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RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Coo... - 3/23/2006 9:52:07 PM   
Fisher



Posts: 614
Joined: 9/21/2004
From: Fort Richardson, AK, USA
Status: offline 		I would not pay more then $35 for another 3S 2000 mAh battery. Here is a 15C for $34 at Slowfly.com

SOC 2000mah 11.1v 15C $34.95
Rated by manufacturer at 15C
Comes with 16 gauge silicone wire with no connector

http://slofly.com/cart/product_info.php?cPath=21_162&products_id=940

If you look around you should be able to pick up a BP-21, 15 amp ESC and 3s 2000 mAh lipo battery for ~$75 delivered to your house.

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< Message edited by Fisher -- 3/23/2006 9:55:41 PM >

(in reply to Fisher)
       Post #: 151

RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Coo... - 4/1/2006 10:25:28 AM   
Espresso-Outfitters


 

Posts: 196
Joined: 12/24/2005
From: Tacoma, WA, USA
Status: offline 		I believe I can get a better price for batteries, my current supplier is putting them into the ARF's I order, and when I break down the package deal, I gotta wonder where he's making any money from if he was paying 35.00 for the same/equivelant battery as above. The charger is another element I finally nailed down, I'll get you name brands if you want, but they are not necessary, RCU has a good one in their store as well, the concept being controlling the numbers on the charger and making sure it's a field charger, so only drawing from a 12 volt source, I can now put away all of these accumulated wall and auto battery chargers "at last". It sais lipo, but does all of them, I picked it up 50.00 retail since the lipo was just dropped in my lap from the Jenny order.

Meanwhile, I picked up a new bird, it's called the Butterfly, I took it out to the field, it flew very well, but I didn't mount a carbon fiber rod that joins the wings together, so one of the mounts broke away 50 feet in the air, needless to say, I've now tested it's crash resitance feature to extreem levels. It took only a short time to get it back together, it even came with a replacement front end assembly for this worse case scenereo situation, ie. a noob nosing it into the ground at high velocitiy. I'm just impressed with this one and reccomend it as mandatory for the first 3 channel flier, way more then what I've flown in the past of this venue.

Here is a photo of it next to my Jenny:

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(in reply to Fisher)
       Post #: 152

RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Coo... - 4/3/2006 4:14:03 PM   
Fisher



Posts: 614
Joined: 9/21/2004
From: Fort Richardson, AK, USA
Status: offline 		Espresso-Outfitter,

I have seen a few posts on these planes in other forums lately. They have all been favorable with regard to performance and customer satisfaction. Looks like you are hooking up with a good outfit.

(in reply to Espresso-Outfitters)
       Post #: 153

RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Coo... - 4/3/2006 6:01:15 PM   
Espresso-Outfitters


 

Posts: 196
Joined: 12/24/2005
From: Tacoma, WA, USA
Status: offline 		Nothing but a big thumbs up with these guys on this end, so much so, I'm now an official distributor of theirs. I'm going to post a new thread in the noob's corner, hoping these new fliers will learn from my very expensive mistakes, and, if they take my advice, will realize how fun this can be and that they can actually fly, not dart in between radio interference.

(in reply to Fisher)
       Post #: 154

RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Coo... - 4/4/2006 11:45:10 PM   
critterhunter



Posts: 2542
Joined: 9/24/2004
From: Brook Park, OH, USA
Status: offline 		Have been pressed for time lately (owe the tax man $3000 by April 15th so I've been working 7 days a week to come up with some extra $$$$), but wanted to chime in and say I love the looks of that desert storm camo job Fisher! Man I have to build one of these soon. Also, Expresso...good looking planes there as well. Will try to coment more in the near future on previous posts. Only flying I've had time for lately is a few hours with the Aero Ace (love it) and one outing with the BP21 Stryker this past week. Fisher, keep on digging up the good deals on those lipo packs! Also, might want to check into GWS as I hear they now have some real cheap ($20 range) brushless motors on the market. If anybody has any info please post it. I've only heard a passing reference about them.


_____________________________

If you believe in Global Warming then shut your mouth. All that hot air is warming up the planet, remember?

(in reply to Espresso-Outfitters)
       Post #: 155

RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Coo... - 4/5/2006 11:05:19 AM   
Espresso-Outfitters


 

Posts: 196
Joined: 12/24/2005
From: Tacoma, WA, USA
Status: offline 		Sorry to hear about your dilema Critterhunter, living as a poor man all my life "until just now", tax time never was an issue, you don't end up owning much, if anything when you don't make much. I know you can pull it off though, you have a real passion for what you do and take alot of pride in it in spite of the fact it may not be apprieciated at times. Glad you at least can manage some time to go out flying, it's nice to be able to take those short breaks out the usual stress.

Fisher, I was awestruck with your cammo/rebuild of that one, it just looks so pro, like something you'd see on the shelves at your local hobby store, I'd be interested to see what other revisions you can do with it.

(in reply to critterhunter)
       Post #: 156

RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Co... - 4/5/2006 5:03:24 PM   
Fisher



Posts: 614
Joined: 9/21/2004
From: Fort Richardson, AK, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks for the kind words regarding the paint job. I will be trying out some additional schemes as time permits. I just finished cutting out 3 complete airframes from a 2' x 8' sheet of white EPS. 3 planes for under $10. You just cannot beat it. Now that I have the templates cut it takes less than 5 minutes to cut a wing starting with the full sheet of EPS.

Espresso,

PM me an address and I can try to get off my a#$ and send you the parts to assemble one of these. Not sure how well it will travel through the mail but all I can do is try. No promisses.

Critterhunter,

The GWS brushless is available at Balsa Products. It looks like it is intended to run on 2s (7.4 v) LiPo. Must be made to match the Slow-Stick. Only puts out about 15 oz of thrust.

http://www.balsapr.com/view.asp?id=A0987449&pid=W637375

I think that the Tower Pro BP series is still the best bang for the buck. Especially if you get them for under $18.

(in reply to Espresso-Outfitters)
       Post #: 157

RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Co... - 4/5/2006 10:02:30 PM   
critterhunter



Posts: 2542
Joined: 9/24/2004
From: Brook Park, OH, USA
Status: offline 		Expresso, thanks for the words of encouragement. Not too worried about it as I've got about half the money at the moment and can put the rest on a low intrest credit card card until the rest of the cash is in hand to pay it off. I'm not exactly rich either which is why I'm looking for a new career as said before. The thing that kills you as a one man company is social security. Most people don't know the employer pays 7% and the employee pays another seven. End result is 14% of every dollar I make is mandated to go to SS. What burns me about this is city and government workers who don't have to pay into SS. They get to stick money into private mutual funds that are very safe and average 12 to 15% growth a year, yet if I don't throw my money into the SS hole they'll stick me in jail. Now I ask you, why should a "public servant" have better rights then us...the people they are supposed to be working for?

Enough about my problems...Onto the plane. You'll be happy to know that I am at this very moment printing out this entire thread for review. I believe, thanks to you guys, I now have enough information to build the hot wire cutter and crank out some plane bodies. Going to go on a scavenger hunt over the next few days to piece the parts together. First trip is to the local tackle shop to pick up the fishing leader. I stopped in there a few weeks back and they had various diameter and long lengths of the stuff. Just needed the info from this thread to have a better guess at picking the right diameter as a first try. As stated, already have an old car battery charger that should work, etc, etc. You've all been very helpful. Watching you guys learn this as first timers as allowed me to sit back and let other people make mistakes for me.

Also, a slightly different question for anybody. A friend has a Challenger with a junk body that he wants to throw the electronics into something else. Was figuring this plane should be a good candidate as they both used 400 motors. Only question at the moment is the V-Tail controls of the Challenger. Will they work as airleons or is the movement different? I could sit down and think this one through but my mind (as you might guess) is too clouded with the words "IRS" at the moment. At the very least, a one flap configuration as the original foamie design calls for should be possible since up/down will be the same and I can use either servo for that side of the wing to get right/left correct. Servo location won't be a problem as I can easily snip the 5 wires to one of the servos, remove it from the Challenger RX board, and re-locate it onto the wing. Could even just use a Stryker servo since it is exactly the same thing and has a 5 wire harness already attached to it. A few simple snips and solders and she'd be ready for the dance. Somebody with less things on their mind sort this one out for me (V-Tail conversion to the foamie's wing flaps...two possible or stick with one?). I also have two working Challenger boards and a TX sitting around that I could throw into a few bodies just for the heck of it since I have no other plans for them other than collecting dust. While I still plan to build the BP21 and brushed 540 versions first, it'd be neat to have a little fleet of these birds with different paint schemes to play with. Could also use the Challenger versions as trainers for a few friends.

Fisher, by the way...how about giving us some details on that desert storm paint job as I plan to steal it. What kind of paint...how did you make the pattern on it....etc...etc. Remember, some times you have to explain things in detail to God's less gifted.

< Message edited by critterhunter -- 4/5/2006 10:10:08 PM >

_____________________________

If you believe in Global Warming then shut your mouth. All that hot air is warming up the planet, remember?

(in reply to Fisher)
       Post #: 158

RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Co... - 4/5/2006 11:45:32 PM   
Espresso-Outfitters


 

Posts: 196
Joined: 12/24/2005
From: Tacoma, WA, USA
Status: offline 		I got the privelage of flying a Challenger out in the field, apparently this guy came out the park where I was flying the Butterfly and it got out of range, this is after telling him to watch the power lines since they wreak havvoc over those little radio's reception, that and to stay down wind of the bird at all times, he pretty much ignored both, so went back to my car to hook up the field charger, and came back only to find he's struggling to regain control over this as it looped off into the wild blue yonder. He handed me the controls, I managed to get it back, it was a struggle since the receiver was only intermittently responding to my input, but I should have put it at our feet, since handing it back to him, he got it really out of range, where the radio's input was doing squat at that point, makes a nice free flight glider btw, at least I did manage to get a feel for the controls on it and can't see why the receiver/servo's can't be used for aerlons, you'll also be able to control both of them independantly giving you greater control then the usual set up which is what I'd like to try out next. Of course, you can make it easy on yourself and make another plane configured to the same specs as the original. I'm not that impressed with V tail controls, they are not responsive enough for me, so going with the aerlons may be the best way to go.

If you still can't put the foam cutter together, I'll mail you mine, it's been collecting dust and can rebuild another with little effort.

Fisher, thanks for the offer, I PMed you my info, when I can find some time, I'm going to create a foam mustang as well, perhaps I should expand upon the current free foam design/plans to turn it into a P38 Lightening as well, it so leans towards wanting to become that.




< Message edited by Espresso-Outfitters -- 4/6/2006 8:16:59 AM >

(in reply to critterhunter)
       Post #: 159

RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Co... - 4/6/2006 2:30:32 PM   
critterhunter



Posts: 2542
Joined: 9/24/2004
From: Brook Park, OH, USA
Status: offline 		Expresso, thanks for the offer on the foam cutter but I'm picking up parts today to build it. V-Tail design has pretty good control. The Challenger has two modes of flight and I'm guessing he had his set to the non-pro mode which only moves one flap at a time and gives less control. I probably wasn't specific enough with the details. I'll use one (or two...if flap movement on a V-tail matches the airleons) for control. For climb and decent I'll just use the Challenger motor as there is no third servo on the board to control lift. I'll simply give the tail flap enough stationary lift to climb on full throttle and glide down on lowest. That all comes later as my first builds will be with the BP21 and 540 motors using standard electronics. I'm mainly just interested in sorting this out for my friend and perhaps a few extra bodes I'll throw my spare Challenger guts into.

Fisher, home computer has bombed and so I don't have a way to download and use Compufoil. Wondering if you can do me a favor and post a diagram of the airfoil at exact dimensions so I can just print it out and trace it onto my airfoil jigs to make. Also, what's the best material to use to make the airfoil jigs? I would guess aluminum but wood might also work...Thickness and type of material you guys used would help.

Read through this entire thread after printing it out last night. Took notes on wire diameter, amp raitings, etc...and will be picking up the fishing leader and a few other parts today. Still believe I'll need to run a dimmer switch with the car battery charger set at 12V 6amps. After reading over various things I don't believe the variable dial that goes up to 1.2 amps on the car charger will get the wire hot enough. However, with it set on the static 12V 6amp setting I probably will need a dimmer switch to tame it down a bit. Am going to try it without one first to see if I can manage cuts. I would guess if I worked fast the too hot wire condition wouldn't be a problem. If anybody has picked up a dimmer switch from Home Depot or Lowes can you post a model number for me?

One other question about the board to fasten the airfoil templates to. Any specific material I should use or is pretty much anything good to go?

Have to head off to work but will probably pick up the parts tonight.


_____________________________

If you believe in Global Warming then shut your mouth. All that hot air is warming up the planet, remember?

(in reply to Espresso-Outfitters)
       Post #: 160

RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Co... - 4/6/2006 2:54:57 PM   
Espresso-Outfitters


 

Posts: 196
Joined: 12/24/2005
From: Tacoma, WA, USA
Status: offline 		Use laminate, ie. commonly known from the name brand "formica" as the jig material, double sided tape works fine for securing it, but hot glue or the contact cement that's on the shelves next to it from the hardware store works just as well if you want to actually mount it to something you can clamp down to remain in position while you run your wire over it, I found the current/heat dissapated when I used metal based jigs, the tape as fisher mentioned helps secure it down to the table, that and the weights, just be sure the work table surface is not raw wood, or something porus, formica or melamine, or painted surface will help with that area. When you put the cutter together, you will look back and wonder why it took you so long, it's really just too simple. You are correct with the current, working time ratio, I can cut in the 2 amp setting just as well as the 6, but it will tend to overheat and blemish the surface if I'm not working fast in the higher amperage mode, the dimmer switch is helpful, but not mandatory.

(in reply to critterhunter)
       Post #: 161

RE: Here's a Simple & FREE First Foam Build Plan! Co... - 4/6/2006 9:55:56 PM   
Fisher



Posts: 614
Joined: 9/21/2004
From: Fort Richardson, AK, USA
Status: offline 		Critterhunter,

Flying one of these planes with just ailerons and thrust control would take quite a bit of focus. The problem is turning. You would definitely want to use both servos with the v-tail mixing. This would give you some additional turn control. Not sure how much. The v-tail works since the control surfaces are usually quite far away from the center of the wing. Might be fun just to try for kicks.

The template material can be made from anything that is rigid and will not burn or melt too easily. The thinner the better for keeping total width to a minimum. I will try to post a Compfoil template that will print out to the proper dimensions for you. As usual no guarantees. Ignore any curve to the bottom of the wing. Just use the flat side of the foam for the bottom and focus on shaping the top side. Formica, thin aluminum or even sheet metal should work.

Good luck with the hot wire cutter. You are on the right track.

(in reply to critterhunter)