After building about half a dozen kits, I'd like to try a scratch build. I really want to build a classic stick type plane.

I have the plans for the Classic Ugly Stick from this site:

http://www.profili2.com/eng/plans.asp

I have access to Autocad and a good plotter. I have plotted the plans at full size (~60" WS) and at 75% (~48" WS) because I may want to build it a bit smaller. I have an extra .46LA which may be a bit weak for the full size plane.

My question is, are there better plans for an Ugly Stick out there? These look really good to me, and I am sure that I can easily handle the build.

Thanks for your help

Here are two good sources. Of course, if you want to modify them, then your CAD version is probably a better place to start.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8424937

Thanks. There's lot's of good info in that link.

I don't know if you read the whole thing...

But, Lazer Works has the Midwest Das Little Stick short kit as well. Apparently, they also have a source for the plans.

Midwest turned them over to AMA, so they're probably essentially public domain now anyway.

The DLS is a 46" span, so it might be the ideal size you're looking for.

I'm not making any recommendations on size versus engine. I'd guess it'd work either way. Depends on what you are looking for.

I took a look at the two sets of plans I plotted out. The full size plan is a 62" WS and 42" fuse length and the 75% plan is about a 46" WS and a 31" fuse length. I think the smaller size would work well with the .46LA.

I am mainly undertaking this for the experience of cutting my own ribs, formers, etc.. I have cut ribs for repairs in the past, but never a whole set for a plane. I look forward to the challenge of cutting all the parts and building without an instruction manual.

It's going to take me a while to get my shop ready for this project and gather up my balsa. Thanks for your help.

Mclina

You might want to check out the ugly stick plans that are at the bottom of [link=http://plans.rcmodell.hu/plansport.html]this[/link] page. Jason Niemier (aka Sticktickler on RCU) redrew these adding a nice wing hold-down design and new airfoil. This is a .60 sized plane, but he's flown it with a .48 MDS. I have scratch built this plane and can tell you it's a great flying plane (can't mess up a Stick). Also, Jason has some YouTube videos of this plane if you're interested. [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqxakYJ8LLI]Here's[/link] one if you're interested. He also has one that describes the changes he made to the original plan.

Good luck!

There are some nice details in that plan. I was planning on doing something similar with the wing hold-down, but I probably wouldn't have come up with something that nice.

Thanks

Yeah, I agree. One of those ideas that seems to be obvious once you see it implemented. Jason did a great job with this plan.

-MA

Hey Mclina, your gona enjoy scratch building! when I built balsa, its been awhile, I would stack all of the rib blanks, even a couple of extra, pin them and cut the stack on a bandsawm then sand them. It made it real easy and they were all the same. BTW did you ever fly the at6/zero?

I made up a list of the wood I need and placed an order from National Balsa.

In the meantime, I decided to do some practice ribs with wood I already have. I cut out some coffin-shaped blanks using an exacto, and pinned them together. Then I roughed them with a coping saw and shaped them with my bar sander. I'm sure it's possible to build this way, but I am going to pick up a scroll saw and a disk/belt sander soon. I'll probably look for sales at Memorial Day.

I still only have the one flight on the AT-6. I haven't had much time at the field lately, and when I have I've been flying the new Dazzler. This build is definitely going to take longer than the Dazzler.

While I was outo f town on a business trip, my package from National Balsa arrived. After I placed my order, I read some unkind reviews about NB, but I am pleased with my order. The wood looks good and was well packaged, and the shipping was $3 less than the online estimate.

Now I need to do some tool shopping. I am still trying to decide between a band saw and a scroll saw...

Armed with a 20% off coupon, I took a drive to my nearest Harbor Freight this morning and picked up a belt/disc sander. With the coupon, it was about $59. It took me a while to tighten every screw and bolt on the machine, and get the table squared up, but it seems like it will do the job.

I'm waiting to see what goes on sale at Sears for Memorial day. I'm either going to get a 10" band saw or a scroll saw.

MCLINA,

First off. good luck with the scratch build. It takes a lot of patience and I time I am sure. Just building from a kit is time consuming I can't imagine making all the pieces too, but man oh man will you be proud of your plane when you are done.

As far as Harbor Freight tools, they are great. I have never had a problem with any of their tools. I have had my table saw and mitre for about 8 years now and they are still ticking. the prices are great and for doing work on balsa and plane wood they are perfect. I wouldn't use them for construction work probably but they sure did a great job on my decks. :-) just my two cents worth.

I look foward to watching your build.

Joe

That's good to hear, Joe. It seems like a solid machine, especially for mostly working with balsa. I did spend the extra $9 for the two year unlimited warranty.

It was my first visit to Harbor Freight. Thier ad had a coupon for a $26 paint sprayer for $9.99 so I picked up one of those as well, along with a little magnified helping hand clamp for $2.99. The store was a little tough to find, but was worth the trip.

mclina, hope you will find a lot of satsfaction in cutting out the parts and building from plans or your own design. It is refreshing to see
when guys do this. Satisfaction aside, it's great to say "No, it's not an ARF, I built it myself". I'm not against ARF's having had a few myself
but it's not quite the same. And altho' there are more and different types of ARF's coming out every day, you can still show up with something
different. Check out some things I've built over the past few seasons.

first picture looks to be a brian taylor os-2u kingfisher

aerowoof, you are right, my man!....there's a Ziroli...BV-141 the funny-looking one....Al Master's ... twin Do-335 and a Ju-88...

I've been making a little progress on this project, I'll have to get some photos up tonight. </p>

I have all of my ribs shaped. It turns out that I really don't need the scroll/band saw that I was going to get. I took one of my shaped ribs and traced it 10 times onto a 4"x36" sheet of 1/8". Then I just cut straight lines between all the pieces using a ruler and an exacto knife. I used a T-pin through a mark on each rib to stack them up straight and then drilled the dowel holes. Once they were stacked, I just made straight cuts using my Zona razor saw until i was within 1/8" or so of the template line. The I was able to finish shaping on the belt sander.</p>

I ran lines across the stack using a square to mark the spar, LE, and other stick locations, and cut them using my razor saw. I have dry fit one wing half, and it looks like it all fits pretty well.</p>

The sticks that I ordered for the spars came in as balsa instead of hardwood, so I will pick up new spars at my LHS today. Other than that, the order from NB still seems pretty good.</p>

OK, here's some pics. The right wing panel is still just dry-fit. Ihave temporary spar doublers in the center bays for alignment. They will not get glued. The joiner spars will go in there when the wing halves get joined. This wing is small enough to build in one piece, but Ithink Iwill stick to two halves.

Here's my first major departure from the plan. As you can see, the plan has a pretty hokey setup for the trailing edge - just some sharply tapered triangles on the ribs and some 1/16" sheeting. Not much there to hinge into. After initially shaping the wings per the plan, with the long tapers, Isliced off the taper and am going with a solid TEpiece.

It's not hokey, that's the way an Ugly Stick goes together!

But, yes, hinges become a problem. I just added some tapered blocks at the hinge points.

Perhaps 'hokey' was too strong a word.  I did consider just inserting tapered blocks at the hinge locations, and decided it would be easier to just use a solid TE. I have a history of installing blocks and then missing them when I go to hinge.</p>

I am also going to move the aileron servos out by a bay. The plans have them right at the end of the ailerons, and I like to have them a little further out. I suspect that the plan location was set so that a servo lead would reach the fuse without an extension. Since I scaled down the plan, my servo leads will still reach without having to bury a plug in the wing tube.</p>

I am considering doing a sheeted LE with cap strips on the ribs instead of the false ribs. I know that this will take away some of the Ugly Stick character, but I think it's a more durable way to go. If I keep the wing tips and the scalloped ailerons per the plan, it will still look like an ugly stick.</p>

I need to do a search on how to cover the scalloped ailerons. That bit has me worried.</p>

Just use small pieces to cover the edge of the scallop curves first. It's just like any other hard curve - except there is a tediously large number of them...

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http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7873530/tm.htm This my version of the basic Stik design " The GoldFinch 40 is a weekend warrier for fun/fly contest tough and easy to build - All interlock design and laser cut.

Check it out

At this time demand is asking for a larger gas version around 84"

Mclina...Aileron hinge points..I did mine exactly as Nergall said.  Scalloped edges of ailerons &amp; elevator...I cut a single piece of covering material about 1" wide and 3 feet long. I started with the centre of this in the middle of the control surface and worked outward attaching it to the rear of the surface. I then stretched/cut each scallop in turn. It worked well for me. The wing as designed has stood the test of time and should not need any alterations to the structure. Mine is holding up well to my quite violent flying!</p>

Chris UK.</p>

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