first spad build
 

this is my first spad im building.. still got some work to do but wanted to get opinions and tips if any one had any..

RE: first spad build
 

Looks heavy for the power plant..

RE: first spad build
 

You still haven't built a SPAD. While true, it uses some hunks of plastic and such, you've really shown that you don't understand weight, balance, power, and drag and applied those factors to the strengths and weaknesses of our building materials and style. Fact is, kinda looks like you're making a joke at our expense.

If that rail is plastic, good job on saving weight. With a foam wing and the Speed 400 motor shown you could probably have a good base for a plane. But then it looks like you've put a chunk of 1/8 or better wire on it for landing gear. Heck, if that is plastic channel your landing gear weighs more then the fuse.


If you truly are trying to build or learn to build and design SPAD airplanes, toss this thing in the trash and start with a proven design. Build it, fly it, understand it's strength and weaknesses THEN try to alter it to your desires.

Now my reply may seem to be abrupt and put offish but remember I've pretty much been with the SPAD group since inception and I can't count the number of times we've had someone come in, say 'I built one of them SPADs and it's a turd, they should be outlawed' AND actually petition the AMA to try and get them shut down. Only to find out the guy just went out, built something out of his own head with similar materials and when his attempt didn't work or did some damage, tried to lay the blame on us. No sir, nosirree. You can build model airplanes out of dang near anything. But if you don't do it correctly you'll be hard pressed to blame the Wright brothers for your bad design.

The above plane sir I have very little confidence in. If you pursue it take your time and correct your design flaws. Your wing is too small, for this kind of airfoil. If the fuse is aluminum it's too heavy. Chuck the landing gear, they're too heavy, are supporting worthless wheels and offer nothing but drag. You can land on the fuse. I assume you are using the drycell bat for balance. Your prototypes tail would be better. If you have some weird idea that it will be your power source you need to try model boating.

You've already designed a good anchor.

RE: first spad build
 

"thats ok no hard feelings Clean".. i like str8 to the point answers thats the way it should be... the fuse is aluminum but extremely light. the landing gear i have on there was to keep the motor and make shift props high so i could get the rpms and all the specs on the motor. i plan to hand launch this so there will be no landing gear but the fuse.. i also got the plans for this style of build off of a spad website (cant remember name for the site just saved the info) the plane looks heavy but is almost perfect balance so when i add the tail it will even out.... the plane or whatever u wanna call it above weights only about a pound and a half maybe as is in the pic...... and i still have a bit of work to do with it i just threw pics in to get ideas to better it.. i know its not fancy or nothing like some of the planes are that ppl build on here but im slowly working on and with what i have to work with!! thank you for ur replies..... post pics of ur spads and or planes i wanna see ur designs...

RE: first spad build
 

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3..._4092354_n.jpg
TopDawg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...15559_3080.jpg
Combat
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...15559_3070.jpg
Stretch DPS
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3.../BustaHOR0.jpg
BustaHOR CL plane
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3.../6-07_0195.jpghttp://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...y/flipper2.jpg
Original Flipper, 36 size best speed I've had with it was 137mph. My favorite is my 47 sized Flipper Deluxe. A 25 would fly it but a 47 on an 11x5 is a out of sight vertical machine. 9x7 or 8 makes it one fast mamma but I haven't had it in the speed competition. I fluttered and folded the tail before my first speed test so I flew the original when I lost to Gravity, I think our speeds were 121 and 122mph. It was too freaky windy the next year, I was flying top speed and the plane was flipped over on it's back thanks to turbulence. I corrected that but it wasn't safe so we scratched that contest. Last year I ran the event and I don't compete when I run an event, personal reasons.

I've had several other combat designs over the years but I don't know if I have pictures. Had a flight of Flat bat planes with 72 inch foam wings I called Gamera's and did real good on my first outing with them. Got laid off the next day and combat ended at that point. Had 15 size A class RCCA planes taht were 2 mill sheeted foam fuses and some C class ships that were a bit tip stally but I flew them good. Also had one of the first twin Spads I knew of called a DoDo. That was Two Daggar fuses with a central pod that held radio. I flew it several times off season but combat came around and I needed a fuse and one of the engines. Ahhh, combat. When Dean and Collin went off a pay for the password site and wanted to redo the spad site I had just started working on websites for my company so I used making the SPAD plans site for practice and ran that for several years. Frank came along with the new layout but many of the classic SPADs are my setups of Dean and Collins work. I think they were doing the first spads a little over a year before I built my first one and started kicking butt.

It's been a long, fun ride.

Over 1 pound with that airfoil is to heavy for speed 400, it doesn't make that kid of power. Bigger outrunner and a third of a pound of 3cell lipo 'might' do it. You've got kind of a GNAT J airfoil. LIght Gnats with strong 15s would fly, not real nice. I prefer HOR's with a good 15 OR appropriate brushless outrigger and flight packs. Neither of which you have there. By all means experiment, but consider starting with a known and working from there.

Oh, my favorite combat photo with basically my Combat plane now. It was a Defender fuse and my first all 2 mil wing with the Irvine 25 on 8x6 and 40percent nitro. Man did it scream, till the bottom end blew out. This photo is just a split second before I heard the satisfying TWANG of a string cut. 115 degrees out by Pittsburg, MO, Gary (Cartman) Himes in my sights.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3.../checksixs.jpg

RE: first spad build
 

u got some nice planes Clean.. i plan to get that good but for what its worth im workin on it lol... and it may not even be a pound and ya kinda Gnat i guess. im just open to suggestions and all.. keep postin pics if u got more.. i like seeing designs and all

RE: first spad build
 

Clean what are you using for that square tube like plastic for your fuse??

RE: first spad build
 

The White PVC is downspout, source is discussed and linked at www.spadtothebone.com and www.spadworld.net You can special order it from Home Depot. Takes a couple weeks to come in and you have to buy 6 at a time BUT it is lighter then the Do-it-Best center version of the same thing.

Some of the fuses are folded up Coroplast like on the Blue combat plane in the last picture. Makes for a strong, flexible fuselage but not exactly square or rigid. Then again, I've seen plenty of folded up fuses that look and fly just great so I think it's my technique. Will have to speriment with that some time.

Here's my flipper folder on photobucket.com http://s50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...n417/Flippers/ case you want to build one.

RE: first spad build
 

i thought it looked something like that but wanted to make sure.. the folded coro. sounds like the best route its cheaper (free) andwould seem alot more flexible and thanks for the flipper folder link..

RE: first spad build
 

Forgot to add, if you look at the first picture which is the TopDawg, a delta plane, you'll see it's hung by a couple loops of cord. You'll also see there is a wooden dowel plumb bob sitting just above the wing. The loops of cord and the plumb bob all are hanging from the same nail in my ceiling joint. Essentially they are both plumb bobs with the center of each mass pointing from the nail to the center of the earth SO the plumb bob is pointing to the CG of the airplane. 100%, every time. No need to buy CG machines, turn chairs over or having wings slip off of the balancer and poking holes in the monokote. slip the loops of cord over the wing and nose and get the plane hanging level and the plumb bob does it's trick.

RE: first spad build
 

The only irritating thing that I've had explaining this is after running a couple planes through a demonstration at the club meeting, one of the old guys stood up and said, "That's all neat and good but it won't work with foam planes." And could not be convinced otherwise, even after we hung a foam plane.

RE: first spad build
 

thats a good idea with the bob... and ya some ppl stick to their ways and wont change for nothing but hey their loss.. u gave demonstrations and showed them how they do... so let them do it the old style and have their planes get messed up and have to fix them while your out flying.. ya know