messyhead
Well-known member
I use 1.2mm wire.
Are they still stiff enough? I've never worked with piano wire.
I use 1.2mm wire.
Technically I don’t use piano wire but would think they are the same as the wire I use.Are they still stiff enough? I've never worked with piano wire.
I recommend something like this which is also a battery balancer.Then I started looking at chargers, and reading about battery safety. It seems like a minefield. Any recommendations for a 2-3s charger?
Normally I cover the LE fold line with clear packing tape and rub it into the paper before folding up the wing. This adds additional strength to the paper at the fold line especially if you get a little deep with the blade when scoring or cutting the bevels.I built one wing tonight. But just as I'd finished it, I noticed the leading edge had peeled away from the paper at one end 😩
I bought some vinyl tape that I planned to cover the plane with, so I hope I can use this to hold it together. I think trying to glue it will be too messy.
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I practiced with the tape on a scrap surface and it goes on well.
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I started building planes in December and due to the fact it was too cold to paint in my unheated shop, I used coloured tape. It does a good job of protecting the plane from general wear and tear but is amazing at holding things together when crashes happen. I use heavy duty packing tape on the bottom of belly landers and for areas I think might have added stress like the tail on the explorer. If I'm using it structurally, I sometimes hit it with a laminating iron to get it sealed down hard. Takes a bit of practice to lay it down nice but even if it's not perfect, it looks great when it's flying. I certainly can't see the imperfections from a few hundred feet.I bought some vinyl tape that I planned to cover the plane with, so I hope I can use this to hold it together.
When you get around to fitting the control horns for the Flaps there is a trick to get greater deflection than around 20 degrees! If you put the control horn on backwards, (the sloping edge facing forward you can get more than enough flap deflection or alternately fit the control horn away from the hinge line a little further than normal as this will also give greater deflection range.That's all the surfaces now built, and just placed together. Electronics and control rods all arrive tomorrow, so I can fit them and then glue everything in place. I've got yellow tape for the fuselage.
I'm not going to put undercarriage on this one yet, it'll just be hand launched. I might add it on later.
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Lookin' good!I've got yellow tape for the fuselage.
Lookin' good!
Not to be anal but figure if you're using tape, build on it's advantages. Run the tape the other way on wings like you did on the horizontal stabilizer when you build your next plane. Will it affect how the plane flies? No. But running the tape along the length of the wing top and bottom will make it very resilient. I always add an extra layer of tape on the leading edge of the wing. Crazy how well cheap packing tape can protect, waterproof and reinforce foam planes.
If you want to add tape for strength add a reinforced tape along the LE to improve impact resistance. It is easy if you use the LE fold as the centre of the tape as you peel it off of the reel or spool.I thought about doing it along the wing, but I couldn't get it to go on straight, so using shorter strips across the wing seemed easier. I do intend to do an extra layer along the edges.
Looks good buddy, waiting to see your maiden of it.That's all the surfaces now built, and just placed together. Electronics and control rods all arrive tomorrow, so I can fit them and then glue everything in place. I've got yellow tape for the fuselage.
I'm not going to put undercarriage on this one yet, it'll just be hand launched. I might add it on later.
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It takes a bit to figure out for sure.but I couldn't get it to go on straight,