John:

FFT transform on an audio recording, level flight, but immediately after a dive.

Sustained level flight is right at 100.

Bill.

Oh, ok.

Howdy

seeing as you guys have put bigger engines in and fly them at full power, have you had to do any strengthening up in areas e.g. centre section of the wing, tailplane etc??

cheers

Andrew, from the rainy UK!

I had to. Stripped the wing and used 2 oz glass top and bottom on the center section out to the nacells. The wing had stress cracks in the sheet when I uncovered it. Put in dual aileron servos and wider ailerons (1.5" instead of 1"). Got rid of all the plastic on the wing and used balsa block, got 2 extra inches of wingspan doing that. Tri-angle stock around the fire wall. Both firewalls were coming loose. Recovered with solartex and rustoleum paint. Holds up much better. At this time the fuse is still stock, but have plans for that too. Replace the pushrods with steel rod in tubes, and put on an extra style rudder, replace all the plastic, build up a glass nose, then recover with solartex. Others in this area have put retracts on and three engines. I passed on that cause I wanted to get back in the air asap.
Edwin.

I didn't do any reinforcements, i just glued the hell out of it while putting it together. My engine mount bolts do vibrate loose often though.

For a sport plane, when scratching or bashing, I tend to overbuild. That's why my planes are both fast, and almost indestructable.

My planes have structural failures only when I don't put the little round rubber things on the ground first. That seems to be universal, some reason or other they just don't like landing on the nose, or on the top, etc.

Haw.

Bill.

Mine is stock as far as I know.

As Bill, I tend to overbuild.. Glue the hell outta everything..
However, on the Tiger 60, just added two .40's and was done..
Did make wing joiner longer..
Twin Stix, welp, that thing is a tank.. It is 9 years old and still has original covering.. And it is only over powered twice as much as what is called for..
Tiger II on table.. WAY over built.. But then, will be WAYYY over
powered..
Advance 40.. ZIP, nada, nothing to make stronger. That is to be a simple twin bash.. Slated for two .40LA type motors..

Something to remember is if you are that concerned about wing
loading.. Add wing span which will lessen wing loading and make plane more docile, as someone noted previously..
Another area most people seem to overlook are the tail surfaces..

Twinstar flyers,

I have aquired a Twinstar that has the plastic film removed. It is still unassembled. Now, in this state, is it any easier to install retracts? I have a spare set of B&D pneumatics and was wondering how hard this is/will be. Thanks for your input. Oh yeah, I have 2 Tower 40's (ABC) to go on it .

*rcnats*

Some buddies at the hobby shop told me to do that while I had it striped. Thats the time to do it. They used spring-airs. Dont recall which set off hand. I didnt do it cause I got ansi and wanted to get back into the air. Would be interested in how the tower .40s do.
Edwin

Edwin,

If you can, have one of the guys who put retracts in send me an e-mail with details. Thanks.

*rcnats*

I'll see what I can do. I need some bolts anyway. Send me PM with your email address so he can contact you directly.
Edwin

Do yourself a favor since you are modifying the airplane. Add about 2-3 inches in length to each wingtip. With 2 .40 engines, the weight of retracts, your plane will have high wing loading.

Homebrewer,

Thaks fort the info on adding to the wing tips. Anyone else with some more tips? Thanks again!

*rcnats*

Also, since you are in the wing, it is very easy to modify the nacelles to cram 8 oz tanks. I've done this to 2 twinstars and my current twin star has 8 oz tank in each wing. A much much better improvement in flight them than the puny tanks they have in there.

I think 2 inches on each wingtip would help with the extra weight of retracts.

My twin star had four .32's and talk about unlimited vertical. It went so fast that the wings started to vibrate/flutter. I only made three flights with the .32's, then needed to do lots of cover repairs. It seemed that the speed and vibration just did a real number on the wing. It was also heavy, and I needed a good bit of lead in the tail to balance the model.

I then removed the .32's and installed OS Max .10's. It went from a screaming animal to a put-put. The take off now took a while, and though it flew ok, was not quick. I now have two AP .15's installed and awaiting two more to complete the re-engine work. It should fly just fine with the four .15's. Mine has dual aileron sevo's and mix in flaps with my Airtronics radio. Flaps help the rotation on takeoff as well as the landing too. The model got two pounds lighter with the .10's and with the standard tanks, would fly over ten minutes before I had to bring her in for landing.

The sound of four engines (four of anything !) is quite pleasing and a real ball to fly around. I've over 60 flights with the model so far and the only repairs have been to one landing gear vertical hard wood block coming off and causing the right gear to fold. That was a simple fix, and the hot glue that held the hard wood block did not have a good glue joint...it does now. I also installed dual main gear wheels, and a trailing arm nose gear assembly. That nose gear assembly really does help smooth out my landings, but the twin star is about as easy to land a model as I've ever flown.

I wonder if there will ever be a rekit of this model...

Soft landings always,

Bobby of Maui

Bob; Maybe if we got up a petition to them to bring it out again?Suppose being a twin there wasn't enough demand for it hopefully the GP P-38 will be at least half as good as the twinstar was.The numbers probably weren't near as high as for a single engine and they seem to drop them after short time to.Like the skyvista and brightstar,I believe they are also both gone I did see a super price on the bright star a little while ago I think that was the clearance of the last of them too.Bob Moodie

Dear Bob;
As far as I know I'm not sure if there will ever be a replacement for the Twin Star. I did not buy mine from Tower untill the end of the run...infact I bought the last kit they had.

I have placed my name on the list for their P-38 kit, and will buy that one when ever it comes out. I've four .32's right now, and will put two on the P-38...at least that is my plan right now.

I was looking at P=38 kits, and ARF kits that are now on the market, but the $$$ these ARF kits cost is way out of the question. I was looking at the Royal kit, and the Wings kit, but by the time you add retracts and all the support gear, the cost is well over $600.00. To be honest I'm a sport flyer at best and though I've been in the hobby for many years, I enjoy Sunday put-put models as well as WW-II fighters. I have a Lanier P-47N now and I've flown that model for over a year. I've a World Models F-82, and that is the most expensive ARF/model that I've ever bought. I usually kit build, but for the last several years I've been working overseas (no more), and was not home long enough to build a kit.

I love my little Twin Star, is a fun model to fly, I love how it sounds and after the new engines go into the wing, will have even more fun. It's a good solid flyer, lands with the best of them, sounds outragious in the air, and clears the air wihen ever I fly her. I'll have this model a long time, unless I do something dumb or stuff it in...and I do that ever once in a while.

Good luck and soft landings always,

Bobby of Maui

Home brewer

How did you squeeze 8 oz. tanks in the wings? I'm currently modifying mine into a taildragger with TT 36s and would like the extra fuel. How about some details. I have considered going with a diesel conversion to extend the flight time.

Flapjack,
Carefull with those TT .36s. I used a pair on mine and couldnt put a big enough prop on to run them at a reasonable rpm. Didnt even think of 3 blade till the damage was done. But MAN, what a time I had with them. That twinstar would rotate 90 deg and go unlimited verticle as far as I wanted and was a real speed demon. Real crowd pleaser. I tacked them at around 14k rpm. Wore them out in about a season and a half. They still run individually, just not synced very well. Had to strengthen a lot of parts, mainly glassed the wing center section with 2 oz glass top and bottom and triangle stock on the firewall. Dual aileron servos also. Made a huge difference. Got about 9 minutes flying time on those 4 oz tanks. I set my timer for 8 minutes. I knew I had 1 minute to get down before the first engine ran out of fuel. You'll love it. But alas, think I'll try some GMS .32's next. Anybody have a comment?
Edwin

To Bob Paris
As for the next twin, at resonable prices. bash a single into a twin fuse twin. It is easy to do and they fly and look great.
Check for earlier posts on how to do.
Wish there were more arf twins.
Good Luck

Hay Twinman...

I am in the process of building a three engine kit bash out of a Slow Poke .40. I've seen both the . 25 and .40 size fly, and all fly slow and well.

This will be my Sixth twin and first Three engine model. I've built up the fuselage, and have built up the "V" tail...yes it's a "V" tail. I've built and covered the "V" tail, and base ball sewed the ruddervaters on. All I need to do is install the "V" tail and figure out the aft top cover from the center fuselage turtle neck to the "V" tail. That will just about finish the fuselage.

I've built up the wing center section, and I have the outer wing panels and nacelles to build. One K & B .18 in the nose, and two K & B .19's in the wing. I was planning on three .18's, but I could not sell my .19's to buy two more .18's so....the C. Lee K & B .19's will finally fly.

I have bought the Hobby Lobby Fowler Flap Hinges, and will have 1/2 span fowler flaps. I was going to use Full Span Fowler Flaps, and use Spoilers in the wing, but not sure how that set up will work. I will also use a third servo off the ailerons to drive the tail wheel, and I've installed a spring type tail wheel unit ( I just could not see how to drive the tail wheel off of dual ruddervater servo's and Tx mixed...?).

Thanks for the input...and this will be my sixth twin, and first Tri engine model. This is my first multi engine "V" tail too.

Soft landings always,

Bobby of Maui

An people think I am crazy!!!!!!! Sounds like you have it well in hand, you must send pictures!!!!!!!....before take off please!!!
OUCH!!!
Good luck

Twinman !! you KNOW damn well NOT to take pics before take off.. That is a known fact.. Take pic, crash plane.. Bad advice..
Now apoloigze to the nice man, Twinny ..

Robby

Robbie, OK, so you know that curse too. OH well, I tried. Just wanted to see it. Maybe a picture while not complete, does not count. Your fans await!!!!!!
Can't blame me for trying!!!!!!