KK AJAX RC CONVERSION PART 4: How to convert a rubber powered model to Radio Control

[@Yogenh]

I do watch a lot of your videos more than once and if each one counts I am going to watch them all a lot of times to help get your numbers up

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Paul, I removed your other comment cos it basically asks the same thing 🤔 To answer your question it only counts a view once from each IP address so if you watch it from another IP address it'll count again. Don't worry about getting the count up just enjoy the content, cheers 👍🙂

[@Yogenh]

Oh well

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Guys, here's the Final Video in the Build Series for Channel Members to enjoy straight away, and welcome to new Channel Supporter 'Calown' thanks Calown for coming on board, cheers. 👍

[@oliverbowen17]

I really enjoyed this series I’m 13 years old and extremely new to free flight and I find it amazing how you can build these models so unbelievably well i plan on building the Ajax as my next project making it my third plane I’m finding your vids very useful 👍👍

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Oliver, that's fantastic, I wish I'd found out about the Ajax when I was your age, are you building yours as originally intended, that is free flight rubber?

[@oliverbowen17]

@@CliffHarveyRCPlanes yeah probably I live right next to a ginormous field so hopefully I won’t lose it but I’ll have to buy some running shoes 😂

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

@@oliverbowen17 That's brilliant, put your name and number on it just in case 👍🙂

[@oliverbowen17]

@@CliffHarveyRCPlanes will do cliff 🙂✈️

[@adnanlamri]

Very nice Cliff! Joy to watch. Looks absolutely fun and great to do this. You know what you are doing💯👍😃

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Thanks Adnan, we'll see if I know what I'm doing when it comes to the maiden flight, cheers 😁👍

[@adnanlamri]

@@CliffHarveyRCPlanes 😃👍

[@meakins355]

Can't wait for the maiden, cheers for the video Cliff!.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Kev, it's going to be epic 😎👍

[@philipriding]

Good job. You may have seen my Ajax video. I converted 10 years ago, it flew good, it’s now hanging on my ceiling as I don’t want to fly it again and crash it. It’s good to look at.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Phil, I've probably seen the video, this one won't be hanging around though 🤔👍

[@timtheplaneman]

We never stop learning! I live by that. Looks great too. Funny how it's nose heavy with those servos all the way at the back like that. I appreciate the detail on the control rods and I'm sure others will too.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

I think it's because the motor's quite heavy and the servos only way 6g for the pair, plus the central gravity is more than 50% from the leading edge so there's a lot of nose in front of it 🤔👍

[@IansRCExploits]

Great job Cliff, very tidy electrical install and as always a lovely covering job!! Looks very nice 😀👍

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Thanks Ian for the gift of the model, she's a beaut, fingers crossed for the maiden, I plan to wait for a really nice day so may be this weekend or may be the new year!!

[@IansRCExploits]

Ok great looking forward to seeing it 😀👍

[@ModelAV8RChannel]

Beautifully done Cliff. Looking very forward to the maiden. This will be a different kind of flying.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Adam, looking forward to prop hanging 😁😁👍

[@ModelAV8RChannel]

@@CliffHarveyRCPlanes LOL!

[@MarkCroucherRC4fun]

Role on the maiden great series

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Thanks Mark

[@mikeparkercreative5136]

Very nice! Always watch your covering in awe...masterful 😊 All we need now is some descent weather 🙄😆

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Thanks Mike, I was concerned about the undercamber but it went well in the end, roll on a nice calm day 👍

[@DadsRCHangar]

Very nice Cliff, look forward to a nice day for the maiden. 🫡

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Thanks Chris, roll on a nice day 🙂👍

[@SteffenRC]

Cliff, Wonderful job.. You've inspired me to start a build video on an old StevensAero Cap232 micro kit I picked up at a recent swap meet. I'm a hack at building, but I've learned a fair amount watching your videos.. Thanks..

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Will, that's great news, are you going to film it? 🤔🙂

[@ModelAV8RChannel]

Will I look forward to that!

[@SteffenRC]

@@CliffHarveyRCPlanes Yep.. I have some Solite and AeroLite laying around... I'm not even close to your skills, but like I said.. You've inspired me.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

@@SteffenRC 😎👍

[@purcellrcaviationchannel]

One beautiful finished model, Cliff. I love the solution for the servo location and mounting. Can't wait to see it fly!

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Thanks Gina, the servos shouldn't be too obvious in flight, cheers.

[@JeffinLowerAlabama]

Looks fantastic Cliff, should be an epic flyer on calm days, well done Sir, Jeff in LA USA

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Thanks Jeff 👍

[@downwindchecklist6567]

As usual looking great, and you make it look easy. That coating looks really tricky to me, especially with the undercamber. And thank you for the call out!!

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

You're welcome Andrew, I wasn't sure I could use this covering with the undercamber but it all worked out ok in the end, cheers.

[@christopherknee5756]

Great job building the Ajax. Don't expect too much in flying performance compared to today's planes. A guy at our flying field built a "Playboy Sr" or something similar because the wingspan was about 75 inch. I think it had a 90 four-stroke engine for power. It had no ailerons - just rudder elevator. Everybody else was flying merrily with their modern planes enjoying the summer midday weather. Slightly windy and blustery - no problem for most planes. But, the Playboy plane was practically uncontrollable. The slightest hint of a side breeze would veer the plane off course and into the long grass on the side of the mowed field. To me, it looked like a free-flight plane, not good for RC. The high side area created by the polyhedral is the culprit, I think. Good luck with the maiden, and keep making great videos for all to learn good building techniques. What was the weight of the completed model?

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Chris, thanks, I don't expect very much in the way of performance as long as I can steer it that would be a success, it's just the thrill and challenge of seeing it in the air, cheers 👍

[@marcolyott]

Looks superb Cliff! I'm looking forward to seeing its first flight.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Marc, thanks, I'm quite happy with the result so far, so looking forward now to a nice bright sunny calm day 🙂

[@Yogenh]

Can't wait to see it fly

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

I'm going to wait for the perfect day Paul if my patience holds out 🤔

[@guyoreilly5670]

OMG, you crushed the fuse just like I do... So sorry, good repair. Looking forward to so flying video!!

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Guy, I was on the home straight as well lol, easily sorted though, can't wait to maiden her 👍🙂

[@tdogrc]

Very neat Cliff 👌🏻

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Thanks T Dog 🙂

[@johnroberts3723]

Nice project it's got to be a good flyer. I did the same some years back with the senator and that flew like a dream the climb rate was rapid under power probably didn't need the undercamber.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi John, you're right, undercamber isn't really needed for an RC model but it's nice to stick to the original design, did you watch the maiden flight linked at the end?

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi John, you're right, undercamber isn't really needed for an RC model but it's nice to stick to the original design, did you watch the maiden flight linked at the end?

[@johnroberts3723]

@CliffHarveyRCPlanes no but I will do 👍

[@davew3130]

Nice tidy build Cliff. Great job. What is the ready to fly weight without the battery and then with the battery? Thank you , And love the old timer conversions!!

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Dave thanks, rtf is 111g and the battery is 17g of that, cheers 🙂👍

[@ronaldrose6885]

Vic smeed and Albert hatfull have sooooo many designs....put Dave boddinton in there.left out bill dean but he is in the group.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Absolutely Ron, just imagine what they might have come up with if they'd all been sat down in the same room around a drawing board 🤔👍

[@bobflyman]

When do you ever find time to sleep and eat after a working day? 😉. Good conversion! Re the servo lever connectors, you mentioned using a drill? I just heat the end of a small piece of the wire and melt it through the existing plastic hole to enlarge it a tiny bit.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Bob, don't sleep and eat at the building table 🤔😁 The holes were too big for my connectors so I had to drill new ones between the original holes 👍

[@1mikeb]

Very nice job as always. The break at the end made me question how much strengthening should be done on a conversion. I did too much on a couple conversions and they flew heavy, not in the spirit of the original design. Also was wondering if the cg for the rc conversion should be the same as the rubber powered? Maybe too tail heavy?

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Mike the wings are strengthened with extra main spars and dihedral braces and the extra 1/16th for the battery box. If it turns out to be tail heavy I can easily move the battery forward but the centre of gravity should remain the same however it's powered, cheers 🙂👍

[@markturner7168]

Just a thought ref the c of g, old free flight always seemed to be a long way back to try and extend the glide, but will that work for rc? Would it be better to move it forward to 30-33%?

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Thanks Mark, I can move It forward easily enough, better to err on the side of caution 👍

[@captainchaos3053]

Hi just a quick question. I don't have one of those irons can I cheat this with a clothes iron and maybe a hair dryer? I can borrow both of those off the wife. I build all my models on a budget and I have found that heating the wire enough you can push it into the horn of the servo and make a very nice fit. I say wire but my last model used old guitar strings. The little ball end was very convenient for making a new attachment point.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi CC, yes to both items, you need to be very careful in you selection of iron-on film though, any of the 'lite' films will do the job but don't over heat, the frame on these light models can easily distort. I like the heated wire idea, cheers

[@hangflyer907]

After watching your build videos, I ordered an Ajax from Retro RC here in the States. Unfortunately, the kit has some of the poorest selection of balsa that I've seen a long time. The laser cut rib sheet is C-grain balsa, the color of mahogany, and weighs 0.5 oz. by itself. The laser cut former sheet is at least B-Grain but heavy as well. I'm building mine as an electric conversion so hopefully the power will help to overcome the weight but potential kit buyers need to be aware of KeilKraft quality before spending their money. (It's not a cheap kit.) This was a great series of videos Cliff and my comments are directed at KeilKraft and not at you.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi, I'm glad you felt inspired to have a go yourself, Keilkraft as a company was wound up a long time ago but the name lives on. In the UK kits are manufactured by Ripmax through a Chinese supplier. Or the Vintage Model Company also reproduce the kit as do other sources. I'm guessing your kit comes from China via a distributor in the US. I think sometimes these far east manufacturers have no idea about balsa wood! Having said that my model floats around very nicely on a low throttle setting and I think you'll find the same although it may be slighter faster, cheers.

[@alanh2823]

Cliff, thank you for the detail and the inspiration! Great viewing. After 25 years away from the hobby I've bought an Ajax and I'm going to have a go! I'm about to order a Radiomaster TX16 S Max with the red bling just like yours. May I ask about your motor/Rx brick - is it the Dancing Wings Hobby 1S MC1108-4000kv with motor/ESC/prop/mini receiver and 2g servos off Amazon? What Tx protocol did you go for? Big thanks again!

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Brian, that's great, I gutted my Dancing Wings Mini Savage Bobber. The esc and rx is one unit, the servos are 3g units, the motor is as you said, it's plenty powerful enough, I flew around on quarter throttle. I bought the '4 in 1' version 👍

[@alanh2823]

@@CliffHarveyRCPlanes Cliff, thanks mate that's so helpful! Just got to wait till 25/12 so "Santa" can put them in my stocking!!

[@vollzeitflieger2490]

I've got one question out of curiosity: Since weight is of the essence on this model, couldn't you join the servo cables on power and ground and just leave the two command lines separately? Or would that lead to interferences between the servos? Thanks for sharing, your covering technique is just marvellous as always. Cheers!

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Frederic, I suppose you could but I don't think weight is that critical as I've saved so much weight on the rc equipment, the extension cables I've soldered in are standard weight, so quite heavy, but as I need weight in the back in all worked out ok, cheers.

[@jakeclauson9863]

Getting close cliff! Really looking like something now! I find it really interesting that you only did 1 elevator surface. Will that cause it to roll at all? I might have to try that trick sometime. What do you think about trying to do an rc conversion of a sterling model luscombe coupe? 21" and seems to be made fairly light. Hard to tell without having it in the hands tho.

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Hi Jake, the one elevator is something that was done back in the day. I suspect it will roll a little but with all that dihedral it should hardly be noticable but time will tell. I've never built a Sterling model but I don't see why that particular model wouldn't convert easily to rc, cheers.

[@davidquerry8869]

Crack on Cliff

[@CliffHarveyRCPlanes]

Roll on those still days David, cheers.