jaav

Here is an update of the new birdy..plan to fire up the new motor tomorrow....

This bird is for heavy lifting..Send failed planes and rockets up and launch them.

power is a 61.

the covering is just scrap I got from the printers and still learning how to put it on. Once it makes contact, it will destroy it self trying to remove it...

Villa

Hi jaav
It look like a winner. It is such an easy build and it is tough as nails. How much does yours weigh? I think mine came in at under 5 pounds. The torsion bar main gear is so tough that even an aircraft carrier pilot would be impressed.

jaav

5 pounds?

Close to 10 I think....

Villa

Hi jaav
My wing is 48" with a 13" chord including the ailerons, and yours has a wingspan of 55", so yours will be heavier. I used to have two 61 R/C engines but one day I noticed they used exactly twice as much fuel as my OS46FX engines so I gave them away. My aluminum booms are made of 1/16" thick angle, 3/4" X 3/4". What do you use? I did notice that the inside structure of your wing is very sturdy; excellent workmanship. Also very heavy. Just checked my weight again and it is 5 pounds. It will hang on the prop just a little. I have never mastered that art. My SPAD Biplane hangs on the prop a little longer.

jaav

Hi Villa.
the booms are the same as yours. My chord is 14'' minus the ailerons.

I dont expect this to be a speed machine or sports...

This one will be a lift only, the new one with a 46 will be much lighter and built out of 3mm..
What sort of structure did you use in yours to bolt the engine pod and tail boom to?

Didnt get the TX in today or run the engine. had to fix other birds.. going to try and hang the SPA3D in the morning..Did a few changes before a new wing is fitted.

Villa

Hi jaav
As you can see in my photos, I use a 1/16" thick, 1" square aluminum piece for the fuselage. I use a single yardstick spar; it is 36" long, 1-1/8" high, and about 5/32" thick. I glue a small piece of 1/4" or 3/8" aircraft plywood to three places on the spar, at the center and at each boom. I take a 1/4" NC blind nut and cut off part of the flange so it mounts as close to the spar as possible at the three locations. Now I have three very strong "Hard Points". It is best not to glue the spar to the inside of the wing until after the fuselage and booms are all bolted to the wing. CA glue can later be dripped in to the spar from the open wing ends. I use steel bolts to fasten the aluminum fuselage to the spar, and the same for the two booms. The rear of the fuselage is fastened to the trailing edge of the wing as shown in the photos. This is extremely strong and light weight. The center of the wing, at the trailing edge will now sag because it is very weak. I insert two carbon fiber tubes into two of the flutes running span wise at the wing trailing edge, (they are part of the ailerons, but at the center they do not hinge) that are long enough to go from one boom angle to the other. Let me know if you need more information. I am very interested in your build.

jaav

Removed the engine pod today and ran the new engine up..She sounds sweet...
Villa did you have much of a problem finding th C/G.

Villa

Hi jaav
I don't recall having any problem with the CG. I probably selected an initial setting like 28% of the wing chord back from the leading edge. That usually will get you into the air safely. I always then make flight tests to check the CG. Are you familiar with that procedure? I think I ended up with a little lead weight bolted to the engine mount. I NEVER trust the stick-on weights they sell at the hobby stores. I just checked the plane and noticed it did not have lead weight on the engine mount. I broke the engine mount about 6 months ago in a very hard crash. I probably made the replacement engine mount just a little longer to get rid of the lead weight. I hate using lead weight to adjust the CG. The main landing gear that you made seems to use smaller diameter music wire than I am used to. It may be a photographic illusion since your plane is larger than mine. What diameter is it? I use 5/32". On a heavier plane I once used 3/16" diameter music wire. On my Twin Tail I did have to move the main gear back a couple of times to get more weight on the front steering wheel. That is very easy on this model.

jaav

Well shes done bar the RX and battery..With those long legs!!! mmmmm Ugly.

Villa the UC rod is 5/32.
no problem with no wieght on the nose wheel as I did a rough check before mounting and they are about 1 1/2" behind the spar.

The C/G with out the RX and battery is slight tail heavy...Perfect plenty to play with...The CofG I've set at 1/3 of chord, see how she goes this weekend if the bloody wind stops...Dry 40deg winds...

Villa

Hi jaav
I thought your landing gear was a little high but was not sure because of the photo perspective. I like to see about 2 inches below the bottom of the prop to the ground. Our field always has thick grass on it and I'm always amazed the prop still chops about 2 inches grass. We mow it down as low as the machine is able, though it is probably about 1-1/2 inch high since it is done at high speed. I would like to see a photo of your plane sitting on the ground. Since you make your own landing gear you can easily change the height. I even make the front gear.

jaav

I have the height because it will have planes under it. Thats why its called the Heavy Lift..

The front had to be made as well.
Our field is a salt plain..But sand in engines is a problem...

Villa

Hi jaav
I was wondering how you managed with all of that sand. It must be very hard on your engine. I believe I have seen air filters that attach to the carburetor opening. Have you tried those?

jaav

Yeh I damaged a 46 2c and a 91 4c from sand..All planes run pods..

jaav

Ok the finished pics...
The plane under it is a Electrafun and is one of the type that will be launched by this bird..
To get an idea on the height the prop is 12" long.

Villa

Hi jaav
Nice photos. That plane is huge! What do you mean by "All planes run pods.. " in the earlier post before your last one? When do you plan to maiden it? I just noticed that the wing flutes run in the span direction. Most R/C SPADS have the flutes running in the chord direction. You will probably find that the push/pull rod between the two rudders will vibrate a lot. I flew mine that way for a few years and it did fine. Then I tried a carbon fiber hollow tube that the 2-56 steel rod ends just fit into and I like that much better. Very interesting. Please keep us informed.

jaav

Plane run pods was a reference to the air filter pods..

I agree with the rudder link. the twin boom EP had the same problem..I use CF on the tail controll on my other SPADs

The fluts run Span wise on the bottom and Chord wise on the top.

the way the winds are at the moment it wont be maidend this week end..

http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/wa4.asp

The winds were gusting to 28 knts and sunday is going to be close...I have no problems at flying up to 15 knts but not with a new bird..

jaav

Well she's loaded up. Just praying for low wind in the morrning...[>:]

Fixed up the sons SPA3D after last weeks crash..Didnt make a new wing so I hope it will do 1 more day....

jaav

Well the maiden went better than I thought![8D]

Did a ground run and lost the steering, didnt tie the clevis on the arm..[:@]

Take off just needed a bit of aileron trim other than that it was very good...Flutter! yep she was there. it thown the link of the rudders did a landing only to watch the nose wheel assy come off..Quite funny as I was just about to kill the engine.
Re-tentioned the control arm real tight, cable tied the rudder link and had another run.
This time I put her through its paces..it was fun. The engine is still off song as its still new only 4 tank and runing a 10x7 prop..
Landing I was a bit hard as the wind now come in and the nose colapsed (bent the rod).

Villa I agree with the fuel, 5mins and she,s MT[X(]

jaav

Ok Vid of the maiden flights and crashes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuRkShWwYQE

jaav

2nd round of flying the HL tomorrow.

Have fitted wires to the rudder to try and stop the flutter and put more support on the front landing gear..see how it goes....
Fitted a bigger fuel tank hope to get a bit more time.

jaav

Fitted FCO2 to the tail today on the 2nd and 3rd flights....Still having problems with nose gear..I did 1 landing with out it bending but it droped the nose when I turned..

the 3rd flight had the wind turn to a cross wind, by the time I realised she was close to me, put the power on too late and stalled her.

Broke the engine off..Good vids.. the Vid starts off great but the lens slowly builds up oil and goes blury..

Have to come with another type of UC

Villa

Hi jaav
Your landing gear is extra long so you can carry a small plane underneath and then drop it in flight. Extra long gear can have problems. I have seen photos, probably here on RCUniverse, of a glider being launched from the TOP of a plane. That would solve your landing gear problem. Keep at it; you will solve it.

jaav

Yep have come up with something just a bit of work to make it..

jaav

Ok The vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL36kor8bu4

Villa

Hi jaav
Nice video. That engine mount seems to break very easily. What material is it made of and how thick is it?