RockyTop

Fellas: Here is a photo of my K. Sparks designed 61 inch wingspan A-10. When this picture was taken last week, it was ready to fly but the Rx failed the range check so I was unable to fly it. A new Rx has been installed and its now ready to go the next time the weather permits. I'll give a pilots report after that first flight. On a note if interest, it weighs just a shade under 9 pounds, is powered by a pair of OS FP .25's and it took 17 ounces of lead in the nose to get the CG right in the middle of the recommended range.

RockyTop

A note of interest to anyone thinking about plans-building Mr. Sparks designed A-10 - I thought it would be interesting to figure out what I have invested in this model. Remember, this is a real "cheapo" compared to anything with retracts, ducted fan engines, or turbines. I made a complete a list as I could about everything I have in it and the figure is 530 dollars at todays prices. That includes radio flight pack, engines, tanks, covering and adhesives, hardware and everything I can remember using to build it to get it flight ready.
Just in case someone is considering building one of these and wants to know how much it will cost them. [8D]

pdmarsh

Great looking model, RockyTop. Let us know how the first flight goes.

Paul

tschuy

My Feedback: (1)

Do you have a link handy to where one could get a set of these plans?

Thanks in advance...

RockyTop

I don't know about a link to the plans. I got mine from Model Airplane News, summer of 2001. The number on my plans is FSP0701A. There was a helpful building article with photos in the July 2001 magazine. I hope that helps.
Ron [8D]

ROCKY1405

My Feedback: (6)

HI: I NOW HAVE A NEW EMAIL ADDRESS AND WANT TO REPORT THAT MY A-10 HAS MADE ONE FLIGHT. IT ENDED UP BEING TOO NOSE HEAVY AND IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE GLOW MOTORS WERE NOT CAPABLE OF PULLING FUEL RELIABLY FROM THE TANKS WITHOUT THERE BEING PERRY TYPE PUMPS USED. EVEN WITH ONLY ONE MOTOR RUNNING AT THE END OF THE FIRST FLIGHT IT HANDLED WELL. I HAVE NOW REBALANCED IT BY REMOVING 4 OUNCES OF LEAD FROM THE NOSE AND HAVE INSTALLED PERRY PUMPS BUT DUE TO BAD WEATHER, NOTHING BUT RAIN AND WIND HERE IN MINNESOTA LATELY, HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO RUN THE ENGINES OR TO FLY IT AGAIN. I'LL REPORT ON HOW IT WENT WHEN THE WEATHER GIVES ME A CHANCE TO TAKE IT OUT TO THE FIELD AND GIVE IT A GO. lOOKS COOL IN THE AIR FOR THE SHORT TIME I WAS ABLE TO HAVE IT FLYING, AND NONE OF THE OTHER KIDS AT THE FLYING FIELD HAVE ONE! MY NEW ADDRESS IS [email protected]
HAVE A GOOD ONE!
RON

RockyTop

My A-10 now has a set of Perry type fuel pumps. I ran the engines with them in place yesterday and after some adjustments was able to get both engines to run reliably from idle to full throttle and in-between. This wasn't the case w/o the pumps. The cost of the pumps was about 90 bucks. I now need to fine tune the installation of the pumps a little and figure it will take me about an hour to do it and then the model is finally ready to fly again. I'll give a report and hopefully an in-flight photo for my next post. In case anyone wants to know where I got the pumps, I bought them from Conley Precision Engineering. Mr. Conely was very helpful in making sure I got the right pumps and have them installed with a return line mounted between the pumps and the carb inlets. The phone number to reach him is: 630-858-3160
Ron

SJN

The GWS A-10 is also a fine little plane.
Love the look of the warthog.

I know guys....im way out of the league here

RalleKnalle

Sonnich!!!!

What for a colour is that?????????? Greeeeeeen?????? [:'(][:'(][:'(]

SJN

hehe...came out of the box like that!

But you can paint them

pdmarsh

Finally, some progress to report. The empennage has pretty much been completed and attached to the fuselage. I also took some time to finish the AGM-65 Maverick missiles.

More details on my web site:

http://a10.home.mchsi.com/mya10project.html

Paul

FLYPUCK

My Feedback: (8)

Looking good Paul. Keep it up! I'm still in flap hell down here.

Doug

pdmarsh

Progress Report

Servos and control linkages for the rudders and elevator have been added. The inboard flaps are ready to be glassed. The wing panels have been glued together.

Paul

FLYPUCK

My Feedback: (8)

Great idea on the servo placement Paul. Eliminates the need for a hatch in the rear. See, it's better if you're ahead of me so you can do all the brain work.

Doug

pdmarsh

Doug,

I placed the servo tray just forward enough to be able to get at the servos after the rear wing hold-down plate is installed in the fuselage. The throttle servo will be mounted in the middle with the control horn to the front. The linkage will probably come off of the bottom of the horn to assure no interference with the other servo horns and linkages. I could have spread out the servos a bit more. They are just a tad too close together.

Paul

Edit: P.S. -- I went with one fuel tank, which will be just forward of the servos, but still over the CG. I'll have to remove some of the former material after the planking is on.

FLYPUCK

My Feedback: (8)

Did you ues the carbon pushrods?

pdmarsh

No, but the pushrods are carbon fiber reinforced. I went with Sullivan Precision Rods, #585, 4-40 end connections.

Paul

RockyTop

last week the weather finally got good enough so I could get in two good flights in on my A-10 and found it is still a bit nose heavy. It looked really neat in the air though and the removal of some nose weight really helped shorten the take off roll. With the Perry pumps the engines ran through the complete flights so that was a great relief. They are still a bit rich in the mid-range but w\o the pumps they just were not reliable enough to risk flying the model. I have since removed another ounce and ahalf from the nose and also decided to put some yellow on the leading edges of the outer wing panels because on final approach the OD just blended in with the surrounding foliage too much to let me be really comfortable with it. This thing is a challenge to build and fun to fly. Besides that, none of the other kids at the field have one! so, for my money it was worth the hassle to build it. The pumps added another 90 bucks to the investment though. I'm now waiting for the rain to quit so I can fly it again.

pdmarsh

Good job, RockyTop! Now if I can just get mine finished and in the air. Early on in my search for an A-10 model, I read good things about the Keith Sparks short kit. I'm glad your is working out.

Paul

RockyTop

PD: How close are you to getting yours flight ready? I originally used the side view of the fuse as the place to determine the CG and that required a lot of weight in the nose (17 ounces). After the first flight it was apparent that was way too much so i just calculated 30% of wing chord and put the CG there. It turned out that was still too much and I now am down to about 12 & 1/2 ounces in the nose but haven't flown it again at that weight to be sure it is correct. Hopefully I can do that tomorow. I think it is really close at that weight though. This time when i took out the weight I put 3 ounces of serrated wheel weights I got from the local Goodyear tire store in the servo compartment so any future weight removal will not require me cutting into the underside of the nose. I know, I know, it is obvious I should have done it that way in the first place but I guess I'm just a slow learner.[] The side view of the wing in the fuse is wrong on the dimensions of my plans so I hope telling you this wil save you from making the same mistakes I did. You can't always believe the plans on some of the basic stuff. When in doubt calculate it yourself, I guess. It would have saved me a lot of extra work not to mention the first flight being way nose heavy.

RockyTop

Here is an in-flight photo of my A-10. It flies, it flies!

pdmarsh

It's a beautiful thing, RockyTop! I appreciate the info on the CG. It's fairly well marked on the Miller plans, and no one has mentioned any problems in that area, so I'll go with the given location, but I'll be on my toes the first flight. I'm hoping to get it in the air this season. We'll see.

Paul

RockyTop

Paul: My experience at the flying field is that everybody who sees this model really likes it. Its just odball enough in looks to make'm want to really look it over. Even with a couple of cheapo type glow motors in the nacelles it sounds really neat when it goes by on a high speed pass. I was very surprised at how fast it is and how when you pull the power back on final it doesn't slow down as much as you'd expect from looking at it. I guess the "drag bucket" of the cowls isn't as big as it looks like it would be. The larger, turbine powered model must really be a "Hoot" to operate! So, keep at it because its worth having one to fly.
Best of luck![8D]

pdmarsh

Well, the pig in my pen is a truly ugly piglet compared to Dave's two beauties (see the "I live in a pig pen" post), but at least it's a Hog, and a growing one at that. Here I've worked out most of the flap linkages. The central servo has yet to be installed, though.

Paul

A10FLYR

My Feedback: (1)

Look'in good there Paul...those are definatly some air brakes Ya got there!