Seek and Destroy

it makes perfect sense now. but the balsa i got seems to not want to bend much. could you post back on how to bend the wing if it doesn't want to bend. btw i used the very edge which doesn't seem to bend very much. i don't know if that had any effect on it.

micro_builder

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glad ya go it

are you bending along the grain of the balsa, or against it? since its wood, it has a natural grain, which simply means it'll bend easier one way, and bend very little, or snap, if bent the other way. what thickness of balsa are you using?

if the balsa doesnt seem to want to bend enough to follow the wing ribs curve, get a sponge or paper towel and wet it down. ring it out so its not dripping wet, and then moisten the balsa. it'll soften it up a bit and allow it to bend further. once its soft enough to bend, glue it down to the wing rib as normal. another benifit of doing this is that the balsa will hold the curve by itself after it drys, so even if the glue joint breaks between the wing rib and wing, the wing will still hold its curved shape a bit.

nick

Seek and Destroy

i'm using 1/16th. i guess i cut it the wrong way cause it bends a lot the other way but not at all the way i was trying to use. i tried getting it wet but that didn't do much.

Neurotex

Excuse me for jump'n in here but check out post #3, first pic clearly
shows you the way the wood grain should be on the wing. The grain
is the horizontal lines running length wise from end to end.
Once you wet the balsa you might want to pin it or tape it into place
until it dries to prevent it from warping into a shape you don't want.
Also steam from a kettle is good for moistening up balsa.

darkapollo

Us RC Warship guys SOAK the balsa in HOT water and allow the water to cool so that the air pockets inside the wood expand and are forced out and then replaced by water when the water cools. I have 1/8th'' balsa for the skin on my ship and using this method it is VERY flexable.

Seek and Destroy

thanx for the help. i'll post back when its done and put pics.

Neurotex

For planes you don't have to go to that extreme since the balsa that you
should be using is very light to begin with. I've never had to soak the balsa
to get it to bend which could take hours to dry out.
Damp cloth or steam is all you need for wings or a fuselage. Tight curves of
nose parts and such can be made by sanding balsa blocks.

Seek and Destroy

when i was building it last night everything was going good and smooth until.......................................i ran out of glue. i didn't have much to begin with. i used ca i had. so i thought i would show you how much i've done. btw, i will do another post with some more pics because it will only let me download 3 per post[:@].

Seek and Destroy

here are the other pics!!

darkapollo

Well at least you will never lose the plane cause it will always fly in CIRCLES! [sm=bananahead.gif]

Seek and Destroy

yah.

edit: i forgot these guys[sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif]

micro_builder

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looking good so far

Seek and Destroy

i have everything built i just need more ca. micro builder, how long did it take you to build that plane?

micro_builder

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i didnt check the time before and after, so i'm not really sure. i've built the plane a numbe of times though, so i can do it kinda fast, but i still find that the faster i go, the more sloppy the work. a little fit and finish goes a long way in the long run (someday i'll fully learn that!).

nick

Seek and Destroy

its taken me a long time so far. i should have it finished by sometime this weekend.

monstermaker13

I built that plane in 5 minsno kidn

micro_builder

My Feedback: (1)

your clock must be fast

the time it takes to build doesnt matter much. i know people who have been doing micro RC far longer than i have and they still build their planes just about as slowly as they can. perfection is in the little details. for someone who's never built their own plane, taking their time can only help the project in the long run.

do you have pics of your completed plane, monstermaker? how did she fly for you?

nick

Seek and Destroy

micro builder i going to try and get done tonight. i don't know though cause i might go to hobbytown or i might not, i don't know.
btw, where did you get that plain smiley face?

Seek and Destroy

ok i built the plane but i'll put the electronics in and put pics on tomorrow.

micro_builder

My Feedback: (1)

lookin forward to seeing the plane. i hope she flys well for you.

the smiley face is just a : ) with no space in between.

nick

Seek and Destroy

micro builder, i just flew it and it was tail heavy. so i put a penny on the nose. and it worked better. it isnt windy at all today so i plan on putting the electronics in and test flying it today, i can't wait. i'll test it on this field next to our house with a bunch of grass(that's where i fly my aerobird extreme) so i hope to have a good maiden flight.

monstermaker13

no pics, i threw my [sm=bananahead.gif] away. i just got fed up with it.

Seek and Destroy

i'm putting pics up later tonight.

Seek and Destroy

here some of the pics. one of them has a size reference with a 5 in. pen next to it.

Seek and Destroy

here are the rest of the pics!