F-89 Driver

I'm thinking of purchasing a Spirit 100 ARF. It comes with flaps and ailerons, but has a spoiler option. I would like to be able to enter RES events. Will contest directors allow this bird to compete if I disconnect the aileron and flap servos, and use only the spoilers? Does anybody have experience doing so with similar kinds of sailplanes? I would consider building a spoiler-only Spirit 100 wing to use as an option, but I can't find any source for such a wing kit. Tower says they don't carry that wing kit separately anymore, and I'd have to buy a complete Spirit 100 kit just to build the spoiler wing option. Any advice out there?

charliey

I built a Spirit 100 - from scratch. A kit. No way ARF. This had no ailerons or flaps provisions, but there was a spoiler option. Also there was a "one wing" and "split wing " option. I went for the first of these.

The spoilers were to be operated by one servo in the fuse pulling on strings to pull on horns on the spoilers. For pullstrings I used 3kG mono. Naturally one had to uncouple this arrangement every time one took the wing off, and fiddle the string back onto the servo hook when putting the wing on. Not a simple matter. A pain in the butt, in fact. Then, there was the matter of getting the servo pulling symmetrically on the two servo horns. I never did get it right. Further, I never did find the spoilers were very effective, even on the occasions when I had the pullstrings balanced pretty well.

Eventually I took a hacksaw and cut the wing in two, and reworked the spars to carry joiner - coupling tubes. I then tried feather servos in the wings, which worked out moderately well, but not enough to justify the complexity and added weight.
Eventually I took the servos out and taped overthe spoilers.

Rots of Ruck.

BMatthews

If you have the aileron Spirit then I think you'll find that if you remove the ailerons then you won't have enough rudder and dihedral to turn in a snappy manner. You need to get an RES specific model or highly modify what you have.

papermache

My Feedback: (35)

F-89,

Get the KIT. It comes with ribs for BOTH an RES wing and an aileron wing (but only enough sticks for one wing). If you build the kit with the RES wing, you'll be ready for any contest. It's NOT a hard plane to build either.

papermache

papermache

My Feedback: (35)

I just thought of another tack you could take. Buy the kit, build the RES wing, then buy a replacement ARF fuselage from Tower (I checked and they do sell that.) Use the tail out of the kit as well. (or just build the kit , but it seems that shiny fiberglass fuselage is the main attraction of the ARF)

papermache (again)

SoCal GliderGuider

The trick on the single servo in the fuse spoilers is to cut both spoiler control arms the same and locate them in the spoiler blades in the same place before you cover and install the blades.

Leave the screw out of the servo arm and take the arm off (single piece wing or center section) when you remove the wing. Or put two small servos in the wings, one under each spoiler and use an extended arm to push the spoiler open against a spring or rubber band. don't make a hard linkage between the servo and the spoiler because a stalled servo drains the battery very fast.

For a two piece wing I make small wire hooks for the ends of the string and drop these through the servo arm hole.