Worth Fixing?
 

I'm a heli guy (yeah, yeah, I know you plank guys hate us :D) so I really dont know about planes all that much, I had my little cousing bring me a TT trainer for repair (marked N40TT). All the damage believe it or not is from being in his garage [:@] Wing and Ailerons are fine, elevator, rudder and lower tail is trashed (see images).. Assuming the engine and electronics are working is it worth fixing? Where do I even get parts? Searched around Tower and a few other places and didnt see any parts for it... The plane has the following:

OS .40
Futaba 7ch Dual conv RX (FP-R127DF)
Futaba 3003 Servos All around
and a Futaba 500mAh Flight pack, will cycle out to test...

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

as long as you have your elevators you should be able to finsh it in less than aworking day, but if you have problems don't rush it. keep an eye on my thread above "repairs for beginners" i've just started but it may help you later. I sujest you start with the fire wall (its easy on a trainer). just simply add 2 triangular prism shaped hard wood verticaly in the corners to help it structualy then glue the fire wall on as well you will Want to remove your engine for the time being though.

Edit: short answer yes

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

Thanks for the input... Any Ideas where to get the tail for this trainer?

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

You cant find parts for it?, its called "the balsa wood" section on tower.:D Unlike the helicopter world, you cant buy every little piece in a nice little plastic baggie, sometimes you have to build your own. You are trying to find a horizontal stab right? It shouldn't be too hard to make. Anyways, have fun and good luck!

LT-40

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

I knew you plank guys hated us heli guys.... but daaamn ! :)

Thats what I was affraid of !! :D Since the H. Stab is missing all together, any ideas on dimentions? Cant even locate a manual for it...

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

Greetings,

Worth fixing? Hell no. Remove the engine and radio gear and toss that junked plane in the trash.

The engine looks new or has very little time on it. You don't have pictures of the radio gear but you're a heli guy so you should be able to judge the condition for your self. If you to give fixed wing birds a go then go to Tower's web site and order a nice 40 sized trainer, follow the directions, install the salvaged engine and radio, and go fly.

It's not worth your time and money to try to fix it. Get a new ARF trainer and have a ball.

Best Regards,
The Dude
(Old school plane guy)

P.S. Replacement parts for ARFs typically come in plasic baggies. :D

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

Well, I say it depends. Are you into the whole building thing? Or do you just prefer to get out and fly? For people who don't really care where their plane comes from or what it looks like, then arfs are the way to go. Otherwise go ahead and rebuild it.

You are looking at probably 2-3 weekends worth of work, maybe more depending on if you have done anything with balsa before and how much time you put into it at a sitting. Your probably going to have to make a design for the tail yourself if you don't find any pictures/plans for it online.

If you do decide to do it, let me know. I have a trainer on the boards that I am doing some repair work on that has all the covering stripped off of and if you need it I will take pictures of the tail for you. That with a little input from other guys here should make it fairly painless (assuming the #11 doesn't slip).

Let us know and good luck.

I always prefer building. I am more comfortable knowing that every glue join in my plane is solid and that any weak points in the design were fixed during construction. Also makes it easier to repair if something breaks. Repairing a plane that you didn't build and have no plans for is very hard. Thats the reason why most guys that buy arfs just toss them after they take what can be a very minor wreck.

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

That plane was an arf to begin with it seems. The firewall is sorta easy. Just do as was recommended above and brace it with triangle stock and a fair amount of well mixed epoxy. Take the engine off first.

The tail is another story. I can't see the other side but dependign on its condition you might have to make a new one from scratch. If you can did out the stab in one peice (one piece of whats left) and can strip the covering off you can use it as a start point and build off of it. If you can't get it out whole, then just do what you have to to clear the slot out and save the peices. Once you have done that, lay the peices out on a peice of paper and make a trace of what you have left. Then remove the wood and if there was enough to start the angle of the leading edge toward the back of the plane, take a ruler and continue that line out. Then extend the line of the trailing edge to the point where they cross. From that point you need to take a guess about how far in the edge of the stabalizer was. After that, just look at whatever pics we can supply you of what the normal construction of a tail looks like and cut one from stock balsa.

The rudder looks fairly fixable. It depends on how well the broken piece interlocks with the rudder. If it slides in well and locks solid, just hit both sides with some epoxy or woodglue and slide it back in (after stripping the surrounding covering). You could also slide them together and hit it with thin CA, again, after stripping the covering.

Test the joint after it dries to make sure it will hold before putting it in the air.

Thanks about all of my $.02. Hope it helps some.

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: Vendetta

"I'm a heli guy (yeah, yeah, I know you plank guys hate us"

I won't agree to the "hate" things; hating something takes effort and time and I am not going to waste either one on something insignificant, however I do resent the fact that you helicopter flyers refers to airplanes as "planks". It might exist,but I don't know of a derogatary word that airplane flyers using in reference to rotary wing machines.

"Rotary wings" is a common term from full scale aviation applied to helicopters - effectively you too are flying "planks", though of a different form.

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

(old school ARF guy?)

Looks like a pretty darn easy fix to me.

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

Having trouble finding you a manual but here is a picture of one in one piece. That may help.
http://aabt.co.uk/prd266-3910.htm

Found it

go here
http://www.acehobby.com/ace/manual.htm
and open zip file for TTR4504

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

If you like the plane and want to spend your time on it, it's worth fixing.

For me it all depends upon how much the "fix" is worth.

Instead of building the horz stab, I'd be looking for a replacement as a part from the manufacturer.

If this part is reasonably priced, then the likelyhood of fixing the plane increases.

Call it 12.00 for a new Horz. stab that will save you a bunch of work and the effort of building a new one.

You would have to cut the existing one down to the fuselage, and then figure out how to epoxy a new one (you would have to cut it...) in place.

The Firewall is relatively easy. Nothing that a little angled balsa stock can't fix, and a lot of epoxy.

So if the plane cost me say, under 50.00 to fix, it is certainly worth it to me.

If it's more than that, consider that you can take all the hardware and install it into a new(er) maybe better plane.

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

I look on the manufacturers website, sorry don't have the link handy right now.
I couldn't find parts for that exact airplane but did find a tail set for a MKII which is very similar for just over $30.

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

I agree with Dude, throw that thing away. Tower has a .40 ARF trainer for $60, you already have everything else. You would spend more than 60 bucks fixing it. epoxy, wood, covering, horns, rods, heat gun, iron, etc.........

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

Thanks guys, these replies have been great help. I do enjoy working / fixing things but being that I'm new to planes (I wont use the word "planks" I've been told its derogitory) I think I'm gonna just order the Tower 40 Trainer for $60... And from the reviews I've seen here the tower 40 seems like a decent trainer. Thanks again guys, great help...

And for the 1 person out of 183 so far that have viewed this post that think I was insulting you by refering to planes as "planks" I do appologize... I had no idea that was a derogitory remark... quite silly if you ask me btw...

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

No more derogetory than the guys that call them "slimers" and most done seem to mind that. Don't worry about the petty guy that complained. I, for one, assumed no insult intended. Hope you find a solution and join us in PLANK-land. :D:)

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

Damn Heli guys

:D

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

You're right Minn, I can't afford one either. Too many PLANKS.:)

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

Actually, I take "planks" as a complement. It takes a little bit of skill to turn a plank into a piece of art that actually flies.:D

As to the other names that we call each other that is hard to take as an insult, I believe fixed wing and rotary wing guys would save a lot of arguments.

As for the question "Is it worth fixing?", don't figure in the price of the tools and glues because you will need them anyway. Even with a brand new ARF trainer, you will need a sealing iron to go over the covering and tighten it up.

If you want to save this plane, you might consider going to the field and trace the tail feathers from one of the other trainers. As long as it is a .40 size trainer it should be close enough to use as a pattern.

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

This was the trainer that I had and I fixed it plenty during that first year.
From the pics you included right now if I was faced with fixing that airplane or trashing it and simply buying a replacement I would buy a cheap replacement.
Why ????
The covering on that plane is sticky back covering, iron on covering does not stick to it very well at all.
The front deck and turtle deck are plastic (looks good but not very practical).
Overall the plane is not well built or durable, at least mine wasn't.
You can buy a brand new replacement delivered to the door for less than $70 http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXJA29&P=0
Since you fly the choppers I know money is no object :D

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

Thanks folks, I've gone the route of buying as new tower trainer and trashing the TT trainer...

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

Hold on to it. If you plan on getting into fixed wing,:D you will probably start getting kits, and repairing after crashes. At that point you will have the extra parts to repair that plane, and cost will be minimal. Before you install the tail on the new trainer lay it on a piece of paper and draw an outline of it to use later. If you still don't want to bother with it, after you strip the radio gear and engine out of it, See if your flying club would like it as a donation. Someone might have the parts laying around to get it flying again, and as a donation as a club plane, could help to get others addicted to the hobby.:D

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

You probably made the right choice. Some planes would definitely be worth trying to repair but a simple ARF trainer usually isn't one of them.

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

The Tower trainer ARF seems to be a well built model but the covering needs a little work. I have the Tower trainer, haven't flown it yet. If you don't have them yet get a Top Flite covering iron and a hot glove. On the wood covered sections of the air-frame, heat it with the iron then rub that section down with the glove till it cools. On the open frame areas of the wing, just use the iron and it will tighten up.

RE: Worth Fixing?
 

great thanks folks !