Cedar Hobbies Tri-Stick Modification

Christmas is over and the urge for something new is strong.
Now have around 100 flights on the Cedar Hobbies Twin stick and scared myself numerous good times, while the others think that last maneuver was neat. (Mental note, do NOT do that again)
Take on slightly used Twin Stick and go hold up a Magnum .28 that you “Just happened to need from the last swap meet three months ago, to the nose and start the creative juices going. A tri motor…Yeah, that the ticket!!!

First step, kind of hold up the proposed engine to the nose and figure out how much to the existing balsa nose needs to go and not lose a finger in the process.
Cut off around one inch of the balsa nose.
Remove the top of the existing nose to gain access to the inside of the nose and forward fuselage.
Add eight stingers inside the existing nose from the forward bulkhead and epoxy to the new firewall, which needs to be as small as possible. Note the engine will have to be angled to miss the 12” propellers and this also means remote glow driver to keep all the current count of fingers correct.
Important, as the center engine will stick out beyond the arc of the existing props, it will be started LAST!!! DO NOT attempt to start EITHER original engine with the center engine running. Your hands and fingers are TOO close to the spinning props of the original engines.
The main fuselage has an extra servo bay, so that the forward engine control is easy. Yes, it will take another servo, for a total of seven.
Run the enclosed push pull cable through the fuselage forward to the new center engine. Install around a 4-ounce fuel tank (Yes, the third one!), in the nose area (Not the nose cone) of the main fuselage. There is plenty of room for it and the receiver.
Close up the top cover of the nose with the fuel lines and control push pull cable hanging out. This means epoxy!
Cover the nose cone area and new firewall. Pilot installation is optional, but he needed a home!
Mount the new engine. Install a remote glow plug for safety. The adjacent propellers are TOO CLOSE to install and remove the glow driver for the center engine, so do it and secure the wires in place to keep them out of the outside propellers.
Rebalance the plane. NOW LISTEN! The original balance point is the main spar or 3.5” from the leading edge. DO NOT BALANCE there!! IT WILL FLY VERY TAIL HEAVY!!!! Balance 3” from the leading edge. Yes, it will seem very nose heavy, but it will fly really well. I cannot explain the difference, but perhaps it has to do with airflow under the fuselage.

Flying Impressions.
AFTER rebalancing as above to 3” from the leading edge-NOT 3.5”!!!!, it flies, well, like a slightly heavier stick, meaning no really bad traits and easy landing.
Things that I did notice. Knife-edge is much easier, with much great rudder authority. I even did a knife-edge loop. Yes, I do have the outer engines mixed to the rudder and the center engine controlled only by the throttle control stick. Note, do not over do the rudder to engine mix. My suggestion is to not go below ½ throttle for the engine being lowered at full rudder deflection. Too much WILL result in a really good flat spin- the good news. It also results in the slower engine flame out almost every time. My thoughts are that the slower engine is now moving in reverse, which throws the fuel forward. If you lose the engine in such a spin, GO TO IDLE NOW! It will fall out of the spin after round two more spins. If the engine does not die, to get out of the spin, simply reverse the rudder and this reverses the engine thrust and you fly out level…NOW!
I also have the ailerons mixed to the elevator via a switched control for tighter loops and turns.
Seven servos and five mixes on the Futaba 8 channel. Yes, two of the engines are independently controllable from rotary dials for final synchronizing. This is fun right?
Go for it!!! Wonder why the field goes quiet when I fly this??? You can almost hear the betting on the side about where I will crash!!…….MY BUDDIES!!!

Before and after

Proof of flight. Note inverted flight and the dangerous and evil two engine approach...no big deal and actually might be easier with increased air flow from the center engine.

Bigstick 410 ( 4 os 10's)
Testflights today went well. Computer guru will post Video hopefully soon
on our club website. hopefully pic loads

DOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Killed again,
Twinman
PS GOOD JOB....Where do you get such strange ideas?? Twinsanity!!

Have had 5 twins over the yrs. Recently all my planes have G-62's(Cap/P-51).
My friend "fobus" started the The Superflyingking twin project. So I
wanted a test bed for 4 engines. Luckily had 4 os 10's 2 from a prototype
profile that never made it to market. The others from club plyon racing.
Polled my Rc buddies with several plane options and Bigstick 410 was born.

Eventually I want a 4 engine g-26(or bigger) b-17 or b-29. This will be a good
test bed for engine outs/ mixes etc. Will start the research for kits...