pinball-RCU
Posts: 501
Joined: 9/22/2002
From: Garrett Park, Maryland
Status: offline
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Philippe,
Thank you so much for writing! Spadonians frequently get overly enthusiastic and optimistic, so it's really good to get an honest report from a first-time builder.
On the issue of paying too much for coro (and the fact you could get a complete plane for the same price): I wouldn't sweat it too much. Nobody likes to get ripped off, but you bought enough coro for 8 wings. Except for the fact that Spadonians love building new wings, you've bought, effectively, a life time supply. It's almost impossible to permanently damage a coro wing.
On the time it takes to build a Spad. You are right, it's been oversold. Most of us take much longer to build a Spad than Tattoo does (like 5 times as long). But, it gets much quicker. After my first DPS, I was able to build the next three (together) in about the same time to build the first one.
On the issue of weight: Using 2mm coro brings the weight down a little, but I hope nobody here said a coro wing weighs the same as balsa. A balsa wing is a thing of great beauty, incredible strong, but very light weight. On the other hand, the coro wing is light enough, and it's much less expensive and faster to build, and a bit more rugged.
On the squareness of the fuse: I thought a lot about this when I built my first durable model, a U.S. Aircore. I figured the Aircore would drive a wood-builder nuts. With wood, some patience, and a good square, you can achieve perfection. Perfectly square, perfectly parallel, etc. With coro, it just doesn't happen. The stuff doesn't lay flat enough to even get the square on it. Don't bother. Just get it so it looks right. The flexibility of the material is a good thing, not a bad one.
On the issue of glue: In addition to the comments from others, I would recommend coro primer for CA. You don't hear about it much because in Spad terms, it's expensive ($20 will buy you enough for maybe 6 planes). In terms of wood modeling that's spare change, so I use it just to avoid the hassle and skills of flashing.
On the issue of cutting coro at an angle: OK, there's a little skill involved here, but compared to the hassle of, say, sanding the leading edge of a wood wing or hinging the control surfaces of a wood plane, or ironing on Monokote, I just don't think there's any comparison. It wouldn't be fun if there weren't some skill involved.
Which ever way you decide to go, Good Luck!
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design >> Venting some SPAD Frustration!!! 
Venting some SPAD Frustration!!! - 
Venting some SPAD Frustration!!! - 
Venting some SPAD Frustration!!! - 
Venting some SPAD Frustration!!! -