emailbanter

My Feedback: (2)

Here you see a Spadet (really a LT-40 Kadet knock off) made entirely of Corplast sign material from plans on the SPAD home page. It is powered by a .61 Magnum 4-stroke and weighs in at 6.5 lbs. Hopefully, it either snows up here in Iowa sometime within the next few weeks or I'll wait for a little warmer weather to go fly on one of the lakes or ponds:

[link]http://rcairplane.onlinestoragesolution.com/RC%20Photos/spadet/spade3.jpg[/link]

[link]http://rcairplane.onlinestoragesolution.com/RC%20Photos/spadet/spadet.jpg[/link]

[link]http://rcairplane.onlinestoragesolution.com/RC%20Photos/spadet/spadet2.jpg[/link]

[link]http://rcairplane.onlinestoragesolution.com/RC%20Photos/spadet/spadet5.jpg[/link]

Captain351

You cheated you should have made the floats out of coro too!

Just kidding it looks great!

I'm a little curious why you didn't use the Spadet Wing. You probably couldn't get any 2 Mil Coro.
It's a shame no matter how good it flies it would fly better with the Spadet style wing, I've tried every style there is and the wings made with 2 mil on top perform the best.

Also watch out for aileron flutter. When you use a single servo in the middle of the wing the tips of the ailerons will sometimes have to much flex in them and will flutter at high speed. I've started using dual servo's in the bottom of my wings. This also looks better and makes it easier to put the rubber bands on without the control linkages in the way.

Don't forget to post this in the SPAD forum too. I'm sure everyone will appreciate it.

emailbanter

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks for the compliments. I basically followed the spadet plans when it suggested using a 4 ml bottom and 2 ml top (which mine is). I agree that the all 2 ml wings are lighter and I've used them on the Spazzler and my .15 and .25 combat planes with good success.

I may eventually build an all 2 ml wing for the spadet but I'll fly it and see how she goes.

I did not build the wing with any dyhedral as I've been flying for some time now and prefer something a little more responsive. I considered installing individual servos on each aileron but since I wanted to keep the wight down, decided against it.

britbrat

You can avoid aileron flutter by cutting off the coro ailerons & replacing them with balsa.

emailbanter

My Feedback: (2)

I haven't had any trouble with aileron flutter using Corplas, but then again I normally use 440 rods and they don't bend easily

Captain351

Most of the people who have had flutter problems with spads have had a little bit to much motor installed. With a set of big ol floats hanging from the bottom providing drag he will probably be OK.

emailbanter: You fooled me your wing looks like all 4 mil in the photos. You also didn't bother with the fancy closed in wing tips which fooled me again.

Too bad we don't live close I'd like to see her fly. Good Luck!

emailbanter

My Feedback: (2)

I never bother closing wing tips on any of my Corplas planes as it's just one more cosmetic step that doesn't enhance flight performance. I thought about closing up the ends but I haven't noticed any problems with leaving them open so it was just one less thing to do. Your right about the 4 ml on the bottom wing and 2 ml on the top.

As spring gets closer, the spadet will be flown at a nearby large lake and I'll have someone videotape it then make it available as a link.

Airboatflyingship

Nice float plane and all the nicer for being a SPAD have you seen The Snowmaster By Benj, Chunk did a light wt version and there's a n electric twin out there somewhere[8D]

A suggestion and its only that rather than capping your wing tips the normal way why not experiment with removable Honer style tip fins/boards.....they can add lift and stability...Ive seen a flying boat rigged this way some where and the increase in lift was claimed to be equivalent to a substancial increase in span.

Some scale subjects are naturals for the SPad treatment ever seen a Supermarine Seagull 381............Ive just ordered a plan but I might prototype it as a Spad

emailbanter

My Feedback: (2)

I attended the spadfest two years ago and saw Chunk's Snowmaster fly. I thought it was a real hoot as he simply flew it off the tar runway and within only a few feet, it lifted off.

emailbanter

My Feedback: (2)

I also forgot to mention that the Magnum .61 4 stroke was not really powerful enough to do much more than take off and struggle around the field at about 100 fee up so I replaced it with a Kangke .52 two cycle that has more than enough power.

Airboatflyingship

Had a thought on that front why not use cut down wind damaged Umbrella stays/spokes as strakes/spray rails on the underside stops scrapes and acts as spray rails
How about a Barny on floats for a touch of vintage style floatplaning?? You find the picture this time and dont forget Chunk holds the plans for the Coro Bee...

britbrat

So that is what it's called. I picked up a used one for $5. I've been calling it a Snow Goose.

It is not very stable, but that makes for interesting aerobatics. It prefers flying inverted, and it does super lomcevaks.

Airboatflyingship

Brit ..what size motor are u running ......loads of versions built some have dihedral for stabillity others have larger spans OE was 46" from memory, bigger spans flat center + diheadral tips, another was going to try a slight increase in span but use angled wing tip fins to stabilise and retain added lift.....me.

This is the Seagull and as you can see its a the oposite of a Snowmaster......a perfect trainer layout pendulum stability as the fuse hangs under the wing on a Pylon ...the original was RR Griffin[>:] powered and used a Contra rotating prop it also had a variable incidence wing......

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

If you close the wingtips, and the plane blows over (it WILL happen sooner or later), then the plane will float on the wing. If you DON't seal the wingtips, you may only have the bottoms of the floats sticking out of the water by the time you get there with the boat.

emailbanter

My Feedback: (2)

Very good point and I hadn't really thought of that. When the spring gets here, I'll seal them right up for sure.

Airboatflyingship

Id go further put in some sealed fixed boyancy , HD bubble wrap, foam EP or EPP -otherwise the expensive stuff can drag the airframe down to Davey Jones Locker and he has too much kit. The bubble wrap is good as it can be used in smaller spaces. With a sealed wing theres always a chance tha a seam might open with a hard splashdown and fllood by the time you can retrieve it...........it always seem to get in easier than you can get it out

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

I was playing with my PizzaBox at the float-flying site one day. We're not suposed to fly over the parking area so I took it out over the water. I got hit with a gust of wind and it went into the water. I grabbed the retrieval fishing rod, and turned around just in time to see it slip under the surface. All the coroplast cells had released their air, and it glided away like a stingray beneath the surface. The water there is deep. I never found it.
Moral of the story: Coroplast seaplanes need supplemental floatation.

Airboatflyingship

[:@] unless the tubes are all sealed off there is no real boyancy to the polyprop itself....,so yep I totally agree Jim. They also can hold it adding wt so you need to think a bit about whats open and whats not if your going paddling. A Canadair would make a good a good Corex subject or this Orpido Twin amphibian from The RCM&E Nexus/modelflight all slab sided beasties. Still good stuff to play with on water or snow and ice.
By the way have you seen the Seawings web site here in the Uk Jim??

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

The seawings site is impressive. It is, I am sure, valuable beyond measure when one is doing a scale model.