Hobby Lobby Skimmer 400 DTFB conversion?

[bhursey]

Today i was going through my moms basement finding parts to reserect my second plane i ever baught in 1998. While down there i stumbled upon the skimmer 400 plans. It was the first rc plane i had and the first balsa kit build... It was totaled when it hit a catch fence and the end of each wing hit a poll breaking the spar. I then not knowing it broke hand launched it and folded the wings making it a lawn dart. How hard do you all think it would be to do a foam conversion. Origionaly it took a 400 direct. I wonder if my baby beast motor would work or if i could make it even swapable. what do you all think?

Plans:

Plane:

 

[TEAJR66]

I would gladly make a set of plans for a foam conversion. If (always one of them) you can find a set of plans.

I checked outerzone and they only have plans for the low wing skimmer 400.

From what I can see rite off the bat, it wont be swappable.

Let me know what you come up with.

 

[bhursey]

I would gladly make a set of plans for a foam conversion. If (always one of them) you can find a set of plans.

I checked outerzone and they only have plans for the low wing skimmer 400.

From what I can see rite off the bat, it wont be swappable.

Let me know what you come up with.

What type of motors are 400 eqivelent or better? Not sure my 250 size multistar baby beast v2 is powerfull enough although on a 3 cell it skyrockets my tiny trainer..,

 

[TEAJR66]

I'm not sure what motor would work. I would need to build the model and get a feel for its dimensions and weight. Your baby beast would probably fly it. But I have no clue what kind of performance you would get.

 

[Ron B]

dtfb should work and if the width is wide enough maybe a mini power pod would work.
You have the plans and would just have to measure every thing if the dimensions are not on the plans.

 

[bhursey]

I piece if dtfb is almost the exact size of 1/2 the main wing so its perfoct looks like 3 sheets... The fusalage and tail can eaisily be built and glue the indavidual sides but wing is definitly dewable but got to learn how to do it i guess you just mirror some it. I think makeing postorboard templets off of the plans may be the best bet. I bet i can make the mini powerpod to work looking at the plans. I may need some doublers to fit im foam with that it needs doublers anyways. The 50% scores should be about wher the stringers are and spar looks to be about 2-3 dtfb strips sandwiched together. Although the wing might have more load. It may need a better spar. It was a decent spped plane. Would be a nice step up from the tiny trainer for people.. I do want to share it with yall i guess i can scan in the templits and pice them together? I only have a flatbed scanner. Adding alerons might be fun. The baby beast on 2c might not work but on 3s i think it would work... Because the tiny trainer goes unlimited vertical on it...

 

[Craftydan]

Duuuuuude! Dunno how I missed this thread on the first time through!

EarthSciTeach and I have this glider, and until today we've been referring to it as "The Mystery Glider" because we couldn't figure out which kit it was (props go to Josh Finn for spotting the RCG review made back in '96). Teach picked his up out at his club's "recycled airplane" spot, and mine came from an estate sale . . . We had no idea what it was.

Mine came with a brushed Speed 400 with a 6:1 gearbox throwing a really long prop -- ended up replacing the speed 400 with a park 400 4300kv brushless inrunner and now she goes up like a rocket on 10x8" on an old 2s1300 pack, and gives me enough motor time for about 30 minutes in dead air, and 45-ish in something more active.



I've since recovered the body in blue with a red stripe and she's one of the friendliest fliers I own

 

[bhursey]

Dan that is so cool seeing her whole... It was my verry first plane. I built it from kit. What pilots now days build a balsa plane spend 40+ hours building for their very first plane. It would be awsome seeing one fly again.. Its a neat plane.. I wish the plans had all the wing rib templits....i would love to one day build another one.. It does have about 3 key ribs i guess cut those then put blanks inbetween and cut and sand the inbetween ones? I had the tail somewhere at my dads i was gonna mount the tail as a trophy of its life. People back then did that lol..

 

[BobK]

What pilots now days build a balsa plane spend 40+ hours building for their very first plane.

I did and never quit lol. Everything you need to rebuild that plane is right there on the plans, very simple build.

 

[BobK]

I was just going to add there was a low wing Skimmer also, just in case there is another mystery plane out there

 

[bhursey]

I did and never quit lol. Everything you need to rebuild that plane is right there on the plans, very simple build.

Ribs are lacking... Unless you majicly have all the rib tempts. Plans only have 3..

 

[BobK]

Ribs are lacking... Unless you majicly have all the rib tempts. Plans only have 3..

You only need two lol

You already have all of your rib templates right there, cross-view sections A-A and C-C gives everything you need to know to make all the ribs for both wing panels.

 

[localfiend]

I needed something to test out the printable DoubleCad XT templates I plan on releasing. This design was really simple so I drew it up. My templates aren't completely ready for release, but this design is done, at least for an early beta build.



My weight calculations say it should fly just fine with a baby beast motor. Power pack F should work as well. Weight estimates put it firmly into the WCL of a glider, so I think it will fly rather well.

This design is swappable with the mighty mini pod, even if it isn't so mini.

You can cut a hatch into the bottom to have battery access, or simply remove the wing. I drew it up so the wing is held on with rubber bands like usual, all the area beneath the wing is open.

Might be a good idea to strengthen the spar with something, or go with a full box spar. Most of the FT style glider wings like this fold in the middle on me if I don't strengthen them. I've included a simple FT style spar. It would be easy to embed an arrow shaft or a bit of carbon/wood dowel in the included spar.

The design has a massive amount of dihedral, so the spar will need to be cut in the middle and glued together. If it were me, I'd take an arrow, cut a slot in the middle, bend it up to match the included dihedral gauge, wrap thread around the joint, then CA or epoxy it together.


Here's the tiled PDF:

59" Skimmer 400 Beta v.1 - Tiled

And here's the Raw DoubleCad file so you can change anything I messed up. To use this, you'll need to download DoubleCad XT, which is free.

59" Skimmer 400 Beta v.1 - DoubleCad XT Version

 

[bhursey]

OMG Dude that is so awesome... I am going to show this to the creator of the skimmer 400 . He said go for it when I asked if we could do a DTFB design.. I think this may be a fun one to build with my daughter.. Now pondering build this or the dart first.. This has a nostalgia feeling for me because the balsa version was my first plane ever when I was a kid. I spent about 20+ hours building it from a balsa kit.. Back then balsa kids were not laser everything had to be held in with pins, and you had to re cut out most pieces because sometimes the stamp would not cut it all the way.

 

[localfiend]

OMG Dude that is so awesome... I am going to show this to the creator of the skimmer 400 . He said go for it when I asked if we could do a DTFB design.. I think this may be a fun one to build with my daughter.. Now pondering build this or the dart first.. This has a nostalgia feeling for me because the balsa version was my first plane ever.

Haha, you know the designer? Ask him if he remembers what the dihedral angle is supposed to be. I found some plans for the low wing skimmer, and they said raise a wingtip up 7 inches. The two look the same, so that's what I went with for the dihedral gauge.

This build should be really simple, though it's hard to beat a Dart for simplicity. If you build this one, start with the wing first, and then make a test section of foam for the wing to set into. I think the cutout I have on the fuse now will be close, but you never know until you build the wing.

I don't have time to build or test this right now, as I'm swamped with other projects, that's why I included the CAD file. So you can tweak anything that needs adjusting.

 

[localfiend]

I spent about 20+ hours building it from a balsa kit.. Back then balsa kids were not laser everything had to be held in with pins, and you had to re cut out most pieces because sometimes the stamp would not cut it all the way.

Should probably only take an hour or two to assemble this one. Amazing what technology can do for you. I haven't ever built a balsa plane. Thought about it, but then I come to my senses.

 

[BobK]

...ugh...

 

[bhursey]

...ugh...

? Hu?

 

[localfiend]

? Hu?

Don't mind BobK, he's a drama queen. If we ignore him maybe he'll go away. For some reason he really seems to hate foam building unless it's time consuming.

 

[BobK]

Don't mind BobK, he's a drama queen. If we ignore him maybe he'll go away. For some reason he really seems to hate foam building unless it's time consuming.

No not at all, its just too bad everyone is scared to put some effort into doing some actual work. Don't worry, I will leave you kids play, my interest is gone here now.