ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

Yes, its only an ACe Whizard, but for those of you who have been here ling enough know that back in 1983, the Ace Whizard was my very first RC model airplane. It didnt last too long, and I think this one may have a better chance. I did it up in the same red and blue as the original also! But one difference, instead of my Kraft 3 channel "brick" radio it has three Hitec HS 81 servos, and a mini JR receiver and battery pack. Also, my original had a worn out Cox Golden Bee, this one has a "Dickeybird" deluxe TD 049, handmade by Prole and given to me as a gift. Thanks Tim!!

I have just completed the radio install and had to take a photo. Unless I get a nice mild day, it wont see the air untill the spring. But I am happy after 20 years I have another Whizard!!

AJC

Lynn S

Best looking Whizzard posted yet, I bet it will be a rocket with that TD.

Bipe Flyer

Very nice! Is your cat inspecting it for airworthiness?

BTW, is that an aluminum spinner. If so, would you mind telling me where you got it?

dennis

My Feedback: (90)

Young pups aren't you. I flew one of those with an Ace commander pulse commander with a t.d 049 around 1979. had a ball with it. Wish that I had put one aside for later.

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Andrew:

Nice.

Bill.

prole

My Feedback: (3)

Awesome Andrew,

I'm glad you finally got to use that TD. I hope it works out well for you.

So I am not quite as far along as you but I am working on mine also. I am also making another Dickeybird TD to go with the Ace Cylinder and throttle ring I got. It's a really good fit and I'm hoping to get a lower idle with it.

anyway, since we are doing almost exactly the same thing I wanted to ask you how you hooked up the pushrod to the throttle ring with the engine sitting upright. When I was planning for mine I was going to mount the engine upside down so it woule be a more straight shot for the linkage.

I was looking at your pics and you obviously found some way around it since you have the engine right side up.

please - do tell...

For the lightning bug I just mounted a HS-55 right in the nose above the fuel tank and ran a short piece of piano wire through one of the red straws that come with WD-40 bottles out through the firewall and right onto the sleeve. It worked fine. For this I got some of that Dubro flexible engine linkage and was going to try to work that out.

what did you use to hook it up, I had to get some really thin wire to even fit into that hole in the sleeve. I am really interested in hearing your findings with this.


thanks andrew, hope it turns out to be a great flier for you.

the prole


ps - have you even had a chance to fire up the TD? If so, did you happen to measure your idle?

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

yours looks good AJ, mine is finished but crashed and looks closer to proles stage now but I'll get back to it one day, I'd like to hear how the DB teedee does too,,, Bipe..I think thats a dog tail not a cat's..Oh and I like the spinner too, where did you get it?..Rog

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

Thanks Guys... to answer your questions:

That is MOST definitely a cat!! my dog is about 78 pounds heavier and doesnt like walking on the table

Prole, I used a piece of Sullivan lightweight braided brass wire that rns in a tiny yellow sleeve (like an ultra mini goldenrod) I just picked it up at the hobby shop. I threw out the package do I dont have a part # but it is a current item. Very flexable andI just bent the brass through the C clip hole on the sleeve and soldered it to stay put.

As for the SPinner, didnt you guys catch the thread last week about finding 1/2 A spinners??

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/1%2F...1221791/tm.htm

To save the reading, I made this one from 6061-T6 barstock. Its 1.25 diameter and hollow (very thin wall) and light. But it took me over an hour to make, so I dint think I will be making any for sale unless that CNC lathe is in Santa's pack this Dec....

AJC

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

sorry, all 3 of my dogs weights add up to about 20 pounds, I thought for sure that was a dog, yeah I remember the spinner thread, but didnt know that was the one,, still looks cool..Rog

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

ps - have you even had a chance to fire up the TD? If so, did you happen to measure your idle?

Prole, I am ashamed to say I never ran the engine yet. I was to busy/lazy to mount it on a piece of wood to try it, figured I would just wait untill it was in the plane. I am sure it will be GREAT! Its one of the nicest fit TD's I have ever had in my possession, you did a fine job.

I am going to try an APC 6-3 prop first.

Rog, my cat's bigger than your dogs! My Dog, Teak, is a German Shephard/ Boxer cross female. She is a big one! The cat and dog get along, but Teak loves to chase planes so when I take her out flying I have to tie her up. Rudy doesnt care much for the noise, and prefers to stay at home.

Bipe Flyer

Ah, I get it now. Andrew, you never cease to amaze me with your talents.

I think I'm getting a lathe for Christmas. I'll have to pick your brain in the new year for spinner making tips.

cortacesped

AJC:

Beautiful airplane !! aluminum landing gear, spinner, deluxe TD. Pure Style.

Regards

Claudio

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

Thanks Claudio - the gear, I forgot to mention, is something I have had in my parts box for a few years. I have been waiting for a plane to use them on. They polished up nice, and match the spinner

Bipeflyer - I will as usuall share anything I can in the way of knowledge (what little I posess) just ask and I will tell A lathe is the best present I can think of, for a modeller currently without one...

AJC

JasonRP

I've been away from the forum for a couple of weeks and just found this thread- HURRAY!! Another Whizard flyer! I've got 11 flights on mine, and it still looks as good as it did for it's first flight! A good vote for it's design, certainly not the pilot! Yours looks great! What kinda aluminum landing gear is that? An off the shelf available one? Have you gotten a chance to fly it yet? And, are you using the stock wing?? I'm also curious as to the finished flight weight..

Jason

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

Nope, no test flights as our winter is here... too cold for me now untill spring (march or early April).

The landing gear I bought without any package off a fellow for $1 at a swap meet. It doesnt look home made so it had to be a factory job. Could have been off of another kit though, the guy was into small electric planes that I got it from.

I am ashamed to admit I have not even test run the engine yet, a Dickeybird special that Prole made for me....[] just had not the time yet to bring it to my shop and run it since I got the plane done... allways too many other projects to get me preoccupied.

AJC

rrragmanliam

My Feedback: (1)

Beautiful plane Andrew! Hmmm, Texaco head an a TD with a throttle sleeve, it's got to be one of Dickiebirds Td's. Can't wait until I get mine done.

rrragmanliam

My Feedback: (1)

I use Sullivan Golden Cable # 507. It's a .032 multistrand cable with sleeve. Strong, light, very flexible and great for throttle applications. I think this is the same thing Andrew is talking about.

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

Thats the one! Very very light and you can tie it into a knot and it still runs freely. Excellent cable for small planes...

AJC

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Andrew and All:

Throttles here are done with the Sullivan cable.

Bill.

OzMo

My Feedback: (3)

Great little plane!
the classics always survive, the whizard line is alive and well today, the .40 sized pegasus arf trainer available at hobby stores now is a remake of the ace original .40 whizard....exact same lines etc.

JasonRP

Hey, I got a question for ya.. I scratch built my Whizard, and I used pushrods that I feel are too heavy. I've had to tape weight to the front of my plane to get it to balance right, and I know that if I could find lighter pushrods, I probably wouldn't have to weight the front end anymore.. Did you use the pushrods (for the rudder and elevator) that came with the kit? Could you post a pic of your pushrod setup?

Jason

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

I did use the pushrods supplied, but they are lightweight plastic, and not heavy at all. I used ez connectors instead of the snap links though, for easy adustment.

Not much to see in a pic, its all closed in the fuse!

AJC

rcuser004

My Feedback: (287)

Andrew,

My first plane in 1981 was an ACE Whizard. Never flew an RC plane before nor built any "flying" models prior to the Whizard. In fact, I was such a novice, I glued the hinges on
the "outside" of the stabs and control surfaces. They worked great and I didn't think a thing
about it until I finally gave up trying to learn on my own and joined a club. First day out with the Whizard caused quite a stir with my new fellow club members (hey, the hinges worked fine and the plans DID NOT say anything about slicing the "inside" of the wood and installing them inside!).

The most frustrating time was my first flight by myself at a local schoolyard. I had an old Wenmac .049 I received as a gift when I was about 10 years old. Never started it, but still had it in a box...once I got it running, it ran great. I tried to take off from the paved playground but the Whizard would only ground loop. Several kids showed up to watch. After several take off attempts, one of the kids asked if the plane was "suppose" to fly! I then attempted to hand-launch it and it worked. Flew almost 30 seconds until I pulled out of a steep dive and the wing lifted and shifted off-center about 12 inches due to my only placing "two" rubber bands to hold on the wing (heck, the plans didn't tell me to add more than two!). Did a nice spiral into the ground with 8 inches of wing on one side of the fuse and 32 inches on the otherside.

It was still a fun and exciting day. I immediately wanted a larger plane with a 4 channel radio instead of two. I convinced my neighbor he had to learn to fly also and talked him into buying my 2 channel radio and the Whizard. He bought a Cox TD .051 and bolted it to the plane. WITH MY 36 SECONDS OF FLIGHT TIME, I was now to be the "instructor" for my neighbor. His wife was interested in witnessing the "blind leading the blind" so all three of us jumped into her new, one week old BMW and headed for the local park. She sat in the car reading while we attempted to start the TD .051. It came to life, I hand-launched the plane, and my neighbor was off on his first RC flight with me "the instructor" coaching him enthusiastically. The Whizard
headed for the clouds, did a giant loop (this thing "hauled" with the TD) then made a beeline to his wife in the BMW. She saw it coming at her, started screaming and rolled up the window, just as the Whizard buried the engine in the outer door skin of her "NEW" BMW.

Needless to say, but that was the end of my neighbor's interest in RC flying (not much left of the Whizard either after my neighbor's wife stomped on the remains after the crash). It was also the start of my 22 years of continuous enjoyment in this hobby!

Mike

Bipe Flyer

Good story Mike. Friends and cars may come and go, but you'll always have RC modelling.

I made the mistake of using only 2 rubber bands on my first RC model too. That's all that there was on the plane in the picture on the box.

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

Excellent story!! I havent hit any cars but I did miss my buddies grandfather's house (we used to fly at his farm) by inches - I mean allmost flew into the front porch window! I was trying inverted flight for the first time and lost control... oops!

I can relate to that stuff also. We started at about the same time, I was a couple years later...

I cant wait till spring to try out the new Whizard...

AJC