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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> "1/2 A" & "1/8 A" airplanes >> Your Best SMALL flying tips.
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Your Best SMALL flying tips. - 2/14/2003 6:44:50 PM   
DICKEYBIRD



Posts: 2668
Joined: 4/8/2002
From: Collierville, TN, USA
Status: offline 		I found a little closer view of the Camel cowl:

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"He who dies with the most good Cox engines wins!"

(in reply to matchlessaero)
       Post #: 26

Your Best SMALL flying tips. - 2/15/2003 6:50:44 PM   
DICKEYBIRD



Posts: 2668
Joined: 4/8/2002
From: Collierville, TN, USA
Status: offline 		Here's a shot of the male plugs that were used for the soda bottle cowlings. The spun aluminum one works good for an .049, the basswood one is for .020's. The 1 3/8" hole in the wood plug was drilled with a forstner bit so that the cowl opening could be trimmed with it still on the plug so that it would end up round and centered.

The larger .049 cowling, when centered properly, is just the right size for a little bit of a Texaco head on a TD to protrude slightly; not enough to look clunky, but just enough to get a little extra air on the head itself.

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_____________________________

"He who dies with the most good Cox engines wins!"

(in reply to matchlessaero)
       Post #: 27

Your Best SMALL flying tips. - 5/4/2003 12:23:28 PM   
MR Flyer57



Posts: 528
Joined: 7/23/2002
From: Elko, NV, USA
Status: offline 		Hello Dave Campbell,
I read your post that said "Try laminting film with a little spraypaint fogged over that."
with great interest.

Some questions though, does the laminat have its own glue, or do you use something? Also are there any tricks to getting it around corners?
One more thing,,, I have used covering to change the washout in larger gliders and have had some strange warps put into some of the smaller 1/2 A planes because of covering. Any tips on preventing the covering from bending and warping the fuse and wings of the smaller planes?

Comments from anyone welcome,
Thanks again,
MR Flyer57

(in reply to matchlessaero)
       Post #: 28

Your Best SMALL flying tips. - 5/4/2003 12:38:11 PM   
MR Flyer57



Posts: 528
Joined: 7/23/2002
From: Elko, NV, USA
Status: offline 		Sorry for turning you in Dickybird,,, but you have shown me a trick I just can't keep quiet about.

I have received some Dickybird stickers.
Included in the envelope was some stuff that I still don't have a name for.
It is a clear plastic. The instructions were to cut out a little and apply it over the stickers and iron it down like you would monocoat.

This stuff will fuel proof the stickers and weighs nothing. This is one of the great untold tips that I have been shown.

Before it took a coat of clear to protect the stickers and there was always a over spray problem, unless you were willing to spray the whole plane.

This takes care of that with one step in no time at all.

So I give up,,,, what is it and where did you get it?
I can only keep the glaring light on so long, until we put you through the same interrogation the cox team used on the norvel with the broken rod!!
(If you didn't see it your in for a treat!!) Sorry I don't know how to attach a link to another post. Look for: RCUniverse - The Ultimate RC Forum! > AIRPLANES > "1/2 A" & "1/8 A" planes & aircraft > OK, you Norvelites....

MR Flyer

(in reply to matchlessaero)
       Post #: 29

Your Best SMALL flying tips. - 5/5/2003 8:28:09 AM   
Dave Campbell



Posts: 199
Joined: 10/5/2002
From: Detroit, MI
Status: offline 		MR Flyer57:

Laminating film/Doculam has it's own heat activated adhesive on the backside, it works just like any other low temp covering. In my experience, it's a lot easier to use than Monokote/Ultracote/Econokote. In fact, nowadays it's included with many of the small parkflyer/slowflyer kits being sold by the cottage industry.

I did a review of a plane called the Switchback-3D recently, and had my second experience with it. Previously I used it on a sheeted wing with good results, the Switchback is a bag-o-sticks type of fun-flyer and I had little trouble with the covering job.

As with any wingtip that has open structure, you need to make a relief slit in the really tight radiuses, then tack the covering along the wingtip center line. Once that's done you make slits at say 3/8" intervals on the covering that's overhanging the center and procede by heat sealing the center line. Repeat this for the other side of the tip and you should be able to heat shrink the tip tight as a drum.

A note about coverings, especially coverings like Moneykote: They look really good and were the neatest thing since ball-bearings in the '70s, but they are more like Plastic Lead. The light structures on 1/2A type planes are no match for Monokote and an excitable hand swinging the heat gun, so if you aren't careful you can warp a small wing. On the other hand, I've never warped a wing so badly with MoneyKote that I couldn't get it out by working the other side.

Dave

_____________________________

Huked on foniks werkd fore me.

(in reply to matchlessaero)
       Post #: 30

Your Best SMALL flying tips. - 5/5/2003 5:11:11 PM   
DICKEYBIRD



Posts: 2668
Joined: 4/8/2002
From: Collierville, TN, USA
Status: offline 		Hey MrFlyer,

Glad the stuff worked OK for ya! Yes, it's laminating film: Doculam. I got mine at http://www.laminatorwarehouse.com/index.html The minimum order quantity is 2 - 500 ft. rolls but that's not a problem; it's only $9.00/roll for the 9" wide size. It comes in widths up to 28" but I only wanted it for small planes.

ps: If you want to post a link to a specific address, just go to the desired spot, highlight the address in the address bar, click Edit, then Copy, go to your post and click Edit then Paste. Voila!

_____________________________

"He who dies with the most good Cox engines wins!"

(in reply to matchlessaero)
       Post #: 31

Your Best SMALL flying tips. - 5/5/2003 5:19:55 PM   
DICKEYBIRD



Posts: 2668
Joined: 4/8/2002
From: Collierville, TN, USA
Status: offline 		Here's a few things I find VERY useful in the 1/2A world.

1) I use a 5AH NiCd battery with heavy gauge silicone insulated stranded wire (Like the electric power guys use) and a Dubro clothespin style clip. It WILL light any and all plugs VERY well!

2) Snap-On thin 5/8" wrench (they used to call 'em "Tappet" wrenches) with the sides ground down thin enough to fit the flats at the top of Cox .049/.051 cylinders. You can get them TIGHT or remove an old, stuck one without spreading the jaws! I cut mine in half (the other end was a 9/16" so that it fits in my support box neater.

3) 9/32" wrench with the sides ground down to fit the TD .049/.049 venturis. Gives better feel and control when snugging 'em down.

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_____________________________

"He who dies with the most good Cox engines wins!"

(in reply to matchlessaero)
       Post #: 32

Your Best SMALL flying tips. - 5/5/2003 10:39:21 PM   
MR Flyer57



Posts: 528
Joined: 7/23/2002
From: Elko, NV, USA
Status: offline 		More great information Dickybird,
Here is the address for the great comedy I talked about in the earlier post

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/tm.asp?m=546634

Hope this works!! I am using this as a test also.

Dickybird,
I was looking at the cowls that you have made from the bottles and was wondering if you have tried shapes other than round?

I was going to give it a try, and I don't want to repeat any steps that you have already tried and found to be worthless.

Here is the tip that I use most for 1/2 A stuff.
For fueling I use horse syringes. Living here in Nevada, you can still go down and buy them over the counter.

I don't know if they are restricted anywhere but, I always feel they will look upon me as a full blown heroine user each time I go to get them.

They never do, doctoring you own animals is a common practice and I guess I look the part.

I use the long needles and grind off the sharp part, add some small fuel line. I can reach into any fuel bottle and get what I need.
The extra benefits are that for testing you see just how much fuel you use, or if the motor dies you can see how much you had left.

Man I have got to get another table top, 15 years of building and fixing crashes have made it look bad in the pictures!!! :

MR Flyer577

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(in reply to matchlessaero)
       Post #: 33

Your Best SMALL flying tips. - 5/5/2003 11:00:19 PM   
DICKEYBIRD



Posts: 2668
Joined: 4/8/2002
From: Collierville, TN, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by MR Flyer57
I was looking at the cowls that you have made from the bottles and was wondering if you have tried shapes other than round?[/QUOTE]Yup, I've made several canopies out of the same stuff. My favorite one is on the BadaBing. I carved a med. balsa male plug and heat shrunk it, similar to the cowls. You can make one from the green plastic bottles and it looks like it's tinted! Here's a pic:

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_____________________________

"He who dies with the most good Cox engines wins!"

(in reply to matchlessaero)
       Post #: 34

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