Daryl_y

Bought myself a Christmas present a couple of weeks ago. Basically I had $50 burning a hole in my pocket, thought it looked cool and for some strange reason always wanted a flying wing. I've built a few other kits so The plans and instructions look pretty straight forward although I am wondering about how the tell you to build by attaching the spars to the fuselage then the fitting the wing ribs in. All this why the fuselage is hanging from off the side of your workbench and somehow held square. Seems to me it would be easier to build the wing halves then attach them to the fuse but I was wondering if anybody has had good results building the wings n "as instructed"

Since I am not a speed freak I was powering it with either an old OS 40 fp (which I already have) or a supertigre GS-40 I am trying to keep the cost down on this project since is kind of a experiment. Was thinking of adding landing gears but worried about the extra weight I may just add a very thin piece of aluminum to the bottom of the fuse.

Also, what does this thing fly like although the guys on the speed board say it flys great looks to me like it would be a handful even to a decent sport pilot like me.

FOD MAN

built mine as per plans and had no problems,the wings build very fast .

robert92679

Do your best to follow the instructions. The whole plane builds as one piece (fuse, wings, stabilizer, fins), so there aren't any wing halves to build first and join. You don't have to build the whole wing with plane propped up over the edge of the bench, but it will help as you line up the ribs. Once they're on, you can move it back on the bench for the sheeting, etc.

The Shrike is a great flying plane. If it's too fast at first, which it may be even with a .40, just remember to throttle down. It won't be long before you'll want to upgrade to a faster motor.

I wouldn't worry about landing gear or aluminum strips on the bottom. The plastic they supply is pretty tough. It can be easily replaced if it does wear out. Have a helper for at least the first few launches, and landings are a piece of cake.

Here's one I enjoyed for a long time, until one day I dumb thumbed it into the ground...

Robert

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

Just wondering how yours came out. I've been flying one for about 6 months, now, and love it. I put a used OS 40 LA on it with a 10x5 prop, and it will almost go unlimited vertical. If it had the 46 LA, I'm sure it would.

These things build really nose heavy, so the lightest engine choice you can live with will keep the weight down and make them a lot easier to handle. (The engine in the pic is a Tower 46. It and all the lead in the tail required to balance it made the bird just too heavy.) I balanced my as per plans and used the recommended low rate control throws, and just love the way it turns and burns. Don't let it get too slow on final approach, though. Keep the nose low and the speed up, it will come down quicker than you think.

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

They look pretty nifty!
I have, among my gihugic pile of kits to build, a Shrike 10 I recently got hold of. Planning to use an OS .15CVA on it that was originally going on a Sig Wonder that I lost interest in about mid-build.

Too many kits, cant decide which to build next...

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

I've been thinking about one of their 10s, but I'd use my norvell .074. It's more powerful than most 10s and weighs about half as much.

Spicoli

Sfc,

I have an .061 on the 1/2a and a 25fx on the Shrike 10.I would put something bigger than a .074 on it

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

I don't think I could keep up with it. (I'm 57 and slow.) Those overpowered birds are for you young guys with the fast reflexes. Also, I've only been doing this 3 years and am not that good, yet, if I ever will be.

I really like the way my Shrike 40 handles with the light OS LA engine up front, and that's kind of what I was thinking of. I have no trouble at all hand launching it by myself due to the light weight.

I must be crazy, tho, as I'm currently building a Lanier F-86D, that will have a Tower 46 BB. I'm recovering it and painting it to look like the pic, from the old B movie "The Last Chase".

Regards,
Bob Hunt
Cadillac, Michigan

Daryl_y

Sfcbhunt,
The Building on my Shrike 40 is going well, the fuse and tail fins are finished and both wings are framed up (less sheeting ) so I guess I am about half done as far as I can tell. Too bad you said they build nose heavy I am putting a Supertigre GS-40 in mine I had to lengthen the nose almost a 1/2 inch to make it fit. So if what you say is true I am going to need a brick in the tail to get mine balance. I've also made a few minor mods I made a little bracket wiht a blind nut pressed in it so I can bolt my hatch with a single bolt through the top. Although I haven't done it yet I will move the wing aileron servos out one more bay so my push rod could be more line with the control horn. I also plan on replacing the GS-40 coke-can muffler with an after market one or a short pipe.

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

I know exactly how you feel. I too have a Shrike 10, and many other kits, waiting to be built. Can't decide which one to start next.

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

Daryl:

One thing you might be able to do (if you're not too far along) is beef up the entire tail section instead of adding lead to the rear end.

I did this a little on mine, and if I had known how nose heavy the Shrike is, I would have done a lot more. I sheeted the stab with 1/32 balsa, and made my fins out of 1/16 ply. If I had it to do over again, I would have filled in the area between the stab front and rear sticks with 1/4 ply and made the fins out of 1/8 ply. The tail is very vulnerable in a "pankcake". The rest of the airplane is very tough.

With the OS 40 LA on a standard engine mount, I had to put 10 of those 1/4 ounce stick on weights at the trailing edges of the fins to get the CG exactly where they recommend on the plans. A bigger, heavier battery all the way aft would have been nice, too, had I known.


Have fun.

Bob (Sfcbhunt)

flipstart

Member of our club has a 40 Shrike with an off brand 46 and that bad boy really rocks-out of sight in a blink- do not recall him having any balance problems but he bought it used at a show-a fun plane but too fast for me. Flip

JL636

My Feedback: (79)

I built my 40 according to the plans...sort of! The only real mod I made was in the tail section where the vertical fins are. Instead of covering the open structure with covering, I first sheeted those section(s) with 3/32 balsa sheeting. It not only added strength but also gave me a place to add weight with out being realy noticeable. Also, instead of using conventional lead weights, I took a small plastic bag and used lead shot to obtain the CG required. I can add or remove the right qty and pretty much dial in what I need to balance it out. My shrike is powered by a OS 46 FSR with a tuned pipe...it moves! I've also read in previous posts where some fliers have problems with the plane doing a "belly flop" on landing. I don't know what I did right, but mine comes in nice and level and can grease a landing with the best of them, of course if I get "fat fingered", your guess is as good as mine.

Daryl_y

Sheeting the open tail structure is another thing I was thinking of doing. I have even given some thought to sheeting the entire wing, filling in the open areas on the tail fins and painting the whole thing. I have never painted a RC plane before and I figure that would be good practice. Its one piece design means the painting should go faster than covering.