Steff

I will start to build the electrified Big Bird soon. After inheriting a never started Dynaflyte BOT from a friend I fell in love with the design, but could not make to much sense out of the instructions. Hope the Skytech kit is better, actually I am sure it is. One reason is that I hardly find any posts about that kit, and I know it is quite popular.

Any tips and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Stefan

BillHarris

Ray Hayes' Big Birds are some of the best kits around. He does have supplemental instructions at his web site at http://www.skybench.com/ .

Thornburg's BoT is a classic, but the Dynaflite kits is a flop. Incomprehensible instructions and a pitiful selection of wood.

You'll like the BigBird.

Steff

Thanks Bill.

Skybenchs web site, what I saw and read there was actually the reason to buy that plane. Can't wait until it arrives.

hawksnest

Stephen, I have built and fly, two 100" Big Birds, one 2 meter Lil Bird, and just recently finished and am flying the 132" Sky Bird. All fly well and with similar traits. They are very winchable as is, but on the last two, (a Big Bird & the Skybird) I added .014" carbon top and bottom to the spar. They are very nice flyers, and are nice building projects. They all turn on a wingtip, and thermal great. I have added spoilers on all but the 2M Lil Bird. I use one servo per spoiler/side. 2 M Lil Bird is 25oz, two BBs are 40 & 43 oz, Sky Bird is 80 oz. with the wood fuse. I will have them all at Woodcrafters 2003 next week in Muncie, IN.
Bill in Shermans Dale, PA

Steff

Interesting you mention that Bill. I ordered carbon fiber tape to cover both the top and bottom of each spar. I already kbnow that that will be a usefull improvement.
Any suggestions where else carbon reinforcement will help?

The picture of your Big Bird (?) looks great. I like the unique shape of that wing so much that I could care less if it is not the hottest flyer. I herad from many people though they were sucessfull in contests even against high tech gliders.

Cheers

Steff

hawksnest

Steff, sorry I misspelled your name, I fly better than I type.
The picture is of my new Sky Bird, and Ultracote's two new colors, transparent fluorescent Yellow, and red. I used a 1" wide strip of carbon attached to the inside of the fuse sides ,as Ray suggests, starting just behind the balsa/ply joint and maybe 10-12" long in the Big Birds. This stiffens & strengthens the fuse, and I find it helps when grabbing the fuse to launch. I don't grab the nose to launch like F3B guys. This is my first Big Bird built three years ago, 40 oz., and still flying strong. Bill

BillHarris

Ditto on what BillG says.

Carbon tape laminated onto the spars will help the strength. Also wrapping the wingrod tubes/shear webs in Kevlar thread will help: many wing failures occur when that area "bursts" from launch stress and the kevlar wrap will make it somewhat bulletproof. But for the most part, this plane is a proven design and does not absolutely need strengthening.

A short history of Ray's Bird Series:

Ray successfully flew Thornburg Bird of Times (Birds of Time?, whatever) in the '70's and modified and tweaked the original design each time he built one. These were suble improvement to make the plane more competitive. What the Bird series is an evolved and mature version of an excellent sailplane. The kites are well designed and have good materials.

As I said, you'll enjoy building and flying a Bird.

Steff

The kit arrived yesterday and boy what a difference that is! All parts neatly already cut out, highly accurate and a fun just to look at! I have it sitting right next to the BOT kit at home. You can SEE the difference in the quality of the wood itself! It will be a pleasure to get that bird to fly! For anybody who looks at a Skybench kit I also want you to know that Ray makes every effort to have a satisfied customer. He sent me an e-mail that the rib set might be wrong ( it wasn't) and answered any question I had. Try that with a big manufacturer !

Cheers

Steff

hawksnest

Steff, I guess you are aware of the ESL contest this weekend in Newark, DE at Clay Creek State park site. I can't make it, but there should be a good turn out of glider gliders. Eastern Soaring League TD, and at the Silent Knights Soaring Society field in Newark. The East Coast Soaring Challenge
SKSS http://www.skss.org/

Glad you like the looks of your Big Bird kit, Ray does an excellant job. Bill G.

hawksnest

OOPS Should be Glider guiders

Shredz

Steff,

I'm glad someone as enthusiastic as you got one of those kits. I manged to find a BOT already built on the net. I'm going to check it out and decide if I will try to build one from plans. It might be a learning experience I can't pass up on.

Also, if you have the time...

Could you post pictures of the kit and show us what you are seeing? I know it would take away from the time building it , but I'd like to see the renouned quality of which you speak. You might have me change my mind .



Bill G, when I went to the site and saw the Skybird.....it's a "got-to-have-one" machine. Of all of the Skybench "Bird series" (2 m Lil bird, Big bird, and Skybird) which one, in your opinion, has the best penetrating ability? Does it do as good a job as the BOT? Curious about that.....

Thanks all!

Steff

I will take pictures as I go along in the building process. I may post them too. For now go to www.skybench.com, go to sailplanes and look for the Big Bird pictures under Big Bird. There are several pictures of the parts. I could not do that better myself anyway.
I will tell you in addition to that, that all wood parts seem to be a premium quality. You will not find one warped spar or anything like that. The parts are already ALL cut out. Manufacturers always claim 'laser cut parts'. Yes, their parts are laser cut, but they still need to be carefully taken out of the sheet they sit in and sanded. Not so with this kit. The ribs come stacked together on a cardboard. Take a look at the trailing edge. It is already 'build' in.

Like I said, I have both kits, BOT and Big Bird, sitting next to each other. You get what you pay for. In this case : really.

I would personaly always pay for the better quality.But I am German. We place quality at least as high as costs.

Think about the BOT. If you are not a very experienced builder you will have more than just a learning experience.

Cheers

Steff

hawksnest

They all fly with the same airfoil S3014, and all have the same flight characteristics. Actually, they penetrate quite well for lighter planes. I built the 2M Lil Bird ( 25oz.)with a one piece wing, and no spoilers, and it will take an awesome zoom launch. It will also turn on a wingtip, and climb out in the small hand launch thermals close to the ground. The 100" Big Bird does the same thing, with much more wing area, and with a little ballast (up to 10 ounces) on windy days, and will hold it's own with other RES planes as far as penetration and good thermalling. As with any plane you choose, learn the airplane throughly, and fly it often, if you want to fly it well. I have had BOTs, and I prefer the strength and airfoil of the Bird Series over the older BOT. The 132" Sky Bird is more expensive, much bigger, and is still a *****cat to fly. Put spoilers on the Bigger Birds for landing accuracy. As far as dropping out of thermals, I much prefer doing rolls or flying inverted to lose altitude and leave the spoilers for the landing approach control. The 100" is my all around favorite of the Skybench Birds. Bill G.

Shredz

That's what I wanted to know. It sounds like this is the "Benz of RES"

Good advice: I'll fly the wings off what I have, then I'll decide. I've built lots of really small stuff long ago.....maybe it hasn't left me. I've got a summer of flying to enjoy while I consider....

Thermals Gents!

hawksnest

"It only takes two things to fly, airspeed and money."


Actually, with any two of these, and you can fly. Bill G.

ALTITUDE--AIRSPEED--BRAINS

Shredz

Lol!

zapper

Ray Hayes and his sailplanes are a class act....