Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

A friend and I are going to put an old Patriot 40 back in the air after being mothballed for several years.

I'm supplying the engine, and hardware, and he's provided the airframe and will be putting the electronics into it. We will share piloting duties.

Since it's my job to go over the airframe, and make it airworthy again, I'd like to know what you guys would suggest.

I don't mind stripping the fuse and recovering it. It's not in bad shape, but it's not pretty either. If I were to strip the fuse, is there any thing I could do to lighten the airframe. I see lots of heavy balsa inside. Solid fuselage sides, and 3/8" longerons inside the fuse. Would it be worth the weight savings to take the dremel to the airframe and punch some lightening holes in it?

I need to rebuild the front cowl area. It's been crashed--not bad--and I'll need a new nose ring and some balsa to shape and sand back to shape.

I also need to build a new tail cone. I'm thinking about a couple 1/8" lite ply formers and some 3/32" sheeting.

We're not looking for pretty--not by a long shot. Just something thats solid and airworthy. But, at almost 5000' elevation and a TH .46 engine--I'm looking to save some weight wherever I can.

The plan is to use standard servos and a small MH battery. Unless you guys think I can get away with a few smaller servos. It's been built to use 2 aileron servos. I'm thinking that a couple Hitec HS-225 servos would be fine. The ailerons aren't that big.

It's been built for a single elevator servo, and again, I'm thinking about a HS-225. The elevators just aren't that big.

So--to wrap up:
Lightening? Where can I unload some weight?
Servos? Standards? Or can we save some weight and use the 225 servos?


Any ideas?

Balsa Master

i vote that you leave the .46 on whatever its on now and get a jett 50 at least (you can ram up to a 90 in there) also, i build my planes like rocks, i like to hear the ground groan as i plow into it so im the last person to go dremeling my fuse. dont skimp on the servos.... just dont... its not worth binding in a dive and piling in. note that my planes always come out at the top end of their wing loading... but im kinda rough to em so thats ok....

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

It's an old beat up Patriot. I'm not about to spend the money on a Jett 90. We're not looking to break 150MPH with this thing. 100MPH would be PLENTY. More than enough.

We just want to go bang it around a bit and see how it does.

It's getting a TH .46 because thats the only expendable engine that either of us has right now. I'm not putting an expensive engine on it--and my friend isn't either.

Okay, so I got 1 opinion that tanks fly better than light planes.

Anyone else?

Lomcevak Duck

My Feedback: (14)

I would have to agree with balsa master. The wood you are using may be fatigued after several years of sitting, so you'll need to check out all of the vital areas. It won't matter if you gain a few ounces, just so it's safe. It's not a pylon racer, so your wing loading doesn' t have to be bare minimum.

buzzingb

My Feedback: (2)

The Patriot is built like a tank, very rugged indeed. There is one at my field that the guy said he has been flying over 10 years. By the looks of it I tend to think he is tell in the truth. Rough landings won't bother this plane a bit so get her out and let her rip.

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

Well, I guess I'll leave the covering on it, and just patch it up. I've already been through the airframe from the inside and put thin CA on all the joints I can reach.

I guess I'll just build a tail cone and rebuild the front end. Then we'll slap a motor on it and see how it does.

Thanks

Razor-RCU

My Feedback: (50)

Rcpilet- What finally happened with this Pat?

Hope it went well!