blindguarden

Hello everyone,
I am new to SPAD but not new to flying.
I would like to try my hand at building a SPAD (just for something new). Now you may be asking what I would like to build, well now that is a problem ......first I was going to try to build a Spadet LC-40...the problem was/is that I can not seem to find the mats to do it with. I did find some 4mm coro but as for the 2 1/5sq downspout and the wood yardsticks there is none to be found. Now your asking, "why don't you order some off line? from places like Harbor" to me that is not an option . So then I had this thought, well since I can not find all the stuff to build the LC-40 why not try to build something else. So I looked around for a few days and came across the BUHOR because I can get the 4mm coro for the wing and surely I can find the "L" Channel right (also known as 90º Aluminum angle)? well "NOT!". I have check places like Lowe's, Home Depot, Marvins Hardware, Ace hardware, and alot of mom and pops shops and STILL can not find the mats for eather one! Now I am beginning to think that it is not ment for me to build one of these planes and I should just stick with the wood kits and keep spending $$$+ building and crashing and rebuilding them.
If anyone has any ideas as to were I can find the mats for at lease one of the two SPADs I want to build that would be great!!!

thanks I just needed to blow off some steam.

ChrisSpad

i've seen the angle at every Lowe's and Home Depot i've ever been in - from Atlanta to Memphis. Look in the metal goods bin. Don't ask someone where it is, just go to the hardware section and find it. Its there. Either your trolling, or not looking very hard.

blindguarden

Well, I must be crazy lol because I was in Lowe's today for 1 1/2hrs looking for it and never could find any there, I even looked in the Sideing department with on luck. Tomorrow I will be going out of town so I will check the Lowe's and Home Depot while I am out of town.

this place I live in is SO stuck in the past. We did not even get cable internet until about a month ago lol and as for cable tv...there are still places that can not even get that in this town.

A6Ordie

You can make a spadet without gutter pipe. Poke around a bit in the building section at www.spadworld.net and look at different ways to build spads. You could copy the devastator fuse and make a debonair or use it as formers for any other type of plane you would like. It's a folded square coro fuse that is the same dimensions of gutter pipe. It's more flexible and lighter than gutter pipe. You can use lattice for spars, they sell poplar in 4 foot lengths at Lowes or Depot in the moldings section. You can rip your own if you have access to a table saw. You could probably rip your own with a circular saw and a rip fence as well. Read all the plans over and over again at STTB. Just going over them a couple times helps a lot. Each one is made a little differently with different materials and techniques.

I made my Spadet without gutter pipe. I just made coro squares as formers. I used an extra layer of coro at the wing saddle for added strength. I ripped my own spar out of a 2x4. Feel free to experiment, that's what Spadding is all about.

Good Luck,

huck1199

Checkout Spadflyer.com. He sells spad arfs. These are nice kits, I bought the 48" trainer and was really surpised in the way this thing flew. I put a K&B .45 sportster on it and it does everything. The kit was about $35. I bought this first to see if I liked the spad stuff. Now I am collecting matterials to build a few from scratch. I just ordered a five roll pack of sign vinyl from Signpile.com to spruce up my newly acquired political coro signs. Also, Spadflyer sells 40" gp fuse sections for $6.50. I have found sources for other stuff if you are interested.
Huck

draftman1

my local ace sells the yardsticks. thay have ace printed on them. they are well hidden in my local store. the gutter pipe was found at a local hardware store that in a mom & pop type. my home depot actulay had the "candadian" size. but as far as the corro plast. I have a friend that has a sign shop that can get 4mm in white only. I have called many other shops and most of them wont sell it. the ones that will cannot get 2mm or white only. why cant you get from harbor sales? if its a credit card problem, then get a pre paid card. I've been there before keep trying. I decided to build spads because of cost also. I hated destroying planes until i get better. plus there are fast building and I hate monocote. I just built the debonaar. I found it very easy.

blindguarden

I finally found some of the mats that I needed. I was out of town today and went by Home Depot and found the Aluminum "L" channel.

OzMo

My Feedback: (3)

Getting some 2 mil from harbour is worth it for weight saving. a 4x 8 will make a lot of planes. don't forget that our political system in this country is perhaps the best unknowing promoter of cheap airplanes try getting some of the large and small paint stirring sticks also they work in plenty of areas such as landing gear reinforcements. remeber to build em straight!! get someone to lend a hand when you get ready to fold and glue the wing [8D]

mclina

When I first went looking for yardsticks I went to the local fabric store. All they had were $5.99 yardsticks, so I bought one. Seemed much too nice (and heavy) to use for a spar. I have since found the $0.99 yardsticks at ACE hardware. I think I'll keep the $5.99, 3 ounce yardstick and use it for, well, a yardstick.

I also have yet to visit a hardware store that doesn't sell aluminum angle, although Home Depot seems to be cheaper than ACE.