Ugly 3D - what the heck is this?

[rockyboy]

Hey guys - anyone able to identify this plane? It's about the ugliest thing I've seen and I was the only person to bid on it at the RC auction - so with no electronics except servos I took it home for $20.

Yep - she's ugly sitting on the workbench too!

Here's some parts from the junk drawer - a mystery motor, 65 amp ESC, and a receiver. That little tire with the white hub is what it came with. That's just not going to work at my field - needs some balloon tires instead!

For posterity, here's the info that I've been able to find about this mystery motor - it should be about 120 watts per pound with a 12x6 prop which should be good for some fun-fly acrobatics. Maybe need some more power for 3D, but that's a good long away ahead of my flight skills at the moment.
View attachment

To make it easier to attach the wing and not get the right and left servos mixed up, I put all the wires into a 7 pin connector housing (pin 7 for the "key" pin to make sure I don't put it together backwards). No need for fancy expensive wire crimpers for these types of connectors either - small needle nose pliers work just fine with a little practice.

Turns out the ESC didn't have a BEC (wasted more time that I want to admit before I figured that out) - so I added a little voltage step-down regulator to the circuit, and put in a FrSky receiver with built-in stabilizer. That little switch inline with the XT60 connectors for the battery is really helpful when binding the receiver too - much easier to operate one handed!

Needed a bigger tail wheel too, but the elevator servo and pull-pull rudder setup was in good shape.
View attachment

Needed to replace the orange covering on the battery hatch - it had bubbled up and fell right off when being handled. So I went with a scrap of checker board I had handy. Sort of fits right into the ugly.

To get her to balance out without adding too much dead weight, I put the motor out a couple inches using a great planes motor mount - very handy things!

So at this point she's ready to head to the field I think.

I hope the balance point is far enough forward - no way to really tell as I'm guessing at the 1/3 of chord measurement for the CG.

Wish me luck!

 

[The Hangar]

Yeah - that thing is UGLY! That means you won’t be too scared to crash though. Not sure what it is, but I’ll be eager to see the maiden!

 

[Merv]

Yeah - that thing is UGLY! That means you won’t be too scared to crash though.

I’m not so sure you could crash it. I’ve had planes that were so ugly the ground actually repelled them.

 

[The Hangar]

I’m not so sure you could crash it. I’ve had plane the were so ugly the ground actually repelled them.

HAHA😆🤣

 

[Joker 53150]

Merv beat me to it! Once that plane leaves the ground the Earth won't allow it back.

A guy I fly with has a Frankenplane (which is what I think yours may be?) and hand-cut lettering for it that says "2 UGLY 2 FLY". His is made up from pieces of at least 4 other planes, but flies great!

 

[rockyboy]

Yeah - that thing is UGLY! That means you won’t be too scared to crash though. Not sure what it is, but I’ll be eager to see the maiden!

That's the first thing I thought when I saw it!

I’m not so sure you could crash it. I’ve had plane the were so ugly the ground actually repelled them.

And that was the first thing my friend said to me at the auction after I bought it!

Merv beat me to it! Once that plane leaves the ground the Earth won't allow it back.

A guy I fly with has a Frankenplane (which is what I think yours may be?) and hand-cut lettering for it that says "2 UGLY 2 FLY". His is made up from pieces of at least 4 other planes, but flies great!

It might be a Frankenplane... I've looked through all the Hirobo plane pictures I can find with no luck. I think the estate it came from was a guy really into Hirobo helicopters, so he could have just put that name on it cause he liked the brand for other reasons.

 

[CheckMySix]

Hey guys - anyone able to identify this plane? It's about the ugliest thing I've seen and I was the only person to bid on it at the RC auction - so with no electronics except servos I took it home for $20.

Yep - she's ugly sitting on the workbench too!
View attachment 147830

Here's some parts from the junk drawer - a mystery motor, 65 amp ESC, and a receiver. That little tire with the white hub is what it came with. That's just not going to work at my field - needs some balloon tires instead!

View attachment 147829

For posterity, here's the info that I've been able to find about this mystery motor - it should be about 120 watts per pound with a 12x6 prop which should be good for some fun-fly acrobatics. Maybe need some more power for 3D, but that's a good long away ahead of my flight skills at the moment.
View attachment 147833 View attachment 147834 View attachment 147835 View attachment 147836

To make it easier to attach the wing and not get the right and left servos mixed up, I put all the wires into a 7 pin connector housing (pin 7 for the "key" pin to make sure I don't put it together backwards). No need for fancy expensive wire crimpers for these types of connectors either - small needle nose pliers work just fine with a little practice.

View attachment 147832

Turns out the ESC didn't have a BEC (wasted more time that I want to admit before I figured that out) - so I added a little voltage step-down regulator to the circuit, and put in a FrSky receiver with built-in stabilizer. That little switch inline with the XT60 connectors for the battery is really helpful when binding the receiver too - much easier to operate one handed!

View attachment 147831

Needed a bigger tail wheel too, but the elevator servo and pull-pull rudder setup was in good shape.
View attachment 147828

Needed to replace the orange covering on the battery hatch - it had bubbled up and fell right off when being handled. So I went with a scrap of checker board I had handy. Sort of fits right into the ugly.
View attachment 147826

To get her to balance out without adding too much dead weight, I put the motor out a couple inches using a great planes motor mount - very handy things!
View attachment 147827

So at this point she's ready to head to the field I think.

I hope the balance point is far enough forward - no way to really tell as I'm guessing at the 1/3 of chord measurement for the CG.

Wish me luck!

Looks like a slow stick on roids! Lots of ugly planes out there in the real world that fly great...lol.

 

[TooJung2Die]

That is so ugly it has to fly great. It looks like it's covered with a patchwork quilt of whatever colors were left over from other airplanes. "I got just enough of this color for the wing, enough of that for the fuse... There, it's covered!" Much to my own amazement I'm having great fun flying a 3D profile foamy and I would not call myself a good pilot. I can't say what the airplane you got there is like but some 3D are remarkably easy to fly. Hard to fly well but very forgiving while learning things I never attempted before.

 

[mayan]

I’m not so sure you could crash it. I’ve had plane the were so ugly the ground actually repelled them.

 

[rockyboy]

She flies! Pretty well too - took a little trimming and I still need to add some down thrust (didn't have the right size hex driver in my field box) but this plane is going to be a great fun-fly machine!

The second flight was smoother as I got used to her, and even with this 12x6 and 3s battery setup she will go vertical for a long ways and hover a little too!

In addition to the down thrust adjustment, I need to do something to help the wing stay in place a little better. The rear rubber band dowel is almost under the wing, and every time I landed I noticed the wing had popped up from it's proper place and scooted forward a little to be evenly between the dowels. Not sure if I'm going to move the dowel, switch to a hard mount system, or something else yet, but adjustments will be made...

 

[TooJung2Die]

Looks better in the air than on the ground! That one will be a fun airplane when you get the bugs worked out.

 

[rockyboy]

Looks better in the air than on the ground!

So true!!

 

[Joker 53150]

Thanks for not claiming “it needed two clicks of trim and had no bad tendencies” like so many people write!

 

[rockyboy]

Thanks for not claiming “it needed two clicks of trim and had no bad tendencies” like so many people write!

I've only built a few planes that flew that well on the first flight. Most need some thrust changes, or control throw adjustments, or balance correct (both normal CG and lateral). Everyone once in a while I can nail one though!

I do think falsely claiming every plane is a perfect flyer every time really does a disservice to anyone coming into the hobby. It sets up some inaccurate expectations. Making things fly well isn't always easy. Actually it's rarely easy - lots of details to get just right, and lots of ways for one rule of thumb to conflict with another rule of thumb. Too many thumbs is a common problem too

 

[buzzbomb]

Thanks for not claiming “it needed two clicks of trim and had no bad tendencies” like so many people write!

It's not always bravado. I think mostly it's ignorance. Myself as an example, I've only ever tried to trim two planes. I was unsuccessful both times. Look at the build list in my signature. I can honestly say, no trims and no bad tendencies! As a new pilot, any problem with the plane is my fault. It tip stalled, or otherwise acted funny. It's most likely my fault for not knowing how to fly, and not a fault in the build or design.

I designed the MSBP. It has no bad tendencies. I've never trimmed one. Simply my ignorance as a pilot, or the brilliance of the designer and builder? I honestly can't say!

 

[rockyboy]

It's not always bravado. I think mostly it's ignorance. Myself as an example, I've only ever tried to trim two planes. I was unsuccessful both times. Look at the build list in my signature. I can honestly say, no trims and no bad tendencies! As a new pilot, any problem with the plane is my fault. It tip stalled, or otherwise acted funny. It's most likely my fault for not knowing how to fly, and not a fault in the build or design.

I designed the MSBP. It has no bad tendencies. I've never trimmed one. Simply my ignorance as a pilot, or the brilliance of the designer and builder? I honestly can't say!

You do have a point - I was flying for over a year and had flown at least a dozen planes - mostly DIY but a couple swap meet rescues - before I ever flew a plane that someone else properly trimmed out. I had no idea a plane could actually fly straight and level across the field without constant stick inputs to keep it going that way!

 

[Vimana89]

That plane has some character, definitely a frankenplane or custom job. Looked a lot less ugly with the nose extending motor mount and a motor and prop on, though it still has a funky profile and massive winglets. Can't say It doesn't have its own charm though, and flies really nice.
A lot of my maidens have gone very well with little to no trim lately, especially the Charlie, but I still have trouble now and then. Most of my planes, whether my own designs or FT have flown well right off the bat, and the ones that don't either have major design flaws, or do simply have slop/trim/CG/thrust angle issues but are otherwise good. My DR1 is an example of one that needed a decent amount of trimming in to fix the ballooning tendencies, my first launch with that was a butt-plant from ballooning at relatively low throttle. After I dialed that one in its been one of my favorites though

 

[Headbang]

I've only built a few planes that flew that well on the first flight. Most need some thrust changes, or control throw adjustments, or balance correct (both normal CG and lateral). Everyone once in a while I can nail one though!

I do think falsely claiming every plane is a perfect flyer every time really does a disservice to anyone coming into the hobby. It sets up some inaccurate expectations. Making things fly well isn't always easy. Actually it's rarely easy - lots of details to get just right, and lots of ways for one rule of thumb to conflict with another rule of thumb. Too many thumbs is a common problem too

I have had several that required next to no trim on maiden. A well designed and built and setup plane flies almost bang on out of the gate. Take away any one of those things and it does not go perfect. That said, no foam board plane I have maidened flew true, best was the goblin with only 3 or 4 clicks of trim on each elevator and ailerons.
Can not say what the plane is, but it definatly looks like an ugly stick, or some sort of stick.

 

[mayan]

I have had several that required next to no trim on maiden. A well designed and built and setup plane flies almost bang on out of the gate. Take away any one of those things and it does not go perfect. That said, no foam board plane I have maidened flew true, best was the goblin with only 3 or 4 clicks of trim on each elevator and ailerons.
Can not say what the plane is, but it definatly looks like an ugly stick, or some sort of stick.

I for example get 99% of my planes flying true right off the bat with no trim needed.

 

[Vimana89]

I'll admit one thing though: my linkage/control jobs always have just a bit of slop, so by necessity, I sub-trim really well before every maiden. I really have to fine tune some of my planes with trim though one of these days so they fly perfectly straight without even the tiniest control input, I have been lazy about that so far .