TI-12 TITANIUM Full Scale and Model

[SleepyC]

Hey guys,

I found this to be really cool. QQ flew a Pitt's at the 2008 TAS called the Ti-12. It is a really cool looking airplane. But... even cooler is the fact that the full scale plane and the model were developed at the same time. Kevin Kimball and QuiQue Somenzini worked together quite a bit bouncing ideas off each other to create what I think looks to be the nicest Bi-plane I have ever seen. Read below and you will find some really interesting information about the Full scale Ti-12 and the model versions that Quique Somenzini Aircraft Company is currently working on.

Full Scale:

The Ti-12 is the latest development of the Pitts Model 12. We own the design rights to the Pitts Model 12 and all the variations that have come from it such as the Python and Ti-12. In fact, we designed and built the airframe components for the Turbine Toucan which are all model 12 based parts modified for the turbine installation.

The Ti-12 differs from the Pitts Model 12 in many ways. These changes were developed in an effort to reduce weight and inscrease performance over that is the already awesome Pitts Model 12. Some of these changes are at the expense of convenience since this is a special use airplane and not one intended for many uses. The idea was to leave off everything that was NOT required for the specific mission of aerobatics in this airplane.

The most obvious change is that The Ti-12 is a single seat airplane instead of a 2 seater. That eliminated a large chunk of weight and deleted the option to take someone for a ride. The canopy frame is made of Titanium instead of standard steel tube to save weight. The front seat is gone and in place of it is a 12 gallon smoke tank good for 12 minutes of smoke.

The wings are next most significant change to the Ti-12. These wings differ from the Pitts Model 12 and from the Python. The span is changed, the wing tip shape is new and the aileron length/size is modified. Hinging of the ailerons is the same as on the python. The wing fuel tank has been eliminated to save weight. Quique shared some of the things he has learned with large RC biplane wings and we were able to incorporate a few of his ideas in this set of wings. Not all the ideas he has, just a few. I won't go into details as to what we did or did not do since that would give away too much info to our competition. Let's just say, it's gonna be cool.

The tail of the Ti-12 was resized and reshaped. This was to change some of the forced felt by the pilot and to better balance with the changes to the wings.

The landing gear is much the same as the Python but with new style fairing cuffs at the top and bottom. The wheels are magnesium to save weight.

The cowling, wheel pants, seat, instrument panel, throttle quadrant, and air start tank are all carbon fiber saving a huge amount of weight as compared to the standard kit items for the Model 12. The exhaust system and firewall are titanium which hs half the weight of steel. Of course, these weight savings come at a huge price of more than double the standard parts cost.

The engine is a special one having been modified by Barrett Precision Engines of Tulsa, OK. It will put out over 400 REAL hp and combined with the 102" diameter MT 3 blade prop, we will have over 1900 lb of static thrust.

The paint scheme was created by Mirco Pecorari a good friend of mine. He has done work for us before and is doing more now. A great talent and a modeler too. He is in Italy. We copyrighted the scheme to protect it. Doing this along with trademarking the name Ti-12 allow is to control who uses the name and scheme so that we can be happy with how our products are being copied and or shown. We have licensed only Quique's Aircraft Company to produce RC models of the Ti-12. QQAC is the only company world wide allowed to sell RC models of the Ti-12 which is cool because of the great products and service provided by Quique, Wayne and crew at QQAC. Licensing and approved reproduction in the RC industry can be the subject of a future discussion. For now, I will say this. Only and I mean Only, QQAC and Bob Trueworthy had the courtesy to contact us before offering kits of our products. That one act by these people goes a long way toward showing how straight up they are in business. I appreciate that.

The Ti-12 is close to being completed and should be ready for an engine test run in about 2 weeks. After that, a few details to go and then test flights. Once testing is complete, the owner will take it away and have one of the coolest airplanes on the planet.

Sincerely,

Kevin Kimball, VP Engineering
Jim Kimball Enterprises, Inc.




Ti-12 Model:

Hi Guys,
Thank you for your interest on my TI-12. My own TI-12 TITANIUM is not a pre-production model or a sample of what it will come as an ARF. It is a scratch build airplane. My good friend Bob Trueworthy built and structure engineer my two TI-12 and my other good friend Eddie Noble finished them for me. I am very thankful to them as they did an incredible job with a lot of passion and dedication.


<O</OThe Full size already flew a week ago. See pictures attached.<O</O
Kimball Enterprises team did a terrific job bringing to the aerobatic world the best biplane ever built. Kevin Kimball manager of the project sent me some pictures to share. <O</O
Kimball Enterprises has licensed world wide and exclusively to our company for a series of aerobatics airplanes including TI-12, Python and others to come. <O</O
The TI-12 design is an evolution of the Pitts Model 12 and Python. Many changes were made by Kevin in the structure and lines and he also incorporated some of my suggested changes that I used with my Python R/C.


<O</OAbout what size we are going to produce. I do not think we can produce a TI-12 as big as I am flying. An airplane of this size, with thin wings, no flying wires will be very expensive to produce and would be too high cost for each airplane as well the shipping costs. The investment on my end will be very high and I am not sure how many airplanes could be sold. It is not only the cost of the airplane that I am considering, it is all the equipment that is needed to complete it for flight.(engine, servos, etc.) There is no magic formula; big size, low weight and high strength means high $. We are now studying what size to produce to try to have an airplane that will line up best with our company spirit. We will produce more than one size of the TITANIUM.
<O</O
I want to give my special thanks to Bob Trueworthy for building two incredible airplanes, to Eddie Noble for all his amazing covering job and finishing the airplanes. Finally my biggest and most special thanks to Kevin Kimball of Jim Kimball Enterprises, Inc for giving only QQAC the honor to represent his designs in the model industry with exclusively world wide license to reproduce his designs.


<O</OPlease keep eye on our web site, www.qqaircraft.com, for news and updates on the TI-12. Also check www.jimkimballenterprises.com for updates on the full scale TI-12.


<O</OAbout my TAS set up:

<O</OMy TI-12 is 44% scale and weighs exactly 50lbs. Powered with a DA200 4 cylinder with 4 MTW R2 tuned pipes. JR12 X, JR 8711 servos: one per each aileron, one per each elevator and 3 for the rudder. Two 3,000 mha Duralite manganese battery packs. 9100 Spektrum receiver. Two Spektrum regulators. Modified Bolly prop 32x13. I have not checked static thrust but I tell you one person has a very difficult time to hold the airplane at full power at least a person of my size…(yes you are right, I'm not too big ) I can tell you this is the best power to weight ratio/piston airplane that I have ever owned….simply tons of power. The idea behind this competition model at this size, wing loading and engine choice is to do the most scale aerobatic flying that we could do and I truly feel the TI-12 is doing just that…..at “a bit better” power to weight ratio but with the looks, speed, rotation and sound just like the full scale.


<O</OBest regards my friends.


<O</OQuique Somenzini

[SleepyC]

Full scale:

[SleepyC]

QQ's 44% Model!

[MikeC3D]

Great write up Sleepy....But it looks like myself or anyone else interested in a 44% size Python/TI-12 styled Pitts M12, will just have to wait and see if Mr. Trueworthy will produce anymore kits and build it ourselves. Excited to see the progression, but dissappointed about the r/c version outcome (personally). Not to take away from QQAC, as they have always been good to me, and they are great for the R/C community. I realize that I had unrealistics hopes, but hey, you cant blame a dude for trying....lol

[3D Meatshield]

Thanks for finally posting this Sleepy. It was worth the wait for sure, especially with all the badass pics! Now I've got to get one of these to keep my yak company

[DR10044]

Great write-up Sleepy! Love them bipes! I have only had the honor of talking with QQ a few times, but if there is a nicer person in this business I don't know who it is. Good luck to him on the new bipe, whatever size it comes out in.

Can't wait to get my QQ Python done!

[depo]

Guys! Any freestyle video?

[octanehuffer]

Sounds promising.
Now lets all hope that some scumbag company like Nitro Planes dosnt steal the plans, like they did with the 69" Yak of Quique's. Quique has the copyright to the plane, but that dosnt mean someone else wont copy it.
Protest Nitro Planes. May they burn in hell.

[rdgood]

Man oh Man!

That thing is beautiful!!!

I think I'm gonna tear up...

Although - I thought there would be more strucure underneath the vert fin - there are flying wires near the back but it seems ya only one attach point at the front of the vert fin. hummm..
It's still awesome though!

I like the dark purple against the yellow...

Ronster

[Mithrandir]

I guess the full size pilots don't care about yaw-pitch coupling... look how high the stab is on the 100% and how low it is on the 40%

[rdgood]

Mithrandr,

I may be off on this but I think that in the fullscale - there may be a weight distribution issue that comes into play more along with the location of the elev to reduce the knife edge coupling behavior? I don't know just a guess actually?


Ronster

[anders e]

more than one size! thats nice! 50-150cc

[hpapilot]

	Quote: Originally Posted by depo
	Guys! Any freestyle video?

Quique does not fly his Ti-12 for freestyle.

[Quique]

Thank you very much guys for your comments.
The stab location has to do with the way the full size airplane is structured. The stab could be moved but that requires some very expensive changes such new fuse fixtures and build new fuselage. Kevin Kimball respects us the modelers so much and that is the reason I am working with him. We had deep discussion about this matter and many other aspect of airplane designs. Since I met Kevin I have learned a lot about full size world and understand how a simple (for us modelers) stab drop would be, it can not be so easily done with full size. Coupling is a factor and Kevin is aware of that. In future designs I think you we are going to start to see more and more mix of full size and model airplanes. The TI-12 is the beginning.

The color scheme is also a good sample of that mix I am talking about. If you noticed the bottom side of the wings and stab has stripes!! Just like we use in our models. Full size Air show or competition pilots still being observed or judged for people that is on the ground so why not show top and bottom of the airplane better to appreciate better what the airplane is doing while is flying.

<O
If you guys have more questions I will be more than happy to answer.
<O
Once again thank you.
<O</O

[khedge]

quqiue when will the new pitts be available.Well there be a 100cc size. How to the mtw tuned pipes compare to the greeves?

Thanks