Try the local sign shops...in Europe and the UK it's called Corex and Coroflute. In the US it's biggest use is for cigarette and cola signs at gas stations. Check this out
http://members.cox.net/deantuinstra/Signs/Signs.html

Hot glue does work...unles the temps at your field get to 90 degrees F or higher...then it tends to let go. We mostly use CA glues (there is some preperation required)...there is a ton of info on the hints and tips pages at http://www.spadtothebone.com site, there is also a forum here at RCU devoted to S.P.A.D.'s as well as links on the Spad home page to several more spad forums. Also, if you go to the Spad originals link from the home page, you will see all the plans listed...and they are mostly photo essays on how to build the planes...with lots of close-up shots of the Coroplast (Correx).

Those sign planes look pretty cool...

Dean Tuinstra huh??? I guess someones roots are close to where I live...

I'm definitly going to look into this stuff. It might be nice to get out of the balsa dust for once (I'm just fine sanding one...).

Woodpile,

I've often wondered the same thing myself. Its a whole different method of building, really. There's little sanding to do, and once you get the hang of how to get the glue to stick, and how coroplast acts, its much easier to work with. But, its defenitely different. I think it'd be kinda like all the car manufacturers to decide all at once to stop using steel to build car bodies, and all switch to fiberglass.
The Corvette's have been done that way for years, but, not many others are. Even though, it seems to me that its much easier to mold fiberglass parts than it is to make dies for each metal body part.

As far as its limitations, thats an opinion thing. I doubt you'll ever see a coro plane win a scale event, but i could be wrong. The biggest limitation that i've seen is with the limited sizes of coroplast available. Its pretty easy to build a big plane with coroplast, and keep the weight down, but, with the smaller ones, it can get tricky. Coroplast is available in the us in even sizes, in other parts of the world odd sizes seem to be prevelant. For rc purposes, the 2 and 4 mm coro are the ones that are light enough to use for airplanes. The other is just too heavy to get a decent wing loading for a certain sized plane (unless you go to about 1/3 scale).
Its advantages are that it builds quick, and is in almost all cases much much stronger than a balsa plane of the same size and weight. I've yet to be able to match exactly size/weight with a balsa funfly, but, i can increase the wing size a bit, and still have a reasonable weight, and a similar wingloading, and a coro plane that flies almost exactly like its balsa counterpart.
Limitations are there, but so are they with balsa and monocote, its a trade off. I'd rather not have to cover a plane, and spend 3 or 4 hours building it from start to finish, and then be able to fly it to the max, and if i crash it, so what, i'll build another for a few bucks, and a few hours, unlike balsa, where it might take me a hundred hours and several hundred dollars to do the same thing. Over the past few years, huge leaps have been made with building with coroplast, and its not because of any one person, its because of the group of spadders that constantly have new ideas, and share them. Instead of having one engineer or two trying to build a better mousetrap, there's a thousand or more, and, if you add up all the new ideas that come along, you progress much more rapidly than you would on your own. Couple that with cheap materials, and you have a winning idea. That is, imo, why Spad has come so far so fast.

Darn Chris, I could not have said that anwhere close to as well as you have.

My Mother's family immigrated before the war (WW II) and my Father's family immigrated right after the war. My Dad grew up in Friesland. They settled in Zeeland Michigan USA, and still live there today.

I also wonder...but old ideas die hard. First of all, some companies would loose a lot of money because the planes last much longer. Also, they wouldn't sell near as many because the materials are not exclusive to airplanes and are much easier to cut out and assemble. Replacement parts would be nothing more than tracing the old part onto a new sheet of coroplast. After someone bought one...they probably would never buy another one when they can build from scratch at a fraction of the cost. Monocote and all it's dirivitives would not sell anymore. Needs for fuel proofing materials and epoxies would go way down. These thoughts right there may explain why the magazines won't touch it (definately not from a lack of trying).

Another reason is because these materials have a bad rap from companies that have tried using them. Sturdy Birdy and DuraPlane use gutterpipe fuselages...but the foam wing they supply lacks the size and wingloading to compete with the flight performance of balsa trainers...so planes with gutterpipe fuselages generally are associated with poor performance. Also AirCore has been marketing Coroplast airplanes for years...but they are over engineered, and often come out heavy and again, lack the necessary wing loading to compete with the flight performance of balsa airplanes...so the use of Coroplast as a building material often automatically gets a bad rap and is thought of as heavy.

But it's changing. Just the fact that RCU opened up a forum dedicated to Spads shows that the interest is growing...actually starting to explode. There is also the "darn it" syndrome that effects these types of airplanes in a VERY big way. "Conventional" Pilots see them at the field, whatch them fly awesome...maybe even cartwheel on a bad landing...then see them back in the air after a prop change...only to find out the plane's owner built it the night before for less than 10 bucks. Then they see their own plane that they spent $100 and several months on...and they think "darn it" and human nature causes them to go out of their way to find fault with the Spads...and that produces a lot of the unfounded "heavy pig flying brick" type comments.

But again, it's changing. in the last few months, the negitive comments on some of the topics even here at RCU have turned into positive comments and even recommendations...especially when tight budgets and busy lifestyles come into play.

Another reason they may not be as popular as they could be is because of appearance. The simplest of them are the ones on the Spad originals web site. They are, for the most part, as simple as they come. Pipe and rail fuselages, squared off open wing tips etc. This is mainly because the originators of http://www.spadtothebone.com are flyers first and builders second. Getting out to the field and having fun is the priority, and the airplane's appearance plays very little on this fun. This in no way reflects any limitations on the materials as shown by some of the beautifull airplanes in the showcase at the Spad site. These planes are usually created by builders who have built several original Spads, have learned how to work with the material...realize that the sky is the limt...AND ACTUALLY LIKE TO BUILD!...Slowly but surely plans for more complex Spad are starting to show up...but there are not nearly as many Spad plans as there are Balsa plans. Every day builders are recreating popular balsa airplanes from Coroplast...but very often it's for their own enjoyment, and they are not into making plans for them...so there is a learning curve here...starting with the basics, before comfortably designing and duplicating what you want in plastic. It's also a situation where many of the reason builders get into Spads (finances and time) are the very reason there aren't more plans available or someone isn't devoting their life's saving into taking over the R/C world and turning it into a business.

I will also add that I built and flew Balsa for 20 years. The day after our first plastic airplane flew...I gave away 20 years worth of balsa building materials...and it was a LOT of stuff. I was that sold on it right from the start. I've also noticed that MANY of the Spad builders are beginners that wipe out their first plane and can't afford to replace it. Another of the interesting things to note is that many Spad builders still own Balsa planes, but will admit they have lost the desire to fly them, and old balsa kits are collecting dust. Both Spadtothebone originators have built at least one balsa plane since Spad started. Kraut built a Great Planes Extra (see his picture on the bottom of the Spad home page)...he flew it two afternoons and then put it up for sale. In 2001 I built a Fiberglass, foam core, balsa Typhoon that only lasted one day at the field. It's definately and with out a doubt the LAST conventionally built airplane I will EVER build. Had it been my only airplane. it's demise may have been the demise of me in the hobby.

The bottom line here is that it all about choice, and what it takes to have fun...and I have made my choice. These planes have taken away everything I personally hated about this hobby, and have given me in return so much of what I LOVE about this hobby...if I wasn't doing it myself...I'd swear it was too good to be true

Well the way I see it is this: I'm going to give SPAD a try for a simple fun design... something to throw around at the field... I've wrecked my share of wooden fun planes...

My big scale birds will stay balsa I think... They stayed wood when other people started buying or making fibreglass kits, so... I just love the sight of that big, all wood plane standing on my table just before covering it all up... and thinking to myself: "you did a good job on that one"...

Just admit it rudeboy, you're a balsa purist, of which you have one drawback. Once you have the bug- It's all downhill from here.



P.S. Note the tag line. I used to build scale and were in the very position you were...until I got bitten by the plastic gnat. The tag line is from my balsa building days.

I don't know, but for me there has to be a little bit of respect for the original aircraft that we try to build and fly no ?? from some of the spad models I,ve seem some of these developer's should have a straight ticket two go and collect $200. from NASA if they fly under the X plane project

oh well.... just my impression and glade I'm just building a boat

old Guy
just getting older

I guess we will not see the end of the evil spad ..
Sending in the troops to cut them off lollllll

the
old guy

We are ready for battle!!!

Tattoo, I love that Picture!! Everytime I see it I get atear

That's just a touch and go Tattoo lol
( I wonder if they would all fit with just
one passe)

Were I'm from we love making steel fly

Take care

old guy

Chris and Tattoo,

Thanx for the information guys. I'm pretty sure I'll never give up my balsa as I enjoy the building process too much, but I also will tell you that I am going to give this SPAD thingee a try. I figger, if I've only got a few hours and bucks into it, I'll be more to push the edge of the envelope.

Gonna read up on the Spad web site and I'll send you a pic when I get it done...

Thanx again...

Ed

Rock on Woodpile!!!!!!

BTW old guy...we'll just take care of your touch and go with a few photon torpedoes

Lets not forget some of our fighters:





Or the big-uns:



Or our spy plane:




Or the stealth crew:


If those don't work, we're comin by water:

We shall go to the end ...
We shall fight on the sea...

Although
I am old

We shall fight on the seas and in the air's
to defend are rights !!!!

First try to put out the petrol fire in the harbour...

What ever the cause may be lolllllll (Supertramp Fools overture )
still willing Tattoo ?? lollllllllllll to save the spad world ??? you still havent seen my ultimate weapon !!! nothing can whistand it trust me ...
take care and good luck
the old guy

But that did'nt happend in Canada
We will help if they need it .. that is the way we are ,, we fight for what we beleive in and have fun to lolllllllllllll
The old guy yup a soldier

some day I will make it to the Islands !!
watch for the ultimate weapon.. if you see it, I recommend you save you're toys we have the control of the worst enemy for spad builders here in
Canada lollllllllllllll

the old guy

LOL Semper-Fi old Guy! I'll just keep making cheap toys for the invasion, have you ever seen Santa's workshop? We will prevail with all these elves on the job...


We'll just send in our state fish

"Trigger"fish

AKA: Humuhumunukunukuapua'a and just keep you prisoner until you can say it properly. Like bamboo shoots under the proverbial finger nails- it just gets to ya a little...well maybe not a little.

Jus6t some food for thought old man, before you ask to be returned to active duty like Chesty in 1966...

"Hard pressed on my right. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver. Situation excellent. I am attacking!" -FERDINAND FOCH

"We're surrounded. That simplifies the problem!" -CHESTY PULLER, USMC

"The more MARINES I have around the better I like it!" -GEN. MARK CLARK, US.ARMY

"Sometimes it is entirely appropriate to kill a fly with a sledge-hammer!" -MAJ. HOLDREDGE

"A ship without MARINES is like a garment without buttons." -ADM. DAVID PORTER, USN

"The MARINES have landed and have the situation well in hand!" -RICHARD HARDING DAVIS

"Casualties many; Percentage of dead not known; Combat efficiency: we are winning!" -COL. DAVID M. SHOUP, USMC

"I can never again see a UNITED STATES MARINE without experiencing a feeling of reverence." -GEN. JOHNSON, US.ARMY

"Come on, you sob's! Do you want to live forever?" -GySgt. DANIEL DALY, USMC [edited for politically correct bs]

"We're not retreating, Hell! We're just attacking in different direction!" -GEN. OLIVER SMITH, USMC

"I have just returned from visiting the MARINES at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world!" -GEN. DOUGLAS MACARTHUR, US.ARMY

"Teufelhunde! (Devil Dogs)" -GERMAN SOLDIERS, WW1 at BELLEAU WOOD

"So they've got us surrounded, good! Now we can fire in any direction, those *******s won't get away this time!" -CHESTY PULLER, USMC

"We have two companies of MARINES running all over this island and thousands of ARMY troops doing nothing!" -GEN. JOHN VESSEY, CHAIRMAN OF JOINT CHIEFS

"Retreat hell! We just got here!" -CAPT. LLOYD WILLIAMS, USMC

"The safest place in Korea was right behind a platoon of MARINES. LORD, how they could fight!" -MAJ. GEN. FRANK LOWE, US.ARMY

"Panic sweeps my men when they are facing the AMERICAN MARINES." -CAPTURED NORTH KOREAN MAJOR

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem." -PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, 1985

Oohrah!

ha you think Santa plays that way ???
I was his body guard.....
and for the sayings y'a I,ve heard one or two from the great men themselves don't forget I'm the old guy

want a ice cube for you're
Rum and coke ??

the Old guy

Come on to http://coroplast.com old man, we're waiting for ya if you can't beat us, you may as well join us. At least you have a little fight left in ya.

As far as the rum and coke, nah, I'll take a political sign and a splash of ca. Maybe a flight pack back.

Next round's on me old man.

Here's what you'll meet when you arrive....



The S.P.A.D. Hawaiian Crush!

my worst crash was on a an own design that my father built for me this happned in a "mini airport" with just on runway. around was all rock. anywayz it was the planes first and last flight...the rusults of the crash was a squashed foam wing , trashed fusilage and i was looking for engine parts for an hour it was everywhere. i gave up flying for 6 months after that.