Balsa Noob. Guillows A1-H Skyraider

[JTarmstr]

So i recieved a Guillows A1-H Skyraider kit as a gift for my birthday. I have been thinking about it for a bit and trying to decide what to do with it, part of me wants to convert it to RC and the other half of me wants to make it exactly as it should be with free flight. So i am posting to consult the people here who know far more about balsa to see what their opinions are. I have a few questions I will list below.

1: If i converted this to electric what parts would i need, and how much would it cost? i thought about buying some HobbyZone champ parts and using them but its a bit expensive for me and i don't have a spektrum transmitter.

2: Were i to build it electric how well could i expect it to fly? I know next to nothing of how these types of balsa planes perform.

3: How resilient would it be? i love a good airplane, but my airplanes have a distinct trend of making forceful contact with the ground (hence why i use foam). In other words, how well would it take a rough landing or anything like that?

Thank you in advance to anyone who helps!

 

[F106DeltaDart]

Very cool! A few quick answers.
1. Take a look at this build thread: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2889611-Guillows-904-A-1-Skyraider. Lots of great info on the servos/motor/esc he used for a successful conversion.
2. At this small size, it is going to fly a lot like one of the (non-stabilized) UMX models. It is going to be a decent flier in little to no wind, but likely a handful in rough air.
3. The short answer, is it won't be all that resilient. A substantial crash is more than likely going to result in major repairs. A slow crash might be no damage at all though. It's rarely far in between for these. Weight is your main enemy on these small builds. You might consider adding some very thin planking underneath the belly so you aren't landing on just the tissue paper.

 

[JTarmstr]

Very cool! A few quick answers.
1. Take a look at this build thread: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2889611-Guillows-904-A-1-Skyraider. Lots of great info on the servos/motor/esc he used for a successful conversion.
2. At this small size, it is going to fly a lot like one of the (non-stabilized) UMX models. It is going to be a decent flier in little to no wind, but likely a handful in rough air.
3. The short answer, is it won't be all that resilient. A substantial crash is more than likely going to result in major repairs. A slow crash might be no damage at all though. It's rarely far in between for these. Weight is your main enemy on these small builds. You might consider adding some very thin planking underneath the belly so you aren't landing on just the tissue paper.

Thanks, i cant seem to find any of the micro servos he suggested but other than that it looks promising. I think i have some 1/16 balsa left over from a rocket i built.

 

[F106DeltaDart]

Thanks, i cant seem to find any of the micro servos he suggested but other than that it looks promising. I think i have some 1/16 balsa left over from a rocket i built.

This servo should work: https://hobbyking.com/en_us/hk-5320-ultra-micro-digital-servo-1-7g-0-05sec-0-075kg.html. I would also suggest using thinner ~1/32 balsa for any sheeting if possible. Even the smallest of weight saving on this model will make a big difference!

 

[JTarmstr]

This servo should work: https://hobbyking.com/en_us/hk-5320-ultra-micro-digital-servo-1-7g-0-05sec-0-075kg.html. I would also suggest using thinner ~1/32 balsa for any sheeting if possible. Even the smallest of weight saving on this model will make a big difference!

Ok thanks so much!

 

[Bricks]

Being this is your first balsa build I would leave it free flight to build something this small and get it right is not that easy of a task, and keep it as light as possible.

 

[JTarmstr]

Being this is your first balsa build I would leave it free flight to build something this small and get it right is not that easy of a task, and keep it as light as possible.

Yes that is one of my fears. I am no stranger to balsa or models made from it, i have built skill 5 balsa rockets and several static models so i am not an entire noob. i think though that it wouldn't be that much of a loss if i spend $20 on some more parts for it to make it electric. Thanks for your advice, i think i will think about it a bit more before i decide.

Edit: if i was going to go electric, would @jaredstrees 's 2018/2019 balsa build along Radical RC mini stick be a good template to follow? Its 20% larger but the methods seem similar to this.

 

[JTarmstr]

I really really wanna go electric but i also want to build free flight, anyone else have a problem with this? Are there any motors i could buy in the USA that wouldn't take 2 months to get here?

 

[JTarmstr]

Ok so i have been trying to find a power system this could use. I think the Racerstar BR1104 is a good motor for this. And thanks to @F106DeltaDart i know what servos to use. However i dont know what sort of ESC i could use for this, every site i go to is flooded with tinywhoop ESCs and i do not know if i can use those. And there is the problem of finding a good FlySky receiver to fit in this.

 

[TooJung2Die]

You can use any ESC in the 6-10A range as long as it has a BEC connector to power a conventional receiver. I am using something like this in the SE5a: Hornet 6A ESC.
This is the smallest conventional receiver I use for the FlySky FSi6 transmitter: FlySky 3CH Receiver Make sure your FlySky transmitter is set to the older AFHDS protocol. You can take off the plastic cover to make it even smaller and lighter.
Another option for FlySky is to use a "brick" receiver. It is an all in one receiver, 2 servos and brushed motor ESC: WLToys F949 Brick
Buy the motor and battery that goes with the F949 airplane and you have a complete micro airplane electronics package. This receiver uses the FlySky AFHDS transmitter protocol as well.



jon

 

[rockyboy]

I've used the WL Toys brick before and being taller than the Specktrum brick it required a little custom fitting to get the control rods lined up right. Easy peasy and a heck of a lot cheaper than a new Specktrum receiver brick.

 

[JTarmstr]

So i have decided that i will build this free flight to learn how to balsa build and i will build another .900 series plane in the spring with electric conversion.

Meanwhile i am learning how fun balsa building is.

 

[JTarmstr]

Well, its done. Glad i didn't build this electric because i made several mistakes, most notably my H stab not being straight. Overall this was a ton of fun and i am quite set on doing a electric conversion of a 900 series sometime next year. My one gripe is the covering, i hated applying it and it did not want to tighten up. does anyone else know of good coverings that could potentially be painted on?

 

[TooJung2Die]

Don't know why your tissue paper didn't shrink after wetting and drying. That usually works and applying dope to the tissue afterwards shrinks it even more. I haven't used tissue in a very long time though. I use 1.5 mil document laminating film for light weight balsa frames that normally would be covered with tissue. It irons on and is heat shrinkable.

 

[JTarmstr]

Don't know why your tissue paper didn't shrink after wetting and drying. That usually works and applying dope to the tissue afterwards shrinks it even more. I haven't used tissue in a very long time though. I use 1.5 mil document laminating film for light weight balsa frames that normally would be covered with tissue. It irons on and is heat shrinkable.

It did shrink in some places (tail, one of the wings and the rear fuselage) but i think it was my glue job, i just used regular elmer's school glue. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Bricks]

Elmers School glue bad choice as it is water soluble so wetting the tissue loosened the glue. If you decide to try and recover maybe able to wet it down and the Elmers will probably let loose.

 

[JTarmstr]

Elmers School glue bad choice as it is water soluble so wetting the tissue loosened the glue. If you decide to try and recover maybe able to wet it down and the Elmers will probably let loose.

, yeah i realized that as i was finishing up. Any glue ideas? wood glue seemed to heavy and CA glue looks horrible.

 

[Bricks]

I am not up on all the new stuff but it`s still hard to beat good ole clear Dope for covering with tissue paper.

 

[cranialrectosis]

I use a mix of Elmers White and water stirred in a small cup to apply the tissue. I use a small paint brush to apply it. That causes it to shrink up tight like dope but without the flammability factor. The water mixed in will also cause your paper to dry as a translucent film. It's still white but the wood beneath it is clearly visible.

Look at Christmas tissue paper for color options. You can find metallic colors but mind the balance because that paper has weight. Also don't let parts dry unevenly. Uneven shrinking of the tissue can cause warps.

It's not the cover, it's the frame that makes the plane. I'll bet a wet Q-Tip will loosen up that paper and allow you to peel it off and try again. Gently sand what glue refuses to release.

 

[Tench745]

https://easybuiltmodels.com/seamless.htm
This is the method I've used to good effect. You can use purple or blue UHU glue stick. Nice tissue makes a difference too.