Extending Wing - Sig Ryan STA 60 Size
 

Anyone built their wings longer than the design/kit called for? Is this a good idea?

I am building Sig's old kit of the Ryan STA. I want to improve the weight to wing size ratio, and at the same time improve flying characteristics and strength. I have heard that this kit can be a little heavy.

I was thinking about extending the wings by one or two bays (2-3 inches) to make it fly a bit better (read easier). I wont be using it for 3D, just scale type flying.

I have already decided to improve the strength of the wing spar. It calls for a 1/4 by 3/4 balsa main spar installed vertically. I will be exchanging this for a more modern spuce upper and lower spar system with shear webs between ribs.

What do you think?

Thanks!

RE: Extending Wing - Sig Ryan STA 60 Size
 

The wing is already about 6 feet long. It flys great just like it is. Extending the wing will make it look funny. I highly recommend a servo out in the wing for each aileron and beefing up the landing gear mounting. I fly mine with a HB 60 and it works fine. It flies easy as is but that tall narrow landing gear can be tricky. I have nosed mine over more than once on take of and landing.

RE: Extending Wing - Sig Ryan STA 60 Size
 

i don't know about the ryan but i've build almost every kit sig makes and have extended the wing on most of them including the hog bipe and astro hog. on the astro i used 1/4 x1/2 spruce spars top and bottom, w/ 1/32 ply shear webs all the way out. i went 2 rib bays on each wing longer and moved the gear out one rib bay (aprox 3 in.) so the gear is 6 in. wider than std. helps a lot w/ ground handling. i used a saito 91 inverted, and futaba 3004's all round. t6xa tx gives me flaperons. see pic. mike

RE: Extending Wing - Sig Ryan STA 60 Size
 

I have already extended the wing by about 4 inches. I doubt if you will be able to tell from looking at it. I am more concerned with flight characteristics. I will put the servos out in the wings. I will use just one central flap servo. I will also widen the landing gear by about 3 inches total. Im not sure how to beef it up. A hard landing and its all coming loose- especially with all that plastic. I think something that resists torque would help. Maybe a brace perpendicular to the landing gear support piece back to the main wing spar.

Thanks for your advice.

Cheers!

RE: Extending Wing - Sig Ryan STA 60 Size
 

wrongway, on my astro, ibeefed up the ribs that hold the gear blocks by laminating 1/8th hard ply to the balsa ribs (full rib doublers) and soldered a second wire (5/32) back to the rear spar area, so my gear is quite solid. as i remember the ryan has wheel pants that go quite far back on the wing. a good place to hide the second wire. just make sure the wheel is about 2" out in front of the leading edge, to prevent nose overs.
question, what TX are you using, with my futaba, i use the flaperon knob up top, so i can dial in the ammount of flap required. on windy days i do not need them. with separate flaps can you program various settings,while in flight ? mike

RE: Extending Wing - Sig Ryan STA 60 Size
 

I have a Futaba 8UAP. That sounds like the way I will go. The wheel pants are quite large and go back quite far. Our field is grass and I have never had a plane with wheel pants for that reason. This will be the first. It is doable

Wayne

RE: Extending Wing - Sig Ryan STA 60 Size
 

wrongway, fly it a BUNCH without the pants !!!!!! see how she handles. i'm doing that now on a C M P p-26 arf. pants are paperthin fiberglass and no spare parts are available for C M P kits. i may use the orig'ls for molds and make copies to fly with, as i know i'll eventually screw up, and "bounce" a landing. mike