50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

I just bought an old sweet n' low stick that was mostly built, but needed some finishing. It didn't come with plans. Can someone tell me how the ailerons are made? Thanks


Woops

skylane42

My Feedback: (53)

There should be aileron stock in the kit.. they are simple strip aileron installation. Just hinge them to the trailing edge. Wire goes from aileron to inside of fuse and then link from servo to tiller arm. All the sticks from MidWest were set up this way.

kdheath

I wish I could remember which Stik was which as far as TEs ae considered. Most had ailerons that got wider toward to the tip. Some were scalloped from the center out roughly 2/3 of the way to the tip, and the last 4 inches or so were straight. Others were scalloped all the way. And a few wer sraight. Guess I would work out something that looks good with the tail surfaces.

scratchpc7

I still have the plans at home. When I get home this evening, I can get them and will let you know how they were built.

Doug S.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

Thanks.


Woops

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

By the way, this is the smaller .40 size kit.

Woops

scratchpc7

Yep, the .40 size kit is the one that I had many years ago. Good flyer, it was the first time I used a transparent covering as well. Don't know if I have any pictures though.

Here are the measurements for the ailerons.

Made from 1/4 inch stock, shaped to the wing. The inboard edge is 3 3/4 inches from the center of the wing. Leading edge is just slightly smaller than 23 3/4 and the outboard edge follows the shape on the wing tips. The aileron is tapered with the inboard edge 1 inch wide and the outboard edge 1 1/4 inch. The control was with normal torque rods.

If I remember correctly, I used to get a good bit of aileron flutter with this one if I got it going too fast. You might consider that when building it.

If you need anything more, let me know. Glad to help.

Doug

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

Thanks for the info. I found the ailerons and they are cut to length and width, but require some heavy sanding to get an airfoil shape, but I might just skip that.What do the plans show as how to convert to a taildragger? Since this plane is mostly built I won't be using transparent on it, but I would love to see a pic if yours.


Woops

skylane42

My Feedback: (53)

On my Sweet Stik, the aileron was not airfoil/tapered to the trailing edge. I don`t think any of them were. They were just flat stock. Same for the tail surfaces.

kdheath

Yep, all the Stik ailerons were flat stock.

The taildragger conversion is pretty easy-essentailly move the main gear mount (plywood and triangle stock) forward to place the gear near or just behind the LE of the wing. The formula says that the axles should be on a line swept 17 degrees forward from the balance point. Or look at a couple of other taildraggers and eyeball it!

The tailwheel needs a small plywood plate to mount on. The sticky thing on Stiks is that stab on the bottom of the fuselage. Mounting a tailwheel bracket isn't hard, but hooking it up to steer can take some ingenuity. I've seen some that had a wire that went through the stab, up the tailpost to the rudder. Or a separate tiller bar off of the rudder pushrod. I saw one that had the tailwheel mounted ahead of the stab (the short-wheel-base model, I guess) with a tiller bar. I think the last one I did was the the through-the-stab type.

skylane42

My Feedback: (53)

Refering to the problem with flutter.. I didn`t have that problem. Just fit the aileron and other control surfaces properly and get a good bond on the hinges. If you are really worried about flutter just seal the gap with some clear tape. Stiks are great flying designs. You can tell that by the huge number of copies on the market. I have used them for trainers and flying in sport pattern competition. You will enjoy the plane. Don`t overcomplicate things with it .. it is not a complicated design.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

From ya'lls experience, do you think that the landing gear could be mounted as far back as possible under the fuel tank as a part of the fuse? Also, what is done in mounting the wing?


Thanks,
Woops

skylane42

My Feedback: (53)

Actually, mounting the landing gear on the fuse just forward of the wing is OK. You could put a plywood mount and bolt the gear down. I wouldn`t go any farther forward than that. The wing was mounted with rubber bands. A hardwood dowel just ahead and behind the wing, or you can drill a center hole in the wing leading edge and centered on the former the wing butts up against and install two nylon wing bolts and threaded blocks at the trailing edge of the wing center section. I can`t remember how much bulkhead is on the leading edge side so you may have to reinforce it abit. Tricky part is getting the dowel and hole lined up dead center so the wing is centered and fits properly in the wing saddle of the fuse. I would just use 1/4 dowel and rubberbands.. just drill the holes in the fuse, glue in the dowels with about 1/2 inch sticking out each side and there ya go.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

Do I make a bellypan according to the plans? The kit I have came with 4 nylon bolts that are only 1/2"-3/4"long. Also, what motor will work best? Any thoughts?


Thanks,
Woops

kdheath

There isn't any real difference between the tri and tail dragger mount. It's just moved forward. It sounds like yours was intended to have the plywood plate drilled and tapped for the nylon bolts. Do what you feel like. I usually use 4-40 bolts and blind nuts, but I finally got over crashing a lot and don''t make things break-away any more. Two 1/4 inch nylon bolts are plenty.

For power, gads there are lots of choices. And opinions. Some one will flame me for this, but if you just want an easy going sport model, put an LA 40 or 46 on it. More phizz, go to an AX or FX or whatever OS calls its .40 of the week. The Magnum and Thunder Tiger 40/46s are real decent and reasonable priced. If you want to really scare the gophers, a Rossi 40 might be the ticket.

A Saito or OS 4 stroke would be nice, but they are heavy enough that the nose on a Stik may need shortening to avoid lead in the tail. I put an OS 91 on a Big Stik one time w/o checking the CG. Almost ten ounces of lead later, it wasn't quite so nose heavy.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

Thanks, I have a Fox .40 that might run after a little work and an O.S. 40 LA that I was given but I haven't gotten it to run yet(I think it is due to a fuel tank problem). How far does the sheeting go on the wing? Also do I need to build a belly pan?


Thanks,
Woops

JimInCA

Here's a photo of my Sweet-N-Low with the main landing gear moved to the fuse just as Skylane42 suggested. That is, I added a 1/4 inch plywood plate to hold the landing gear and reinforced it with triangle balsa stock and then mounted the gear using 4 10-32 nylon bolts. It worked out well, but it my have made the plane a little squirrelly on the ground, but a great flying plane none the less.
Jim...

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

Did you reinforce anything in mounting the wing?


Thanks,
Woops

JimInCA

Not that I can recall. The wing was mounted with a single 1/4 inch dowel in the front of the wing into the former and two 1/4-20 nylon bolts into hardwood blocks in the back. I built this kit when the kit originally came out, must be over twenty years ago by now. I still have the plane, but I have it stored away at the moment.
Jim...

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

How far do I sheet the wing? Does anyone have a pic of the bare construction?


Thanks,
Woops

build gusto

For you aileron info you can go by the Kraft ugly stick plans or the Jensen ugly stick.  These plans are easy to get off of the internet.   Build gusto