RE: pattern planes
GP Venus 40 or Venus II. The World Models Zen 120.
Posted on: 8/4/2006 9:21 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4584537

RE: pattern planes
GP Venus 40 or Venus II.
Posted on: 8/4/2006 9:17 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4584516

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
By the way, I'm thinking of a GP Giant Super Sportster with the Brillelli 26 for my next plane. However, I really HATE adding dead weight to balance. Can anyone shed some light on how close the plane will be to balancing with a 42 ounce engine?
Posted on: 8/4/2006 9:05 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4584463

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Control linkages can never have zero slop. A friction fit will risk over-powering the servo, especially when the pin or wire going through the servo arm or control horn is not perpendicular to the surface it goes through. Shorter pushrods "rock" more in the holes than longer pushrods. Even changing temperatures can affect the amount of play in a linkage. Since some play is inevitable, the further from the servo arm screw or hinge the pushrod link is hooked up, the less free movement of the control surface is available for flutter. To minimize or prevent flutter, set the link as far out on the control horn as possible, then set the throw by attachment position on the servo arm. If the link at the servo arm is not in one of the two outermost holes, change to a longer control horn and start over with adjustments. I never use anything but 100% EPA. Higher EPA provides very little increase in travel, and lower EPA wastes servo power. If EPA is necessary, you could have used a smaller, cheaper, and lighter servo, and saved money while having a lighter, better flying airplane. This applies only too control surfaces. I always use the innermost servo arm hole and outermost nose gear arm hole to reduce turn radius as much as possible, and usually still have too much. I use the outermost hole on throttle arm, and whatever servo arm hole provides full servo travel with the best resolution--I want full throttle to be just barely full, and idle to be idle with just enough extra travel for the engine kill feature to work properly.
Posted on: 8/4/2006 8:57 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4584433

RE: Can your ARF do this ??? Not easy but possible, check this out !!!!
It looks more like a SPAD than anything else.
Posted on: 8/1/2006 4:26 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4571594

RE: ? Your first RC plane
First plane was a Hobbistar, OS .61 FX, Futaba 6EXA. Got my AMA, joined the club, assembled the plane, went to the field six days in a row and nobody showed up. Decided to fire that mother up and taxi around a bit. Got a little too fast, and up she went. No instructor, no sim time, nothing. Talk about panic! Got her back down without a scratch. Next day, back at the field, someone volunteers to "help", if that's what you call it. Ended up with splinters. Got another Hobbistar, built it with no dihedral, dual aileron servos, and a bolt-on wing. Found a real instructor, but the plane was simply too hot for basic training. Very frustrating. Stopped by the LHS and bought a used Topflite Sierra. What a beautiful trainer! Excellent flier. Four flights on the buddy box and I was greasing those landings. After about 20 flights, flying figure-eights and the plane just quit responding to the sticks. Nothing. Nada. She just continued rolling left and lawn darted at half throttle. Wasn't pretty. Brought the modified Hobbistar back out and it was still scarey, so I bought a Nexstar Select. Excellent flyer, terribly engineered, it fell apart in the sky (3 times), constantly deadsticked from bubbles in the fuel, and a host of problems from poor engineering and manufacturing. Once all the defects were taken care off, it was good for 5 or 6 gallons of fuel before I tried to take off with the trims pushed all the way up, down, and over. She rolled on takeoff, drug a wingtip, cartwheeled, and broke the horizontal stabilizer. Many hours on the sim, too. Brought the modified Hobbistar back out and learned some basic aerobatics. That was a fun plane. After 5-6 gallons of fuel, died to another loss of response to the radio. I was broke from medical bills at the time and darn near gave up RC. Over the next couple weeks I watched three other planes on my channel go in. I finally changed to a different channel and haven't had a radio problem since. Started building HORS with u-channel and conventional tail. Added a .25 engine and landing gear. I started pushing my ability in patterns and aerobatics. Crashed many times, but kept rebuilding and flying those HORS. Switched to fully symmetric wings. Flew those HORS every chance I got, in whatever conditions were. Went back to balsa this spring with an Avistar and a Skyraider Mach II. How many people do you know who can do touch-and-goes with an Avistar with a 20mph wind directly across the runway? Who else is stupid enought to even try? So, if you ask what plane I learned to fly on, it was the Sierra. If you ask what plane I learned to fly, it was a half dozen HORs.
Posted on: 7/26/2006 3:01 AM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4546004

RE: My thoughts about re-vitalizing pylon racing
I tried to get into pylon this past spring but too much investment for too few events too far away. Instead, I began flying SSR combat with a club that requires .15-size HORS, either V-tail or conventional. Everyone runs stock OS LA or Magnum .15s and MAS combat props. Standard servos and ni-cads required. The rules keep everything cheap. An engine claim rule keeps everyone honest. There is a tree at each end of the runway, opposite the pilot box, so at the end of each combat heat I'd bring 'er down low and make a few laps of bank-and-yank practice waiting for everyone else to land. Boys being boys, it didn't take long for someone to start chasing me. Next thing you know, there were three planes, then four, impromptu pylon racing after each combat heat. Three weeks ago when the horn blew, eight planes dove for the pylon race. Two weeks ago the club decided to cut down the trees. Last week there were markers set up to show the ends of the combat box, a little further from the runway than the trees. After the combat, which finishes about 1, six pilots actually set up a matrix and ran 4-plane, 10-lap heats with their HORS. The two pilots who were not flying judged the pylons. I've since heard from several pilots who left early that they would have stayed and raced had they known to bring their lunches. One sport pilot who showed up to fly after the combat meet asked about getting a HOR just for the pylon races! What were the keys that lead to this race series? I think the first thing to consider is the cost of getting involved, which was nothing but the extra fuel burned since everyone is flying what they already have. Second, all the planes are pretty much equal in performance, which means tight, evenly matched, exciting racing. Third, the planes are slow enough that the novice pylon pilots are not intimidated. There are your answers to getting more people involved in pylon. Low cost, evenly matched planes, and close to home. So what if the same ol' fart is always the fastest around the course, everyone knows it is because he is an exceptional pilot, so nobody complains.
Posted on: 7/25/2006 2:23 AM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "General Racing Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4541734

RE: What's Laying Around.
Hmmm? Do-do list? Funstik40 (wing assembled) GP Venus 40 (ready for engine and radio) GP Mini Super Sportster EP (Outrunner and ESC arrived today;-) GWS eStarter (WHY?) GWS Pico J3-F (WHY NOT?) Skyraider Mach II (rotate engine 90* for better fuel flow) GWS SlowStik 4-channel (broken vertical stabilizer) 5 GWS PicoStiks (to augment/replace the 5 the after-school program wore out last year) 5 GWS PicoStiks (replace motors worn out from pylon racing around the volleyball poles)
Posted on: 7/24/2006 8:12 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4540252

RE: Skyraider Mach II CG?
Maidened the Skyraider yesterday. First, the set-up: A Futaba S3003 servo was used on the ailerons, Hitech HS425s elsewhere. I replaced the throttle pushrod, tube, and connector with a 2-56 and tube with a plastic clevis to avoid metal-to-metal contact at the throttle arm. Other than that, and the installation of a GP switch/charge jack, the plane was assembled with all the supplied components. A Hitech 600mah ni-cad and Supreme receiver were installed, and the plane balanced perfectly according to the Great Planes (GP) CG Machine at 85mm behind the leading edge with the receiver in front of the servo tray and the battery behind. No additional weight was used for balance. A Tower Hobbies .46 and 11x6 APC with a GP 2.5 spinner with aluminum backplate (my preference) was used for power, and it is way more engine than this airframe needs. The engine was installed as far forward as possible on the supplied mount. The slots where the mount bolts to the firewall were elongated to allow more width between the rails to fit the crankcase. An APC 11x6 prop was chosen as it is the lowest pitch prop recommended for break-in. The engine could spin this at 11,700rpm running rich enough to leave an easily visible smoke trail. This engine only had two tanks of fuel run through it before the first flight, so it isn't even broken in yet. On to the maiden: Wind was NE 8 gusting to 15 or so on a N/S grass runway. Temp was mid 90s F, relative humidity about 25%. Ground handling was very good. The elevator had sufficient authority to keep the tail firmly planted in cross-winds, a difficult proposition considering our rough, drought-stricken runway. Ease the throttle up, ease the elevator to neutral, and the Skyraider tracked straight down the runway with no correction. It was airborne with a 75-foot run, at about 1/3 throttle. YIKES! What a squirrel! Throttle management required! The Skyraider flew at a good clip at 1/4 throttle. The checkerboard pattern on the covering turns ash gray at a distance, and perfectly blends into North Texas smog. She'll disappear in a blink. First, a GP CG Machine was used to set the CG at 85mm, and it came out flying a little tail-heavy. This is the third plane on which the CG machine was used as designed, and all came out tail heavy. Do not trust the rulers. The CG was reset on the spar, which is 85mm behind the leading edge as measured along the top surface of the wing. The rulers on the CG Machine place the CG 5mm further back. Lesson to be learned: Toss the rulers. Measure along the wing surface and mark the CG. Then place the airplane on the CG machine to balance. Second, the control throws listed above are high rates, at least for me since I've only been flying RC for a year. The Skyraider will rip the sky at speed with the rates listed above. I had 60% programmed on low rates, and that is enough for anything less than hot-dogging. Lucky enough to avoid the ground after take-off, once a little altitude was gained, flipping to low rates partly tamed the wild handling. Third, when the right stick was returned to neutral from one direction, the servo wouldn't quite return to neutral, and the plane would continue a slow roll to the left. The servo problem was masked by the already wicked handling until the second flight. To be fair, the Futaba S3003 servo used on the ailerons has had a long career on combat SPADS. It's definately been banged a few times After a couple very squirrelly patterns I was able to hand the transmitter to a master pilot who was able to get the plane back on the ground. Ah, the benefits of being a member of a good club! Back on the ground safely (PHEEEEWWW!!!), some changes were made. The battery was repositioned on top of the receiver just in front of the servo tray. Foam was placed in front of the battery and receiver to keep those components in place. Aileron and elevator deflections were reduced as much as possible by repositioning the pushrods all the way in on the servo arms. The screw-adjust tabs on the control arms were already all the way out. The Skyraider flew much better the second time, but elevator response was still a bit touchy. The problem servo quickly became apparent. Vertical is excellent, but not unlimited, with nice, 200-foot diameter loops possible with good throttle management. Two clicks up elevator and five clicks right aileron, and the plane would fly the 500-foot runway hands-off, even when buffeted by turbulance. Very nice. The engine may need a bit of down thrust since she tended to raise her nose slightly with power. Inverted flight required just a touch of down elevator. Rolls were almost axial, requiring just a hint of down elevator during the inverted portion. I expect the Skyraider will become more neutral handling with a little down thrust. The second flight was short, 5-6 minutes. The engine, running at 1/4 throttle unless in a vertical attitude, simply didn't provide enough pressure to the tank to raise the fuel to the carb. The deadstick came on a go-around attempt. After a long, slow approach, moving the stick forward from idle leaned the engine and she quit cold. The Skyraider floated quite nicely, held just off the tall grass with increasing elevator until she just quit flying and plopped gently down. No bad low speed handling. No damage. Back in the hanger, the faulty aileron servo has been replaced with a new Hitech HS425 to match the rest of the set. The elevator now has a longer control arm to tone it down. A hole will be cut in the right cowl cheek and the engine will be rotated 90* to solve the fuel flow issues. A 12x5 APC sport prop will be installed. Flourescent yellow and purple trim will be applied to increase visibility. Weekend forecast is 102*F, sunny, winds from the south at 10mph. Perfect!
Posted on: 7/24/2006 7:54 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4540180

RE: Skyraider Mach II CG?
Many thanks!
Posted on: 7/20/2006 1:10 AM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4522573

Skyraider Mach II CG?
I bought a The World Models Skyraider Mach II nib less manual. It's together, and the only pieces I had left over were replaced (throttle pushrod replaced with 2-56 to prevent metal-to-metal contact at engine). Anyone have the recommended control throws and CG for this airplane? Thanks, Smokin'
Posted on: 7/19/2006 10:37 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4522035

RE: DuraStick
Odd thing about the Durastik is when you roll with ailerons, the wing rolls, then a while later the tail rolls. Doesn't seem to affect the decent flight characteristics, just a bit unnerving the first time you notice it.
Posted on: 7/15/2006 1:33 AM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4503592

RE: Hybrid Spad
I always insert the spar after glueing the trailing edges on symmetrical wings with no dihedral. Score the leading edge, once for a sharp leading edge, three scores for a more ounded leading edge. Prep the Coroplast for glue. Glue the aileron strip between the trailing edges of the wing. Slide the spar in, flip it on edge. Slide a broom stick or piece of angle iron about a foot longer than the spar on each side of the spar. Grab the ends and slide the spar into position. Remove the broomsticks or angle iron. Trickle thin CA down the top bottom of the spar. Flip the wing and trickle thin CA down the other side of the spar. It's best to trickle the CA outside so you don't glue the wing to the coffee table or something. Be careful not to glue the wing to your shoe, either.
Posted on: 7/8/2006 12:48 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4477039

RE: Help with DPS taildragger
You can cut the tailwheel mount from a broken poly cutting board engine mount and save a couple bucks. I simply notch the elevator to clear the block and collar and can't tell a difference in the way it flies.
Posted on: 7/3/2006 7:51 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4459532

RE: Having Fun with the USS
Neat toy! We are supposed to do a parachute drop activity during the introductory for new students this year. Dropping them from the CLB will be a lot more fun than dropping them from the top of the stairs.
Posted on: 6/26/2006 8:24 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4434372

RE: 2X4 GASSER SPAD
Google: airplane weedeater.
Posted on: 6/25/2006 2:13 AM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4427594

RE: UFO sighting at pylon race
That's not a UFO. That's swamp gas. Just ask the Air Force.
Posted on: 6/22/2006 10:27 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "General Racing Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4420392

RE: Pylon in TEXAS?
Yes, Kyle of Haltom City. He laser cuts kits, many types and sizes. He's done some outrageous one-offs, too. I've seen some of Kyle's kits and the planes built from them. They are very, very good. Here's his URL if anyone is interested: http://www.tanks-hangar.com/index.html Who do I contact about Rookie kits? I'd like a couple. I have a .40FP I can put on the stick. Why is STRCC switching to the Thunder Tigers?
Posted on: 6/22/2006 10:14 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "General Racing Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4420343

RE: 2mm Coroplast source...
4 pieces 36x48 2.6-mil for $43 plus shipping. That's a rip-off. 2-mil Coroplast shouldn't run over $14 for a 48x96 sheet.
Posted on: 6/22/2006 9:47 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4420233

RE: 2mm Coroplast source...
I didn't see anything about Coroplast at your link. Harbor Freight is a popular online source of 2-mil on the east coast.
Posted on: 6/22/2006 12:01 AM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4417199

RE: Sad, sad day.
There sure were a lot of nice planes. Good to see the ol' RocketDawg is still wowing the crouds.
Posted on: 6/20/2006 11:28 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4413138

RE: Building the Flying Lawn Mower
Florida can use a flying lawnmower with floats, what with all the hydrilla they have down there.
Posted on: 6/19/2006 12:56 AM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4405382

RE: My Newest SPAD
BWAAHAAHAAHAAHAA!!!!
Posted on: 6/19/2006 12:52 AM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4405372

RE: SPAD Flying Indy Race Car
1969 Dodge Daytona. 1970 Plymouth Superbird. They were not the same car. Different sets of engineers working with the same set of ideas. Either would make a wonderful SPAD. Villa's mower is a good start! Does Coroplast come in lime green?
Posted on: 6/18/2006 12:58 AM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4402234

RE: We want to start racing at our club, how?
Stick by the NMPRA and AMA safety guidelines. If you don't have enough space for minimum separation distances, the Quickee 500 planes (Dominator and Viper) fly just fine on a good bearing .25, even if it is completely stock right down to the muffler. Require the planes to be stock ARFS with a minimum square inches of stick-on graphics for identification. An engine claim rule reduces cheating. Allow only servos with a street price under $20. Require a 600mah ni-cad. Expect speeds approaching 100mph on the bearing .25s with 8x6 APC sport props. Only allow engines under $80 street price. If you look at the Magnum, OS, and GMS .25s, performance is about the same across the board. More people might be willing to join you if they can run an engine they already have. Let people run whatever fuel they want. Two-pylon course is easier to officiate. Pilots not flying a particular heat can serve as turn judges. ROG starts from idle (spotters off the runway before the start) add excitment. [:D]
Posted on: 6/11/2006 1:26 AM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "General Racing Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4377000

RE: I want to build a SPAD
I've built a 96-inch span Cub. It flew well, very scale-like with a 31cc Ryobi conversion. The Ryobi is much better suited for the 84-inch Cub it now powers.
Posted on: 6/7/2006 12:11 AM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4362190

RE: Pylon in TEXAS?
[quote]ORIGINAL: Duane-RCU Good question, I ask it occasionally too! I know TXWINGS race a run what ya brung .25, Seven Towers in Kennedale (my club) race bushing .40's on B&H Rookies, links... http://racingrookies.tripod.com/ and http://www.strcc.org/strcc_001.htm Be nice to find some 424 within a couple of hours away, we would try it at our field, but participation seems limited. We may even have enough room for a three pole set-up at our field. We only have had around five planes lately, so we are trying to let non-members in, and even letting similar planes race, but no new blood! We are racing this weekend, all are welcome!!! Did I mention hot dogs too? pic of the new rebuilt Rookie... [/quote] TXWINGS only has three races scheduled this year. Engines are limited to commonly available .25s under $100 street price completely stock except removal of the muffler baffle. OS is the most used engine. Magnums and Thunder Tigers also show up from time to time. The airplane must have a conventional tractor configuration. Starts are ROG from a grass runway after 45 seconds of idling so spotters have a chance to clear the field. Heats are 10 laps around two pylons at 500 feet. 100mph air speed is required to be competitive. What other planes does STRCC allow? I have a Fun-Stik 40 with a .40FP. Would that be okay? I can't find Rookie kits, plans, or ARFs online. All I can figure is the Rookie is no longer in production. Do you have sources? Maybe Kyle would be interested in cutting some kits?
Posted on: 6/6/2006 11:51 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "General Racing Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4362121

RE: A Wiki devoted to SPADs
A Wiki is a big fuzzy dude that runs around the galaxie in a SPAD spacecraft growling and beating up stupid little dudes in white uniforms.
Posted on: 6/4/2006 12:15 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4351642

RE: A Wiki devoted to SPADs
[quote]ORIGINAL: bkdavy Spadworld.net is way ahead of you, Brother. Brad [/quote] Same Wiki, dude.
Posted on: 6/1/2006 11:22 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4343124

RE: Cement Questions
Medium CA, Gorilla Glue, contact cement, Shoe Goo, Goop, and a host of others. There is a link at www.spadtothebone.com that will take you to a discussion of the pros and cons of the various adhesives, and how to use them.
Posted on: 6/1/2006 11:08 PM by Author "smokingwreckage" in the forum "S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4343069