blvdbuzzard

Well my little half wit became thousands of micro wits. I was doing some flat spin to inverted flat spins and lost it for a split second and came out of it in the wrong direction, headed for the trees. Some real fast stick banging and I thought I had made it. Nope just like Charlie Brown and the kite eating tree. I clipped a branch with the wing and it went into a fresbee spin. It hit a wire fence on the way down with the left wing and pretty much exploded. Some how the little AP 0.061 got caught in the fence and had the card torn from the case. So I lost my engine too. I checked at Hobby people and they do not list the ball bearing 0.061, just the bushing one. So do they still make the one with bearings or are they just sold out??

It was the most fun I have had in three flights.

Dru.

BMatthews

Ouch! !

That's terrible luck about the engine. THe model can always be replaced with something even better but a good engine is a sad thing to loose.

blvdbuzzard

Yeah. I can handle the planes going bye-bye, but leave me the radio and engine so I can fly another day. Just when I got that little AP screaming too.

Dru.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

BROTHER BUZZARD, Whenever a HALFWIT goes down, in the line of duty, it's a terrible loss, but we must work through it and continue on. I had one drift into a tree in my back yard but came out much luckier. The engine continued to run while the plane was stuck 20 feet up! I never knew there was a ball bearing version of the AP. It's amazing that such a good little engine is available for $39!

mclintock

My Feedback: (3)

Aren't bushed and BB engines often the same, crank-case-wize? I know that some aren't but I think in some cases the shell is the same, only bronze or similar cheaper-than-ball-bearing bushing is substituted in the spot where the bearing goes..
Those ap guys might not have bothered to make two different engine cases for the wasp, with the exense of the dies etc..
I guess maybe looking at a parts blowup would tell.. Image swiped from hobbypeople...sorry.

matchlessaero

Dru, I hate to hear that you scattered your Half-Wit : ( However, I am glad to hear that you were having a good time with it (while it lasted). : )

I was going to answer your other post, but I'll put it here instead- It sounds like you were right on the edge of getting the thing to hover well. At home, I compared a 2oz Sully tank to a new film cannister tank that went on my latest Half-Wit variant, and the difference was pretty great. I am pretty doggone sure that substituting the tank would have made the difference you were waiting for.
Here's why..... because of poor component selection, my latest Half-Wit came out at just over 14 oz's. At that weight, it would just barely hover when the engine was running just right. I put it on a weight savings program (changed the wheels, the batt pack and dropped the base loaded antenna) and the resulting weight was 12.8oz's RTF. The difference, while it sounds like a small amount, is much more when thought of as a percentage. The results of the weight savings program resulted in a plane that punches out of a hover and will launch vertically out of my hand.

Build yourself another. Its even more fun the second time around.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

HEY MATCHLESS! What is dropping a base loaded antenna? I like the sound of it, and I hate to think that I've been lugging around bases loaded antennas!

blvdbuzzard

I have already started to build a second one. My Half Wit would have been fine hitting the bushes, but it hit the top of the wire fence right next to th efuse and the left wing was cut around the servos and out the trailing edge. Then I think it was slammed into the fence carb first and that tore the carb right off and broke the case where the screws that hold the carb in place are. Mine when launched would climb at full speed at about 80 degrees so I know I was close to getting it to hover. This time I am going to use 1/8 balsa cross grained sheeted with 1/16 balsa to see if that will be stiff enough to not use the arrow shaft. The arrow shaft I have weighs almost 1 1/2 oz by itself. The other thing I was thinking of is to use 1/64 ply between 1/8 sheet for the fuse????

Welll back to the shop to see if I can get another one built.

Dru.

P.S. the cost to repair the engine is $13.00

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

HI BB! I think the ply sandwiching idea would give too much strength in the direction that you don't need it in, if I interpret your description right. I think a 1/2" wide box made out of 1/8" balsa sheet strips would be an improvement over the arrow shaft, it would be a challenge to make something like that look nice, but if a guy is really sold on trying an idea to make it work, you never know what might come of it. That's great about the $13 repair! I hope the AP 061 catches on with more people so it remains available for years to come.


WHAT"S A BASE LOADED ANTENNA?

matchlessaero

Dru, if your arrow shaft weighed that much, I think you had an extra heavy one. Shoot me an email, and I will look up the p/n of the one's I am using. They certainly are not that heavy, and the strength you gain with them is immense.....

The base loaded antenna came from Deans and does not whip around like a regular one does. Unfortunately, the one I had was small, but weighed 8 grams more than the regular kind....

hotdogx

Try the Micro Z72 antenna from Balsa Products. These are 3" long and super lightweight at .7 grams. Range is about 90% of normal, plenty for 1/2A stuff. You can put them just about anywhere on the plane. I'm using one in my Gopher electric plane. It is inside the fuse right next to the servos and servo leads and works fine. Todd's Models also carries the M72-L and M72-I antennas - they are base loaded and also very small and light.

matchlessaero

Thanks for the tip Al, I will have to give one of those a try....

Dru, I checked the arrow shafts that I have used on my last two HalfWits. They both weighed in at 15grams which would equate to roughly half an ounce. The brand name is Terminator, available at Wally world for about $3.50 ea.

I would highly suggest doing a more exhaustive search for a good arrow shaft rather than doing a laminated fuse. Frankly, I think all that sheet would have a lot of lateral flex and would weigh more than the Carbon tube and built up fuse.

Post pics of your new one when its done.....

BTW, I took mine to the ProBro Houston Hoverfest this weekend. I hovered that little plane's butt off and had a great time doing it. People looked at it as much or more than the big 40 size birds that everyone had there. Doing flatspins to the runway, and elevators to the centerline of the runway were good fun to.[8D]

blvdbuzzard

The arrow I used was one I had left from a dozen I had for my bow. It was a PSE Extreme 300 arrow. I am going to go by the local bow shop and get the lightest one they have. Mclintock You may be right. The only part HP shows is for the buhed one so I may be able to pop out the bushing and drop in my BB's.


I have most of the strip stock cut for the wit#2. I am also working on a "E" to "N" conversion of a FFF sheet plane into a nice nitro powered 3D machine.



Dru.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

HEY MATCH! How was the HOVERFEST? Was there anything NEW, REVOLUTIONARY, EXTRA WEIRD, etc to see? I'll bet the electrics are getting a bigger share of interest now. They almost make it look too easy! About how many fliers were there?

blvdbuzzard

Well I think I am doing pretty good with number 2. I have it all built up, 5 servos, battery pack, engine installed and it weighs in at 11 1/8 oz. I still need to put in the Rx, film can fuel tank, push rods, pull/pull strings and maybe landing gear. I should be right at 13 oz when I am all done.

Dru.

P.S. Pics to come.

blvdbuzzard

Well her she sits at a nice 11 1/8 oz. It is a metalic purple and a hot pink. I was able to re-use the rudder, alierons, and elevator from the old one. That saved a little building time.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Very nice MR BUZZARD! You should be able to fly it at night! Does yours' look a little more stretched out than a regulation HALFWIT?

matchlessaero

Dru, that thing looks great! I tell ya what, at 11.1ozs, it will really blow your mind. Make sure to do a film can tank this time. You will be surprised by the weight savings.....

Gotta hear flight reports........

blvdbuzzard

Thanks guys. I am using what I have on hand so I had to do a little re-aranging of the material. The fuse is 3/16 square, the spars are also 3/16 square balsa. I did not do as many diaginal truss brasings in the wing as I did last time. I also reused the ply nose from the first one. I am using up the scrap covering I have had for years so I had Purple and some of the original Gold berg Ultra coat, I made the pink out of the Utra coat.

I found out why my arrow was so heavy, I had forgotten I used a weight kit on the arrow to change the FOC. I took out the weight and it is a light weight again.

I still have to get the engine case, 2 servo gear sets, flexy prop to finish it. I do hope I get it under the 13 oz I need.

Dru.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Judging from what you've described, if it does turn out a touch too heavy, I would suspect the covering. It's amazing to do a before and after weigh in when doing the covering. 3/16 fuselage! Maybe that's why the plane looks longer to me[ than regulation]. As long as your deviation from the original is done in the spirit of lightness, you are a member in good standing in the HALFWIT BROTHERHOOD!

DICKEYBIRD

(Sound of DICKEYBIRD biting tongue) Remember, these are good guys, just 'cuz they lay 'em up there for you doesn't mean you have to be a wise***** and knock 'em outta the park!

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

DB, , You aren't showing up anywhere in the HALFWIT BROTHERHOODs' membership data base. You're either with us, or agin us, what's it gonna be? If it's the 3D chip implantation ceremony that is giving you cold feet don't be afraid, once the chip goes in you will no longer be able to experience fear[of crashing] or pain[acid reflux[:'(] from CA fumes, prop cuts, etc.] I'm sure MR BUZZARD realizes that he is treading on thin ice after building a morbidly obese HALFWIT[#1 @ 14ozs], and he is doing everything in his power to atone for that sin.

blvdbuzzard

I am repenteant for my extra heavy weight Half Wit. I have seen the light and shall never fear for I build light as air now.

I have been saved from my life of over building.

Dru.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

BROTHER BUZZARD, What we practice here is tough love, I know DICKEY BIRD thinks that I need sensitivity training, but I had just watched 2 episodes of "MAIL CALL" back to back before I jumped in your poop, and I hope your emotional scars aren't too deep! Matchless is the L. RON HUBBARD of building light, and if only we could get DB on the same page....

Ray 67

My Feedback: (1)

Gentlemen,

You may have hooked me. Where does one find plans or a kit for the HALFWIT?

Ray 67