New to the hobby.

[Catch22Kid]

I think it can be helpful to learn how to fly on an airplane you think looks cool! Just buy some extra props and keep your hot glue gun warm!

Yep. I know myself well enough to know if there isn't at least a touch of "cool factor" I'll get bored pretty quick. Ultimately I'd like to be flying warbirds, jets, and manouverable little biplanes, but I know better than to try and start off there.

 

[Chuppster]

Yep. I know myself well enough to know if there isn't at least a touch of "cool factor" I'll get bored pretty quick. Ultimately I'd like to be flying warbirds, jets, and manouverable little biplanes, but I know better than to try and start off there.

I just made the Baby Blender. Can recommend as a second airplane. So much fun to fly! No bad tenancies though.

 

[sprzout]

Yep. I know myself well enough to know if there isn't at least a touch of "cool factor" I'll get bored pretty quick. Ultimately I'd like to be flying warbirds, jets, and manouverable little biplanes, but I know better than to try and start off there.

I'll agree. I built the Sea Duck, and the next plane after that was the MiG-3. If you look at my signature, you'll notice I had built it 3 times before I finally gave up on building it again.

1st flight, I tip stalled it from not flying the plane fast enough, and tried to pull an Immelman in it. Tip #1 - Don't try to Immelman the MiG-3. LOL 2nd plane, I flew it and did ok, but stalled it on landing, smacked the tail, and broke the fuselage. Tip #2 - Warbirds need to be flown faster than you think and need to land faster than you think, taking up a long runway. They do not like to stall. 3rd plane, I was flying it, cruising around my field, and a buddy of mine came right around behind me in his Bearcat - it looked like we were kinda dogfighting. As I came out of the turn, the battery canopy came loose, slid forward, and jammed into the prop, ripping the engine and firewall clean off the plane. I had no idea that the motor was gone, but said, "Something about that didn't sound right! Better land it and see what happened!"

Best landing ever with the plane, only to find out that the motor was completely gone - lost somewhere in the weeds at the end of the field, in what looked for all the world like I'd gotten shot down.

3rd and final tip? Make sure that everything's buttoned up well and can't move unless you want it to.

Personally, I think the MiG and I are cursed, so I'm staying with other planes now.

 

[Catch22Kid]

I'll agree. I built the Sea Duck, and the next plane after that was the MiG-3. If you look at my signature, you'll notice I had built it 3 times before I finally gave up on building it again.

1st flight, I tip stalled it from not flying the plane fast enough, and tried to pull an Immelman in it. Tip #1 - Don't try to Immelman the MiG-3. LOL 2nd plane, I flew it and did ok, but stalled it on landing, smacked the tail, and broke the fuselage. Tip #2 - Warbirds need to be flown faster than you think and need to land faster than you think, taking up a long runway. They do not like to stall. 3rd plane, I was flying it, cruising around my field, and a buddy of mine came right around behind me in his Bearcat - it looked like we were kinda dogfighting. As I came out of the turn, the battery canopy came loose, slid forward, and jammed into the prop, ripping the engine and firewall clean off the plane. I had no idea that the motor was gone, but said, "Something about that didn't sound right! Better land it and see what happened!"

Best landing ever with the plane, only to find out that the motor was completely gone - lost somewhere in the weeds at the end of the field, in what looked for all the world like I'd gotten shot down.

3rd and final tip? Make sure that everything's buttoned up well and can't move unless you want it to.

Personally, I think the MiG and I are cursed, so I'm staying with other planes now.

Haha sounds like you've had quite the adventure! I'm sure I'll have some similar experiences in the not-so-distant future. So I suppose the thing for me to do now is start buying parts. Looking like I'll be going with the flysky i6 everyone suggested. Thanks to everyone for that. I'd have ended up with a cheapo hobbyking tx if not for that. The flysky has a lot I can grow into for not much more money.

 

[Catch22Kid]

So, went to the local hobby shop yesterday. They were out of the simple scout speed build kits, so I just went ahead and bought a bunch of foam. Going to build a sparrow as achuck glider for my daughter for some practice, and then give the simple scout a shot. Picked up some laser cut firewalls as well, but they were out of control horns as well as the 1/16" ply suggested in the plans. Anybody got ideas for alternative materials?
Also, what size wire should I use for the push rods and landing gear?

 

[Chuppster]

So, went to the local hobby shop yesterday. They were out of the simple scout speed build kits, so I just went ahead and bought a bunch of foam. Going to build a sparrow as achuck glider for my daughter for some practice, and then give the simple scout a shot. Picked up some laser cut firewalls as well, but they were out of control horns as well as the 1/16" ply suggested in the plans. Anybody got ideas for alternative materials?
Also, what size wire should I use for the push rods and landing gear?

You could cut up a credit card for control horns. As for wire, I go to the hardware store and get rolls of wire. I keep 18 gauge and 22 gauge in stock. To straighten it I use two "Vise Grips" and two pieces of wood (2x4 is fine). Drill a small hole in the end of one, and in the middle of the other. Clamp the piece with the hole at the end to a table, with the hole protruding off the side of the table. Thread the wire through both holes and use vice grips to hold them. Then, stand on the board with the hole in the center (a chair can help here) until the wire stretches a bit. You should be able to stretch it an inch or so. Then, the wire will be perfectly straight!

This is the cheapest approach I have found. But I believe you can find straight wire somewhere.

 

[Hai-Lee]

So, went to the local hobby shop yesterday. They were out of the simple scout speed build kits, so I just went ahead and bought a bunch of foam. Going to build a sparrow as achuck glider for my daughter for some practice, and then give the simple scout a shot. Picked up some laser cut firewalls as well, but they were out of control horns as well as the 1/16" ply suggested in the plans. Anybody got ideas for alternative materials?
Also, what size wire should I use for the push rods and landing gear?

Alternative materials! Where do I start?
Control horns can be made from almost anything. In the past I have used sheet plastic, old PVC ducting, other PVC building product offcuts, Broken plastic boxes, the plastic clips used to secure the plastic bags that are used to pack loaves of bread, broken propeller blades, business cards, gift cards, old credit cards, Left over, (excess), servo output arms, Aluminium angle and the list goes on. That does not include the materials used for torque tubes and pull/pull control horn setups.

Pushrods are similarly easy to find. My current favourite especially for smaller builds are straightened paper clips. Other easily available materials are bicycle wheel spokes, CF rods, (with paperclip ends), BBQ skewers and even balsa sticks, (again with paperclip ends), but the simple requirement for something light rigid and long enough means that there are a myriad of materials to repurpose as pushrods,

Landing gear is a little more tricky due to the weight and landing forces of the model. I have used Aluminium flat bar, bicycle spokes, straightened steel springs from old furniture and even mattresses. Another source for the lighter models is the spring wire found or used in the aftermarket plastic wheel trims which litter the roadsides here.

Have fun!

 

[Catch22Kid]

Sounds like there's plenty of options. I've considered trying to do some nice realistic looking landing gear, but I'm not sure I want to put in the extra effort being my first plane. I'm sure it's going to be crashed quite a bit, and I'd hate to completely destroy something nice looking right off the bat.

 

[sprzout]

Landing gear's something I've always just gone to my hobby shop and bought the "music wire" for. Mine had it in a bin right next to where the plywood was.

I've also found it at some more upscale art stores around my neck of the woods, which is kind of nice, because oddly enough, the art stores around me are open late hours (I guess for those eccentric types that need watercolor pens and papier-maiche materials at 9 pm? LOL), so I can stop and get heavier wire (1/8", for example) that will take a harder landing than some of the lighter wire.

As for control horns and firewalls, well...This was something I "justified" to my wife about having to buy a 3D printer. I found parts out on Thingiverse for control horns, firewalls, etc., that I have printed, which are fairly strong while being light as well. Does this mean you need to buy a 3D printer? Yes. Because it's an awesome tool and everyone needs one. Ok,, not really; the credit card/gift card/plastic from old food containers, even stiffer plastic file folders (although, it may take 2-3 glued together and then cut out in the shape of a control horn to get your thickness and required stiffness to move the arm) work great.

 

[Catch22Kid]

Something similar to this, using the soda can wheel technique I've seen here.

 

[Catch22Kid]

Landing gear's something I've always just gone to my hobby shop and bought the "music wire" for. Mine had it in a bin right next to where the plywood was.

I've also found it at some more upscale art stores around my neck of the woods, which is kind of nice, because oddly enough, the art stores around me are open late hours (I guess for those eccentric types that need watercolor pens and papier-maiche materials at 9 pm? LOL), so I can stop and get heavier wire (1/8", for example) that will take a harder landing than some of the lighter wire.

As for control horns and firewalls, well...This was something I "justified" to my wife about having to buy a 3D printer. I found parts out on Thingiverse for control horns, firewalls, etc., that I have printed, which are fairly strong while being light as well. Does this mean you need to buy a 3D printer? Yes. Because it's an awesome tool and everyone needs one. Ok,, not really; the credit card/gift card/plastic from old food containers, even stiffer plastic file folders (although, it may take 2-3 glued together and then cut out in the shape of a control horn to get your thickness and required stiffness to move the arm) work great.

Haha a good friend of mine has a 3d printer. I hate bugging him to print me stuff though. He's done a few things for me, but I just feel like a dick asking.

 

[Userofmuchtape&glue]

Gday and welcome. I second the comment about aelirons, I reckon use em from the get go and you'll have a better experience. More versatile, and easier to get out of a tight spot.

 

[Hai-Lee]

For small models you can use BBQ skewers which are inserted into the FB, (coated in glue first), and then bound with cotton or fishing line to a wire axle. Gives that antique look and provides some forgiveness for heavy landings but break off in a crash!

Have fun!

 

[Catch22Kid]

For small models you can use BBQ skewers which are inserted into the FB, (coated in glue first), and then bound with cotton or fishing line to a wire axle. Gives that antique look and provides some forgiveness for heavy landings but break off in a crash!

Have fun!

Yes I was thinking something along the lines of a skewer or possibly some stained dowel sections to make it a touch more sturdy. With a piece of tubing spanning between them for the axle to sit through, and some faux bracing wires leading to the wing.

 

[Hai-Lee]

Yes I was thinking something along the lines of a skewer or possibly some stained dowel sections to make it a touch more sturdy. With a piece of tubing spanning between them for the axle to sit through, and some faux bracing wires leading to the wing.

If you use braided fishing line tied to short lengths of BBQ skewers buried and glued into the fuselage, and/or wing, FB the bracing wires can make the whole wooden landing gear very strong and resilient.

Have fun!

 

[Catch22Kid]

If you use braided fishing line tied to short lengths of BBQ skewers buried and glued into the fuselage, and/or wing, FB the bracing wires can make the whole wooden landing gear very strong and resilient.

Have fun!

Indeed it would seem the combination of binding the dowels together along with some glue and using bracing wires would make for a nice strong structure. How would one suggest rigging the attachment point in the wing? I know for the fuselage I was planning on using a post sticking straight up out of the section forward of the cockpit, and running the wires from the ends of the axles going through the wheels, but I'm unsure of how to attach them at the wing.

 

[Hai-Lee]

First locate where in the wing you would want the guy wire to attach to and poke through it with a pin or similar.

For a permanent connection you then cut a length of BBQ skewer, (1 to 2 inches long and cut a trough or channel to suit the skewer piece in the wing with the pin hole in the centre. Pass the guy wire through the pin hole in the wing and tie the guy wire to the skewer piece, Now pull the guy wire and position into the channel cut for it in the wing and glue the skewer in place.

If you are using a fold up wing design you would fit the BBQ skewer piece buried internally on the bottom piece of the wing.

Should you be wanting removable guy wires then you can use a couple of spare servo output horns pushed through the pinhole in the wing and then put a BBQ skewer through the centre of the control horn and again glue the bbq skewer into the trough in the wing FB.

In both methods you should have the BBQ skewer at right angles to the "pull" of the guy wire. The spare control horn from a servo would be positioned so that it lines up with the normal line or angle of the guy wire, (when fitted),

Fishing supply places can supply quick disconnects for attaching the fishing line guy wires if you need them to be removable.

I hope that helps!

P.S. The same attachment methods can be used to make a true wing warper in FB!

Have fun!

 

[Catch22Kid]

Ooooooohhhh like an eindecker! Very cool. Now if we could just figure out a safe machinegun setup and an interrupter gear for a brushless motor...

I think I more or less get what you're saying here. Happen to have pictures of any examples?

 

[Hai-Lee]

Sadly I did not take pics and wing warpers are easily written off as the wing structure MUST be flexible especially on the rear portion of the wing so when crashed they do really crumple up bad.

When finished my current build and prototype list I may redo the wing warper for information to be posted on FT.

Just one point of the warper wing is that unlike most FT aileron wings the root is where the majority of the warping is accomplished so from the spar line rearwards the wing must be free to move. In addition the wing trailing edge should be done with severe washout in that the trailing edge at the fuselage should be way lower than at the wing tip. When the guy wires are added the trailing edge is lifted under constant tension so that the rear or trailing edge is lifted to the normal wing profile.

The reason for this is simply that it helps the wing warping if one direction is preloaded to assist in the warping and additionally if the warping controls fail the wing snaps into what is rather stable dihedral so that you have a chance to land it safely.

As for testing what I described previously If you have an old FB model which has a tail that is either too flexible of starting to sag under its own weight you can use the same guy wire technique to lift the horizontal stabiliser to level through the vertical fin and if secured to the fuselage bottom as well the stabilisers are locked into position.

If needed in the next couple of days I might be able to mock up and do a couple of pics to show how the guy points are done and how strong they can be.

Have fun!

 

[Catch22Kid]

Sounds like this setup would work really well on something like a mini scout with its single layer wing. Possibly a project for the future. I think I've got the bracing wires figured out though. Just gotta get started now. Thanks for your help!