Balsa USA kits.

[Gary Murphy 1]

There was a earlier post asking about WWI bi kits and Balsa usa was mentioned as a quality choice.

Is anyone able to recommend a kit from the 1/6 range that would suit the novice.

I like the look of them all subjest wise and knowing my luck i would pick the hardest to build.

Also not being able to see the kit in the flesh is the quality equal or above flair scouts?

[Vintage]

sorry limited english....negative... the quality of Flair is superior, i have balsa usa 1/6 scale pup, fly very well but the fuselage need reinforcements; the cowl engine is just abs plastic, not alluminum.

I think if you be able to modify just a little the Flair puppetter fuselage, it will be the best 1/6 scale pup!..... the same for magnattila and hannibal to be alike the Fokker Eindecker

Posted by Gary Murphy 1 on 25/06/2012 19:15:55:

There was a earlier post asking about WWI bi kits and Balsa usa was mentioned as a quality choice.

Is anyone able to recommend a kit from the 1/6 range that would suit the novice.

I like the look of them all subjest wise and knowing my luck i would pick the hardest to build.

Also not being able to see the kit in the flesh is the quality equal or above flair scouts?

 

Edited By Vintage on 30/01/2013 22:45:02

Edited By Vintage on 30/01/2013 22:48:48

Edited By Vintage on 30/01/2013 22:51:37

[John Olsen 1]

Balsa USA are generally good, although probably not the absolute top. We (my son and I) have put together a 1/6 scale Taube from the BUSA kit. It is not too hard to build, and should maiden any day now. Sheet parts are die cut rather than laser cut, I think this is true with all their kits. The die cutting is of good quality, but of course not as good as laser cutting. It builds up into a nice model, although it would be sport scale rather than a scale mans dream, unless you put in a lot of extra detailing. The Taube does not have ailerons, and should be a stable flyer. It does not have the usual short nose of a WWI job. Ours has an ASP 60 four stroke, but it could be electrified without too much trouble.

John

[Wasaforumite]

While we are on this subject, could anyone please commment on the Citabria Pro kit, please? I do like the Aeronca/Citabria/Decathlon series of planes, they make a nice change from Cubs. I'm building a Mercury Aeronca from the plan at the moment and looking ahead I'm thinking of something a bit bigger. Puffin do a Dynaflite Decathlon kit but that is just too big!

Ian

[BernieNUFC]

I cannot much in the way of help other than my first build is the 1/4 nieuport 11, i am impressed with it and BUSA and Pegasus (supplier in uk) have both been extrmely helpful over a missing part.

I will say that i have had to ask questions on forums and look a bulds otherwise i would have struggled, but it is going together much better than i expected.

HTH

[Reno Racer]

I've built their 1/6 scale Bristol M1c, 1/6 scale Neiuport 17 and 1/4 scale Neiuport 11. They are great kits with really excellent and comprehensive build instructions, but for a novice biplane wing alignment and incidence might be a bit daunting/frustrating. The Bristol may be an easier build, but that requires a bigger engine than the later 1/6 scale bipes.

My 1/6 scale Neiuport 17 (top) and then 1/4 scale Neiuport 11 (bottom):

[Tim Hooper]

Gents,

My only experience of the BUSA kits is my recent 1/4 scale Nieuport 28. Yes, some of the design is showing its age, and the parts are die-cut. However I would have no hesitation in buying another in their range should the need arise!

The (US-based) RCSB forum has an entire section devoted to BUSA kits, and is a goldmine of information. However you'll probably need to register to join in. I think the first month is free, after which there's a nominal charge.

**LINK**

Anyway, here's a couple of pics of my luvverly N28!

tim

[Jim Walton]

Hello, I have built kits from Flair and Balsa USA and they compare favorably. Both require "bashing". Meaning a lot of changes to make them appear more scale like. The Flair Pup look-alike needs taller landing gear and many improvements on the tail feathers. The Balsa USA Pup requires much the same. Both need "sprung" landing gear. As designed, they are "stiff legged'. Landing can be hard with both.

The Eindecker needs a serious modification. I drew-up and built an open structure rear fuselage. This change makes a much nicer looking and lighter model. I also use pull-pull control system on the rudder and elevator. I will be glad to post photos of modification made to both models if requested or you can PM me for details.

The Balso USA Eindecker, if certain changes are made to the fuselage, can be a vey nice looking and great flying model. Mine is over 15 years old and still going strong with it's original Saito .91. My Flair look-alike Pup is also fairly old (6 years) and is still flying with an OS.72.

Jim Walton

 

Edited By Pete B - Moderator on 24/10/2014 22:09:52

[Jon H]

last summer I built a flair nieuport 17 and thoroughly enjoyed it, but the newer kits are not as easy to build as they have no separate instruction sheet so the information is scattered all over 5 sheets of plans. Two friends are building/have built flair kits (one pup and one Fokker DVIII) and while very nice models the plans do let the side down.

The flair pup gives away a lot in scale and so another friend and I are working to turn one into a 1 1/2 strutter instead.

As for the BUSA kits, I have a 1/6 scale pup lined up for my winter build. The obsession with laminating things looks annoying before I even start, and as pointed out the plastic cowl is total pants. Lucky for us the flair cowl is the same diameter :D

If anyone is interested I could do a build log when I get round to building it?

Oh, and here is a picture of my nieuport, not the best photo but you get the idea

[jeff2wings]

In answer to the OP , I would say the BUSA Fokker Eindekker 40 would be the one to start with, if it’s a biplane you are after then the flair SE 5a or the busa Tomas Morse scout, all are good flyers and have good ground handling and all the flair and busa kits are good to modifiey into other versions of the same (or different!) aircraft. And as for quality ,there’s not much in it and similar pricing as well although you do get a metal cowl with the fair kits.

busa Fokker E 1 that ended up as a Phalz E 1 !

Fair Magnattila

[Jim Walton]

The Nieuport looks very good. Does it fly as good as it looks? I would enjoy a building thread on the Pup. I have built a lot of Balsa USA kits and would like to see more threads. The 1/6 Pup would be a good one. At our Southern War Bird club meets, the Balsa USA Pup kits of all scales seem to be the most popular.

Jim

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

They do a good range of plans...Arizona models if I remember right ?

I have almost done the 1/4 scale Nieuport 17, 4 large sheets and just over £20

John

[cymaz]

Doesn't Pegasus Models stock Balsa USA kits?

[Jon H]

Hi Jim, if you are asking about my Nieuport then yes it flys well but is not the easiest model in the world to fly. Especially the getting on and off the ground part! I have fitted a sprung u/c which is a life saver but its still a little tricky. In the air it is also very sensitive to wind (due to the wing sweep) and the little ailerons are not that powerful. that said I love flying it and on a calm evening its just a delight. Mine is powered by a very old saito 45 turning a turnigy 13x5 type A wooden prop. If you build one it needs no more power than this setup provides.

Cymaz, yes they do but half the time its out of stock. I waited 3 or 4 months for the pup's to come in and they never did so I got a friend in the US to send it to me. I got it within a week.

[dave parnham]

So would it be easy? And a lot cheaper to buy these direct from Balsa USA or rely on one UK importer.

Pound to the dollar these look good value but how long would you have to wait? And Postal/Vat charges are a lottery?

I'm hovering over the buy button on at least 3 kits at Pegasus website.........just cant justify the prices.

[Jon H]

by the time the tax man has done his business it does add a chunk of change. but it still worked out cheaper for me and the exchange rate has improved since

[Jim Walton]

Jon, your Nieuport sounds like my Pup. Best on less windy days. Flying off of grass with the narrow WW1 wheels helps. I alway use tail skids unlike a lot of guys building WW1. The tail skid with a little right rudder helps keep mine on the best line during takeoff. Mine is not a good flyer in the wind. Oddly enough my Balsa USA Eindecker 80 flys great on windy days. I have been flying mine for over 15 years. Due to aging, I have recovered it 4 times. Solortex is much harder to take off the to put on. It is a really tough material.

The lb. vs the US dollar always looks bad from my end. On my trip to London about 10 years ago it was $1.90 US to the lb.

Jim

[Tony Richardson]

Posted by Wasaforumite on 31/01/2013 09:13:08:

While we are on this subject, could anyone please commment on the Citabria Pro kit, please? I do like the Aeronca/Citabria/Decathlon series of planes, they make a nice change from Cubs. I'm building a Mercury Aeronca from the plan at the moment and looking ahead I'm thinking of something a bit bigger. Puffin do a Dynaflite Decathlon kit but that is just too big!

Ian

Hi there I have the Citabria pro and have no complaints it is a great model and relatively easy to build the cabanes require a little head scratching and the under carriage mounting a little beefing up but generally a good kit, so good I am thinking of another at the moment I have a second model on the board of Tim's pro the first lost a battle with the rear wheels of my wifes car bear in mind the BUSA pro has a large wing 80ins and the next one I build I am going to try and make the wing in three sections to make transport easier.

Good luck Tony..

[Jon H]

Hi Jim

All WWI models would rather calm weather, but the nieuport suffers a little more because of its swept wings. It has a nasty habit of rolling upside down when turned across the wind, and the little ailerons are not man enough to get it back! In fairness to it, its not that bad, just sometimes it can catch you unawares.

I did have so lovely days with it over the summer. On one evening only a few weeks ago it was so calm I could feel the wash from the model after it flew past!

[Jim Walton]

WW1 models require a little more flying skill. They sure do look good flying and landing. We have a "Dawn Patrol" event comeing up in early December. This has always been my favorite event of the year. For the last few years I have only built models that use fabric covering and fixed landing gear. This is mainly WW1 and between the wars. This is because of two things, Solortex is so easy to put on and I cannot afford retractable gear. Not only that, I do not want the complexity of retractable gear. Both of these make model building and flying more fun.

Jm