Jamara Pitts S2B
This is my review and build log of the Jamara Pitts S2B balsa/ply kit, a semi-scale model of the famous Pitts S2B aerobatic biplane. The Jamara Pitts comes from a new (2010) range of kits that includes four other classic designs - a Bonanza V35, P-6 Mew Gull, DHC Beaver and Gee Bee Racer.
All of these kits contain laser cut pieces and at first glance look like great planes to build. But read on as to why the experience was a bit of a disappointment!...
First kit build in a while
I'm no stranger to building balsa planes from kits or just a plan, but I hadn't built anything serious for quite a number of years. A break from the hobby and then the delights of ARF and RTF convenience made sure that my building was well and truly put on hold, but when a flashy photo of the then to be released Jamara Pitts S2B caught my eye in a magazine, I knew my return to the building board wasn't too far away!
I duly ordered my Pitts from Gliders Distribution (UK) and on its arrival felt very happy that soon I'd be building again. With the missus and the Little One packed off to see family in Spain for 3 weeks, I converted our lovely new oak dining table in to the modelling bench and set about getting ready for the build.
Above: unpacking the kit revealed several horrors!
My optimism soon turned to disappointment when I began to study the kit contents. The complete lack of plan was somewhat alarming and the instruction leaflet left much to the imagination; only the very fundamental building processes were vaguely outlined with a handful of very poor quality black and white photos, there was no specific detailing on many aspects of the build (download the manual to see).
Included in the kit was a DVD with instructions for all 5 models from the range, but again these left much to be desired. Full size plans and 3-dimensional 'cutaway' drawings in PDF format were quickly loaded on to my computer from the DVD but I was still left wondering just how easy this build was going to be....
With the instructions pushed aside in disgust, I set about inspecting the sheets of laser cut parts. This quickly revealed the second big upset, the quality of wood and laser cutting! I found the balsa selection very poor; the hardness varied greatly amongst same parts (wing ribs for example) and some balsa, including some ribs and more noticeably the wing tip pieces, were so soft that they would have passed for soggy cardboard. The amount of carbon on all edges of each piece was very high, indicating a poor quality of laser cutting and due to the variations in wood hardness there were many places where the laser hadn't cut all the way through the sheet.
By this time I wasn't at all impressed but was determined to press on; I was quietly confident that my previous building experiences would stand me in good stead, and fortunately they did.
The Pitts S2B build begins!
Traditionally I've always started a build with the tailplane and fin to get a feel for how things go together, so I chose to follow this tradition with the Pitts. Because of the highly carbonised edges of each piece I had to spend some time sanding the edges to be glued, though to be honest I don't really know how carbon effects the glue strength (I used PVA white wood glue and Aliphatic) - I wasn't prepared to see the Pitts fall apart in mid air though, so removing as much carbon as possible seemed the thing to do!
While the high amount of carbon was a nuisance, the accuracy of the laser cut pieces was spot on for 99% of the kit. There was the occasional wobbly line that should have been straight, but generally speaking accuracy was good.
The tail feather pieces all interlocked exactly where they should - my one complaint here is that the small pointy corners of the cross-pieces broke off too easily, slightly harder wood would have been nice for these parts. No biggie though, just irritating!
With tail plane and fin together I turned my attention to the fuselage...
Follow the Jamara Pitts S2B fuselage and wings build.
