Posts: 380
Joined: 6/3/2005 From: Houston,
TX, USA Status: online
Definitely a scratch built Hots. I call it my "Stupid Plane" because I do stuff that's just plain stupid with it. Two weeks ago I stuffed one doing low snapping stall turns into spins. I was seeing how low I could recover from them and went one half turn too many. Yeah, it was stupid but I'd had a ball for the last year with the plane doing just this kind of thing so it was well worth it.
One week later I was flying a new Hots. One evening to frame and sheet the wing. Another evening to hinge/bevel the ailerons, shape the LE and sand the wing. One full day to build the fuse and complete the construction (reused the tail surfaces from the previous plane). A partial day to do controls and hardware. An evening for covering. Another evening to reinstall everything and break in the new OS 46 AX that finally replaced the 30 year old Enya 40.
And this Hots is more than 1/2 lb. lighter than the previous. It's faster, has better vertical acceleration and snaps harder than anything I've ever flown.
So last weekend I was out doing the exact same move that stuffed the last one and having a blast.
Posts: 2235
Joined: 1/16/2004 From: Formosa, ARGENTINA Status: offline
my beater is my ARF trainer that I learned to fly on. About 18 months ago I stripped it down and re monokoted it, added a turtle deck, made it a tail dragger, cut a bay out of each wing and almost tripled control surface size.
Its a blast to fly. No fear of losing it. THe plane must have several hundred flights on it by now.
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Posts: 601
Joined: 8/31/2002 From: Oak Ridge,
NC, USA Status: offline
Isn't funny how some beater planes are hard to kill, while your prized possession usually can't make one flight without an "incident"?
BTW, mine is a Phoenix Decathlon. Bought it for less than $100, installed an old HB.61 and I've been trying like hell to rip the wings off it ever since.
Posts: 171
Joined: 11/25/2005 From: Adelaide, AUSTRALIA Status: online
Hello Dave, just wondering how your Hots ballanced? The first one that I built was tail heavy(enya 45powered), so on the second I added .25 of an inch to the front of the fueslarge which was better but still needed a little nose weight(ASP 40 powered). I have started a new one this time with built up wings ( the first two were foam ) but plan on using an OS45LA which is a light motor compared to the first two. Matthw. P.S how about a photo of the seven day HOTS?
I refuse to apply the term 'beater' to it, but my favorite 'always comes to the field with me' plane is my Global SST.09 ARF with a Norvel .074 w/flyquiet pipe. I picked it up used at a swap meet, as it was only offered new for about a year. Global priced them at $100.00 new, and I imagine there weren't many sold. The scary part though, is that I haven't come across one for sale in two years, and I worry about a crash I might not be able to fix...
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Posts: 380
Joined: 6/3/2005 From: Houston,
TX, USA Status: online
My previous Hots was nose heavy with the Enya 40. Battery and radio were as far back as possible and it still needed 2 ounces of tail weight to get the CG where I wanted it.
The Seven Day Hots, I like that! But we'll have to make it The Six Day Hots, look at the tail! So the Six Day Hots turned out nose heavy when I put the equipment back where it was in the previous Hots, even with the lighter .46 AX replacing the Enya. I moved the battery all the way forward and the radio right behind it and added about an ounce of weight on the motor mount to get a good starting CG. In the first 2 days of flying I'd already removed all the weight and I'm now flying it with no additional weighting and the battery still forward.
The CG is currently about 1/4" behind the spar and I'm planning to move it a little more aft as my down lines still have a tendency to pull out a little and it's still plenty stable in pitch.
Posts: 380
Joined: 6/3/2005 From: Houston,
TX, USA Status: online
quote:
ORIGINAL: dbacque
So the Six Day Hots turned out nose heavy when I put the equipment back where it was in the previous Hots, even with the lighter .46 AX replacing the Enya.
Oops! I meant the new one turned out tail heavy with the battery where it was in the previous one.
Posts: 146
Joined: 6/27/2002 From: Turnersville,
NJ, USA Status: offline
Hey Dave:
Let's have a Hots contest. (lol)
Midwest Original Hots, OS46, Macs Muffler, rudder extended .5 inch, nose extended .5 inch to accept 8 oz tank. Built this kit last year. Club member had this kit it in his attic for over 15 years. My favorite!!!
kf
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Posts: 171
Joined: 11/25/2005 From: Adelaide, AUSTRALIA Status: online
Nice looking Hots! the "6" day Hots will be a challege for me soon. I just have to finish another project then I will see how long I can do one in, but I think that your record will be safe. As for the W&B both of mine came out tail heavy? Strange. For the Hots contest here is a photo of my second one which also had a foam wing but this time with balsa rathar than brown paper covering. I sold this one to buy a new OS. It died at the hands of the new owner I think on his first flight with it. Matt
Posts: 2084
Joined: 10/3/2003 From: London Mills,
IL, USA Status: offline
Great subject Piper! Mine would by far have to be my old Vmar stick 60. This thing is so cheaply built and such a hunk of junk, yet I find it fun to fly. This Plane requires a heaping helping of CA and epoxy after each flying session. You can hear the hot glue joints a poppin apart as it flys, and it is such an ugly ole thing! Still I like to fly it! It is covered in monkote scraps because it was not worth wasting a good roll of monokote over! Yet I like to fly it! I think the wing incidence is off some and the wing might even be warped some from the cheap cottonwood like stuff they used to build it! Yet I like to fly it!
Posts: 1109
Joined: 8/28/2002 From: Waldorf,
MD, USA Status: offline
My beater is a SPAD. I am suprised nobody else mentioned one . For a flying rain gutter I sure have a lot of fun with it. Its the one airplane I will fly no matter what the weather is, gusty winds, rain, bring it on! I have had several engines on it, Super Tiger .51, Enya SS .50, O.S. Max .50 SX, and it currently is breaking in a Thunder Tiger .46 with a Performance Specialties muffler. Its my favorite airplane to test and break in engines with, once they come off the test stand.
< Message edited by CCRC1 -- 5/16/2006 4:16:33 AM >
Posts: 477
Joined: 4/9/2005 From: Eustis,
FL, USA Status: offline
Mine is my Slow Poke Sport 40. Put on an old OS.48 that had a ton of time on it when I bought it and still chugs along. Love to start the day with that plane and leave it up in the air for 15-20 minutes doing touch and go's or just enjoying watching it doing low and slow passes.
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RE: What's your favorite beater plane? - 
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