Andrew Calcutt Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Anyone remember the crossfire?Found my old one in the loft,it is fitted with a speed 600,think I will refurbish it and fit a brushless motor.It was a good smooth flyer with a lighter battery should be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Kremen Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Yes, Super model and with modern electrics, LiPo etc. will be even better. Does it have a plan? (Can't recall, it was some years ago!). If so PM me to arrange a copy if I may. Designer/Manufacturer, Howard Metcalfe, is still active, though I understand it's free-flight these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Remember Howard Metcalf Models very well from the great days of the Sandown Symposium back in the 80s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Loved my X-fire. Built it for brushless and a 3S lipo. Went like stink under power, but had a tremendous glide performance. Sold it to a clubmate a couple of years ago. I might have to buy it back...... Tim 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Calcutt Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 1 hour ago, Capt Kremen said: Yes, Super model and with modern electrics, LiPo etc. will be even better. Does it have a plan? (Can't recall, it was some years ago!). If so PM me to arrange a copy if I may. Designer/Manufacturer, Howard Metcalfe, is still active, though I understand it's free-flight these days. I will have a look in my old plans.if I remember you had a self adhesive sheet that you stuck to the balsa to cut round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 15 hours ago, Andrew Calcutt said: Anyone remember the crossfire?Found my old one in the loft,it is fitted with a speed 600,think I will refurbish it and fit a brushless motor.It was a good smooth flyer with a lighter battery should be good. They did fly well, but with a modern brushless power train and lipo power you may find that nose needs to be lengthened slightly or the RC layout rejigged to achieve the right CG. Did it have servos in the tail originally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 Interesting - just found this website, it looks like someone called Pete Ross bought the rights and remitted them, at least for a time… https://www.angelfire.com/space/xfire/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extra slim Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 Mine has an eflite 25 brushless motor and runs on a 2200mah 4S, and a 60A ESC.. kind of skips along a bit!, but beautifully smooth. Only downside is wing off to replace battery, but takes a minute so not great shakes. Its kinda like a bigger and smoother easystreet (original) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta88 Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 It's Metcalfe with an 'E' at the end. I should know, Howard is my uncle ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outrunner Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 (edited) I'm on my second Crossfire. Stupidly sold my first then came across a secondhand Crossfire wing for sale at Old Warden, so I bought the wing for £5 and built a new fuselage from the plan that I still had. 4 servo wing 35xx brushless motor, 13x8 folding prop, 3s 2200 lipo that is inserted via a hatch under the nose. Great flyer, goes like a rat up a drainpipe and floats like a glider. My all weather fighter, very light too. A couple of years ago I bought the updated plan from a guy called Peter Sanders who's contact details were in RCM&E, I will build it when I break my current Crossfire. Edited February 4, 2022 by Outrunner Added photo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBaron Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 Very pretty! The email contact for Pete Ross on the website mentioned above does not work, the non delivery reason quoted was that the domain name did not exist! So does anyone have a plan for the Crossfire/Xfire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza1510 Posted March 19, 2023 Share Posted March 19, 2023 Had the crossfire years ago 👍🏻 great model now wishing I’d not sold it 🙄 has anyone had any luck finding plans of this brilliant plane? Would love to build it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosso Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 Hi Guys, Somewhat late, but I've only just found this topic. I'm the Pete Ross that bought the rights to manufacture and sell the Crossfire kit back in 2002. I sold well over 300 kits, and only had 2 rejects - one who thought the kit was ARTF, and one other who didn't build the wing as per instructions, found it flew like a dog, complained, and when I suggested he rebuild the wing correctly, he came back and told me it was the best flying machine ever! I stopped selling Crossfire when I was spending more on advertising than I was making in sales! Recently, I thought I would resurrect the kit, having bought a laser cutter and so could cut ribs and formers etc. Plans were going well in transferring the drawings to CAD, when disaster struck. My workshop caught fire and was totally destroyed, with all my 17 models, plans, drawings etc. I am hoping to start again, but I need a copy of the build plan, so until I can find one, it's all on hold. The only modification that I made to Howard's brilliant design, was to change the 1/4 x 1/8 balsa wing spars for 1/4 x 1/8 spruce, as we were using brushless motors and LiPos rather than the 510 buggy motor and 6 Nicad cells that it was designed for! I'll keep you posted on any progress that I make, if you're interested. Cheers Pete 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 Pete I’m sorry to hear of your awful fire scuppering your plans for a new X- fire kit. Did you read Outrunners post above saying that he had an old plan, perhaps you could PM him to see if you could obtain a scanned copy. Failing that maybe you could ‘reverse engineer’ one if you got hold of an old x-fire airframe. After all it’s been done with full sized aircraft! I rather fancy a X-Fire kit myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosso Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 I am in the process of trying to locate the necessary info etc, but it may take a while. The other consideration I have to bear in mind is the current cost of balsa . it is now about 2 - 3 times more expensive, so whereas I was selling a kit for £60, would folk be prepared to pay £120 -150 these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 Well, Pete, everything else has gone skywards in price just so we can go skywards literally with our models. I build most of my models but about 4 years ago I bought an ARTF balsa Wot4 from Kings Lynn Models and it was £109. The same model at Model Shop Leeds is £179.99. I've just bought the drawings and CNC cut parts for Peter Miller's Fokker DVIII which cost £146 inc postage so you're not far out. After all, I guess the £60 kits were being sold some years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outrunner Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 18 hours ago, Rosso said: Hi Guys, Somewhat late, but I've only just found this topic. I'm the Pete Ross that bought the rights to manufacture and sell the Crossfire kit back in 2002. I sold well over 300 kits, and only had 2 rejects - one who thought the kit was ARTF, and one other who didn't build the wing as per instructions, found it flew like a dog, complained, and when I suggested he rebuild the wing correctly, he came back and told me it was the best flying machine ever! I stopped selling Crossfire when I was spending more on advertising than I was making in sales! Recently, I thought I would resurrect the kit, having bought a laser cutter and so could cut ribs and formers etc. Plans were going well in transferring the drawings to CAD, when disaster struck. My workshop caught fire and was totally destroyed, with all my 17 models, plans, drawings etc. I am hoping to start again, but I need a copy of the build plan, so until I can find one, it's all on hold. The only modification that I made to Howard's brilliant design, was to change the 1/4 x 1/8 balsa wing spars for 1/4 x 1/8 spruce, as we were using brushless motors and LiPos rather than the 510 buggy motor and 6 Nicad cells that it was designed for! I'll keep you posted on any progress that I make, if you're interested. Cheers Pete Sorry to read about your workshop going up in smoke, sounds like an awful disaster. I still love flying my Crossfire shown a few posts above, it's my go-to all weather model, very light and flies on a cheap 3s 2200mAh lipo. If you are interested I can see if my local copyshop can copy the plan. Also I have all the rib profiles and formers that I obtained in 2019 as insurance for when I break my current Crossfire. Have you considered producing a short kit with ribs and shaped parts etc? Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosso Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 Hi Phil, Your suggestion is most welcome. If you can get the plan copies as well as the rib profiles etc, I will be happy to cover any expenses that you incur. I was thinking that maybe a laser cut or CNC short kit may be the way to go, as I have got both a laser engraver/cutter and a CNC machine to keep my grey cells alive! Cheers for now. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza1510 Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Hi Pete this is great news 👍🏻 even at the higher price you have a guaranteed customer here. Please keep us all updated. Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon barr Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 I had a Crossfire many moons ago until it was wiped out in a mid-air. Great model... I would certainly have another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 I never had a Crossfire but I did have Howard Metcalfe's excellent Moonraker which had a moulded plastic (Plura?) fuselage that was difficult for glueing IIRC. Sadly, I dumb-thumbed it and it was no more. I'd certainly be a potential customer for a Crossfire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Calcutt Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 I would fancy a new crossfire,might have a plan somewhere, from memory you used to stick the printed adhesive sheet containing bulkheads and ribs to balsa sheet and cut round them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosso Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Hi Andrew, yes, that's right, but I am hoping to laser cut those parts and supply as a short kit only. Keep your eye on this forum, but it will be a while yet. Cheers. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Few Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 Hi Pete, Have you made any progress on the xfire short kit. I quite fancy building one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosso Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 Hi Richard, Progress is quite slow, at present, but I am still working on the project. I will update the forum when I have more updates. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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