Do we not like aluminum scale planes?
 

I couldn't find any aluminum scale plane, except one website that sells them at very high prices comparing to balsa. Is it because I'm the only one who likes aluminum planes? or they must be too expensive to produce??

Maybe because it's impossible to have your radio system to function at 100% wile it's in an aluminum aircraft.

That an ease of construction. If I need to carve a wing tip from wood, I grab a block, cut it to shape and then start planing, sanding, carving etc until it looks like I want it. It takes about 20 minutes.
If I wanted to make a wingtip out of aluminum, I have to get the aluminum, anneal it, build a form, get out my metal working hammers and spoons. I may need an english wheel too. Then half way, I have to reanneal since it has work hardened. Oh crap, the aluminum split...break out the tig welder fix the tear, hammer and file the weld, then back to shaping, stretching, shrinking, heating, etc etc. Three days later I have wing tip!

I had heard from club members who said some companies sold aluminum rc planes before. Has anyone had them before?

Here's a 40% DH2 Beaver built just like the rear aircraft.

http://mhm-scale-aircraft.com/menue02.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yST3_...K7MSq0xNI-FICw

http://vimeo.com/32361382


John M,

There was a company in Minneapolis MN. That did a 1/5 scale P-51. If memory serves me that company name was Aerotech or something like that.

Looks like only you can afford one of those MHM beaver, LOL

Mr Carlos of the Allmetalplane said a small size all metal plane would be too heavy. I wonder if this P-51 is not too heavy to fly well.

LOL... "keep it simple!

LoL... not on my retirement check...

If you click on the media link and scroll down to the bottom left corner of the page, all the build photos showing the different stages of development... a lot of time and money went into developing it that's for sure... sure is a nice model though.


John M,

Aerotech P-51 was an all composite plane not a Metal plane.
All Metal planes are not practical for most to build or manufacture. If they weren't we'd already have them yes?

The name Aerotech has been used many times. This particular one is not to be confused with JK Aerotech. The outfit I am thinking about was in Minneapolis and folded in the early/mid '90's. Then again this is from memory so the name may be wrong but there was an outfit in MN doing an all aluminum P-51. Obviously wasn't very popular.

Wayne Seiwart lived in Mn. and made a P-51 and a P-47 and a Ki 84 and another plane. He went under the name Aerotech and to my knowledge was the most noteable having competed in Top Guy, Scale Masters etc with his models. None were Metal.. There was a guy many years ago who scammed people by partially making an all Metal P-51 and took advanced $ in orders. The plane was never produced and the guy skipped town leaving the stake holders holding the proverberal bag.

Bob, that sounds very familiar as all the ads I remember seeing did state that partial kits were available and more parts to follow.

Yes and as far as I know the guy who was the thief was never caught. There were pictures of his Mustang in the scale Mags. He had 3 or 4 OS 120 coupled together for power. The object lesson learned, by me at least, is never buy something in the hobby that isn't available and proven!

This one takes the radio interference issue out of the picture!!! :cool:

http://theballybomber.com/

Regards,

Astrohog

That's not an RC, but you never know, maybe he got all his electronic components from Horizon.

If you could be guaranteed that you will sell 10,000 kits you could produce aluminum kits for a very reasonable price. Once you have the proper CNC mills, water jet cutters, hydroforming presses, and such, the actual cost of materials is peanuts. You can buy a kit for a full size aluminum plane for around $13,000 with most of the parts laser cut, bent to shape, and with rivet holes pre-punched. The same sort of kit done to 1/4 scale could easily be under $1000.

http://www.sonexaircraft.com/kits/about.html

That begs the question on why it hasn't been done

Because if you only sell a 100 kits you go bankrupt!

I would tend to think that the design work and tooling for such an aircraft would not be much more then tooling for an all composite giant scale. I envision someone that already has a machine shop that wants to expand into his hobby. Many R/C businesses have stared this way. I remember saying the very same thing about those really expensive aluminum spinners and funny shaped grey plastic props never catching on.

is it difficult to sell 10,000 kits of a same model whether it is balsa or aluminum, if they both have reasonably priced?
if the price and the weight of an aluminum plane model is the same as that of a traditional balsa model, will you buy one?
i don't know about this business, but I don't see how the production and raw material costs are higher in aluminum than balsa.

That's the point...the reason you haven't seen any reasonably priced all aluminum kits is that there isn't a big enough market to recover the costs of machinery, design, and production.

I have a hunch that after a perspective manufacturer studies the risk factor and decides the potential liability is too high the project never gets off the ground ( pun intended ).

There are a ton of guys willing to pay 3K to 5K for an airframe. Just look over at the jet forum, heck some of these guys are sending 3K deposits offshore to a manufacturer that is known not to deliver and if they di deliver it is well below expectations. I would think that a company that does 85" span war birds for 6K with retracts and cockpit detail here in the US and delivers on an 8 to 10 week time frame would do well. That is if they can demonstrate the aluminum construction has no adverse effect on our radio systems.

Is there a practical reason to have an aluminum plane? lots of warbirds are painted over the metal.. Some aren't of course but a person of industry can supply convincing paint or flight skin or similar material.
To have metal ribs, skin, spars etc. isn't all that great.. Most metal planes are mechanically (rivets) assembled. A Big departure from our traditional methods..