Sig Kadet Seniorita buid time?

by Vicky
(RI)

I am building a kadet seniorita for my senior project and was wondering about how long it will take to build it from a kit.

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Sig Kadet Seniorita buid time?

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And ...
by: Michael from Oz

You are building a really great trainer and fun plane. I do not modify mine with ailerons. I have an ARF which has ailerons but I prefer the origina. All mine have had four strokes in the range 40 to 72. The best compromise I have hit on is a Saito 56 or 62. A 65b is good too and will probably not need any additional weight at the front as the 65 is a heavy engine. My current one is getting an English Laser 70. I have recently discovered the Laser engines and they are wonderful. They need no nitro and are really easy to get along with.

Michael from Oz

Depends on the glue you use
by: Michael from Oz

G'day

I am currently finishing off the 8th Kadet I have built. Six have been Kadet Seniors so I guess I have a little experience in this area.

I am now retired and so I do have a bit of time on my hands.

Also, if you use Alaphatic Resin (yellow glue) you will get a very strong airframe but things will take a little more time. If you use Cyanoacrylate type glues, things can be much faster though the result is on the brittle side. I tend to use both. I Zap things together (usually with Green Zap) then go over with some Aliphatic Resin in the higher stress areas.

I find it goes something like this.

Wing. To frame up and glue half the wind takes about a day so two days to have two halves. Then about another half a day to join the two halves and another half day to sand and tidy up ready for covering.

Fuse. Again, about half a day per fuse side and another day to join the sides and put the firewall on. I no longer use the supplied firewall. It is on the light side, and I always end up adding weight to the front so these days I either reinforce the back of the supplied firewall with 1/4 ply in the region of the front wheel mount or I cut a complete new firewall from 1/4 inch ply. I do this as one rough landing will rip the wheel mount out of the supplied firewall.

Tail feathers. Another day here including some sanding.

At this point I spend a couple of hours making sure everything fits together and then I get ready to cover before final assembly.

I also fuel proof inside the airframe at this point and also round the engine bay.

Covering. I use Solatex as I have found it lasts well and is tough. It does add some weight but a Kadet Senior can handle a little extra weight with all that wing area and it makes it penertate better in windy weather. Covering takes about one to two days. After covering I add extra epoxy around the engine bay to seal the edges of the covering and to fuel proof the engine area.

Assembly. To assemble the plane mainly means adding the tail feathers to the fuse and then the controls. I add the horns before I attach the tail and stab. Much easier to get the holes straight. I also use nylon rods instead of the supplied balsa pushrods. They need to be constrained at several points along the fuse. If you do use nylon rods, fit them BEFORE covering. A couple of days to add servos, mount the engine, and undercarriage and you are nearly there.

I did not add up how long that takes but my most recent was built in three weeks. I was only working in the afternoons and some evenings. I think the longest I have taken is about a month and I was working full time then.

Have fun.

Mike from Oz

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Submitted by: Michael from Oz

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G'day I am currently finishing off the 8th Kadet I have built. Six have been Kadet Seniors so I guess I have a little experience in this area. I am now retired and so I do have a bit of time on my hands. Also, if you use Alaphatic Resin (yellow glue) you will get a very strong airframe but things will take a little more time. If you use Cyanoacrylate type glues, things can be much faster though the result is on the brittle side. I tend to use both. I Zap things together (usually with Green Zap) then go over with some Aliphatic Resin in the higher stress areas. I find it goes something like this. Wing. To frame up and glue half the wind takes about a day so two days to have two halves. Then about another half a day to join the two halves and another half day to sand and tidy up ready for covering. Fuse. Again, about half a day per fuse side and another day to join the sides and put the firewall on. I no longer use the supplied firewall. It is on the light side, and I always end up adding weight to the front so these days I either reinforce the back of the supplied firewall with 1/4 ply in the region of the front wheel mount or I cut a complete new firewall from 1/4 inch ply. I do this as one rough landing will rip the wheel mount out of the supplied firewall. Tail feathers. Another day here including some sanding. At this point I spend a couple of hours making sure everything fits together and then I get ready to cover before final assembly. I also fuel proof inside the airframe at this point and also round the engine bay. Covering. I use Solatex as I have found it lasts well and is tough. It does add some weight but a Kadet Senior can handle a little extra weight with all that wing area and it makes it penertate better in windy weather. Covering takes about one to two days. After covering I add extra epoxy around the engine bay to seal the edges of the covering and to fuel proof the engine area. Assembly. To assemble the plane mainly means adding the tail feathers to the fuse and then the controls. I add the horns before I attach the tail and stab. Much easier to get the holes straight. I also use nylon rods instead of the supplied balsa pushrods. They need to be constrained at several points along the fuse. If you do use nylon rods, fit them BEFORE covering. A couple of days to add servos, mount the engine, and undercarriage and you are nearly there. I did not add up how long that takes but my most recent was built in three weeks. I was only working in the afternoons and some evenings. I think the longest I have taken is about a month and I was working full time then. Have fun. Mike from Oz

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month or so
by: Matt

Hi Vicky,

I've never built a Sig Kadet Seniorita. The only Sig Kit I've built was a 4 star 40. And it was my first kit and took me a little over a month working in it after work and weekends.

As a general rule, I can tell you from my experience it can take anywhere from a month or two to complete a kit if you work on it a few hours each night.

If it's your first kit, I would plan on at least a month, maybe two months depending on my much time you have to work on it.

Again, it all depends on how much you work on it each day. Building a kit is not hard at all, its fun and easy. But it can be time consuming.

Its worth it in the end when you watch her lift off for the first time!

Good luck!

Matt