are stuffed in the nose under the hatch and held in place with chunks of soft foam.

[@neilfrisby5688]

Fabulous build sir. I am going to build the Guillows Beaver but have no idea of electric conversions, would you be so kind as to let me know what size/type of motor and what SC / Battery you used? Many thanks.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you very much. Click on "SHOW MORE" under the video description above. I think you'll find everything you asked in there.

[@neilfrisby5688]

@@Jon.Carlsen Thank you so much Jon. Happy flying.

[@The_regular]

How does the laminate covering hold up? I hear a lot of people applying tissue over the film. Is that needed? Is it fairly strong?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Document laminating film is a lot tougher than the traditional doped tissue covering. I have a few airplanes covered with laminating film and they are all holding up very well. The addition of a layer of tissue paper is not required for strength. In my opinion it is just for looks and creates the traditional tissue covered appearance. There is no compelling reason to add color other than aesthetics. The "bare bones" look is very good looking on some airplanes.

[@The_regular]

Jon Carlsen which brand do you use?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

@@The_regular Standard 1.5 mil document laminating film from Laminator.com

[@JEMHull-gf9el]

what kind of paint do you use to paint the clear covering ?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Craft Smart multi-surface acrylic. I put this information and more in the video description above.

[@JEMHull-gf9el]

@@Jon.Carlsen Thank you, how did you apply it? with an air brush or just paint it on with a paint brush ?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

@@JEMHull-gf9el I use an airbrush.

[@mikedillon6490]

Very nice but it should be painted brown and not green, to be accurate.

[@williambrashears3411]

What did you use for your covering

[@Jon.Carlsen]

The parts list is in the video description. Click "Show more" above.

[@johne7100]

Does it cut out when you fly upside down?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

It's powered by electric motor so no, it doesn't cut out when inverted.

[@designandbuildguy]

do you have a parts list for the rc components ?

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Yes; there's a parts list in the video description above. Click "Show More".

[@stephengould9385]

what material did you cover your plane.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Covering: Standard 1.5 mil document laminating film from Laminator.com There is a parts list in the video description.

[@bunniesandbuns6869]

when you landed and it flipped a small part of my soul died inside XD

[@Jon.Carlsen]

The dirt was just raked so it was soft. No harm done to the airplane but the landing was botched. It really does land on it's wheels most of the time. Honest. :)

[@bunniesandbuns6869]

@@Jon.Carlsen okay that's good ^w^

[@Glicksman1]

Very nice build and flight. My problem with flying these Guilliows planes is that they and most airplane models of that size always fly too damn fast. Their wing loading is so high that nothing else is possible. If they could be built at half the weight, they might fly closer to a realistic speed as long as they're not overpowered. I appreciate that getting them to fly at all is a challenge and a triumph, but seeing an S.E.-5A flying like a WW II fighter doesn't make it for me. Solution? Lighter or larger- or both

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you! I believe the speed in the video is an illusion. If a much larger airplane was flying at the same speed it would appear very slow. It doesn't feel like a fast airplane when flying it. It has approximately 48 inches of wing and only weighs about 8.5 ounces.

[@Glicksman1]

@@Jon.Carlsen Yes, the speed of all objects as we perceive them is an illusion. For example, take two models, one with a 24" wingspan and an 18" fuselage length, and a model of the same airplane with a 72" wingspan and a 54" fuselage length. Both are flying at 25 miles per hour and are at the same distance from the observer. In fact, the larger one might be flying a bit faster, but the illusion below is still the same. In this instance, the smaller one appears to be flying very fast while the larger one looks to be flying approximately 1/3 slower. Why? It's all about Proportion. Proportion is not about the size of an object, but rather it is about the size of an object in relation to another or other objects. One of the basic Rules of Proportion (and our own experience) tells us that smaller objects look to be farther away than larger ones when they are at the same distance. If the objects are flying models which both traverse the same actual distance of sky in the same amount of time, the smaller one, appearing to be farther away, necessarily appears to have traversed a greater distance across the sky in the same amount of time. Accordingly, it appears to us to be flying faster. It's a matter of the illusion of proportion and is why larger models look so much more graceful in the air.

[@collinmccallum]

thats one cool airplane. checkout my video of my trixter beam build. getting ready to start a bellanca cruisemaster!

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Thank you. The Trixter is a cool vintage airplane.

[@donaldgoodinson7550]

Very nice but looks very much overpowered.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

The big motor is useful ballast. 👍

[@tonywright8294]

You tube expert 😏

[@donaldgoodinson7550]

@@tonywright8294 Yep.

[@tauncfester3022]

So honestly, these WWI kits were poor choices for RC conversion. They're built like bricks, good luck getting it under 6 .oz AUW. A better choice would be one of Dumas's 35" ws FF/RC laser cut kits. Or scratch building, since the SE5 is mostly straight surfaces with little to to compound curves a stick built fuselage and wings with lighter balsa and half as many ribs is entirely sufficient when scaled at 27" WS. and came out at 7.5 .oz with a ferrite sp280 geardrive and 9 gram servos

[@Jon.Carlsen]

You're right, this is a pretty heavy kit with dense balsa. If I built another I'd make it lighter. At 8.6 oz AUW it isn't bad for an airplane with 48" of wing. It's an easy airplane to fly.

[@4thGloryMonday]

balsa just flies better

[@Jon.Carlsen]

Amen!