What Did You Fly Today
- Thread starter Wildthing
- Start date
Hoomi
Master member
Your house must have been built around the same time ours was - late 40's "Post WWII Boom Housing."
Solidly built, but old, and when they built these houses, the need for electrical outlets was much less than it is today.
On the plus side, we have less than two and a half years left on the mortgage.
Solidly built, but old, and when they built these houses, the need for electrical outlets was much less than it is today.
On the plus side, we have less than two and a half years left on the mortgage.
Piotrsko
Master member
Yup actual 2 x 4 constitution all perfectly straight edge grain with no knots, plaster walls that are plumb & square. Plumbing and electrical are nightmares, and I am slowly replacing the oil fired heater that has the house built around it. I'm trying to build a kfm3 using just a table saw, it would be a 5 minute job if I can just get to the table saw
Hoomi
Master member
I know - 2x4's that actually measure 2" by 4". Really gets weird when having to either replace or supplement the existing studs.
I think when ours was built, the bath was strictly tub - no shower. There is a full-sized window over the tub, at the normal height for such a window (around 3' - 4' from the floor). Some time after that, someone decided to make the bath a shower as well, but didn't remove that window and install a high window, suitable for over a shower. The tile over the years weakened, and shower water leaked in behind it. I need to completely remove all the remaining tile, remove the window and rebuild the wall with the appropriate style window, and then install a shower enclosure in place of the old mustard-yellow tile. Not looking forward to that project. Probably one for Thanksgiving weekend, or over the Christmas year-end break.
I think when ours was built, the bath was strictly tub - no shower. There is a full-sized window over the tub, at the normal height for such a window (around 3' - 4' from the floor). Some time after that, someone decided to make the bath a shower as well, but didn't remove that window and install a high window, suitable for over a shower. The tile over the years weakened, and shower water leaked in behind it. I need to completely remove all the remaining tile, remove the window and rebuild the wall with the appropriate style window, and then install a shower enclosure in place of the old mustard-yellow tile. Not looking forward to that project. Probably one for Thanksgiving weekend, or over the Christmas year-end break.
Vimana89
Legendary member
Flew the prototype 1939 Popular Aviation Special, and got a good short clip to use on my build thread. This plane is awesome, easy to fly, and has nice speed on 2s. It's a quick sloppy rough draft, so there a couple small bugs to work out like too much dihedral and not as much elevator authority as I'd like, but other than that, flies very smooth.
This is the RET version. I plan to try a yank and bank AET, and maybe eventually 4ch.
This is the RET version. I plan to try a yank and bank AET, and maybe eventually 4ch.
Wildthing
Legendary member
Personally I don't think any shower should have a window in it, all the humidity and condensation after a hot shower or if you live in a climate where it is also cold over the winter which makes it worse that will be the first area for problems.
BATTLEAXE
Legendary member
That's an awesome looking machine, is it Mini size or standard?
Def to much dihedral for sure, not bad for an RET though. Less dihedral and as an AET... now you are having fun with it. If you go 4 channel you will have a lot more maneuverability options which would take it next level
Vimana89
Legendary member
Mini size. The wing works well and is strong without any airfoil at that size but thinking maybe KFM for bigger versions. This little one requires only one sheet of foam for the whole plane.
BATTLEAXE
Legendary member
This is a bit of a departure from the usual vids I see from you with the extended Delta. Is this reaching outside the box for you or is it familiar ground going with a more traditional airframe? Just asking because I am unsure of your RC hobby history
CarolineTyler
Legendary member
That's not old!!! My terrace house was built in 1881 😆😆😆
Vimana89
Legendary member
It is reaching more out of the box for my scratch builds. The Hobby Zone Champ is the plane I really learned to fly on and that is a very conventional trainer, so I can fly those types of planes well enough, but Im not very good at building and designing them. My custom designed scratch built planes that have been more conventional have all been crap until this one. I've had a lot more luck with low aspect custom designs like Nutballs and Slender deltas. What makes the '39 so nice is its very classic traditional setup, but instead of a straight wing that usually requires an airfoil and has the potential for more stall issues, it uses a gentle, wide delta wing that's easier to build and has forgiving stalls.
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Piotrsko
Master member
Ah but you dont get massive wildfires, periodic thunderstorm floods, or magnitude 7 + earthquakes on a regular basis. When was the last time you had a hurricane on your block? There's also people who can still thatch a roof over your way. I'm actually jealous because I wanted a Victorian house but they start here at a Million quid.
Hoomi: just Fyi: my pink tiled bathroom with same stupid window had to go to the studs and took a month. Long weekend probably won't cut it but mine is now definitely watertight.
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BATTLEAXE
Legendary member
With the wing sweep it has it must be easier to balance as well. You do fly it nice.
What about the building aspect do you find challenging?
Vimana89
Legendary member
About this particular plane? I find nothing really challenging about building or flying it, and thanks, this one feels natural to me, and I really like the way it handles even with prototype flaws. My troubles were with straight wing planes, because for one, the only type of airfoil I have tried building yet has been KFM, and straight wings don't like no airfoil or KFM much. One of the first planes I got flying was a mini Scout kit, but it had issues and I wasn't a good enough pilot yet to work them out. My second mini Scout kit was a flop. Basic straight wing planes have proven far more picky and unforgiving with CG and any sort of slop in controls, trim, thrust angle, etc. Once my build skills improve and I work more with like undercambers and armin wings and stuff, it will be more successful and economical for me to make more higher aspect planes, especially straight wing.
Hai-Lee
Old and Bold RC PILOT
Should you wish to evolve your skills to the "Straight Wing" designs then the best way to do it is to just do it! If you slow down your build speed and seek advice with the builds via the forum I am sure you will be designing and building conventional models in short time!
My first FB build was so bad that I did not even attempt to add the electrics but like everything else practice makes perfect! Just another thing would be to start using ailerons. Ailerons can really help maintain control even when the build is rather horrific. I have flown twisting wings, wings that have moved sideways in flight and even combat damaged planes and mid air victims down safely. Without ailerons your build quality becomes paramount!
There is plenty of expertise on tap on the forum all you need to do is ask!
Have fun!
Vimana89
Legendary member
Thanks for the advice and support
. Some time pretty soon I'll be attempting some more conventional planes and cold war jets with straight and trapezoidal wings, so I will definitely slow it down a bit and seek advice. I'm also looking around at other people's builds and designs and how they handle these types of planforms. I like the one you've chosen for the FTFC20, that's definitely a more challenging plane to build and probably even more so to fly for my skill level, but I can learn a lot just by seeing the process.My next project will be a nicer version of my '39 Popular Aviation Special that lessens the dihedral to very shallow, and gets rid of the RET control scheme in favor of 3ch AET. I already love the way this plane flies even as RET with some slop, I'm thinking if I get it right, it will fly even better with ailerons. I also want to extend the rear of the fuselage out a bit so the tail plane is a bit further back, and possibly use a larger battery to compensate. I may use my 2s 1000 MAh, or go up to 3s and down prop a tiny bit and use a 20a ESC instead of 12. Going to try and make this one a bit cleaner and built to last better. The RET prototype is still running well though and hasn't had any issues, so I'll use an extra set of electronics.
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Hai-Lee
Old and Bold RC PILOT
My FTFC Entry is actually kind of half way between my favorite retro wing, https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/the-flying-wing-in-fb.55970/ , and my version of the old "Bubbles" flying wing https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/my-backpack-wing-v1.37110/ .Thanks for the advice and support
My next project will be a nicer version of my '39 Popular Aviation Special that lessens the dihedral to very shallow, and gets rid of the RET control scheme in favor of 3ch AET. I already love the way this plane flies even as RET with some slop, I'm thinking if I get it right, it will fly even better with ailerons. I also want to extend the rear of the fuselage out a bit so the tail plane is a bit further back, and possibly use a larger battery to compensate. I may use my 2s 1000 MAh, or go up to 3s and down prop a tiny bit and use a 20a ESC instead of 12. Going to try and make this one a bit cleaner and built to last better. The RET prototype is still running well though and hasn't had any issues, so I'll use an extra set of electronics.
For this one I am going LIGHTWEIGHT! Actually, when setup they fly very well and the "Bubbbles" with its massive rudder does some very strange maneuvers, in the air, when the rudder is slammed hard over!
Actually they fly brilliantly once you set them up properly and dial in the control settings!As for the Straight wings there is something that you should know. With the wing bends/folds, (if reasonable accurately placed), they not only give you the airfoil shape but they also give greater strength and rigidity! They weigh less than the same sized KFM and provide far more lift!
If you have problems getting the wings joined accurately with dihedral then forget the dihedral as long as the wing is atop the fuselage you will have a minor amount of pendulum stability anyway! To start out I recommend that you try the Tiny Trainer. It is a little complicated to build, BUT you can build the RET wing and also the AETR wing to transition to aileron control. I used to fly the Aileron wing without ailerons and just using RET as I was initially reticent about using ailerons, (built with the recommended dihedral of course). It flew fine but just a little faster than the RET wing. When I connected the ailerons what a massive difference/improvement.
At my local club we do not recommend RET models until after the student can fly AETR models because of the handling challenges introduced by Dutch Roll especially in high wind!
If i can help with advice or a "how to", please let me know!
Have fun!
BATTLEAXE
Legendary member
I totally agree with @Hai-Lee. As a beginner not to long ago, actually still am in many aspects, so much to learn. I kept building plane after plane on the RET crutch and found that even though it seemed mentally easier to fly, that once I stepped up to the bank and yank AET the control become so much more dynamic and real time. To level out a plane with the sticks, dihedral or not, using the rudder also turns the yaw of the plane which adds a new control factor to the equation. AET will level out a plane, again dihedral or not, as u input on the Tx without the yaw variable, what you put into it is what you get out of it, which makes what you see up in the air more real time real feel kinda situation. That's what I find with it anyway. If I am wrong in that explanation, @Hai-Lee please correct me, but I don't think I will ever go back to a RET again.
My Spitfire, a warbird which is supposed to be harder to fly then most of the other designs besides the 3D airframes, as an AET was one of the easiest planes for me to fly. It was my get comfortable/go to/first in the air before any other/work out the initial jitters kind of plane. Initially when I first built it, it took me over a month to even work up the nerves to maiden it. Then looking at it one day when I was looking to fly one of my Minis i decided I wasn't going to let my 22000 3s batteries just sit around and took it out. Flew a couple packs in my Mini Scout to get the game down, hesitantly powered up the Spit, and i will tell you that maiden flew better then any of the Minis I was already used to, which were all RET set up.
As far as the building goes bud I would say just watching a lot of FT vids while building, and not just the designated build vid for the plane you are constructing, really helped me. And then just doing it builds the confidence as well. Pro tip... make sure your cuts are clean using a sharp blade and your folds are square.
The Mini Scout was actually my first successful flights on one of my builds, so I built 2 of them. I since have also run through a Simple Scout as well at a 4 channel set up and it was a dream to fly as well. Do you have just Mini power packs or do you fly your slender deltas on standard packs? Because the larger planes fly better then the Minis.
My Spitfire, a warbird which is supposed to be harder to fly then most of the other designs besides the 3D airframes, as an AET was one of the easiest planes for me to fly. It was my get comfortable/go to/first in the air before any other/work out the initial jitters kind of plane. Initially when I first built it, it took me over a month to even work up the nerves to maiden it. Then looking at it one day when I was looking to fly one of my Minis i decided I wasn't going to let my 22000 3s batteries just sit around and took it out. Flew a couple packs in my Mini Scout to get the game down, hesitantly powered up the Spit, and i will tell you that maiden flew better then any of the Minis I was already used to, which were all RET set up.
As far as the building goes bud I would say just watching a lot of FT vids while building, and not just the designated build vid for the plane you are constructing, really helped me. And then just doing it builds the confidence as well. Pro tip... make sure your cuts are clean using a sharp blade and your folds are square.
The Mini Scout was actually my first successful flights on one of my builds, so I built 2 of them. I since have also run through a Simple Scout as well at a 4 channel set up and it was a dream to fly as well. Do you have just Mini power packs or do you fly your slender deltas on standard packs? Because the larger planes fly better then the Minis.
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