The Prophet
 

Here's an .020 Robelen design for AE(T).

David

RE: The Prophet
 

I thought I was going to see something about Obama:D nice little plane.

RE: The Prophet
 

Neat looking design for an .020, Dave Robelen did a great job being creative and coming up with new stuff. I guess that is why he was so prolific.

Brian

RE: The Prophet
 

Is that a space I see for a receiver, or for a deck of playing cards? The 1/8x1/8 balsa push rod is something I haven't tried yet....I don't know if I have the nerve?

RE: The Prophet
 

I'm with you on that one, combatpigg, you won't see me using balsa stick as pushrod anytime soon either. I'll go with a pull-pull system with two runs of fishingline before that and I don't like that set up either unless it's a very small light model and I've got straight runs.

RE: The Prophet
 

With something this small and that flies this slow 1/8 hard balsa with 1/32 wire ends is fine. CP, you're so used to Fora induced warp speed flying that you've forgotten that some of us don't mind flying slow and taking our time.... :D

Oh, almost forgot but looking at the plans reminded me. Dave's Prophet first showed up in a mid 60's American Modeller as one of the early Galloping Ghost setups that used dual actuators. In this case one for the ailerons instead of rudder and one for the elevator. His actuators were made up from smaller Micro Mo motors and a single 6 to 1 or so gear. The motors oscillated from forward to reverse and never turned more than a few full turns per pulse.

RE: The Prophet
 

My ancient Live Wire "Rebel" had 1/4"X1/4" balsa and 1/16" wire pushrods, and it was powered by a FROG .09 diesel. Balsa pushrods were common before NYROD, etc. were invented. You would add reinforcement at the bulkheads to limit flexing.


George

RE: The Prophet
 

Goldbergs Gentle Lady (OS 10FSR) and a geared electric Electra both had 1/4" sq, pushrods,
They flew well for years.

Maurice

RE: The Prophet
 

!/4x1/4 is 4x as big as 1/8x1/8th, different animal.

RE: The Prophet
 

1/4x1/4 is at least 4 times stronger than 1/8x1/8.......maybe more? I do remember those planes with the wood pushrods, because some of them made a unique sound.

RE: The Prophet
 

My dad's Senorita uses balsa push rods. They aren't effected my temperature changes like nylon so some people still use them. Plastic push rods can expand and contract enough in the hot sun to change your trim settings.

David

RE: The Prophet
 

Take a look at how short those pushrods are guys!

A short piece of 1/8 med. hard balsa with a couple of short .032" m.w. Z-bends is MEGA stiff. I've used them in all my little .010 & .020 designs...some of which go pretty fast and toss n' tumble like crazy. Never had a problem...they're cheap and weigh next to nothing.:)

It's the easiest way on the lil' fellers. Far easier IMO than futzing around with big clumsy fingers in a tiny fuselage trying to rig a pull/pull system.

RE: The Prophet
 

"SLOW"? Bruce, have you forgotten what a TD .020 can do...on a 24 inch airplane?

It's a Bill Winter "Rookie" at 1/3 scale and about 3 times the speed! Must have been interesting with GG.

Jim

RE: The Prophet
 

If my fat, ugly little fingers can rig a 1/2A pull/pull system, then anybody elses' fat, ugly fingers can do so too. DB, if you and BM say that 1/8th square sticks works, then that's good enough for me.
Don't you guys at least round off the corners of those square sticks to lose even more useless weight? Every micro-gram adds up, you know.
How bout that kid with the micro-micro RC plane in the August issue of MA? [X(]
How bout that 13 oz jumbo jet? [X(]

RE: The Prophet
 

If you're worried about the push rods, use .050 Cf pushrods.

RE: The Prophet
 

to douse more kerosene on the fire, I've used the 1/8th hard balsa pushrods too. My Clancy Ladybug uses them, MOF. Originally, that had a tee dee .020 on it, but it now has a GWS brushless outrunner. Never any problems on a plane that small.

RE: The Prophet
 

Bamboo skewers - the model builder's chewing gum and bailing wire, not to mention cheap.;)

RE: The Prophet
 

Bamboo skewers also make great wing tips and tail feathers. Heat over a candle and bend to shape. It's faster than laminating balsa.

David

RE: The Prophet
 

I've never tried that - I'll have to give it a shot. Do they need to be dampened beforehand or is just heat sufficient?

RE: The Prophet
 

I've bent them both ways. If it's a really tight radius it helps to soak them a bit. I still use a cardboard form like I would with laminating.

David

RE: The Prophet
 

Its a little off subject (not a Prophet) but its a Robelen design, Pronto, and I gave one away this morning.

I bought it two years ago, flew it several times - as late as this Fall - and decided that it was a fun reminder of the one I built from plans whenever it was first published, but it wasn't anything I wanted to fly on a regular basis. The Enya .19 engine and the Expert radio worked flawlessly (gold stickered too) and I thought someone else might want a chance to enjoy flying RME again too.

Between flights last year I took it to two local swap meets. Finally dropped the price to $25 - and nobody was interested!

Well, today I took it to the Winston-Salem swap meet and offered it FREE (I kept the engine) if someone could tell me its name or at least who designed it. Well someone finally guessed Randy Randolph and I figured that was close enough. I hope he will fly it.

But the reason I poked in all the above words is that I think there's a message in there somewhere. Frankly, I'm afraid as to what that might be - like maybe I'm way, way far away from what the mainstream of this hobby has become. Getting old sucks.

RE: The Prophet
 

Raymond, what specifically did you not like about the Pronto? I have the plans you sent me and ways half-way thinking about building one, but if it's a boring model I'll save my balsa. I want a home for my Veco .19; maybe a Flea Fli +10, instead.

BTW, I'm the one getting old. I had a complete brain fart about the WS swap meet. Totally missed it.[>:][:o]

David

RE: The Prophet
 

Dave, what I meant when I said, "...but it wasn't anything I wanted to fly on a regular basis..." was that when the Pronto first came out I was thrilled to be able to do hammerheads and big ole barrel rolls and even hold it inverted for a while. But RME (rudder, motor, elevator) control isn't what I have been flying a lot of lately.

Having said that, I would rate the Pronto as one of the top ten designs I've enjoyed over the past three decades or so. Right up there with lLancy's Lazy Bee and Speedy Bee. But I sold my last Speedy Bee yesterday too (ten bucks with a .20 FP and five servos). Just not what I fly much any more. Apparently not many people are - and that was the intended point of my post.

Having said, "having said that", I would have to add that the swap meet itself was an education in itself. I may have been the only one there trying to sell 'real' kits. ARFs there were aplenty.

You , Dave, are better than I at digging out bargains I know. But I bet you would have had a rough time finding much that you'd have been interested in.

RE: The Prophet
 

Well I would say he could find a bargain if he could get a Speedy Bee with engine and servos for $10!!!

RE: The Prophet
 

Raymond, I see what you mean about the 3-channel stuff. Has anyone here ever heard of this one? The plans show an ST .15.

David