Popriv

Our club is going to play around with some SSCombat this summer.
Sooo, I'm trying to come up with a plane we can put together cheap so maybe more will participate.

I built a gnat with a coroplast wing. fun to fly but not good for combat.

Then I started cutting my own foam wings and I built a knock off of the Battle Axe from online photos.

I flew it twice this weekend and while it flew better than the gnat, I wasnt impressed with its flying...
It's likely that my "knock off" wasnt done well enough?

I think I need PLANS to follow ( instead of reinventing something ). anyone know of a source for a good combat plane plan I could build?

We will be using .15 glow engines.

Thanks for any sugestions

Steve

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Have you been to the RCCA web site? At one time, they might have had some links posted for plans.

You might have to buy a Battle Axe to get a quick education from. I'll bet you find that the plane you scratch built wasn't too far off. The SSC minimum weight of 40 ozs makes designing a good performing plane a matter of working in enough wing area.

My idea of the ideal SSC plane would therefore be just a flying wing with lots of span for scoring crepe paper. It would also be interesting to try a pusher.....I can't remember if AMA rules allows pushers or not. Even if they did, there aren't any 8x3 pusher props.....[:@]

Popriv

Do you think battle axe is the way to go? I see the avenger looks more like a flying wing?
I'm not set on the battle axe design. something that flys well and is an easy build, Ha, not asking for much. LOL
Dont have the time to keep testing my own creations, so I need plans or a plane to copy..

steve

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Yes, those Avengers look good too. I think a "48 inch foamy class" for 15 power would be easy to build. Set the max weight at about 30 ozs and have NO minimum weight. Use birch dowels for spars and build them similar to the AMA C/L Combat planes that were / are all foam.

This is basically what I fly combat with around here, retired C/L Combat planes that I put a pair of tip fins and elevons on, and fly with .15s. The engine mount is little aluminum beams that stay with the engine and get clamped to the center rib of each model with a single bolt...so no individual mounts need to be made for each plane.

If everyone is flying 48 inchers, you level the playing field. 48 inches is a handy length for materials.

AirScharnell

Steve,
Go and look at Spad To The Bone http://www.spadtothebone.com/
Simple and cheap to build.

If you are doing a club event, you may consider getting some pilots together and some coro.
Have a building party.
I dont have prints for the Avenger, thou a good plane and a contest winning platform.
If you guys are just having fun try the spad.

Frank

still4given

Go to spadtothebone and look through the plans. I would go with the Saturday Night Midget but maybe make the wing 48". Maybe make the tail a couple of inches higher to add stability. The HOR is great combat plane. I used one last week in Open B. It will fly fine with a good .15. The Corostang is a really good flier as well but a little more work to build.

Hobby People has the Magnum .15 for $39.99 right now. Perfect for SSC.

Blessings, Terry

draftman1

hey Steve. I have been following your builds, you have been doing very good actually. here is what I see. for SSC, you are doing the axe knockoff, thats totaly fine, I do them for open B also, with coro wings. and alot of guys fly them for SSC. the trick in SSC is to keep your plane under 3 pounds but above the minimum of 2 1/2 pounds. so weight is crucial. the SSC planes are NOT hotrods. they will be slow and in the wind, difficult to fly. but whats cool is, in an event, everybodys plane is the same. so dont feel that your axe isnt good because it doesnt perform well. here is CA. we tend to fly alot of coro planes for SSC. the mig 3 has gotten alot of people into SSC here. I also do other SSC warbirds. they do fly well. just over 2 1/2 pounds. the problem is, they do take a little longer to build. a basic wing and stick fuse is the easiest to build, like the HOR. a good way to get guys into combat

AirScharnell

Steve,
Since Draftman brought up???

Keep your plane at the Min weight of 40oz.
Dont worry they get heavier as you re-build them

Frank
AirScharnell.com

Popriv

Draftman1, I like the mig plans at that site but I'm into foam right now..Had a hard time getting 2 mil coroplast so I've moved on to foam. I'm hoping to find a plan like that mig but for foam wings..


I think I'll give my axe knockoff one more try. I've been working on a 2nd attempt and keeping the weight down.. I was around 3 pound with the last one. This one has Pine for the fuse frame instead of aluminum. not as strong but half the weight.
Also redesign my wing saddle to save grams... Finally I will cut a new wing thats a little bigger root and tip to give me more sq. inches..for a better wing loading?

Should I be able to loop the Axe? when I tried it just fell off to one side..I'm sure adjustments were still needed to get things just right..
One of the guys here has a Battle Floyd he is building so that will be the compatition this spring. We will demo for the club and suck some more victims in, Hopefully?

thanks for the encoragement.

Steve

Popriv

I was discouraged after my last flight but it was a windy day. I wasnt going to fly but some of the guys there wanted to see it Sooooo. I was able to fly but performance was not very good in the wind..

Maybe I'm closer than I think?

I dont have alot of flying experience so dont know what to expect from this kind of plane?

steve

draftman1

yeah, it sounds like your close. alot of guys use the clark Y for the SSC wings. the plane should loop but if you loop it too tight, it will break out. you have to find the smallest loop circle that it will do and not exceed it. also for SSC we are running the .15 but with a 8-3 prop. we are running slightly over 400 sq in on the wing

Alex Treneff

Steve,

It sounds like your knockoff Battle Axe may not be as close as you think. A genuine Battle Axe will loop over and over as long as you pull back on the elevator stick. Wind shouldn't be more of an issue an issue than it would to a normal sport plane.

You might pick up a kit from our website [link=http://www.treneffrc.com]http://www.treneffrc.com[/link], I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Alex

still4given

Hi Steve,

I built a little SSC plane for the Coachella meet last weekend. It did the same thing you are describing. I had to back off the elevator little by little until it stopped stalling the wing. Once I got it dialed in it was care free. Set up duel rates to at least half and see what happens. If it loops without stalling one side, try increasing it a little at a time until it stalls again and then back it off some. I got a lot of compliments on how well mine flew at the meet. Here's a pic.

Popriv

Hey Alex, I just recieved some of your bidirectional tape today!! Good deal..
Fun to try and build from scratch..Soon I'll have enough daylight to test fly after work, that will speed things up.
but in the end I may end up buying a battle Axe ???

Steve

OzMo

My Feedback: (3)

Dollar store baseball bat fuse with a coro V elevator and a smack wing. Cutting your own foam wings will save you some $ and its not hard. You may have to spend an dollar or even 2 (oh my) to sacrifice an extra bat ...or 2 to make the fuse stiffer under the wing sadle area. Still a light plane. Look at the RCCA web site for generic smack wing plans, esentially the same construction method as the Avenger and others. "Smack " tape onto foam. I think protecting the radio etc helps keep repair time down. Tank can go in or on the side of the bat
Snapping is common with these SSC planes and less elevator throw as stated helps.
When I flew SSC, a little, a few years back the more competitive guys kept the weight right at 2.5#