My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work  
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> S.P.A.D. Aircraft - Coroplast design >> My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work
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My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 1:12:37 AM   
guinea13


 

Posts: 42
Joined: 4/8/2003
From: Simpsonville, SC, USA
Status: offline 		This is my first spad that I have created. It is about 90% complete. I used a 40 inch 2x2 fiber cable duct for my fuse. It has a detachable top. I only made the part where the servo, RX, and battery section detachable. The rest is glued down for stability purposes. This design was a combination of the SPADET and the debonair. I am going to use a irvine .40 engine with tuned pipe for my power plant. As you can see from my piture I had problems fitting the fuel tank into the fuse. The tank is just bigger than the fuse so I had to cut out a section of the fuse. This made the fuse pretty weak so I added some support strips to the fuse to stiffen it up. I have to firewalls. The first one is pretty small about 4 mill. It is use to support the front landing gear. I put little aluminum angle plates to help support the stress. The second firewall is for the engine. It is made of 2 pieces of 1/2 inch plastic (cutting board). It should be strong enough. My wing is 60 inches long with an 11" Chord (not including ailerons) and a 5 inch dihedral. They came out pretty good (I think). I also had to add cross bracing to the back off the fuse beacuse it seemed to twist pretty easy.

The reason I am starting this thread is to get your comments and suggestions on what may be wrong or what may need improvement. I am also concerned with weight. I am not sure what the plane should weigh. Maybe you guys can give me an idea of how to calculate what the weight should be for this size plane.

Let me know what you think.

(sorry about the picture. It is a windows paint production. I didn't get to take pictures of the plane yet.

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       Post #: 1

My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 3:56:42 AM   
stdun


 

Posts: 216
Joined: 3/8/2003
From: Fort Bragg, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Looks like you're trying to re-invent the wheel. For your first spad I suggest following the well proven plans available at spadtothebone.com . The plans are much easier than what you're trying. After you've built a few and understand them better you could move on to "Beyond Spad" and stretch the limits. Only a suggestion as I've built lots of these and still have a hard time out engineering the spad folks.

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       Post #: 2

My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 5:28:02 AM   
guinea13


 

Posts: 42
Joined: 4/8/2003
From: Simpsonville, SC, USA
Status: offline 		Understandable. But this is built from to two similar trainer designs. I only incorporated things that I liked about both into one. Also, I used a 2x2 pipe instead of 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 because I could not find anything else.

This design should work considering that I didn't change any of the sizes or major components.

Thanks for your input though.

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       Post #: 3

My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 6:20:50 AM   
MalaysianFlyer


 

Posts: 1024
Joined: 1/14/2003
From: KL, MALAYSIA
Status: offline 		Guinea13,

Try it and see!!!! Thats the beauty of SPAD, you get to experiment and it doesn't cost a bomb if you crash. Good luck flying it

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       Post #: 4

My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 6:39:08 AM   
ChrisSpad



Posts: 1523
Joined: 4/19/2002
From: Cordova, TN,
Status: offline 		i think i'd put the fuel tank on top.

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No matter how many planes i plant, they just won't grow.
[link]http://www.chrisspad.com/planes/[/link]

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       Post #: 5

My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 7:06:34 AM   
guinea13


 

Posts: 42
Joined: 4/8/2003
From: Simpsonville, SC, USA
Status: offline 		Got some pics finally, Had to down the quality because of the size limit.

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< Message edited by guinea13 -- Apr 22 2003 10:49AM >

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My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 7:07:52 AM   
guinea13


 

Posts: 42
Joined: 4/8/2003
From: Simpsonville, SC, USA
Status: offline 		pic 2

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My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 7:08:28 AM   
guinea13


 

Posts: 42
Joined: 4/8/2003
From: Simpsonville, SC, USA
Status: offline 		pic 3

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My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 7:14:58 AM   
guinea13


 

Posts: 42
Joined: 4/8/2003
From: Simpsonville, SC, USA
Status: offline 		pic 5

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My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 7:15:43 AM   
guinea13


 

Posts: 42
Joined: 4/8/2003
From: Simpsonville, SC, USA
Status: offline 		pic 8

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< Message edited by guinea13 -- Apr 22 2003 2:39AM >

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My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 7:53:53 AM   
guinea13


 

Posts: 42
Joined: 4/8/2003
From: Simpsonville, SC, USA
Status: offline 		pic

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My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 7:59:22 AM   
RSands



Posts: 433
Joined: 3/15/2002
From: Toledo, OH, USA
Status: offline 		I would have used a different tank so as not to weaken the fuse by having to cut it up, but my guess is it'll be fine. I'd use main gear wider than what's shown in your drawing to prevent tip overs, and depending on how tough the fuse is, you may have to put some reinforcement in the bottom for the gear. Where's the CG going to be? Another consideration for gear placement. Too far back and the plane won't rotate for take-off. How well is the firewall in? might want to run some screws into it as well. As far as wing loading, try to keep it to under 6 lbs and it'll slow down pretty decent. As with any new design, throttle control and controlled testing will be key until you find out how sound the design and components are. Good luck!

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       Post #: 12

My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 8:40:10 AM   
Daryl


 

Posts: 77
Joined: 2/20/2003
From: British Columbia
Status: offline 		Interesting for sure. The fuse picture looks like a torturous deal to build, all those criss/crosses. The 2" tube by itself would have been OK, wouldn't it?
:BTW- Sullivan sells tanks in all shapes and sizes, including 8ounce and 6 ounce tanks that'll fit inside a 2" fuse. Check them out at sullivan.com. You arn't rstricted to rectangular tanks. I prefer the round ones, myself. Seems to me, the 8 ounce tand is only 1 7/8" in dia. That should fit just fine inside the fuse. I wouldn't worry about foam padding. Just put a couple drops of ArmorAll in the gallin jub to prevent or reduce foaming.

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Daryl (Crash)

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       Post #: 13

My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 3:07:51 PM   
guinea13


 

Posts: 42
Joined: 4/8/2003
From: Simpsonville, SC, USA
Status: offline 		The main firewall has not been screwed in yet. I just slipped it in to check the fit. I looked every where for a tank that would fit. Must of missed that one. It is ok though. The fuse has been re-enforced and is very strong. The CG should be just behind the take. I have to put in the radio and engine before I can figure that one out. I have built the plane with strength in mind (that is why I am worried about weight). The nose landing gear should be ok since it is bolted in with it's own firewall.

The fuse had alot of flex when I was checking the stress as I was twisting it. This could be because I did not have the top on the fuse. But it still seemed a little too flexy. It only took like ten minutes to put in the cross bracing.

The sullivan tank that is 1 7/8 wide has a 2 1/4 height. This would still make it so I would have to cut the top. They just don't make a long 8oz. tank that is about 1 3/4 round. The next closest one is a cylindar tank about 1 15/16 x 1 15/16. I never saw this one until today. Would have used it. Oh, well can't win them all.

I can't wait to fly it. I am getting my engine and radio gear today (Irvine .40 w/ tuned pipe, Futaba 6YG radio).

I definitley need to make the part where the tank is a little nicer to look at (man it's ugly right now, though it should fly).

Thanks for the comments.

< Message edited by guinea13 -- Apr 22 2003 10:47AM >

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       Post #: 14

My first SPAD - checking to see if design will work - 4/22/2003 5:47:25 PM   
Daryl


 

Posts: 77
Joined: 2/20/2003
From: British Columbia
Status: offline 		The Sullivan tanks I'm referring to are round. They make all different sizes in round ones, right up a 16 ounce that will fit into a 2 1/2" fuse. They, of course make bigger and smaller tanks as well.

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Daryl (Crash)

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