Is there a good method of constructiing scale antennas? It seems to me that they would be really fragile and break off easily. Do you make yours out of balsa or use something else? I'm working on my first sort-of-scale project. Its a great planes f4u and I'm thinking about running my reciever antenna up through the scale antenna and attaching it to the tail. Some f4u-4s seem to have two wires coming out from behind the cockpit and leading to the tail. If I can't run it through the scale antenna, I might just route it from the base (shown in blue) but I think it might look better if it was run from the scale antenna (shown in red). Any tips, hints or suggestions?

Thanks,
Rob

Depending on the size of your F4U there are a couple of options you may want to consider for concealing the antenna.

1. Install a soda straw inside the fuselage and route the antenna through that to the outside

OR

2. Use a Hayes 18" loaded antenna with the soda straw inside the fuselage.

I use the Hayes on several of my scale planes with good results. Range checks show about a 10' loss of range between the Hayes and a full length antenna.

This is a little tricky but not difficult. Use two pieces of 1/16 or 3/32 plywood as the core of the attenna seperate them enough for your rx antenna to pass through. Add a short length of 2-56 threaded rod to the plywood core to attach the scale antenna to the fuse. Add balsa to the side of the plywood cores and shape accordingly. A 2-56 blind nut in a small 1/8 plywood plate is attached to the top of the fuse flush with the sheeting. You can then run your rx antenna through it and carefully assemble it to the fuse. Add a drop a ca or sand the bottom of the scale antenna it until it tightens and is straight with the fuse.

Thanks for the replies, I'm definatly gonna try it.

Rob

Hi!
Scale antennas?? I assume you want to place your reciever antenna "correctly" inside the fuselage and not using the scale "antennas " on the R/C scale airplane!? Scale antennas on R/C planes are best used as "Dummies". The hard part is to make them resitent to the daily wear and thear...

Regards!
Jan K

I build mine the same as Old Scale Guy EXCEPT I use an inner nyrod at the center of the mast. Your antenna wire will slide through it much easier and you can continue it down into the fuselage to help route the wire.

Frank

Good idea Frank. Will keep that one in mind too.

I agree with whats been said....on my aircraft I always run the antennas inside the fuse inside a tube.The first thing that gets damaged when picking the plane up is the antennas that is on the outside.If you want to have a scale antennas on the out side ,I use a shaped ply vertical base ,then fit a thin line on and up to the tail.Very easy to replace if broken and doesnt affect the radio. The pic shows what I have done on my Zero.