Upside down rudders on Bloody Wonder

Raycefan

Junior Member
I'm thinking I cannot possibly be the first person to ever do this, but, in a rush to keep the hot glue from becoming set, I accidentally put the first rudder fin on my first build, the FT Bloody Wonder, on upside down. Because I knew it would be a huge mess and a pain to undo, I just put the other fin on upside down, too. I haven't maidened it yet. Can this possibly cause THAT much different flight characteristics? I figure not, but I don't know. Also, I used Elmer's (yes, like the glue, se people,) foam board because here in Alaska, we don't have Dollar Tree and nobody sells the Adam's type foam board. It sucks. That's the nicest thing I can say about it. It's SIGNIFICANTLY more dense than DT foam board and just a tiny bit thicker. Believe it or not it is MUCH more difficult to work with. I hate it. Passionately. So much so, that I will likely never try a scratch build ever again. If there isn't a speed build kit, I probably won't build it. Which stinks, but c'est la vie. Anybody wanna mail me some of the good DT foam board??? LOL
 

Raycefan

Junior Member
These folks will mail you some foam.

Yeah, but is it Dollar Tree foam board, or this same more dense, thicker garbage I can get up here? I mean, I could get my dad, who lives in Tennessee, not too far from a Dollar Tree store, to send me some, at $1.00 a sheet, (for a larger sheet than they're offering on the link you provided), and including shipping be ahead of their price.
 

TEAJR66

Flite is good
Mentor
Yeah, but is it Dollar Tree foam board, or this same more dense, thicker garbage I can get up here? I mean, I could get my dad, who lives in Tennessee, not too far from a Dollar Tree store, to send me some, at $1.00 a sheet, (for a larger sheet than they're offering on the link you provided), and including shipping be ahead of their price.

This stuff is just like DTFB. I have used both in the same build even. Probably even comes from the same place as the stickers on each board are Adams clones.

You might come out cheaper having a box of DTFB sent to you. The last box a friend sent me cost $25.00 to ship (same cost to get to me as it costs to mail within the U.S.). So the total was $50.00 to get a box of foam. Sometimes, the foam board from Amazon comes out cheaper. Like I said, you have to compare the prices for the colors at the time of ordering.

There is also MPF. Good product. A little different to work with, but once you get the hang, works very well. This is cost effective once you calculate the price by square inches of foam then add shipping. Again, comparison shopping comes into play.
http://www.modelplanefoam.com/
 

Craftydan

Hostage Taker of Quads
Staff member
Moderator
Mentor
In answer to the original question . . . it should fly just fine. the lower fins on the rear will catch a touch earlier on landing, so set down as slow as you can, but otherwise, she won't notice the difference.

Alternatively . . . cut a few inches off the bottom. it won't take much of a V-stab for her to maintain yaw stability. Mine are cut flush to the tail on the bottom, with no impact on performance, however my fins wrap around and are glued to the bottom and side for strength -- you could cut yours flush, then follow with packing tape or a small block of foam glued into the corner to re-enforce the joint.

All your call, but she'll fly nice either way.

(and yeah, MPF is the same stuff that's on the inside of DTFB, run right out of the same factory, though the special run means a higher price . . . not sure how that would play out up in AK)
 

Raycefan

Junior Member
This is all great to know. I can get 25 sheets on 30x40 DT FOAM BOARD SHIPPED TO ME FOR $17.60x so, $42.60 for a larger size by a good big than they were selling.

SOOOO, I took the upside down FT Bloody for her maiden this chilly calm Alaska evening. With much excitement in the air and my daughter on the camera, I gave it half throttle, a gentle, loving toss.....and off she flew, I to the wild blue yonder, all on her own, sort of. She flew flat and straight and when I told her to climb, she instantly performer one of the tightest loops the aviation world has ever seen....then another....and another....and another just to scare me even more. At this point, she'd lost any airspeed she might have though she had and thought that a tip stall and nose dive might lead here to the airspeed that looms close to the ground heard only about in ancient legends of flight as told by no one. The airspeed she may have found, but alas, her throttle had bee cut so as to avoid catastrophically structure failure. I guess I should be glad it only broke one prop shaft (thereby rendering this still brand new never been flown motor utterly useless, but them motors ain't free!!!) the plane is relatively unharmed, excepts that I need a new prop shaft and or motor. So angry over that. Any, we will keep you posted of I don't decide to go on a motor manufacturer mailing spree. (SUPPO MOR
TORS YPUR PRODUCT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!! Plan is to fly again or try again Thursday. With gopro filming. We shall see. As if roght now, I pretty angry with the whole situation.
 

TEAJR66

Flite is good
Mentor
Congratulations on a semi-successful flight. It is a very aerobatic plane. That's the fun of that one. You might need to adjust rates and expo, if your radio will allow. If your radio is not programmable, you can tame it mechanically. Use the hole on the servo arm closest to the center and the control horn hole furthest from the control surface.

Think about prop saves till you get it mastered. They help save motor shafts as well (to an extent, that is).

Where in AK? I used to fly in Anchorage at the theatre on Muldoon Rd.