Coroplast
 

Just a tip to everyone who is interested in the S.P.A.D. designs, and others like it- You can get this kind of plastic in 4X8, 4X10, and 4X12' sheets at the local garden supply shop/ landscaping supply co.
Also I get mine (with the blessings of the local police) by tearing off those "lose weight fast", and "we buy houses cheap" signs that are plastered all over the telephone poles. One more place you can get it-dumpster diving at the local cigarette store, lots of temp. display stands are made of this.


Jetts

Coroplast
 

So our dignified hobby is being reduced to scavenging and dumpster diving…

<sniff-sniff>, is that "progress" I smell?

I can appreciate saving money as much as the next guy but there is just something wrong with the SPAD fad.

Coroplast
 

Late November is salad days for SPAD builders. All of those coroplast political signs around town must be torn down as a matter of law.

Don't touch them before election day, but afterward, they are fair game.

Recycling coroplast can make ya feel all warm and fuzzy, just like a treehugger!

Coroplast
 

Having designed many, and been involved in all of the original Spad designs, would you care to expand on this so I know where to improve?:)

I will gladly and shamlessly dive a dumpster, or grab a bike wheel out of a trash pile, or scab an election sign. I am not proud, and I am a flyer. When my scratchbuilt own design airplane heads skyward and flies rings around other planes at the field, I could care less what it's made of. When I cartwheel down the runway because I'm flying in 30 mph winds, it's cool to change the prop and fly again. When I fly all weekend instead of being a slave to the shop, I'm doing what I want to do, which is fly, not what I have to do to get to what I want to do. When I can save $100 per airplane, that gives me more to put into flight packs and engines...that's why there are 20 airplanes in my basement all ready to fly...choose one...lets go tear up the sky:D

Coroplast
 

I'm with you Tattoo :D

I would much rather spend $10-$20 on something that I don't have to be worried to death about putting into the dirt.

When I was first learning, I lost over $400 in conventional wood planes. And that was in just the first year. The surviving balsa plane now sits as a backup to a backup to a backup for my SPAD's. I also find that I am much more relaxed when flying one of my SPAD's. I can actually enjoy flying and ow have to worry which of my kids I am going to have to rent out :D when it crashes.

And yes, there is something terribly wrong with the SPAD fad. Its' dirt cheap. Its quick. Its very durable and most important, to me anyway, its FUN!

Just my .02 worth,

Coroplast
 

I'm sure they fly great, I KNOW they are tough, but I have yet to see one in a pic or in person that wasn't ugly. The BEST ones still look like cheap pieces of plastic.

I guess your hobby is different than mine, that's all. Then again I am a better builder than I am a pilot. Some people just aren't cut out to build I guess!

Coroplast
 

ouch , I'm not a spad flyer but this isnt building, it is designing and fitting in a flight pak on a plane you can fly with no worries, let him have his fun flying and dont critique his plane, while he compliments your building skills as your plane....sits still? I personally like 1/2a for the same 2 reasons, I like to build and if they crash , I'm out $30 bucks.... but I do have an extra .15 motor and I'd rather build a throw away plane than spend $100 bucks on a "pretty plane" I might crash....I'm not that good at flying either but I'd rather practice cheaply........no offense to anyone, just my observations.........Rog :p

Coroplast
 

That wouldn't be true about Spad builders. They have different goals, but they are just as fanatic, just as creative, just as innovative, and just as skilled as the scale modelers I know. While people in this forum lament that kit building (of wood planes) is rapidly becoming a lost art, Tattoo has inspired a growing generation of scratch builders.

Re: Brian's comments
 

Or perhaps one isn't cut out to fly and can only build?

Why develop a negative take on it?

Different strokes for different folks. There is NO right way for all. What is 'right' is determined by your criteria, and your criteria are simply different from theirs. A SPAD satisfies their criteria exceptionally well and does very poorly for your needs.

Excellent craftsmanship is often a severe detriment to developing really good flying skills for many people, they are simply too uptight flying their Master Scale work of beauty to climb further up the learning curve. A SPAD eliminates that factor.

(To each his own, and remember... message board conversations can get volatile and people's feelings can be hurt without the offendor even intending to do so.)

Coroplast
 

Thanks Pinball & CM:)
Brian, Check out this page
http://www.spadtothebone.com/Showcase.html

I like the way Derek put it, to each his own. I put over 6 hours and about $7.00 into this Spitfire...and even for me that was too much time and money in an airframe...plus I had to wait over night for the brown paint to dry before I could fly it (built it out of green Coroplast)...I hate that. When I get up on Saturday morning and have an idea, I want to get it done and out to the field to see how it flies...I pick up lunch on the way to the field.

Coroplast
 

Hey!!!! If it floats your boat then go for it!!!! I like building nice planes from kits and have absolutely qualms about flying them, wringing them out and if they crash?? Oh well!!!!! I have never built a spad and probably never will but hey who knows??? I said I would never do an ARF either but just finished a US 40 so go figure???? :confused:

Coroplast
 

What really blows me away is that more and more people that like building are discovering the concept of building with these materials, and the stuff they are coming up with is amazing. This is probably one of the best examples. Sorry for getting so OT.

http://www.spadtothebone.com/showcase49.jpg

Coroplast
 

Don't accuse me of being a troll.

I think you read way too much into what I said. I wasn't trying to put down anyone.

I think they are cheap looking and ugly. Let me clarify: I think they are cheap looking and ugly. If you don't, fine. I never tried to put anyone down for their opinion yet I am accused of being a troll for mine.

Re: Re: Brian's comments
 

I guess you didn't read the part where I said "I guess your hobby is different than mine."

<disclaimer>The following statement in no way shape or form is intended to offend anyone or illicit negative responses.</disclaimer>

That seems ridiculous to me. I know only a handful of people who build scale planes and none are the least bit squeamish about flying anything.

I'm sorry. I didn't realize I should be so "sensitive". Should I be sugar coating it? Lying? Or better yet, maybe I should just keep my opinion to myself so as to better save others' "feelings".

Coroplast
 

I'm not against SPAD's, or the materials used or anything like that, I'm not some purist geek. Some day maybe they will have evolved enough out of the work of people like yourself to be attractive to me. Right now they just aren't there. (I don't consider myself much of an "innovator", so getting involved wouldn't do much good for me.)

Coroplast
 

I'll take your word for it. I've edited my post.

Visual attractiveness is not a primary goal of most Spad builders. In fact, there's a running joke on the Spad forum about "stickers", the point of which is to chide Spadders to do at least the very minimum in terms of visual appeal. The primary goals of spadders are: Fun to fly, simple, easy to build, quick to build, low cost and common materials, crash survival.

I don't mean this as a put down in any way, but it's more likely that you will come to see the Spad goals as valuable than it is for Spads to evolve into something visually attractive. Most people come into Spads for two reasons, either they just don't have the money for a wood trainer, or they want to expand their flying skills without risking the time and money cost of wood airplanes.

Coroplast
 

Spad actually began as a combat plane. I spent 20 years building from Balsa, and going to alternate materials never even crossed my mind...in fact, I will admit I thought planes like the Dura Plane and even Balsa USA Swizzle stick were B-ugly. Then Kraut (my partner in crime) and myself got involved in combat. Mid-airs are common in combat. Balsa planes explode in mid-airs.

Kit costs+build time+mid-airs=not worth it.

Then we foud out Air Cores are built from sign board, and Dura-Planes are built from Gutterpipe. We put the two ideas together and walla...perfect combat plane.

$5 airplane+few hour build time+mid-air=What a riot!!!

I drew up some simple pencil drawing plans, made some copies, and gave them to our combat buddies. That was going to be the extent of it for us...but the plans got out...and we were shocked how guys started taking our combat plane and added the 4th channel and slapped some landing gear on them and were sport flying them. That's how it all got started. It also didn't take long to notice that my flying progressed more in the first year of Spad than from the previous 20 years. I went from solid conservitive "safe" piloting...to "lets rock!!!" My inverted passes went from a safe 10' to whoops...I think I drug the vertical:) For years I wanted to master a outside cuban 8 but didn't quite dare, now I do them without thinking and don't mind ruffling the overfly overgrown grass pulling out.

In our area, more and more people are training on Spads...and I'm seeing a lot of new pilots getting real good real fast because of the lack of fear.

The very most bottom line here is that I'm having fun...more fun than ever before in this hobby, and if we can, Kraut and I want to pass it on to pilot's who think like us and love flying.

Brian/Tattoo/Everyone
 

Yes, I guess our hobbies are different, that's what makes them hobbies!
I am not to proud to dumpster dive, OR build a really nice plane from conventional materials.
I'm just in awe of the DIVERSITY of our hobby, and the fact that you can build a plane from JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.
I have an Aresti ARF, a couple of scratch built SCALE MODELS, and a continuous array of models made from Bluecore (fanfold)/coroplast/blue foam/pine.
I AM proud to say that I have not spent over 20.00 bucks for ANY of these, except the Aresti, due to the fact that I have the ability to look at a piece of "garbage" or, raw material, and see a model in it.
This has been quite a thread, and no, Brian, I didn't take offence to the statements you first made in reply.
Proudly building models from "garbage" since 1989. (and kits even longer!)
VIVA LA DIFFERANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

Jetts

Coroplast
 

Re: Re: Re: Brian's comments

*chuckles*
Never mind :)

Coroplast
 

crashmaster and tattoo im with you ! spads are great fun, so is designing your own plane!

Coroplast
 

you tell em JETS!

Coroplast
 

tattoo has shown that his spitfire is certainlt NOT ugly! great job tattoo!

Coroplast
 

Thanks!!!:D:)

the beginner has options
 

Hi all,

I tried to post and send a pic but I don't think it went because of the file size of the pic. Any I am trying again. I build strictly out of box cardboard. They are lighter then the coroplast and can be crafted to look like a real plane. Most can't tell it is made of cardboard yet they fly like balsa. I can't send the pic but if anyone is interested in seeing them just e-mail me.
My point is the beginner can now have both a great looking plane and one that will take quite a beating. In my view cardboard is the ultimate answer to the pilot that wants to improve himself.

Ace

Funk from Junk
 

Acebird,
Right on! I have built planes this way as well.
I don't know if you use this technique-Paint a coat or two of polyurethane on the cardboard first. Makes it more resilient, and easier to cut.
However, these planes are not quite as bulletproof as the coroplast jobs, although I agree that cardboard can be a little more sandable!
On the subject of fast and dirty, I once built a plane in 4 hours while working loading trucks- I took an engine and radio to work with me at Carter lumber, and my friend and I built it completely of scrap material-gutter downspout, blue foam, old scrap of sandpaper. Took it home and flew it. It was Really ugly- so much so that it refused to die! Finally got tired of it and took out the radio, and engine.

Jetts