1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

Ok, I can't (and don't want to) postpone it any longer. I have all the radio gear I need and all these Cox reedies lying around and summer almost here and I went to the local field this past Saturday and stood while others flew. I have an old .09 Enya engined trainer that needs the main wing built BUT I've decided to build a 1/2A plane because I love the small engines most of all.

Soooo, that being said I'm looking for some suggestions and plans for a nice first 1/2A trainer. Through much research and weighing of options I realize that I probably shouldn't build a war plane as my first plane nor should I detail it too much because I KNOW I WILL CRASH and probably frequently. So since this will be my first plane and my first time actually flying but since I like the look of scale models I'd like something with decent flight characteristics that will be able to fly in a relaxed manner (i.e. the slower the better) and look good doing it. I plan to power the plane with the venerable .049 reedy and will be using a single stick 2 channel Hitec radio (rudder and elevator).

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

In my humble opinion the best trainer for a guy like you is a 1/2A RC Texaco model. These are competion models it's true but, they fly very slowly, gently and don't break the bank building them. You need two channels, I don't care what you use for a TX, all you need is a two channel RX and small servo's. I use Futaba 133's which are big by todays standards and my planes come in underweight.

The rules (go to the SAM website for details) call for a 1/2A Cox Reed Valve Engine with and 5.1cc tank (baby bee etc) a maximum prop of 8" if wood and two channels. If you never fly in contests use the 8cc tanks (black widow, golden bee, large Texaco tank etc.). The model must be an old timer and must weigh 8 ozs. per square foot of wing area. That's it. I use a hand-assembled engine with a Cox muffler (allowed). I am using an old KK Texaco back plate but you can achieve the same results if you leave the Needle Valve Spring off and substitute a piece of silicon fuel tube and a washer in it's place. This dampens the vibrations, and provides a fiction fit for the needle valve. Cox reed valve engines tend to retune themselves in the air if you don't; this kills the engine and may burn out the glow head. I use 10% nitro in the summer (15% in the winter) with an once of caster oil added per quart. I usually use two to three head gaskets and an 8-4 WOOD prop with a non-contacting Cox spring starter at the front end.

If I may be so bold, I'd suggest Peter Bower's Flybaby. I myself will argue that it's not the best (no such thing) but it will hold it's own alongside others if I do my part. It handles the wind well and is a great sport flyer as well. The model has 300 sq." of wing which is perfect (16.66 oz.); if built to the original size. I am working on my second Flybaby. The model has lots of dihedral and is very stable in the air (there is no such thing as a self-correcting trainer - get over it, they will all crash if they get bent out of shape). The model is mostly sticks and yes it has an undercambered airfoil (don't let this scare you off, it's a babe). The Flybaby does want 6300-6500 RPM, More is gravy but not less; keep in mind Texaco is a fuel economy game. Lower RPM's are good, higher RPM's are bad - at least for contest work Models will vary in what they need.

I retired the first model after hundreds of flights only because it looked really scruffy and was getting pretty oil soaked, I mean: mica film was flapping in the wind. I built the first one in two weeks and that allowed for a few test/warm up flights before the contest. As I recall I got 85 flight out of the original glow head. The Flybaby can be flown with the trim tabs or just by bumping the sticks. 5.1cc's of fuel will keep it in the air under power for about 4 1/2 minutes, any more than this and you have to earn it. The model will land it's self, keep the wings level and get your fingers off the sticks. With no apologies, the Flybaby can be rudder rolled and will loop from a dive.

The plans came from Model Builder (now extinct) but you can still get them from who ever peddles the Model Builder plans. Turns out that's Bill Northrope.

HTH - Steve B.

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

the LST will be a great trainer...someone has allready built one,and says it flys great...you can download the plan from the thread...if you want you can build two wings...one with ailrons and one without...eather way should be right up your alley...

john

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

Thanks for all the info Burtcs. I assume the Texaco has such good flying characteristics (ie/ stability and slow flight) due to the huge dihedral and wing span.

jboy381-RCU, which thread are you referring to?

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

Meowy, its the sticky at the top of the forum...1/2a trainer anyone...the other plane would be the LS150,,do a search its an easy flying easy building plane, its the Littlest Stick blown up to 150%.....$5 worth of wood....Rog

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

LS150 thanks rog...i forgot about that one:D

john

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

What you will soon learn about airplanes, you shouldn't show up with only one! Nothing like a slightly botched hand launch to make your flying day only two seconds long.
So besides a proper wooden trainer like the LST or a texaco, which you can show up at a club with and not get ridiculed because those are both 'real' airplanes to most experienced rc guys (the LST is a little kadet, the texaco stuff iconic old timer), you may need a backup plane or two.

A plan b airplane I think would be sweet, if you don't mind just a teeny bit of 'ciphering, you can use some five min epoxy to put a firewall in a common gws pico cub-f (also available as 'slope glider' version sold without motor for [link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHCJ7&P=7]extremely cheap[/link]) and away you go! Keep the five min epox and some tape in your pocket to re-assemble once you gather all the bits, then away you go again.. rinse and repeat. Sorry about the horrid grammer and sentence structure.. I got interruped a lot during this post

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

Tkanks for the plans everyone and info everyone. I love the help and friendliness on this forum. ;)

Clint, I like that Pico...sort of a miniature Cub. I went to the field last weekend and talked to an older gentleman and when I mentioned that I hope to shop up with a little Cox powered thingie he was astonished that people fly those nowadays with r/c as opposeed to c/l only. Anyways, he was very enthused and said he was looking forward to seeing my plane. However, I'm sure I'll get those who'll ridicule as well and I think I'll try the 'highschool' approach right back at them and give them the middle finger salute. heh heh heh

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

Clint now theres the plan!! dude , cheap, even easier than the LS150 ,great Idea! may look into that myself,,maybe get the tiger moth biplane,,I didnt know Tower even carried the GWS line,,I started out with thier stuff and was always pleased with the park flyer stuff...except that funky glue...Rog

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

Did you say LS150?? Hows about a fake ls150- the gws pico stik-F.. The cub may be a better first plane, but the stik looks a little more sporting.
http://www2.gpmd.com/image/g/gwsa1003.jpg[link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHCH9&P=7]fifteen dollar stik[/link]

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

Yep,,thats the plane that started me back into the hobby!!that was a few years back, I flew it at the schoolyard on saturday mornings,,no quick charger but I had like 5 battery paks so I could fly it for an hour or so total time...thought about getting a cub for those quick times to get in a flight...course I've also thought about putting a cox reedie on my crazy max for the race coming up too....first time I flew it I hit the Library and the fuse broke in half[X(] so its been hanging from the ceiling ever since ...it may work,,but I gotta finish this contest plane first, I'm down to the little stuff that takes so long to figure out and I'm running out of room to work in ya know...Rog

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

I'm not entirely sold on the GWS converson of some of those models. The wings on those things are that thin undercamberd shape and without any bracing I think it's quite possible to have them twist and rip off with the speed potential of even a reedie product engine.

Now their Formosa model with it's foam and symetrical wing would be really nice. Beyond that I don't think you can do much better than a variation of the LS150 for either rudder-elevator-throttle or with a flat wing aileron-elevator-throttle. Either would be a super easy to build model and provide lots of thrills.

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

I was thinking if one did do a reedy conversion of a pico ariframe, a really mild prop like a 6-2 would help keep things slow. I agree, the fermosa looks like it would be less apt to snap a wing off, especially if the wings were covered with econocote or similar.

I've read of lots of flyers covering these foam planes with light glass cloth and water-based varnish or normal fiberglass epoxy to make them much more durable. Thing is, that much effort puts you back nearly to the level of building a proper wooden plane..

That's what's great about this rc airplane stuff, there's never one perfect answer to anything. :)

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

Packing tape over foam is an extremely durable construction method that is also light- perhaps a foamy could be coverd in coloured packing tape to inprove the strength.
That is if you are not worried about what some people might say about it.

J.M

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

That is a good method- they can say all they want untill you tell them it's a 4.99 dollar engine pulling a 15.99 dollar plane..

I have one of those electric 'yellow bee' planes that is gradually getting covered in packing tape--
Each time i break something and have to glue it back, it gets taped, and I do it on both sides so the weight/strenth gain will be symmetric. The goal is to wear the motors out before it gains too much weight from repairs!

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

then you get to JKAerotech...foam planes covered in colored packing tape,but bigger and heavier than GWS,,I had one of their trainers and it was tough as can be,,GWS Pico or Tiger moth with packing tape sounds like a winner to me!!!...Rog

RE: 1/2A plans for a new flyer wanted!
 

Good stuff guys...on second thought maybe I should buy one of those pico planes and do a Cox conversion. Might get me out onto the field quicker to at least get me flying while I build another plane from plans/scratch. Like most of you here I suspect I'm not really a fan of ARFs and being a perennial tinkerer would prefer something I build from the ground up myself.