tangerine-jack

I found this in my junk box the other day, I assume it's a Cox Texaco .049? It has a thimble drome plastic prop with what looks like "CB 3P" in raise letters and a snap starter. I've long since forgotten where this came from, but I'd like to start using it on something. Soooooo, the question is, what is a good application for this engine? I'm interested in early year pioneer designs, WWI or any odd antique looking plane if that would work well with this motor. If not, I'm not opposed to building something else, just so long as it's off beat. Any ideas?

Also, what range of props can I use and what kind of duration can I expect from the built in fuel tank? Thanks!

vicman

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DNU, come race/goof off with us in Burlington NC next month[8D]

combatpigg

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If you just want to have fun in a hurry, build a 18"x18" open framework "PizzaBoxFlyer" for your engine. All you need is a pair of 3" chord elevons made out of 1/8" sheet, and build the frame from mostly 1/4"x1/4" balsa sticks. On one that I built, the elevon servos lay flat so that I could rig it with pull/pull linkage made out of spiderline thread,[ it saves weight].

tangerine-jack

Sound like fun, when and where?

"pizzaboxflier", sound pretty cool. You have a photo or some sketches?

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Jack, this may sound a little obvious, but what you're asking about sounds like the Texaco airplanes that I've seen. (in magazines only!) Flying Models had one about a year ago. There's plenty of guys here that know more about it than me!
DNU, SWR, PBF. All are decent choices for throw around initials.

tangerine-jack

I have a habit of overlooking the obvious. I did an acronym search (military training!) on the forum to find out what DNU is, and the DNU (Das Not Ugly) seems like a good platform. I could modify bits and pieces, nip and tuck, add a hoozit here and there and it just might fit the bill.

I've been out of the loop for about 13 years give or take. Please excuse me if my knowledge is as antique as my radio gear. I'm trying to catch up, but there are 40 billion posts on this site and I've only been looking at them for a short time. So far all you guys have been great and given me super advise, thanks a bunch!

OK, ready for more ideas................

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Hitec HS-55's, a good lightweight receiver and a 220-350mah nimh battery is your friend. No matter what you build, as long as it's 1/2a, that is good running gear.

BTW, Tower sells 8-cell nimh flight batteries for cheap. All you need is a pigtail and a soldering iron to save lots of $$$ and weight!

rainedave

My Feedback: (1)

With a Texaco engine there are at least two ways to go in terms of antique. Either a scale model of a full size antique plane, or an antique model airplane. In fact, the Cox Texaco engine was designed and manufactured specifically for antique and old Timer model airplanes. The name comes from a contest that was originally sponsored by Texaco. Later, it came to represent several events flown at Society of Antique Modelers contests. The SAM events are what Cox developed the engine for. There are literally dozens of 1/2A Texaco designs available, both scale and contest types.
Bob Holman sells many laser short kits for the Cox Texaco engine: http://www.bhplans.com/oldtime.htm
BMJR sells several Cox 1/2A Texaco kits, too: http://www.bmjrmodels.com/catalog.cfm?ID=Texaco
Both sell a design called the Rambler which is probably as good as any 1/2A Texaco model.

tangerine-jack

All right, cool! Lots to choose from. Now how to explain the money expenditure to the wife..[]

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

Uhm... you need to attend just for my bad impressions if nothing else. The Reedie Race / Rog 1/2A fly in is the best RCU fun you will have all year. Get There![sm=thumbup.gif][sm=spinnyeyes.gif][sm=stupid.gif][sm=49_49.gif]

BMatthews

If you want cheap and dirty then a couple of 36x6 built up wings joined on a profile fuslage with a more or less 3D cowl, sheet tail surfaces and make it look like your favourite WW1 fighter. OK, THREE wings if you want one of "those tripes". In that case 5 x 32.

It would come out light and be a small and close in blast to fly. To tone down the speed a7x3 or 8x3 to hold back the RPM's a bit. But no inverted as there's no clunk in the tank. Keep it all positive G down to no more than zeroG and it's good.

KidEpoxy

didnt I just see an Eindecker (sp?) done up here... somewhere... or was it a Taube

There was also the Bipe DNU & Triplane DNU variants thread a while back, those looked WW1esque


ok, found it, Eindecker post 75 of the "What are you guys working on" thread... but it was for a smaller motor- 010.
Still, making a DNU/Stick look like an Eindecker wouldnt be too hard.

rainedave

My Feedback: (1)

tangerine-jack, one very important thing I totally left out is that some of those kits I linked to are R/C and some would need to be converted to R/C. I went back and looked at your posts and see that you build from plans and have been around the hobby since the '80s. Still, I just wanted to add that info. When I see model designs I tend to only see what I'd do with them, sometimes overlooking the designer's intentions altogether, FF or R/C, they're sort of all the same to me. I guess that's good and bad.

tangerine-jack

All right, cool. I've got an idea. I'm going to take the DNU wing, make it a bipe, and use a profile fuse with sheet tail. A couple of questions:

1. do I have to shorten the wingspan when going bipe?
2. where is the new CG measured from?
3 is aileron or rudder better with the bipe, top or bottom wing for ailerons?
4. does the radio and servo mount on or through the profile frame?
5. how is the fuselage attached to the wing, I assume permanent, or is there another method?

I thank you all for your input, I'm lookin forward to this project!

skaliwag

My Feedback: (1)

I would make it like one of the Foam 3 D's ... Alll glued together. Servo's double sided, carpet taped on the fuse to make it balance where needed.

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

TJ, the DNU wing is actually an ACE wing. You can still get the ACE foam cores from ehobbies for pretty cheap!

At this size, permanently attaching the wing is easiest, but bolt-on will work with some effort. BMatthews introduced me to the center bolt concept, and it looks like it will work fine. The object is to bolt the wing to the fuse at the spar. Two bolts should be all you need.

tangerine-jack

Hmmm, well I priced the foam wings and priced the balsa, and then got the balsa. I'm not "cheap" I'm "thrifty" So a built up wing it is. I saw the post on a bipe stick, and I will use that as a pattern, but how thick should the fuse be? I'm thinking 3/16th? Would this be strong enough or should I use 1/4"? I know weight is a trade off with the extra wing and the .049 is only good for so much power.

Yup, construction will start tonight!

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

1/8th" balsa is a good choice to build 90% of the fuselage with, and if you like rounded corners, 1/4x1/4 tristock works well in the corners. 1/8th ply works for wing hold down plates and also for a firewall.

tangerine-jack

OK, I consulted with my chief engineering design coordinator who downloaded the aerodynamic parameters of the airframe and gave me excellent fuel usage calculations, then construction began. At the rate it's going, I might be done in 2 days.

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

T J, the reedie race funfly is 09-30-06 just south of me at Snow Camp, NC fun,food,friends,,come and join us...Rog..we try and gather twice a year..

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Looks like you're showing a profile fuselage []? If so, then 1/4 balsa would be bare minimum, 3/8 would be less prone to flexing and twisting. I thought you were talking about building a box fuselage? If you are building a profile 1/2A plane with a 1/8" thick fuselage, then laminate both sides with 3/4 oz cloth!! The engine mount area would need considerable work to keep it from tearing out if you are building a 1/8" thick "profile" plane. Hopefully, what I saw in the photo wasn't what I thought I saw!

tangerine-jack

combatpigg,

ummm, well.... I just fired my design engineer- all he ever wanted to do was play with the computer mouse and get high on catnip. Upgrades in progress, laminating a 1/4" profile onto the existing, that should make it nice and strong. It's all good, learning curve ahead.......

flyingrog,

checking the logistics of the trip now. I am about 4 hours away. I think I might be free that weekend. Is the event only one day? You got a schedule of events?

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

TJ, I'm glad to hear you got it under control now, nothing worse than getting bad advice. The profile kits for 1/2A usually have 1/4" cheek cowls that go back to the spar line of the wing. This will not add much weight, but give the plane some style and beef the engine mount area. Then for the ultimate in streamlining, make the firewall blend to the outline of the fuel tank. Do you plan on putting the radio gear inside the wing?

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

Well, there is no schedule, its mainly a gathering of friends..we do the reedy race ( a plane powered by an .049 reed engine, (no teedees or killerbees) blackwidows, goldenbees, product engine) it can be very interesting..landing closest too type of events..the race takes a while then we break for lunch (free) and then all up flying and whatever we come up with after that..not a sanctioned event ..yet..folks come from 5 to 500 miles away,,yes it is a one day event..Rog

tangerine-jack

Good advice, wrong application. Yes, I did figure out by looking at lots of photos that the radio gear pretty much had to be in the wing. I must say I am enjoying this project to no end, I'm doing 3 things I've never done before: 1. build a profile flyer 2. build a Bipe 3. build something freestyle with no plans. I'm sure there will be some more false starts and revisions before it's all done, but hey, we learn by doing, and by doing something we've never done before is how we progress.