Critterhunter,

The three following links are to the pages I got most all of my information from. Two of these pages describe very similar and simple hotwire bows for holding the wire tight. The basic design is simply a strong base (Piece of oak or other hard wood) and two 9" pieces of 1/4" dia. music wire (Landing gear material available at the hobby shop) that are flexed to hold the tension. Wrap your cutting wire (Nicrome, stainless, guitar string) between the two ends while they are flexed and there you have the basic cutting bow. To put heat to mine I simply attached the alligator clips from my car battery charger (one to each piece of music wire) and set it for 12V 2 amp. This worked for several different kinds of wire but not all wire. The links are far more explicit than I am being.

As for creating a template for the shape of the wing, down load Compufoil. The demo version lets you set the wing shape perameters and gives you a printable template to use for making the profile forms. You simply cut the templates out with scissors and attach to plywood, formica, aluminum etc... and cut it out. You can either pin the templates the either end of the foam block you want to cut or mount them on the ends of a base plate like I did. I am not being much more specific than last time since all this is well illustrated in the attached links. Foamflyer gives the exact specifications for the airfoil on the first view of the plane. You just have to figure out how they are entered into compufoil.

The light EPS foam (seems almost too light) is what Foamflyer was using. I took one of my new wings out and taped a makeshift fuselage to it and it flew OK just like that with no tail. Did a great loop and then fell to earth without damage. Crashed it severl times with no damage since it is so light.


http://webpages.charter.net/rcfu/Con.../FoamWing.html

http://members.fortunecity.co.uk/slmohr/rcinterest2.htm

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~orman...r/hotwire.html

My progress is stalled until Foamflyer updates his web page showing more detail on the fuse and tail.

Happy Thanksgiving!