chris6414

My Feedback: (10)

Specs: 59 inch wingspan, 21 CC weedy motor, 15X6 Prop (7350 RPM), Single needle, slightly modded carb, 9 1/2 Lbs(no fuel), Original tank from weedy, and yes, a holed out 2X4 for a fuse. Can't wait to test fly it! Taxis great with great pull. Pics date is wrong.

SemperFitz

My Feedback: (2)

wow, that thing is hideous. I love it! How was the weight of just the fuse compared to gutterpipe or aluminum channel? Good luck on the flight. Tell us how it goes.

chris6414

My Feedback: (10)

Heavier, but it was all I had and I don't remember ever seeing someone crazy enough to try it. Not as heavy as I thought it would be though. I can even drill out some more material if needed. It's about 27 oz per sq ft which is a little heavy but should fly OK. Hideous? I'll have to agree but they all look like planes when they scream by at 50 ft at 70 MPH or more. I got the weedy for nothing, so I had to put it on something. As soon as Alberto gets outta here I'll give it go and post results.

jamesg25

thats an really cool spad you got there, i think that it depicts spad nature really well looking forward to the flight report, how did you drill(or other method) those holes at the back?
regards
and good luck with your maiden
James

Gringo Flyer

My Feedback: (18)

It needs to be called a SPWAD Simple Plastic Wood Airplane Design.

Its ugly as sin, CONGRATS!

bkdavy

My Feedback: (1)

At 27 oz/sq ft, the wing loading is pretty high. Its going to come in very fast and drop quickly. I hope your landing gear is strong enough!

Brad

chris6414

My Feedback: (10)

A/C aluminum. Not sure what grade but it doesn't bend. I've flown planes with higher wing loadings. Definately hot landings. Everything in the plane was free except for the gas. I even got the radio gear for nothing. I'll mod it as I go if it just too heavy or put the motor and gear in something else. The motor is a little more than a 1/3 of the total weight.

chris6414

My Feedback: (10)

I used a drill saw. I even have a smaller one that I can drill in the sides to drop maybe another half a pound.

Smooth Spanky

gysgt6414:
My compliments to you. In the true spirit of SPAD you used what you had, expended little $$$, and made an airship that's tough and I'll bet fun. I'm looking forward to seeing a pic (or video) in flight.

What is it about using free and/or everyday stuff in model flight that gives some of us such a charge? The challenge, I suppose.

Good luck.

chris6414

My Feedback: (10)

Or the limit my wife puts on my wallet! LOL. Did some more calculations last night on power loading. Rough calculations on when this beast will stall is around 15 MPH but I believe that is high due to it doesn't take into account power loading. (engine power/thrust vs. weight) Basically what I have, is a heavy .60 size plane with a heavy 1.30 on it. Hell, the full scale T-38 has a wing loading of 70 lbs per sq ft and it used to hold the climb to altitude record. Power loading(after burning turbo jets) made all that possible. It certainly won't be an aerobatic performer but will fly very scale which is really what I prefer anyway. Looks like it might be nice today!

smokehole

That 2x4 looks suspiciously like b#$%^.. lol Otherwise - A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

chris6414

My Feedback: (10)

First attempt resulted in interference in the throttle servo at about 80 yards w/antennan up. Will be moving the servo back behind the trailing edge. Also need to adjust the incidence. Slightly negative. Pretty quiet motor at a distance.

MrGreenSpeed

You may want to put support struts from Your hor-stab to the vert stab.
A drooping hor-stab; the elevator can lock under load in flight.
Other that that it a Sweet looking Spad Gasser
Jeff

chris6414

My Feedback: (10)

Thanks mrgreenspeed. I fabricated coro struts with coat hanger internal spar. will see if that does it. I also stripped some wire and wrapped the ingnition coil wire and grounded it to see if that helps with the interference. I aso removed the kill switch. Hopefully will get to rangecheck it today. If that doesn't work, I made need to get nylon 1/4 inch bolts to attach the engine plate to the firewall to eliminate that metal on metal contact.

Bosch232

My Feedback: (1)

Well yeah, but so is an atomic bomb.



Just funnin' with you.

KidEpoxy

what are you using as a PropAdaptor on that weedie? The pic looked like you just crammed a prop on the shaft bare.

O2man

My Feedback: (5)

OK, so now you have the wheels turning in my head. I seem to have a leaf blower that needs a higher calling and since it has flown when I get frustrated with it, maybe it would be better to abandon yardwork and build my first gasser. I am very interested in the methods for adapting a garden tool to flight. Any suggestions?

KidEpoxy

[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_92/tt.htm]Engine Conversions [/link] Forum
Read up some of the converting they've done.
Sure you can put a gasser weedie on a plane, but they also have gotten into getting that weedie to run on a glowplug and 2gas:1Nitro - no big flywheel,magneto/coil, or spark radio interferance. Amazing stuff happening in the conversion forum, they'll get your leafblower to have better hangtimes while airborne.

smokingwreckage

Google: airplane weedeater.

chris6414

My Feedback: (10)

Here is what I did for a prop adapter. Drilled and tapped the original shaft for the cable with a 1/4 by 28 tap.(All I had) I then welded a 1/4 inch washer on to the shaft. (bolted it on before welding) I then dremelled some grooves in it to bite the prop a little. Balanced a there you have it. 5$ prop adapter. Still hasn't flown yet though. First attempt met with some interference (long distance taxi test)and hadn't had the chance to mess with it since. Maybe next weekend.

chris6414

My Feedback: (10)

Well, the rain abated for a few minutes yesterday and I checked the range and it was much better 40-45 yards with antenna down before I got some twitching. Still a little unsure on flight. I had to invert the motor though to allow for the throttle linkage. She is a little more difficult to start inverted but she still runs good. I had to lose the Weedy tank to make room for the trottle linkage. I now have a 14 oz conventional tank installed. Maybe this Friday I'll have a chance to do a flight test. I removed some Coro on the wing. (it was shimmed from the last plane it was on) and I need to double check the incindence.

ZoomZoom-RCU

That looks awesome! Cant wait to see the flight report. I was just wondering if you have a resistor plug installed on this guy. If not, it might cure your glitching issue. Good Luck!!

ZZ.

KidEpoxy

1/4 bolt & washer... yar, Genius!
um, what's holding the flywheel on the shaft... dont we need them fancy prop adaptors to hold it all together? I bought a weedie, just trying to get all the info before I grab wrenches.

ChrisSpad

the same nut that holds the prop on holds the flywheel in place - this is a fairly typical setup for a long shaft engine - instead of using the steel spacer and washer, most people use a piece of 1" aluminum round stock or similar, drilled to slide over the shaft.

chris6414

My Feedback: (10)

Actually, the shaft is what holds my flywheel on. It is threaded onto the crank and that end has a "nut" shaped end to use a wrench. The other end(prop side) had a tapered square hole just smaller than 1/4 inch for the cable which was pressed into a square shape and it slid into that shaft. I just drilled it and tapped that square hole to use a 1/4-28 bolt. 40 cents for the (2)bolts and $1 for 2 washers and the welder I already had. The key is actually to have 2 bolts. 1 for the finished product and one(shorter) to hold on the washer so you can weld it in place. The hardest part is centering that washer as 1/4 washers holes are actually slightly larger so it floats a little on the bolt. If I had some shrink wrap I could have been a little more precise centering the washer before I welded it but it didn't hurt anything not to be perfect. I then just balanced as best I could and it works great. No bad vibes ( not that you can tell with these motors). I had an aluminum hub before and I just prefer a steel bolt and steel shaft. The bolt holds well so far. Plus it was so cheap and I designed it myself. What is more rewarding than that! The wing for this bird is unique as well. I think I am the only person using round PVC for a spar. A little heavier, yes, but what a symetrical wing it makes and is won't crack if you have a cart wheel landing or other mishap. It flexes just a little just like a full scale wing and glues to the coro great. The trick to using it though is you must close up the ends on the spar with foam or close the ends of the wings up. With them open at speed the thing sounds like an A-10 on a gun run. Cool yes but it resonates and makes the plane fly weird (cause premature aileron/wing flutter on a wing/airleron that wouldn't normally flutter) I have another SPAD that I had cracked the main yardstick spar(still flies though thanks to 4 MM coro holding it together)