Balancing yer planes..

techguy

How do you aero guys balance your works of art??I have been gettting it done in a model shop thats quiete a distance from me. I was thinking of getting a CG machine but was just wondering if they are any good and what you guys use?

Thanks,
HAkko

coolwings

The CG machines are very nice, and I wouldn't mind having one for this job..... but until then I use the rounded parts of my fingertips.
Once it's sorted out I paint the CG symbol on the model or wing underside, for future reference.
If your fingers are really fat and flat topped , consider using a pair of pencils with rounded erasor rubber tops.

techguy

Thanks coolwings,if it works for you it should be good enough for me..thats what I have been using anytime I have to. Sometime I will get a cg machine tho' .

Hakko

coolwings

hakko1872003 wrote:

.....Sometime I will get a cg machine tho' .....
Hakko

Same here as soon as I get round to it.... but the next model always seems to be more urgent, doesn't it

techguy

:mad: yea or the leaving takes priority!! :mad:
Although all my funds will prob go into a nice extra when I finish.
In your opinion what would be better for landing in shortish runways with not so short grass, a 3d er eith funfly wing eg hype 3d or the likes of an edge or extra?? Something with an airbrake/flaps setup to help slow down and still maintain control. I get the feeling that a hype would be more capable of this..

Hakko

Fobia

hakko1872003 wrote:

:mad: yea or the leaving takes priority!! :mad:
Although all my funds will prob go into a nice extra when I finish.
In your opinion what would be better for landing in shortish runways with not so short grass, a 3d er eith funfly wing eg hype 3d or the likes of an edge or extra?? Something with an airbrake/flaps setup to help slow down and still maintain control. I get the feeling that a hype would be more capable of this..

Hakko

Apologies if this question is directed solely at Coolwings, but I think I may be able to answer this one...

Having flown but Extra's and Edge's (Extra 300s and 330s, Edge 540) and several different 3d models, I'd have to say the 3d models are easier to land on a short runway. They tend to move alot slower than the Pattern ships and as such with a bit of practice and a calm wind you can land them on about 3 metres of grass. However the Extra 300 (depending on what make of course) usually needs alot more (my Seagull didn't need that much space, just an average runway length, but I flew a graupner Extra 300s which needed alot more than our runway to land on!) space to slow down once it touches down.

So, 3d is better imo for short runways. If you're just getting into the stunt thing though, I'd advise either getting a very cheap 3d (even one of the home build ones, we have one here made out of a For Sale board and some metal from a curtain), or a pattern ship. 3d's are easy to crash unfortunately which is why you should go cheap, but pattern ships are the best for learning stunts imho. Coolwings can probably advise better though

Fobia.

coolwings

Fobia is right - a 3D funfly type can land / takeoff slower. So it uses less runway, and long grass matters less. Scale aerobatic CAP/Extra/Giles/Sukhoi lands faster = longer takeoff roll. Airbrakes/flaps will slow it , but deaden the controls.
OTOH the 3D will be responsive to corrective commands right down to stop.
3D possibles ... Wildcard, Dancer, Firecat, Extra Slim, Diablo, Flip, AT6 Texan 3D
From a minimise the breakages/money spent point of view, I would suggest 3D before pattern.

techguy

Thanks for that, the question was directed at anyone who wanted to answer it!
Fobia, where is your shop?It looks like a i will go for a 3d ship.what is the name of one made from a for sale sign etc or where can i get it?and I would prefer something that will 3d with a OS40LA but if this is not possible then I will get something bigger...

Thanks...

Fobia

hakko1872003 wrote:

Fobia, where is your shop?

Don't have one, just fairly experienced with aeroplanes is all....by "here" I mean in the house - both I and my Dad fly (though I havent been able to do any lately) so there's always a few planes around the place

techguy

oh right what is the one you were saying was made out a for sale sign,is it a home brew plane??

Hakko

Fobia

It's a Spa3d from www.spad.org , you can get free plans for it there...

We also had an old not-fully-3d fun thing which was always a laugh to fly, as it was so cheap and sturdy you could do whatever you wanted with it without having to worry about crashing!

techguy

I have been on that site before but never considered it before..But now I am seriously considering it as a project when I finish my leaving..I take it its a hell on rails model but which type? Also any other tips for building these,thanks..
Would one of these suit an OS40LA for full 3d etc..

Hakko

Fobia

hakko1872003 wrote:

I take it its a hell on rails model but which type?

Nope, it's a Spa3d, head to freeplans, 3d & novelty, Spa3d.

hakko1872003 wrote:

Also any other tips for building these,thanks..

Hehe, afraid I can't help you there - I didn't build it, my Dad did. It only took him a few hours to build it so I'd imagine it's fairly easy - the fine tuning wasn't though (planes from a plan are rarely perfect in terms of COG etc!).

As for the engine, for the Spa3d that'd probably do you for learning with, but you'd want a good bit more power to do stunts such as prop hangs, knife edges etc...I understand the situation you're in though (poor student I'm guessing), so if I were you I'd go with that engine, if it feels underpowered (I think it probably will), buy a more powerful engine, if it feels fine then save a few bucks .

Fobia.

techguy

Im a poor student alright...
I saw that plane on there but the wing isn't simmetrical, i want a fully simmetrical wing on my next model!
I'll take another good gander on spad and report back..

Till Then..
Hakko

coolwings

hakko1872003 wrote:

....I saw that plane on there but the wing isn't simmetrical, i want a fully simmetrical wing on my next model!...Hakko

Just gotta say this.... isn't a flat wing symmetrical ...
flat top n bottom
boom boom

Fobia

Hehe, good point coolwings

Hakko: why does your next plane need to be fully symmetrical? The only difference you'll feel with these type of planes between fully and semi symmetrical wings is when you're flying inverted and you have to push forward on the stick a little, other than that I can barely feel the difference..

techguy

I was looking at the wrong plane, after posting I checked out the spa3d and i noticed the wing was flat... I would just like a simmetrical wing because the semi's are trainer like..flat is perfect(Such easy construction.. )
I am def going to make the spa3d when I finish my exams. Could I scale down all the measurements on the plans to suit the 40 engine I have or will it be okay as is..
How does this plane prop hang also?

Edit: Just looking at the pics on Page 4 I dont like the idea of one servo for those big ailerons and the huge throws recommended. I think I would fit a servo on each wing with epoxy or something?

Hakko

Fobia

Lots of people scale down plans alright, but I've never seen it done perfectly so I dunno. Also most (I think, coolwings?) F3A models' wings are only semi-symmetrical, and they do the best tricks in the world

Indeed it can prop-hang, but prop hanging is strange: to learn you need to do it far away and high up so that you don't crash it or hurt someone, but it's actually alot easier to do it up close. So you learn how to do something harder, and when you're able to do that you can do the easier one! It's strange, I don't think I'll be prop-hanging a few metres in front of me for a while anyway

As for the servos, one should be sufficiant assuming they're not crappy servos methinks...but you wont be taking advantage of those throws for a good while, unless you want to kill someone.

techguy

Sure I can have a dual rate switch for the throws when im high up, he he he!!
I have a blade foamy which is a 3d machine also and i fly that on high throws when its been thrown around in a breeze.. :eek:
Next question is where can i get lots of this coroplast for cheap or even nothing ?

Hakko

Fobia

Hehe, dual rates are great alright, especially for people learning etc..

I dunno where you'd pick some up for cheap, but coroplast is used for many things, some those political campaign posters for example, pity you missed the general election to nab some!

I wouldn't pay for any, you should be able to find some somewhere!

techguy

Im sure they would be perfect,would those for sale signs be too small?
There are a few construction sites around me and I think they make the safety signs out of coroplast,must keep an eye out for when they are finishing up etc..