Mark, beware on your Double Whammy covering. When I built my first one I
did a beautiful job of covering it dry and didn't make the mistake of
trying to shrink it - BUT - when I took it out of the box a week, or so,
later the wing was warped like a propeller. I asked around and was told
that I shouldn't cover it tight like I did (What did I know, I had build
tissue covered free flight models before [doped] and would be ashamed to
have a sagging covering job). They told me the thing to do is to take
the tissue and wad it up in a tight little ball, then rub it out flat and
iron it as smooth as you can - then use it to cover your plane, it will
have an almost crinkled look to it. I followed this technique and the
Double Whammys that I built are still straight and warp free after a few
years - and they still fly well, too.
LeRoy Cordes
AMA 16974
Chicago, IL
In God We Trust
On Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:17:37 -0000 "Mark" <mcrabby311_at_yahoo.com> writes:
> --- In Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com, "Marty Sasaki"
> <marty_at_...> wrote:
> >
> > --- In Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com, "Mark" <mcrabby311@>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > I was directed to this group by John Kagen after writing him a
> couple
> > > of emails.
> >
> > Welcome to our world!
> >
> > > Not alot of luck, broke as much as built. I started with some
> > > Peck kits, those went well. But I have a million questions also.
>
> >
> > Don't be discouraged. Try building heavier until you get the hang
> of
> > things, then go light and thin. Ministicks are fun, but I would
> go
> > with a larger model, perhaps a Limited Penny Plane, they are
> easier
> to
> > build in the beginning.
> >
> > > 1. Is the purpose to thinning Ambroid glue to lighten it? Does
> it
> > > effect the strength that much?
> >
> > The idea is to use just enough glue to hold everything together.
> Extra
> > glue only adds weight without contributing anything. Don't use
> too
> > much glue. Some successful modelers don't think their glue very
> much.
> > I dilute about 50/50 ambroid with acetone.
> >
> > > 2. I see rubber strippers online. Are you stripping existing
> motors, or
> > > do you get wide lengths of rubber? I need some small motors for
>
> > > ministicks, but havent seen anything as small as needed pre-
> stripped.
> > > (1/32nd)
> >
> > Most folks purchase rubber in strips up to 1/4 inch and you strip
> it
> > to the desired size. You used to be able to buy stripped rubber
> from
> > Lew Gitlow, don't know if you can still buy it from him.
> >
> > If you are serious about indoor, it makes sense to buy a
> stripper.
> > There are several on the market, I like the one by Ray Harlan.
> >
> > > 3. What diameter circle should I expect for a Ministick, and a
> > > PennyPlane?
> >
> > Usually you adjust the circle so that it fits within your flying
> e.
> > You want it to fly in a circle that keeps it well away from the
> walls,
> > allowing for a little drift. Smaller circles can usually get
> closer
> to
> > the ceiling as well. However, two small circles can be tricky to
> trim
> > for and the flight won't be as long as with a larger circle.
> >
> > > 4. I'm going to purchase some balsa as soon as I figure
> out "grading,
> >
> > If you go to a regular hobby store, expect to look through a lot
> of
> > wood to find something appropriate. You might want to buy
> some "indoor
> > wood". I got some really nice wood from Lew Gitlow when I was
> starting
> > out and built my first to weight limited penny planes with it. It
>
> was
> > much easier to build and fly the model with good wood. Once you
> have a
> > feel for this, you can sort wood from your local hobby shop.
> >
> > > weight and such. Do you store it flat, or on end?
> >
> > I store it flat.
> >
> > > 5. Im going to have to buy some tools I think. any suggestions
> for:
> > > a. Rubber stripper
> >
> > It's worth it to get a good one.
> >
> > > b. balsa stripper(have a Master Airscrew, seems only "o.k.")
> >
> > Ray Harlan's micrometer stripper is a great tool. I use it to cut
> > tapered spars. The Jim Jones style stripper (Tim Goldstein makes
> a
> > version, others do too) is great for stripping straight spars.
> Some
> > folks use it for tapers as well. You can also use some bits of
> razor
> > blades to make your own.
> >
> > > c. gram scale
> >
> > You want something that weighs 0.01 grams. Some folks like 0.001
> gram
> > resolution. You might check out police auctions for scales, drug
> > dealers often have really high end scales. These get auctioned
> off
> > after the trial. You can also make your own mechanical balance.
> Ray
> > Harlan has a nifty, inexpensive, spring scale, as well as a very
> nice
> > balance beam.
> >
> > Get a copy of Lew Gitlow's book. Check on eBay, occasionally a
> copy
> of
> > "Building and Flying Indoor Model Airplanes" will show up. If you
>
> can
> > get it inexpensively, then do, it's a great resource. also look
> at
> > http://www.indoornews.com/ it has plans and information on the
> forum.
> > It also has an archive of all of the messages on the old indoor
> yahoo
> > group.
> >
> > Another good resource is http://www.IndoorNewsAndViews.com/ the
> > website that goes along with the "Indoor News and Views"
> newsletter.
> > INAV is full of articles and plans.
> >
> > Feel free to ask here, or to ask folks off-line. As you have
> found,
> > folks like John Kagan are happy to help when they have the time.
> >
> > Marty Sasaki
> >
> Thanks for the warm welcome and questions answered Marty and Kurt.
> I am building heavy. My first Ministick barely hold altitude, but it
>
> help me explore trim some. I was excited to see it do half circles
> in
> my basement. I have 2 Poonkers framed up with 1/32nd spars and ribs.
>
> also anothe Biscayne Baby(was my first one) I have to cover with
> kitchen wrap right now, seems light enough though.
> The rubber stripper on A2Z site is too pricey for me right now. I
> did
> manage to strip a thin, about 1/32nd from a 1/8th" piece of rubber
> with a razor blade for my Biscayne Baby. That was tedious, but worth
>
> while. I'll probably try that again.
> I also have 2 Double Whammys framed up with curved ribs. My first
> one
> I ruined when I tried to tighten the tissue with a spritz of water.
> (lesson learned!)
> I am interested in F1D but I see I need to take some baby steps
> first.
> Im a career firefighter/paramedic, and I dont have a computer at
> home, so I have to surf here at the firehouse, so I can only bother
>
> you guys once every 3 days
> Is anyone near Indianapolis, Indiana? I'd sure like to see some of
> this first hand. I have statred building some jigs and such for
> building props and dihedral. I am having to retool some. Seems
> nothing I have for RC is good for this stuff. Balsa at the LHS is
> awful, so I am going to have to buy some online. A2Z seems to have
> good stuff? What grain and weigh would be good in 1/32nd" for
> MInisticks?
> Thanks again,
> Mark
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
LeRoy Cordes
AMA 16974
Chicago, IL
In God We Trust
Received on Wed Feb 06 2008 - 10:40:54 CET