Chuck Glider RC Conversions

[Hondo76251]

I've done a lot of these conversions over the years, posted in several random places, hand full of videos, so I thought I would try to make a thread to put that all in once place. I've got a few projects to dust off this summer and a few new ones to work on so I'll post all of that here in the coming weeks.

I like the LiDL gliders (and if you don't know what they are do a quick search on youtube) but they are hard to get in the states, we really only get various knock offs and never quite as cheap. This is a log of my quest to find various chuck gliders that can be readily converted to RC.

I like to use these foam gliders mainly because they are durable. They are, in fact, made to crash land every time they are flown. If built properly that durability can be pretty well maintained after the RC conversion.

I'll try to post links and such to the ones I have found and how well they work for conversions.

 

[Hondo76251]

This was a glider made by HiTec and was one of my favorite airframes for sub 250 FPV conversions. They are a bit smaller than the LiDL gliders (but larger than the super cheap Chinesium ones that are everywhere) and very tough. I posted a few builds with them but they don't seem to make them anymore.

here's the little twin engine version:

Build Video

Flight Testing twin motors

Twin motor FPV flights

 

[Hondo76251]

Night flights with Night Owl camera on the single pusher:

and of course, a blooper:

 

[Hondo76251]

You can't get the HiTec gliders anymore but I've finally found a few similar ones on Amazon lately and they seem like they will be just as good.



I'll have a new build with one completed shortly

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D4ZLGQN/?tag=lstir-20

 

[Hondo76251]

The "firefox" is similar but the wings seem a bit too thin and flexy to me, but the body is thicker. Would be easier to fit components in. I'll have posts on that one too

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A0E1ZK0/?tag=lstir-20

 

[Hondo76251]

There are several of the larger, "Lidl" style, knockoffs available lately too:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JD1ZQLK/?tag=lstir-20

Get the 34" one, the little 14's are cute but they'd be more for something like the FT EZ power pack if you wanted.


The 34" ones are pretty similar to the banggood ones I got quite a while ago (the tailboom is a bit thicker though, which is good) and very similar to the Lidl

 

[Hondo76251]

The large 34" planes are pretty much what the European Lidl gliders are.

Roughly the size of a Tiny Trainer, they are an excellent platform for all kinds of stuff.

 

[Hondo76251]

One of the more amusing things I do is "Glider Combat" with my boys

Eventually we will move up to them flying their own but this keeps them entertained for the time being! lol

 

[Hondo76251]

Also on the build list is some random gliders and airframes I've come across, like this one:


Looks like a good micro project, or maybe even an EZ Pack type build


https://www.ebay.com/itm/2643948428...entrq:ab96e82c1800a120d455f21cfff98cf8|iid:14

 

[Hondo76251]

So i picked up One of these to do a comparison against some of my converted gliders.

Be interesting to see side by side.

 

[WillL84]

So i picked up One of these to do a comparison against some of my converted gliders.

View attachment 227069

Be interesting to see side by side.

Linky no worky

 

[Hondo76251]

Linky no worky

Think i fixed it, just the place on BG i got it from.

 

[quorneng]

My sub 250 chuck glider conversion started life as one of these.

Looks nice but those wings are very 'skinny' and like most of these moulded foamies the trailing edge was thick so I added Depron extensions to give a fine 1mm edge. Just for good measure I added a new 'built up' centre section (printed ribs, 2mm Depron skin) to take the span up to 1360 mm.

It actually weighs 198g with an 800mAh 2s on board.
The 10A ESC is inset into the exterior wall of the cockpit so it gets some cooling.

The elevator servo is inset into the fuselage under the wing and uses a nylon monofilament pull/pull layout.

It is flown 'bank and yank' as there is no rudder.
The aileron servos are are inset flush with the underside of the wing with short links to the aileron horns.

More a powered glider than anything else but with a 5x3 folding prop it has a good 15 minute cruise power endurance.

 

[Hondo76251]

My sub 250 chuck glider conversion started life as one of these...

Thats a nice one!

I picked up some of those cheetah gliders, boys have played with them but I havent converted one yet. Seems like they would work well.

 

[WillL84]

Think i fixed it, just the place on BG i got it from.

It just pops up the main banggood page

 

[Hondo76251]

It just pops up the main banggood page

🤦‍♂️
Switched to desktop version, maybe that'll work
🤷‍♂️

"Eachine Flying Fish"

 

[WillL84]

🤦‍♂️
Switched to desktop version, maybe that'll work
🤷‍♂️

"Eachine Flying Fish"

Now it works lol