My time on the bench

[Robyle3]

Hello! My first thread on the site
Not sure if this is the correct place for it, please direct if theres a better place to put this thread 😅. I plan on using this thread as sort of a personal journal of ideas and events that happen at my workbench.

Whenever i get the parts from horizon, i plan to maiden a scratch-build of a micro-sized ka-14 (the a5m prototype). Doing a glide test i just got this amazing feeling seeing something i made in the air.

As we all know, in this hobby there are two types of people. Those who build, and those who fly. We all do both, but everyone finds greater satisfaction in one of the two. Im a builder, and seeing something i made take to the skies is why i have a transmitter in my hands. Going all the way from folded paper planes to laminated gliders to the monster-sized Easyglider Electric. I started in r/c only a year ago on a umx pt-17. I never went flying without a razorblade and some tape, haha. I value craftsmanship, so even though im new to the hobby, i like my planes to look their best. Yeah, i crash a lot, but that just means i get to spend more time behind my beloved bench.

For a first post, i think this is long enough to let you all know where im going with this thread. So if you have any stories of your most satisfying bench-to-sky experiences, let us know

 

[Bricks]

Good on you me personally I would rather just fly then build.

 

[Gazoo]

Hello! My first thread on the site
Not sure if this is the correct place for it, please direct if theres a better place to put this thread 😅. I plan on using this thread as sort of a personal journal of ideas and events that happen at my workbench.

Whenever i get the parts from horizon, i plan to maiden a scratch-build of a micro-sized ka-14 (the a5m prototype). Doing a glide test i just got this amazing feeling seeing something i made in the air.

As we all know, in this hobby there are two types of people. Those who build, and those who fly. We all do both, but everyone finds greater satisfaction in one of the two. Im a builder, and seeing something i made take to the skies is why i have a transmitter in my hands. Going all the way from folded paper planes to laminated gliders to the monster-sized Easyglider Electric. I started in r/c only a year ago on a umx pt-17. I never went flying without a razorblade and some tape, haha. I value craftsmanship, so even though im new to the hobby, i like my planes to look their best. Yeah, i crash a lot, but that just means i get to spend more time behind my beloved bench.

For a first post, i think this is long enough to let you all know where im going with this thread. So if you have any stories of your most satisfying bench-to-sky experiences, let us know

I think I fall more into the builder category with you. Not that I'm some sort of expert builder (or flyer). If I have a minor accident and crinkle a plane, I will tear out the electronics and build another. At one point I had 14 flyable planes and more shells that needed electronics.

Pretty much all I build are scratch dtfb FT plans planes. I give them mods as I think of them or am inspired by others. This forum is a very special place. Sharing ideas and successes/failures with the community here is really something.

 

[Alexander Carter]

I look forward to keeping up with this thread. I'm up to 5 planes as of yesterday, two scratch built. I must say, knowing how to scratch build takes out a lot of the sting when I crash and it means more when something I made soars. Good luck sir!

 

[Robyle3]

I look forward to keeping up with this thread. I'm up to 5 planes as of yesterday, two scratch built. I must say, knowing how to scratch build takes out a lot of the sting when I crash and it means more when something I made soars. Good luck sir!

I have to agree. Having the confidence you know how to repair any crash you make takes a lot of fear out of the learning-curve.

 

[Robyle3]

Good on you me personally I would rather just fly then build.

I totally get the feeling. When i was first learning on the Stearman, seeing that thing in the air re-ignited my love of all things airborne. Im not into any advanced moves yet, but ive got stall-turns and figure-eights almost mastered by now XD

 

[Robyle3]

Still waiting on an allen-key set so i can tighten the grub-screws on the 6x3 prop adapter for the KA-14. I thought i had a screwdriver small enough, but i guess i didnt. She looks like an actual airplane with a prop slid onto the motor shaft. When i get it in the air, i plan on flying it until there’s nothing left, haha. That probably wont take long since, for its size (~26” span), it weighs a TON. Wayy too much hot glue and too many details, 😅. Im working off a scaled-up paper-model i found on Ojimak. Improvising an ft-style wing required i cut into the fuselage, leaving a huge hole i filled with hot-glue and duct tape (not the wisest foamie construction, i know, i know. But on a roll test, one burst from the >1000kv inrunner and it DARTED accross the room, so its by no means under-powered. But until it arrives sometime this week, its just an iversized decoration
The hatch was an interesting problem, i wound up gluing in a spacer and just hacking one side, using spare card and control rod to make a half-decent latch (if a little....pokey).

I spent some time today just fiddling with the placement of the battery on my Easyglider, which im currently doing a brushless upgrade on, i have another thread dedicated to it.

Finally got some decent pics of the KA on my phone, hope you enjoy

 

[Robyle3]

I just noticed you can see the little paper model on the bottom left of the front-view

 

[Robyle3]

Hmm, better late than never, eh?
I had a chance to maiden the ka last week, and quickly found out that inrunners are not very good at direct-driving propellers (r.i.p. 10$ HK motor) live and learn, right? While i’m not giving up on seeing it fly, i think ill have to build a little bigger for, say, to fit a power-pack B or C.
But i still have the rest of the electronics, so now im on the hunt for arrow shafts so i can build myself a Russ-Trainer i found over on rcgroups:

Or should i try to design a DTFB version of this laminated paper glider?

This would end up being a motor-glider, because I’ve had an e-flite park 450 tucked away in the supplies cupboard for what feels like forever now, and its definitely going on whatever i build next.

 

[Daniel Liutan]

I just noticed you can see the little paper model on the bottom left of the front-view

Hi Robyle3,

Just wondering how's going with this project? I am a fan of IJN aircrafts.
Could you advise where did you get this paper model? I did a lot of research but can't find any plan of it.
Thanks.

 

[PoorManRC]

How is the KA doing! Does it fly?? Have you made another one? (MANY of us have done that after learning tha Myriad of tips and tricks, from the Über Talented Members on here!!) 👍👍😉

 

[Robyle3]

Hi Robyle3,

Just wondering how's going with this project? I am a fan of IJN aircrafts.
Could you advise where did you get this paper model? I did a lot of research but can't find any plan of it.
Thanks.

Unfortunately i cant find it anymore either. I originally found it in the Ojimak website along with his other plans, but it seems it was removed.

http://ojimak.web.fc2.com/hanger.html

The password to ALL of the planes is:
ojimak
The thumbnails all contain links to build instructions of the planes they show.

I am genuinely surprised that the EDF community hasn’t gone nuts over this website yet. If you ignore the creaselines and just curve everything masterclass style, you’d have some mighty-fine looking jets there. And if you just upscale the printouts you already have skins, haha.

Edit:
Actually, it appears that that link is to the “old” website. The model i used for the ka-14 mockup (i’m tickled that i can call it that now, haha), is still available! The new link to Ojimak’s website is here:
http://ojimak01.ehoh.net/hanger.html
Happy building!

 

[Robyle3]

How is the KA doing! Does it fly?? Have you made another one? (MANY of us have done that after learning tha Myriad of tips and tricks, from the Über Talented Members on here!!) 👍👍😉

I have a bad habit of forgetting projects after a while, haha. 😅
But, needless to say, you two have re-inspired me to start this project again! The 14 is a beautiful bird that i want to build/fly, so thanks you two for keeping the dream alive, haha!

 

[Robyle3]

After LOTS of digging, and thanks to paper-modeller Ninjatoes, i have found new plans to work with as a base for the ka-14:

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/saitama/tozawa/html/paper/9shi.html
This modeller even gave us dihedral guides!! (Bless his heart, haha).

The “9-shi” is in reference to the military orders for the capabilities of the plane. In comparison, the A6m Zero was the result of the “12-shi” development orders. (Cool little factoid)
Expect development notes by wednesday

 

[Robyle3]

After looking over the plans again, this is actually exactly what i need to be able to transcribe the model. The upper wing portions are already the right size, all i have to do is bevel the edges and it will lend itself perfectly to a nerdnic-style speedwing.

 

[Robyle3]

There are some beautiful (and detailed) models here. Given some creativity, all of these will transcribe well onto Foam Board.

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/saitama/tozawa/html/paper/paper-index.html

Let me know if you decide to tackle any of these. It would make for a great winter project!

 

[PoorManRC]

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/saitama/tozawa/html/paper/paper-index.html

Let me know if you decide to tackle any of these. It would make for a great winter project!

Type 93 and 95 look good to me! They could translate into Foam Board easy enough... For someone who knows how to. I can't, plans wise - but maybe I can "Wing it"!! 😜😆

 

[Robyle3]

... but maybe I can "Wing it"!! 😜😆

Nice 🙄

The idea with the paper models is skipping all the “folding out” of a 3D design tool. Since the model is already flat (like our foamcore), the only computer work needed is to resize the image in the printer. A good pen and some carbon paper later, and voila! Instal electronics and everything is right with the world XD

...or so the idea is (and thus we have forums where we get to laugh together at any [all] mishaps along the way)

 

[Robyle3]

Ok, so we now have a goal! I’ll set out what i intended to do a year ago, and by November 27 (the anniversary of this thread) i want to have a flying model of my favourite single-seater. Painted and ready to go, i’ll have a 40” scale-ish plane with glory shots and maybe flight video.

First order of buisness....
Clean off my workbench XD

 

[PoorManRC]

Ok, so we now have a goal!.......
...First order of buisness....
Clean off my workbench XD

In my case, THAT will require a BULLDOZER and possibly Dynamite!! 😖🌋😜😆😄