Balsa-Foamboard test build - FT Spitfire

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Used a different motor, (Higher power), of my son's Spit so I am waiting for the other Spit to be returned and I will fit the proper motor and compare but I will already say that the take off run is so very much shorter on my version.


later!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Final post?

Today was a day when I should have stayed warm in bed! It was so windy and gusty that flying was not a lot of fun but then I had a new battery to try out. :rolleyes:

I fitted the 3S battery first and did all of the usual circuits and maneuvers that you would expect of a warbird but I found that the rudder was a little less efficient, or effective, than I would like but I put this down to the wind and the slower speed of the 3S.

After 2 flights on 3S I fitted the 4S for testing. First thing i noticed was a tendency to swing left on lift off at full throttle but then it took to the air before I was expecting it to. Everything was faster but not lightning fast. Roll and other aerobatic maneuvers were crisper but then that is normal for any plane flying at higher than normal speed.

Flight was uneventful and I even managed a dead stick landing when the battery went flat earlier than I expected, (I could not hear the alarm from such a long distance). All in all a plane which is solid and capable and so far not even a wrinkle, and Zero hangar and handling rash which all of my other FB creations seem to suffer from the moment of their creation.

Ask questions if you wish and I will respond but there is no new info to post about this plane. (Just got to find somewhere to put it now!).

Later!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Addendum:

Fitted the proper motor to the FB spit and weighed them both minus battery.

FB Spit weighed in at 737 Grams.

The Balsa-Foamboard spit weighed in at 616 Grams.

The spit of this thread has completed a hour of air time to date without a hitch and even on the windy and overcast days in the last week.

Saving of 121 grams is significant, almost 20% of the weight of the Balsa/FB final RTF build weight.
 
Looks like you achieved all of your goals with this build then. The plane looks great and it seems to fly well from your summation.

That weight saving is considerable too. I hope you have many successful flights and that the hangar rash keeps away.
 
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Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
That was quite an exercise in AWESOME! I'm glad you got the desired results. Very educational.
Believe it or not it is still flying! Had a single crash from trying to land too slow in gusty conditions. Glued it back together and back into the air.

Just broke out the wing area on the bottom of the fuselage and the wing and fuselage/tail had no other damage.

Rather solid flier STILL!

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
It has basically just been hanging on the wall for most of the last 2 years or so. Took it out today for a flight to see if it actually would still fly or if it was time to salvage the electrics.

Well it still flies and so back on the wall it goes!

Finally got a video of it flying 25 months after it maiden!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xJIucYcEIuI_BV68q9rvhZWxQj0joK7N

Still a solid flyer!

Have fun!
 

PoorManRC

Master member
I just HAD to revisit this...
This experiment has serious merit!! 👍👍

I've been doing strengthening exercises, by removing Paper and fitting Poster Board (re-laminating with White Gorilla Glue).
As expected, a net weight GAIN was the result!! 😳 Not terribly tragic though.

Because of my physical limitations, strength is more important than weight, within reason of course...

Your fit and finish skills are far superior to anything I'm now capable of with my Arthritic Gorilla Hands! However, if I can EVER afford a stock of 1/32" Balsa, I WILL be experimenting with some of your theories from this thread.

BTW, have you ever experimented with using Parchment Paper as a laminate? Except for the lack of being able to make smooth compound curves, I hear great things about it. More resilient than Paper, waterproof, and decent tensile strength...
 

PoorManRC

Master member
BTW, in my Mad Scientist activities, the use of Poster Board at least laminated to the lower third of the Rudder, and centre of the Elevator, is amazingly strong, without a huge weight penalty! 😉
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Paper can also add strength when used with glue to laminate almost anything. I like the balsa because if you now where the stresses are to be applied you can laminate with the thin balsa so that the grain lines up with the lines of stress. As balsa resists compression or stretching along the grain it adds just that little extra resistance. Sadly the paper has not real compression resistance though it does resist stretching to a degree, (depends on quality).

People complain that Balsa is expensive but from a single 3 inch wide length of 1 mm Balsa I can reinforce a surprising number of planes as long as I use it only where it is needed.

The old Spit is still flying and has outlasted almost all of my FB builds built around the same time.

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
@Hai-Lee - thanks for sharing all your hard work. I was wondering what your final covering on the fuselage was.
The covering was a standard covering film, (as used on balsa models), that I purchased from HK.
The plane was gifted away and I managed to see it flying again on the weekend. It had been up-engined and given a bit of green camo paint over the silver.
On landing it cartwheeled and the powerpod had the firewall ripped out but no other damage, (not enven a crease).
A little glue and it will be flying again!
It still flys great!

Have fun!