Hello
09-08-2011 | 08:04 PM
#76
Senior Member
My Feedback: (1)
RE: Hello
Post-mortem-
I learned 3 main things from the crash of this airplane:
1: We used Dubro Pinned hinges, Titebond II, and toothpicks to pin the hinge surfaces into the TE's and control surfaces.
This worked SOO well it actually pulled the TE out of the wing structure, and kept the TE in one piece with the hinges in place. Not 1 loose hinge. I have no fear using this method on all of my future classic pattern builds. We will definitely repeat this on all of them.
2: We built the motor mount as shown in the plans. We used basswood. One advantage to this is that it held the shape of the nose as designed. But.... This is the best method I have EVER used. I now prefer it to fiberglass mounts when so designed.
I have been given a little (not too much) grief about using this and not the modern fiberglass mounts. Even Phil Kraft said this method is archaic in his Stagger-Bi MKII write up. I could not disagree more. It held. And I have to tell you, this airplane rocketed through about 5 different trees as reported to me. All the servos stripped their gears, the muffler sheared off the engine..as did the caberator- just to tell you how hard this airplane hit. The wood beams held the front of this airplane completely together and motor as intact as it could possibly have held... It was still firmly bolted in!
I believe wood beam mounts hold an advantage as well. As it as been suggested to me, I believe it distributes the vibration of the engine further through the airplane. The more the airplane "absorbs," the easier it will be on the life of the airframe, the engine, and the on-board equipment. I would put money up on the idea the engine gives a little more bang for the buck as well. I do not believe it would be as hard on the engine as a fiberglass mount.
I have been looking at the Bridi Sunfli IV plans... and honestly, when I see the way that Bluejay shows their option, with the fiberglass mount, the front end looks just awful. When built with the woodbeam mounts, it holds the shape, and the model presents SOOO much better.
3: Sometimes, the old methods are worth the effort to try at least once... no matter anyone's advice. I would never have known this otherwise and am glad Ashley and I tried.
Brian
I learned 3 main things from the crash of this airplane:
1: We used Dubro Pinned hinges, Titebond II, and toothpicks to pin the hinge surfaces into the TE's and control surfaces.
This worked SOO well it actually pulled the TE out of the wing structure, and kept the TE in one piece with the hinges in place. Not 1 loose hinge. I have no fear using this method on all of my future classic pattern builds. We will definitely repeat this on all of them.
2: We built the motor mount as shown in the plans. We used basswood. One advantage to this is that it held the shape of the nose as designed. But.... This is the best method I have EVER used. I now prefer it to fiberglass mounts when so designed.
I have been given a little (not too much) grief about using this and not the modern fiberglass mounts. Even Phil Kraft said this method is archaic in his Stagger-Bi MKII write up. I could not disagree more. It held. And I have to tell you, this airplane rocketed through about 5 different trees as reported to me. All the servos stripped their gears, the muffler sheared off the engine..as did the caberator- just to tell you how hard this airplane hit. The wood beams held the front of this airplane completely together and motor as intact as it could possibly have held... It was still firmly bolted in!
I believe wood beam mounts hold an advantage as well. As it as been suggested to me, I believe it distributes the vibration of the engine further through the airplane. The more the airplane "absorbs," the easier it will be on the life of the airframe, the engine, and the on-board equipment. I would put money up on the idea the engine gives a little more bang for the buck as well. I do not believe it would be as hard on the engine as a fiberglass mount.
I have been looking at the Bridi Sunfli IV plans... and honestly, when I see the way that Bluejay shows their option, with the fiberglass mount, the front end looks just awful. When built with the woodbeam mounts, it holds the shape, and the model presents SOOO much better.
3: Sometimes, the old methods are worth the effort to try at least once... no matter anyone's advice. I would never have known this otherwise and am glad Ashley and I tried.
Brian
