sterbejj

Friends,

I built a SIG 4-Star 40 ARF back in 2010 as my step-up airplane after re-entering the hobby following a 20+ year layoff. I got back into the hobby in 2005 or so, re-entering with a "Wing-Dragon" electric and a vintage Avistar (not the thing Tower calls an Avistar today). I have over 400 documented flights on my 4-Star 40 which is now on its third engine, third tail-wheel, third main gear, and second Super Monokote recovering. I am the South Carroll Aeromodellers Club custodian of two club trainer aircraft, a SIG LT-40 and a SIG Mid-Star 40. I like SIG airplanes and recommend them highly for both beginners and advanced members of our model aircraft fraternity. Please include me in future postings/mailgrams/notices about this fine line of model aircraft.

Casey Sterbenz
AMA 86189
President - SCAM

daniberry

How can I come in the list?

acdii

Our Resident Keeper of the List shall have you guys added in no time!

skylark-flier

Yup, I'm back on-line after a short SNAFU around here (nothing abnormal about that at all). Glad to see another couple brothers checking in too - gotcha both logged - - sterbejj's got #192 and daniberry's got #193. WELCOME to the SIG Brotherhood y'all!!! Geez Casey, your 4*40's almost broken in now (LOL).

Hokay, here's the Brotherhood, as I've got it today (and hopefully, as 3-columns):

sterbejj

I just joined this thread so I don't know if this problem has been addressed previously. I was given a much used Mid-Star which I plan to use as a club advanced trainer. I quickly discovered that ground handling left something to be desired. Built according to the plans, the landing gear (this model is built as a tail dragger) is almost at the balance point. Our club runway is rough grass and, since the tail wheel wire is quite springy, the Mid-Star tail feathers bounce quite a bit while taxiing, often enough to cause a nose over, dorking the prop in the process, even when trying to keep the tail wheel on the ground using full elevator. The plane would often nose over while taxiing on rollout after landing. The model is balanced per the plans and flies beautifully so moving the balance point aft was out of the question. I decided to move the landing gear forward to see if that would solve the problem. The landing gear is secured by four bolts inserted into t-nuts embedded in the floor of the model. I moved the landing gear forward so the aft pair of l/g holes was secured to the forward pair of t-nuts in the fuselage. I glued in a plywood doubler to the inside bottom of the fuselage forward of the F2 bulkhead, then drilled for and inserted t-nuts aligned with the forward pair of holes in the l/g. Ground handling improved markedly, no more tail feather bouncing on taxi, no more nose-over on rollout. I have about 50 flights on this model since obtaining it last Spring and have about a dozen flights on it since relocating the landing gear. I am now more confident that I can use the Mid-Star as a club advanced trainer without worrying about poor ground handling causing problems during training sessions.

bobsrc

It is common practice to place the axles under the leading edge of the wing when converting a trike gear airplane to a tail dragger when flying off of grass. On a hard surface you can tolerate moving the slightly to the rear.

acdii

I cleared a space on my bench to layout a wing panel plan for the 4*60 and it looks like I can fit the retracts I have easy enough. The angle of the mounts can put the wheels just ahead of the LE too. My only problem now is fitting the retract servo. If I put the retracts so the wheels are close to the original positions, but spread out 4" more, then no room for the servo in the middle of the wing. If I move the retract to the next bay I can fit a servo, but now the wheels are 8" further apart.

Think this would be an issue, or make it more stable?

2.75" wheels fit neatly between the LE and the spar, and with them close to center, no ribs are removed, but moving them out to make room for the servo, then I have to move at least one front rib over, and add some ply to strengthen the area. The only thing I haven't checked is wing thickness, but these mechanical retracts are not very big. I already know which servo to use, a proportional retract servo by spectrum. I have a pair in my P-47 and they work great. The can be slowed down, and set the end points as well.

bobsrc

The wider tread would be an asset to ground handling.

ETpilot

This is my entry for the Brotherhood and hopefully a number. Back in mid 2014 I decided to return to RC. I found and joined RCU and looked for a plane to build. I found the plans for the Sig Kadet LT-40. This is my 3rd model built. It is scratch built, stick built and tail dragger. I follow plans sort of. This plane did teach me a lot about building. I used Sig Koverall and spray painted with latex paint. It still has not flown. I plan to do taxi test and ground runs when I have time. Soon!

I had to make a few build accessories. A few pictures to follow. Sorry, my iPad does not allow me to post multiple pictures.

ETpilot

When I built my 2nd airplane, an Ugly Stik, I found you need a way to hold a plane if you want to spray paint. So I modified a stand I had made and made it into an airplane paint stand. Here the fuselage can be easily rotated to get to all surfaces.

ETpilot

Wing painting. The top.

ETpilot

What about the bottom?

ETpilot

Control surfaces.Easy painting.

ETpilot

The LT-40 tail wheel is a special case. I had made this wire bender and made my tail wheel. The tail wheel pictured is just a sample. Tail wheel is for another airplane.

ETpilot

My iPad picture posting is a pain. Finally you need an engine stand. I made this adjustable one. It works with beam mounts. For rear mount engines I can make an adapter. If I ever go that route

skylark-flier

Welcome, ETpilot, to the SIG Brotherhood!! Gotcha logged with #194. I, personally, like your idea of accessories - pretty good stuff.

Just curious - what did you use to fuel-proof the latex?

Here's the SIG Brotherhood, as I've got it today (hopefully, 3 columns):

patersson

hello brotherhood,this site chinglabs.com is one of the sites that got me scammed 2weeks ago.They have not sent what i ordered and they are not replying to my emails nor messages. I paid with bitcoin but also they have credit option which i presume will also be a scam. so watch out. Please those you know to help others

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Bitcoin was the give away.

ETpilot

skylark-flier thanks.

I've used Deft products for years. So for the top coat I again went with Deft. The problem is that the company, I believe, has changed hands and it is no longer the product I have used in the past. Still, I went with it. I could only find it in spray cans so I bought a case. I tested it on my SPAD airplane and it has held up well. No yellowing so far. The gloss is not as super shiny as it had been. The product is Deft, Defthane, Polyurethane, Clear Gloss. Interior-Exterior.

The SPAD is a good test vehicle for paint.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Your engine stand looks like it would be easy to modify for both Gas and glow engines. Here is a photo of the engine stand I bought. They guy builds them by hand, beautiful work. The first picture is the way it was shipped and how I store all the pieces when I'm not using it. The little box holds the ignition module.

skylark-flier

Yeah, I know Deft quite well - use Deft products almost exclusively in my scrollsaw shop for wood finishing, mostly the lacquers though. Didn't know it would work as a fuel-proofer though - that's good news.

ETpilot

Good to hear you are a Deft user. Great product. Here is a picture of my SPAD. Painted early 2015 and picture taken March 2017. Paint has held up well. Still has a shine to it. Glow fuel engine.

ETpilot

I have to agree. That is a beautifully crafted stand. Mine is barely fancy by comparison. But it does serve my needs. The engine is pinned in place plus I have front and back stops. The engine pictured is an OS GGT-10 gas engine. I have 2 fuel tanks set up one for glow and one for gas. Tank position is adjustable, throttle connection too. I have a screw that I use to set idle speed and later idle cutoff. It does work pretty good for me. I have an OS 55AX on it now. Waiting for me to run it up when I have time.

Big Stikflyer

Flyer in OKC,
The guy you bought your test stand from, does he have a Website or is he local for you. I like it and I'm looking for a test stand for my bigger engines (.70 and up to at least 60cc gassers). Any way you can put me in touch with him?
Thanks

sterbejj

The attached .pdf copied from "The Basics of R/C Model Aircraft Design" by Andy Lennon (ISBN: 0-911295-40-2), page 75, shows optimum landing gear geometry for both conventional and tricycle landing gear. As designed (according to the SIG drawings for the Mid-Star) the conventional gear main wheel is located 14 degrees forward of the balance point. This is the L/G location that was giving me ground handling trouble. When I moved the L/G forward an inch the angle came in at 20 degrees forward of the balance point. That change made all the difference, virtually eliminating the nose-over problem that plagued my earlier taxiing experiences.