Mini Telemaster Kit-Bashing
- Thread starter rockyboy
- Start date
foamtest
Toothpick glider kid
Hey I just recently found a guillows tissue balsa kit that I got a few years back in my room and want to work on it a bit. I was wondering if you have any tips or tricks/ a list of things needed to build it all. This will be my first balsa experience and I’m sorry to temporarily hijack the thread ahead of time.
Welcome to the balsa dust side of the forum! :applause:
No need to apologize for the thread hijack - happy to help another builder out.
Joker started a great series of posts for the first time Balsa Builder over here http://forum.flitetest.com/showthre...nt-to-Build-Your-First-Balsa-Plane-Start-HERE!
The first post is all about model selection - I think you've got a good one going there already. Post #2 gets into tools, and in typical fashion we wander all over from there
For the Guillows kits, are you planning to leave it rubber powered or are you trying to tackle an RC conversion? If you haven't made up your mind yet, I'd recommend building the first one rubber as designed, and then moving on to another kit for your first electric, and then move into kit bashing. You'll learn a lot from each kit you build, and even more if they are from different kit makers as they will use different design techniques.
No need to apologize for the thread hijack - happy to help another builder out.
Joker started a great series of posts for the first time Balsa Builder over here http://forum.flitetest.com/showthre...nt-to-Build-Your-First-Balsa-Plane-Start-HERE!
The first post is all about model selection - I think you've got a good one going there already. Post #2 gets into tools, and in typical fashion we wander all over from there
For the Guillows kits, are you planning to leave it rubber powered or are you trying to tackle an RC conversion? If you haven't made up your mind yet, I'd recommend building the first one rubber as designed, and then moving on to another kit for your first electric, and then move into kit bashing. You'll learn a lot from each kit you build, and even more if they are from different kit makers as they will use different design techniques.
+1 on that! Some people jump in with grand plans and ambitions for the first build only to get discouraged and give up when it isn't a show-piece. The first couple builds should (in my opinion) focus mainly on getting familiar with balsa and how to work it.
Michael9865
Elite member
Looking good. I know what you mean about color and design, I pretty much stick with variations of the same colors and patterns that I am used to.
Remember kids, install your pushrod sleeves before covering. Otherwise you end up with funny patches like this.
But she's almost done covering after last night!
Ignore the mess please. Just a wing box and a spare Snoopy... move along, move along.
A little sizzle on the side...
I've got about half the pin striping cut, and will hopefully finish that up tonight so I can move on to the electronics!
But she's almost done covering after last night!
Ignore the mess please. Just a wing box and a spare Snoopy... move along, move along.
A little sizzle on the side...
I've got about half the pin striping cut, and will hopefully finish that up tonight so I can move on to the electronics!
Did those pushrods come with the kit or are you just updating the style that came with it? Mine included parts for the old-school method of short lengths of steel wire attached to a hardwood dowel. Since I was using transparent covering I went with the old-style parts just for some classic flavor in the build.
Covering complete!! There are a couple little wrinkles here and there that I want to try and take out still, but I'm planning to fly this bird not take her to Top Gun.
So the thing I learned on this build is if you are using different brands of covering, read the darn instructions before you start applying them. The brown stuff is a brand called Oracover that I got from a swap meet, and the cream color is Econocote from Tower.
Using good color management, I laid down the lighter color first of course. Then when I started with the brown I noticed it wasn't sticking well. Looked at the instructions and found the Oracover application temperatures are about 50 degrees higher than the Econocote!
If I had found this before I started covering, I would have grabbed a different color - cause putting trim pieces on that need a higher temperature than the stuff underneath it is pretty tricky. In a couple places I messed up and had to strip part of the cream away that I shrunk up too much.
But I'm pretty happy with how she looks! Now it's time for stuffing in the electronics and epoxy for the tail pieces!
So the thing I learned on this build is if you are using different brands of covering, read the darn instructions before you start applying them. The brown stuff is a brand called Oracover that I got from a swap meet, and the cream color is Econocote from Tower.
Using good color management, I laid down the lighter color first of course. Then when I started with the brown I noticed it wasn't sticking well. Looked at the instructions and found the Oracover application temperatures are about 50 degrees higher than the Econocote!
If I had found this before I started covering, I would have grabbed a different color - cause putting trim pieces on that need a higher temperature than the stuff underneath it is pretty tricky. In a couple places I messed up and had to strip part of the cream away that I shrunk up too much.
But I'm pretty happy with how she looks! Now it's time for stuffing in the electronics and epoxy for the tail pieces!
Last edited:
PsyBorg
Wake up! Time to fly!
See.. now I want a snack... That brown looks too close to melted chocolate and now I want some.
That turned out nice. I am interested to see how well this will glide and how much effect those wing tips will be. I know they thurn them up on real planes and that helps fuel economy and all but much past that Im dumb as a post for what they are expected to do.
That turned out nice. I am interested to see how well this will glide and how much effect those wing tips will be. I know they thurn them up on real planes and that helps fuel economy and all but much past that Im dumb as a post for what they are expected to do.
The Mini Telemaster is fairly floaty to begin with, so with these it'll probably just lift off vertically without any power to the motor!
The idea behind the drooping wing tips is to prevent air from spilling out the side and letting a wing tip drop down - especially when on a slow landing approach. If a wing goes up a little, the air flow trying to angle up the wing tip will get caught by the droop and continue to provide lift. See image below for details.
This should help with reducing the stall speed even more, and get me to a point of near vertical landings with any sort of breeze
This should help with reducing the stall speed even more, and get me to a point of near vertical landings with any sort of breeze
That's a really nice color scheme. All you're missing is the A&W logo and you have an advertising plane on your hands.
It it floats as nicely as we expect you can call it the "Root Beer Float".
