1/2A Fantrainer
 

Well I think I found my winter project, MAN's 1/2A Fantrainer with a glassed fuselage and foam sheeted wings. Plans are on the way, but I thought I would post for a few suggestions. This will be my first fiberglassing project, and I am looking for a few recommendations.

1. Should I glass the entire fuselage or just the front and the canopy? Plans show a built up fuselage.

2. What about the wing? I believe it is built up on the plans, would it be a weight savings to cut a foam core and sheet with balsa or fiberglass? Is it worth the trouble?

3. Power source for the original was a Tee Dee .049. I have one NIB from many moons ago, or should I use a Norvel .061.

4. Flyquiet.com has a nice tuned pipe for the Norvels, is it worth the trouble to try to pipe a pusher airplane? Where do you route the exhaust?

Any of your thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated. This project should present a number of new challenges for me, glassing, foam cores and a pusher configuration. If you all would like I can post my progress as I go?

Many thanks,
Sean

1/2A Fantrainer
 

Being a 1/2A I would build it according to plans and the construction article.. weight is a big no no.

1/2A Fantrainer
 

fiberglass and 1/2a? sounds like a lump on the ground waiting to happen....sounds too heavy for a 049, just my 2 cents..Rog

1/2A Fantrainer
 

Guys, thanks for the replies.

I assumed that glass would be lighter than a built up version. All of those sailplane guys are always using glass and foam, and they seem to have the lightest airframes out there?

If that is not the case, I can always build stock, or at least close to it!

1/2A Fantrainer
 

This plane was designed by Paul Willinborg (sp?) who lives here in Little Rock. I have seen several of these fly over the years and they really fly well when built per plans. There are some challenges just going by the plans!! As for the glass fuse and foam wing, I don't like the idea, but if your good at it, it could work. Remember they fly really well when built as shown.

I would stay away from the Cox just for the starting issue. It is hard to get to the engine to start it, and the Cox has been the headache of every single one I have seen (no offence DICKEYBIRD). I think you would be better off to go with a Norvel .061 and use the spring starter set-up. You will also need to use a Cox type glow driver clip, or make up a custom remote unit. Or you could mount the engine at an angle to access the plug.

I would really like to see some pictures as you go forward. Good luck, it's a great flying plane.

1/2A Fantrainer
 

2fast4U,

Thank you for your comments, guys please keep them coming.

What about the pipe idea? Any thoughts?

I got the idea to glass the plane from a blurb on EZone. This guy had a glassed electric Fantrainer with a fuse and canopy weighing 56 grams. I have never done any work with fiberglass, so I doubt I could make it very light.

Here is a picture of Winfried de Vries' Speed 480 Fantrainer...

1/2A Fantrainer
 

Do you have any info on this pipe? I would like to see one. Is there a web site with pics? My .061's when proped right will turn 28K on the ground!! How much could a pipe help? Sounds like added weight for nothing to me. ?

here ya go 2fast
 

<http://www.flyquiet.com/products.html#norvelquiet>

I looked it up, pretty cool lookin and maybe keep the gruel off the plane, not very expensive either, check it out man :)

1/2A Fantrainer
 

I still can't see a reason to run a pipe on the .049 or .061. For the Fan Trainer project, look at it, the engine is at the back and the exhaust will only be getting on a small portion of the vertical fin. Seems like a lot to do about nothing to me. MHO.

1/2A Fantrainer
 

Not to long ago there was a discussion on E-Zone... :eek: But you might want to look at it. The person who designed the Fan Trainer modified the original to Electric with minimal fuss and still used the Cox three bladed prop. Just like it's gas version the electric version flies just as good. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...ht=fan+trainer

Now my question(s) is are you going to glass over a plug or over an actual built up fuselage? My option is if you use a plug to form the fuse would you actually make it lighter if done right?

Fantrainer - starting engine
 

One question: how to start engine on the Fantrainer? The tail seems to be on the way, looks cumbersome to start it by hand. Using a starter seems impossible.

Re: Fantrainer - starting engine
 

If I remember correctly, one way it was done was a modified 05 electric motor, a switch, and a long ball hex drive attached to it. Instead of using a slotted screw to hold the prop in place, a hex screw was used.

Fantrainer
 

Got the original MAN article and it suggests as Hoverfly said. But this was for a .049 engine.
Anyone has a better idea on how to do it on larger engines, let's say a .25 size?
I remember one manufacturer (HobbyDinamics???) had a .40 size model.
How did they do for starting the engine?

Got the plans from MAN yesterday
 

Thank you all for the posts!

Hoverfly,

Thank you for the link, I am suprised I didn't find it on my own. I have been searching for anything related to the fantrainer.

I am going to glass over a foam plug for the fuselage. I am trying to determine what I should do with the tail section. The plans are built up but I could glass over foam instead. What do you think? Wings will probably be built up, they are so small it doesn't seem worth it to try foam.

As for starting, I am planning on mounting the Norvel on a 45 deg so I can access the plug (Thanks 2FAST4U) and using a probe on the end of my 1/2 starter. I would like to explore using a recoil type starter like the car guys. First I have to start the plugs!

Sean

Re: Fantrainer
 

You might want to see what people with duct fans jets use. Most likely you can use their set up. The shroud on a .25 Fantraner might let you get in at a much shallower angle than the .049 with a probe. Insted of a hex driver just add the insert for a spiner cone to the end of the probe.

Fan Trainer on ebay
 

Hey you guys seen this yet,

Looks real cool!

-the prole

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1790131009

1/2A Fantrainer
 

Notice the Prop Nut is made from a 6mm nut driver bit tapped in a lathe for the shaft, in this case, 1/4-28. Engine is an O.S. FX .25, aircraft is a Green Hangar Fantrainer .25.

1/2A Fantrainer
 

This is a great idea
a friend of mine has a 40 size and uses a pullie and a sting
on his 50 webra he says it was the recomended thing on the plan
good flyer good hot engine would sure perk it up

1/2A Fantrainer
 

FYI.....The original designer, Paul, Built another Fantrainer with an electric motor set up this time. It went from lots of fun in the lower 20oz range, to unreal vertical and flat line speed at around 34oz!!! This thing screams now. Just thought you should know.

1/2A Fantrainer
 

I just finished the 1/2A Fantrainer from the Paul Willenborg plans. I'm using the Norvel .049RC engine and 4 hitec HS 81 servos. I built it according to the plans except I made a foam plug for the canopy and glassed it (weighs less than 1oz.). The big problem now is that it weighs 27oz. and I'm not very confident that it'll even fly!

Ben

1/2A Fantrainer
 

Oh, it'll fly!!! It will fly just fine. Just make sure it's balanced where he says it's supposed to be, and that everything is straight and true, (and securely attached) and fire it up and throw it! Better yet, get your buddy to throw it. You'll be surprised at how well it flies. Throw it smoothly, though, so you don't flood the engine with the surge of fuel. And if the canopy falls off, watch the airplane, not the canopy!! (voice of experience...)
Good luck!

1/2A Fantrainer
 

Jaffray,

I read in another thread about your .25 size fantrainer, but couldn't find much info. I spent a little time thinking about scaling the 1/2a one up for a .25, but couldn't come up with a suitable design so I just built the little one. Do you have plans available for the .25 one? Also, what prop are you running on it? I couldn't find a suitable 3-blade pusher for the .25 (one of the major hurdles I thought). And of course, how does the larger one fly?

BTW, I'm pretty confident that nothing will fall off mine, and it's balanced right on the recommended location. Now if I could just get the weather to clear up.

Thanks,

Ben

1/2A Fantrainer
 

Hay bdphil, it look great!! Like I said the elec one is around 34oz and it screams!!! Just get a good launch and it will suprise you!!! You'll love it. :D :D :D

1/2A Fantrainer
 

Well, I was very disappointed with my 1/2a fantrainer. I couldn't get the darn thing to fly at all. The engine seemed to make a fair amount of thrust, but after several hand-launch attempts it hit the ground pretty hard and broke. I don't know where I went wrong. Maybe I'll build another some day (it only took about a week start to finish). Anyone need a Norvel .049RC engine with about 10 seconds of flight time on it :D .

Ben

fantrainer
 

Here is a link to EAM that has the short kit for the fantrainer. I was really considering building one but if any of you have a built one ( damaged or not ) and want to get rid of it, let me know.
Bob

http://www.eam.net/gallery.htm