Glow powered foamie! (Finished, videos)
03-22-2006, 04:50 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ţo, FINLAND
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Glow powered foamie! (Finished, videos)
Oh..ohh, build thread! 
I'm building a foamie with glow power. Although it might seem goofy to strap an IC engine to a foamie I wanted to try.
The reason is mainly that I had these micro servos and reciver unused and a new OS.10.
I'm not in to electric flight at all, so I thought to give this a shot...
Here's how it's coming along:
I'm building a foamie with glow power. Although it might seem goofy to strap an IC engine to a foamie I wanted to try.
The reason is mainly that I had these micro servos and reciver unused and a new OS.10.
I'm not in to electric flight at all, so I thought to give this a shot...
Here's how it's coming along:
03-22-2006, 05:01 PM
#2
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ţo, FINLAND
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Glow powered foamie!
Technical notes:
- Engine is an OS.10 & 2oz fuel tank (5.5cl) and 7X4 prop.
- Plane: E-flite Tribute 3D
- 4 Bluebird 306 servos, Parkflyer reciver (Nuke?), 120mah ni-mh flight pack.
- Rudder anchored with tape (no more servos or free space in RX)
- Engine mount is laminated from balsa and lite ply, covered with Monocote
- Used clear packing tape to stiffen fuselage and 'fuel proof' it.
- Balances with 15grams of lead on the tail. Will try to tweak radio installation to balance without lead.
- Engine is an OS.10 & 2oz fuel tank (5.5cl) and 7X4 prop.
- Plane: E-flite Tribute 3D
- 4 Bluebird 306 servos, Parkflyer reciver (Nuke?), 120mah ni-mh flight pack.
- Rudder anchored with tape (no more servos or free space in RX)
- Engine mount is laminated from balsa and lite ply, covered with Monocote
- Used clear packing tape to stiffen fuselage and 'fuel proof' it.
- Balances with 15grams of lead on the tail. Will try to tweak radio installation to balance without lead.
03-22-2006, 08:19 PM
#3
Senior Member
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Canyon Country, CA
Posts: 1,774
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Glow powered foamie!
Hey, why not? Usually you read about somebody converting a glow plane to electric, turn about is fair play! Wonder how the tape will hold up to the exhaust slime tho. Interested to see how it all turns out!
03-22-2006, 09:20 PM
#6
Senior Member
My Feedback: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Manassas,
VA
Posts: 968
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Glow powered foamie!
id say you need a lot of stiffening on the fuse. Ive flown this plane with a brushless and the fuse will zig and zag all over the place. I had to use a carbon fiber strip down the center to stiffen up the fuse so it would flutter all over the place. Could you install a servo in the rear of the plane for the rudder to take off the weight in the back.
03-22-2006, 09:31 PM
#7
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Middleboro, MA
Posts: 3,275
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Glow powered foamie!
ORIGINAL: rcfury
id say you need a lot of stiffening on the fuse. Ive flown this plane with a brushless and the fuse will zig and zag all over the place. I had to use a carbon fiber strip down the center to stiffen up the fuse so it would flutter all over the place. Could you install a servo in the rear of the plane for the rudder to take off the weight in the back.
id say you need a lot of stiffening on the fuse. Ive flown this plane with a brushless and the fuse will zig and zag all over the place. I had to use a carbon fiber strip down the center to stiffen up the fuse so it would flutter all over the place. Could you install a servo in the rear of the plane for the rudder to take off the weight in the back.
Sounds like a fun project, although I am a bit concerned that the fuse is going to split apart from the motor mount.
Good luck.
03-23-2006, 03:05 AM
#9
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ţo, FINLAND
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Glow powered foamie!
Thanks for the replies guys.
Well, this is a "shoot-from-the-hip" sort of project.
What you see on the pictures was the result of one evening of building only. Not much planning involved, I just build it as I go along
Since I'm not flying any electrics I have no idea how this plane is upoposed to be.
I mean, I don't know the power of the OS.10 vs. stock electric motor or the properties of the airframe
Also, since I've never had any of these foam planes I have no proper glue, I use 5min epoxy,that should make the joints good and flexble.
...Anyhow, I had this equipment at home already, I only bought the foamie plane so if the whole thing explodes when I fire up the engine, it's no big deal.
I will cut and glue some balsa sticks along the fuse to strengthen it.
Concerning the rudder servo, well, it's simple, there is no rudder servo.
I have only four servos and only three slots in the reciver = 2XAileron(Y-cable) , 1XThrottle, 1XElevator
I realize this is a 3D plane and should have a rudder, but in this stage it's mora about trying to get it to fly and survive 5min of engine run. Rudder is the function I had to put low priority on
Well, this is a "shoot-from-the-hip" sort of project.
What you see on the pictures was the result of one evening of building only. Not much planning involved, I just build it as I go along
Since I'm not flying any electrics I have no idea how this plane is upoposed to be.
I mean, I don't know the power of the OS.10 vs. stock electric motor or the properties of the airframe
Also, since I've never had any of these foam planes I have no proper glue, I use 5min epoxy,that should make the joints good and flexble.
...Anyhow, I had this equipment at home already, I only bought the foamie plane so if the whole thing explodes when I fire up the engine, it's no big deal.
I will cut and glue some balsa sticks along the fuse to strengthen it.
Concerning the rudder servo, well, it's simple, there is no rudder servo.
I have only four servos and only three slots in the reciver = 2XAileron(Y-cable) , 1XThrottle, 1XElevator
I realize this is a 3D plane and should have a rudder, but in this stage it's mora about trying to get it to fly and survive 5min of engine run. Rudder is the function I had to put low priority on
03-23-2006, 05:33 AM
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ţo, FINLAND
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Glow powered foamie!
Installed a balsa spar along the fuse, installed & trimmed radio.
The plane balances 10mm to the front without extra weight, 5gram of weight under the left wing to compensate lateral balance for engine cylinder.
Pimped out with stickers, charging and ready to go!
Edit: This reciver is total crap, it's really glitchy and goes haywire if I as much as look at it.
I had this on a glider before and never got it to calm down... I really don't think it'll behave any better close to a running engine with metal pushrod. Well, it'll add to the excitement I guess.
The plane balances 10mm to the front without extra weight, 5gram of weight under the left wing to compensate lateral balance for engine cylinder.
Pimped out with stickers, charging and ready to go!
Edit: This reciver is total crap, it's really glitchy and goes haywire if I as much as look at it.
I had this on a glider before and never got it to calm down... I really don't think it'll behave any better close to a running engine with metal pushrod. Well, it'll add to the excitement I guess.
03-24-2006, 01:59 AM
#15
Senior Member
My Feedback: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Manassas,
VA
Posts: 968
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Glow powered foamie! (Finished, videos)
Ouch... The landing sounded pretty harsh.. NOt bad for a broken prop and a cracked fuse.
but for the looks of it, I think it flown pretty good. I thought putting a nitro engine on a mini funtana was insane but, a FOAMIE. That is just awsome.
but for the looks of it, I think it flown pretty good. I thought putting a nitro engine on a mini funtana was insane but, a FOAMIE. That is just awsome.
03-24-2006, 05:15 AM
#16
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ţo, FINLAND
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Glow powered foamie! (Finished, videos)
Well, yeah it flies good.
It tracks pretty well and is more stable and predictable than I initially thought it'd be.
The power is not top notch since this flight was with a new, not broken in engine running very rich.
The crash sound harder than it was, the damage is a crack in the fuse behind the reinforced engine mount and a broken prop.
I think most of the crunching sound comes from the engine going through crusty snow and shredding the prop.
The plane weights (not fueled) only 322gram so I guess it helped reducing the impact damage.
All in all, it was a fun experiment and I must confess that I like to show these videos to the sceptics of this project
It tracks pretty well and is more stable and predictable than I initially thought it'd be.
The power is not top notch since this flight was with a new, not broken in engine running very rich.
The crash sound harder than it was, the damage is a crack in the fuse behind the reinforced engine mount and a broken prop.
I think most of the crunching sound comes from the engine going through crusty snow and shredding the prop.
The plane weights (not fueled) only 322gram so I guess it helped reducing the impact damage.
All in all, it was a fun experiment and I must confess that I like to show these videos to the sceptics of this project
03-24-2006, 09:08 PM
#18
Senior Member
My Feedback: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Manassas,
VA
Posts: 968
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Glow powered foamie! (Finished, videos)
Keep it going!!! The longer it stays alive the more people would believe. Im telling you that im telling all my flying buddies. HaHa
03-25-2006, 06:20 PM
#20
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ţo, FINLAND
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Glow powered foamie! (Finished, videos)
The screaming foamie flew again today. I glued some ply over the crack in the fuse and it was good to go.
It blew half storm and the engine kind of only flew the plane down wind. Up wind took forever and was incredible unstable... I guess it's because the flat wing don't hae an airfoil so the plane wanted to go up or down, not straight and level.
Flew only one fuel tank because of the weather, but tomorrow I'm going to the club field and have anther go with it.
I will tune the engine for higher rpm as more fuel goes through it, I guess the airframe will not handle it at some point, well see.
It blew half storm and the engine kind of only flew the plane down wind. Up wind took forever and was incredible unstable... I guess it's because the flat wing don't hae an airfoil so the plane wanted to go up or down, not straight and level.
Flew only one fuel tank because of the weather, but tomorrow I'm going to the club field and have anther go with it.
I will tune the engine for higher rpm as more fuel goes through it, I guess the airframe will not handle it at some point, well see.
