Any SPA guys using Troublemaker?
 

Hi Fellas!

At the time being I am trying to decide between the Deception and Tiporare for a totally scratch built project from plans (going to be a ballistic, gear and pipe project). However, I have my Eureka Troublemaker in the garage about to be decommissioned for the engine and radio gear. Before I give it away, I was thinking about redoing the landing gear to tri-fixed and putting a standard .61 with muffler on the front. maybe rotate the engine to 90 degrees, etc... My question is... are any of you using the Troublemaker with a .61 two stroke in SPA? I don't know if I will ever make an SPA meet, but to me, building and practicing are over half the fun.

So, any SPA guys you know of using the Troublemaker with fixed tri gear and standard muffler?

RE: Any SPA guys using Troublemaker?
 

Tony's dates back to the pre-tuned pipe days. He did use retracts however:

RE: Any SPA guys using Troublemaker?
 

I believe the Troublemaker is being flown in SPA events. I's certainly not the most popular choice, but it is out there. Yours is a very good looking model. If you like the way it flys, by all means convert it to SPA standards (fixed gear, no tuned pipe). I like the way mine flew back in the day.

BTW: Is yours the standard Troublemaker or the "extended" version? They're both SPA eligible as far as I know.

Greg

RE: Any SPA guys using Troublemaker?
 

Greg, that is one very nice looking plane! Was the whole thing glassed and painted? Are those fixed gear?

RE: Any SPA guys using Troublemaker?
 

J&J kit, all wood. 3/4 oz glass and HobbyPoxy paint. Webra .61 Speed, ProLine radio, mech. retracts and Mac muffler.

The smaller trophy was from the 74 Nats, larger, the 74 Florida regionals.

Thanks for the compliments.

Greg

RE: Any SPA guys using Troublemaker?
 

Dave,

nice troublemaker! Sad to hear about it being decommissioned from it's ballistic state. Why not keep it as is, replacing the motor if needed for one with a muffler.

On the other hand, congratulations on a fine debate between a Deception and a Tiporare - two of my all time favorite classics. As a prelude to building the 60 size versions, I scratch built one each of them with a 40" span. The Deception (which unfortunately remains unfinished) will be powered with a ST 23 and has trike mechanicals on two servos (7 servos in all). The Tipo (or rather, Pico, given its size) on the other hand I built as an electric (~300W) as a first electric foray into the classics. This one was meant to be landed on grass and has no landing gear. It has 4 x 9g servos in it.

I am presently (very slowly) building 60 size Tipos from GP kits and hope to reach the primer stage on #1 soon. I also recently acquired (with much luck) a Bridi Deception kit and while it is complete, I'd say that one could do much better in terms of wood and core quality by scratch building today than one does with the original kits. The same is true of the original GP Tipo kits by the way which, in my opinion, are of questionable quality - particularly in regards to the core quality. In any event, I'd say that the Tipo is a harder fuselage to scratch than the Deception given it's more complex nose, canopy and fin. The Deception is fairly easy fuse to put together but a little care is required in the bellypan and wing fairing area to produce a relatively light model. If you are going to paint the fuse, then I'd use the lightest wood possible and even consider replacing some parts called for with lighter material (formers, firewall, tri-stock, etc.). If you are going to cover, then you can produce a lighter model via lightening holes in the fuse sides, top and to some extent bottom.

Also, while I know it is not conventional, I might even consider using 1/32" core sheeting reinforced with core spars or better yet with CF. I built the Deception wing with 1/16" sheeting and CF spars (it does have retracts in it), while I used nothing but 1/32" sheeting on the Tipo wing. The weight difference was substantial. In any event, I think contest balsa is crucial when it comes to core sheeting.

If you are interested in the details of the little builds here are a couple of threads:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8196707/tm.htm

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8858351/tm.htm

Enjoy!

David.

P.S. I hope you got my email with the info on the Tipo cores that you requested. Scott of RCfoamy, has cores for the Deception.

RE: Any SPA guys using Troublemaker?
 

Hey Greg,

how's your Tipo coming along? Any updates?

David.

RE: Any SPA guys using Troublemaker?
 

The main gear ended up a little too far back and it noses over kind of easily. Enough to make me want to change it to a trike.

RE: Any SPA guys using Troublemaker?
 

The Tipo is still on the back burner. Having too much fun flying the Tsunami. That thing is a rocket with the OS .55AX. Still want to build something SPA legal too ( for next year ). There are a couple of SPA "events" fairly close by in NC. I'm really thinking that the Jim Kirkland Mustang X will be the one.... scratch built. Have the ribs drawn and plans tiled. Used "Compufoil 3D" to draw the ribs and construct the wing planform. Great program. The Mustang X may or may not be the best flying airplane in the SPA circuit, but I really like the look of a plane that looks like a real airplane. Mine will not be trike gear!

Greg