Madd_Maxx

Well due to some crappy weather here in ohio for the last few weekends...well the weekends that I had free anyway....I found some time to do a little more work on the spadstick. I only have a few questions for anyone that has built this design before. Were there any problems with aileron flutter due to the tips of them pointing outward on the ends? Most spad designs say to trim the rons back at an angle on the outside edge to eliminate flutter problems.

Either way I'm hoping to maiden the new bird this weekend if mother nature cooperates with me for a change.

Well here she is.....pretty naked and plain at the moment but the vinyl cutter is getting warmed up and reday to cut some graphics for it real soon. The 2 mill I'm using is almost clear (called natural or something) that's why the ron servo's and wiring shows through the wing in the pics. I think I might go with something a bit different than the norm for wing graphics
on this spad just for kicks.





Madd_Maxx

Wynterhawk

Maxx

Sweet job....I started building the very same plane a while back, I made the wing out of 4 mil and it came out nice but a tad heavy....your stick should fly great! I made my fuse out of coro too and unfortunately I creased the coror one flute short so when I wrapped it around a piece of gutter pipe (which I was using as a former) the flutes came out misaligned. Anyway after looking at your masterpiece I may try again with a gutter pipe fuse. The question of flutter is a possibility however you did set up your servos to pull from the center of the aileron which should help. I would also force some bamboo skewers down the flutes of the rons and through the place you installed the control arm. That has stifened up things quite nicely for me. Great Job and good luck on yur maiden.

Madd_Maxx

Yeah I did put 2 bamboo skeewers in each aileron right in the middle of it where the control horn is mounted and another in the elevator and rudder. Hopefully that will be enough to keep the flutter to a minimum if any at all. I should take the whole airframe into work to get a weight on the whole thing....I would guess it's lighter than the dominator since it has the 4 mill/2mill wing and a coro fuse instead of an all 4 mill wing.

The 46LA should be enough motor for the spadstick since it is enough for the demonator I built a while back and it's heavier. Hmm....maybe next time I'll have to take the video camera out to the field and get some new video of my spads.

Any suggestions for a design for the wing and fuse (other than the standard stick graphics that everyone uses)?

Madd_Maxx

Cjsworks

Get something on that poor naked bird[X(]
Isnt this weather great , loved the 50+ winds and snow today. Rain rain rain[&o]
Have to get back down there and check out the new bird. Got my goose rebuilt, wish you were around with the cam that day. About a 2500' death spin right in the groung. Man did that mess up the goose. My spar failed[:@] boy was I surprised. The new one wont I can stand on it [>:]

Hope we get a break in the weather soon. Maybee see you there one of these days.

Madd_Maxx

Cjsworks:

You're gonna have to quit trying to plant those spads around our field....hasn't anyone told you spads don't grow well in Ohio? Glad to hear you got the goose back in the air already. Was hoping to get the new bird out for the maiden this weekend but that didn't happen but there is always next weekend I guess. You going to the Toledo R/C show next weekend at the seagate center?

Well didn't get to maiden the new spadstick this weekend but I'm getting closer to being done with it. Just need to wrap the reciever and battery in foam and mount them to the floor of the fuse....put in the switch and wing hold down dowels then balance it. Did do a few graphics for the new bird this morning to dress it up a bit over the plain white look.

Here she is with the graphics installed...still need something on the front of the fuse yet (thinking tribal flames of some sort all down the fuse).






I know it's not in the traditional spadstick graphics design but I thought I would try a few different things on this one to make it a bit different than the many others stick planes out there.


Madd_Maxx

Wynterhawk

Hey Maxx

Now that's some sweet graphics!! Very well done! I bet she'll fly asgood as she looks...

rsieminski

WOW!!!!!! Great graphics! You have a vinyl cutter?

Madd_Maxx

rsieminski:

Yeah I've got a vinyl cutter but it really wasn't needed for any of the graphics on this bird other than the irn crosses with the flames. The rest of the stuff was just vinyl straight off the roll that I cut into strips with a 24" paper cutter.

Hardest part was to decide what I wanted to put on the wing and fuse as far as the graphics go. The rest really didn't take that long to design or cut out.

If you need anything cut out let me know and I will help you out if I can. I've got lot's of vinyl in 22 colors not counting the holographic or chrome I've got in stock right now. I have a limited supply of reflective stuff as well if you wanted to go that route.

Madd_Maxx

Captain351

Madd Maxx

How about a few pointers on how to use a vinyl cutter. I just got 15" Roland Stika but have yet to figure out how to use it the way I'd like to.

I have been using Adobe Illustrator 10 to do my layouts but I have not been able to figure out how to do many of the things I'd like to.

What software do you use and do you have any sources for graphics.

Madd_Maxx

Captain351:

I don't know much about the stika line of cutters other than they are tractor feed (holes on the edge of the vinyl media) and many have said that the files are in a different format than what I use. I've got a creation ct630 24" cutter that I've had almost a year now and still learn new things all the time. The software that came with my cutter is winpc sign (most people in the sign business recomend the flexi sign pro software but it is big $$$) and the software that came with my cutter has done everything I've wanted to do so far and only take a little bit to figure out how it all works.

What file format does the stika cut from anyway. The creation cutter software I use mainly cuts from .eps or .ai files but you can import your drawings from autocad and the vinyl plotter will cut them to scale with no alterations. I've got a ton of clip art cd's and dvd's that I've bought over the last year since I started cutting vinyl....yes the cd's collections can get expensive for the specialized ones (like the racing collection clip art cd that was just over $100).

What sort of graphics are you looking for? I have several websites and vinyl cutting message boards that are loaded with great information about graphics and materials. If you need any other info PM me and I will try to help you out.

Madd_Maxx

Madd_Maxx

Well I finally got to maiden the new bird and WOW I am amazed at how well it flies. Really only needed a few clicks of aileron trim and a little rudder trim to get it dialed in to fly hands off....not bad for a 6 dollar plane. The os46LA proved to be enough oooph to pull this thing around with pretty good authority....not unlimited vertical but it has enough power for me.

I let a couple of the other guys I fly with take it up for a flight just to see that planes don't have to be big $$ and balsa to fly great. Controls are set pretty aggressive and it IS very responsive....flies inverted excellent which amazed everyone at the field today. Takes off in about 20-25 feet and will pull almost vertical right off the tarmac using an apc 11x5 prop.

I think I have found myself a new bird that MUST be in the car everytime I head out to the field. If you are looking for an all around sport type plane this is the one for you...more of a point and shoot type plane cause if you point it there that's where it's heading.

Next time the video camera is going to have to come along for some new footage to add to my webpage "the spad hanger"


Madd_Maxx

I.C.O.N.

My Feedback: (1)

Goood to hear the report!

With that kind of flight and those sweet graphics you may have found yourself a new career?!?!?