Stingray Construction
 

I am starting construction of my Stingray and thought that I would do a thread on its construction and post pics. Does anyone else out there that has built one know of any pitfalls to look out for?, The destruction manual looks pretty clear but you never know until you start cutting up stuff!

Chris

more pics
 

All the goodies!

Stingray Construction
 

from wich company is the Stingray ( internet site )

greetings geoffrey

Stingray Construction
 

Hi Chris,
I'm waiting in anticipation as mine arrived only yesterday but probably wont get to start it for a couple of weeks. Have to say the quality of the kit is very impressive from what I've seen so far. Also took the retracts which are also very nice quality units.

BTW, Geoffry it's from Yellow Aircraft. See www.yellowaircraft.com

Regards,
Tony

StringRay Cont.
 

There is alot of info and pictures posted here on RCU. I would do a serch on postings by JPOFL. and there will be a couple of dozen posts. Paul JPOFL

Stingray Construction
 

tanks do you have some pics from the bottom and lefthand side

greetings geoffrey
the netherlands

Stingray Construction
 

Where did you get the tanks and how much? Thanks for info, Mike Krizan

servo well
 

Here is the stock servo well

servo well
 

And the new servo well. I will post more pics after I get them more complete. The 8411s fit but it is tight!

Chris

Stingray Construction
 

Hi,

There's still some available right now, BTW. Email me for info and special pricing.........

BTW, it's really cool to see you guys helping each other out with Q&A on this model.

I'm working on some very simple speed boards (all three gear). If they work out, I'll post them and let you know how to do it if you want to.

Stingray Construction
 

I got the fuel tanks from Dean Wichmann at www.helijet.ca. Price was ~ $130.

Stingray
 

Just started building mine last night . I'm debating what servos to put in the wings. Wondering if 69in oz would be enough torque. This kit is beautiful and a great bang for the buck

Stingray Construction
 

I used Futaba 9402 servos 110 oz on 6 volts. or the hi tech
5945 or 5625 servos will work also. Guys I can't say enough for the kit but because of the thrust at a idle the stringray is so clean it needs a speed brake on the bottom.I had problems with the one on top.Every time I would open it the aircraft would push down and to the right.I could not get mine to land till I put one on the bottom. Paul JPOFL

Stingray Construction
 

JPOFL, What is the panel just behind the main gear wells? I was looking at building some doors to help with the drag for landing, I plan on using the same setup as the bandits use. If it does not work, I may build a speedbrake on the bottom. I hope to have more pics posted tomorrow or sunday for sure. Thanks for the tips!

Chris

Stringray
 

Chris the speedbrake is just infront of the wheel opening,The aircylinder goes to the front. I made my speedbrake out of Xcell helicopter pattels. 60 size.The former just behind the wheel wells is the rear former installed by the factory.
Paul JPOFL

Stingray Construction
 

I was wondering what the panel with the arrow was for???

Chris

lower brake?
 

Hi Paul,

I'm curious what your reason was for having the bottom-side brake open forward as apposed to from the rear? The way you have it set up, does it cause a pitch down early in the brake travel, then start to level out again as the drag catches up on the top side of the fuse? I really like the innovative approach you took using the heli blades, but mine will probably open from the rear. (there's a steady source of 'used' blades at my club :D )

I've also got one of these kits on the way, to be powered by a PST. I think I'll use 5645MG's on the elevons, HS125MG's in the rudders, and HS645MG's for the upper/lower air brakes.

The 5945's on my hotspot seemed to do the trick just fine. I assume the stingray doesn't need quite the same torque output being a smaller jet with lower top end speed @~13lb, so I'll probably error to the cheaper option.

Can't wait to see that UPS truck and get started! Hopefully Monday... Its good to see there are so many Stingray people here to share ideas with. :)

Kelly

servo wells
 

Here are a few more pics of the servo wells. I am going to wait on the covers until after the wing is glassed so I can make them fit as flush as possible. More to come!

Chris

servo wells
 

another

servo wells
 

and the servo shoehorned in!

Stringray
 

Ok The arrow is pointing to a accest panal for the Wires and tubeing going to the turbine. As far as the speedbrake opening forward.Had to do on how I was going to open the speedbrake. See everything has to be mounted on the outside,because with the Jet Tech fuel cells.There is no room to install anything under them. I might add the speedbrake I was talking about pushing the aircraft down and to the right was the one on TOP. Which I do not use any more.In fact I removed the servo that drove it.
Paul Hopkins JPOFL

Stingray Construction
 

Thanks Paul,

I was under the impression that you were still using the top side speed brake un unison with the lower.

So I believe you earlier said that you needed ~400ft (grass) to takeoff and land. Any improvements made on those numbers after fine tuning the strut length and using your revised speed brake?

Kelly

Stingray Construction
 

Kelly. The speedbrake on the bottom made a 400ft or less possible. With out it the stringray would get 5 to 10 feet off the deck and fly under no power for 100 yards or better. I could never did stall it. You need alot of deflection on your elevator to rotate with 2 degrees up in the wings. You know some people want to put a P80 or Mercury on one. Buy doing this you raise the wingloading and 2 or more pounds of thrust at a idle. Make the Stringray a handfull on landings. The PST 600 makes a very nice package for the stringray, or simimular 12 lb turnine.

Paul JPOFL

Thanks
 

Thanks for the info Paul, any idea why it wants to roll over to the right? What about mixing in some up when the brake is deployed? Any idea what the top speed is yet?

Chris

Stringray
 

I realy don't know. But maybe the Upper speedbrake may twist in flight when opened. If you want to use it you might try hingeing it differently.

Paul JPOFL

Elevons
 

Here is a few pics of the elevons

elevons
 

here is one after hinging, I used the large Robarts

elevons
 

this is after the hinge gap cover was installed.

elevons
 

and another of the gap cover

Stingray Construction
 

what about a nose gear door attached to the oleo leg part and as wide as the opening in the fuse when closed up..? would that along with the same attached to the oleo parts of the mains help out the drag needed to slow things up a bit.

and about those hinge gap seals.. is that just a thin strip of balsa on the top and bottom of the hinge line after hinging the surface? i need to know the best way to hinge things on a jet as i have several at this stage including a sting ray.. always sealed them with clear ultracote in the giant scale stuff. but this painted glass work is a bit different.. any easy tips..

Stingray Construction
 

The gap seals are a triangular stock, more like a right triangle. They are applied after the control is hinged and rounded. Some sanding was still required after the stock is applied. I think these gap seals are really more to hide the hinge line and make a smoother surface but as far as sealing them it is not doing much for them. I am going to put some thin soft foam in the pocket after painting and just before glueing to help with the sealing of the top and bottom surface. The covers were easy to install and look good so they are worth the effort in my opinion. As far as the doors go, what you are describing is the effect that I am hoping for. I will let you know how it goes.

Chris

Wing spars
 

I am starting the wing mounting. I have prepped the spars and am ready to fit the wings to the fuselage. The spars fit nice and snug, it should be a very stiff structure when complete.

Here is the parts

Wing spars
 

Here, the spar is glued to the reinforcing plate and the spar slot liners are ready to be glued into the wing.

Wing spars
 

The liners being epoxied into the wing with the spar holding them tight in position.

Stingray Construction
 

I just picked mine up from mikes models in the UK at the weekend there.
Its really impressed me so far. The glassworks are superb.
Im going to put JR8411s in the wings. I wasnt quite brave enough to use the recommded 4231s on the elevons. Besides, i had to phone JR in the UK to find some and they only had 2!!. ( theyve been acquired and will go on the rudders)

But whats really confused me, and hopefully stratotanker you can tell me, The plywood bag, bag no2, seems to have listings for 29 part numbers, some with two parts to a number. But my bag seems awfully empty, and i dont want to open it and find out ive invalidated my warranty on the kits contents.
I cant seem to find
part 403-front fuselage canopy rail reinforcing plate
part404-rear fuselage canopy rail reinforcing plate
And the 407 and 408 front and rear accessory plate.

From the pictures, i thought latter two parts would be the width of the canopy but i only have two ply parts long enought for that, certainly not wide enough.

Do you know what i mean??? ( i hope so)

Stingray Construction
 

I will research it and get back with you.

Chris

Stingray Construction
 

Birdseed, I got my kit before the instructions were release so the only parts that I got with mine were the ones not in a bag in post #2. When the instructions arrived the bag of parts on the table were what came with them. Most of the parts are very small. I would say that you need to just open the bag to get an accurate count and hopefully the place you got the kit from will support you if something is missing, maybe even some of the yellow distributors can help out if you are missing parts????? Hope this helps.

Chris

Stringray
 

Most of the pieces in the bag were cap strips for the Ailrons,Rudders.also the Rudder interenal parts were there. The metal pins are for the wing.Front and rear and the Verticalls. If you lay all the parts out they will make sence for what they are for.Also in there were the front nose gear former and the Canopy frame gets the long plywood pieces. I would not use the hinges that came with the kit. Use the large Robart pin hinges.

Paul JPOFL :D

Stingray Construction
 

Hope I don't deleted for 'Repping', but here goes:


Guys,

If you got your kit in a shop, chances are that you're missing a few parts that somehow didn't make the original boat trip. As Stratotanker stated, those came along later with the instructions. If you're missing something, we'll replace it (parts-- not missing fuselages and such :-) no problem. Don't worry about opening your bag.

Hope this helps...

wing spars are glued
 

I now have the wing spars set in the wings. The anti-rotation pins still have to be installed.