Fairchild RC II: 4 CH. RC

[davidchoate]

Due to the sucess and proof of concept with My 3 CH. Fairchild 1. I decided to attempt at a 4CH adding ailerons. Just Got the Kit . I ordewred it Fresh From Guillows. No EBAY. It was like $36.00 I think? But I needed some other stuff from them so I got a nice fresh one. Since I have not even opened it yet, I want to say that I plan on using Ultralite coat as I am in total awe of the horrible tissue in the new kits, and I just made a 40" Dumas Bird Dog ,and covered it with Microlite,and its AUW with battery id 6.25oz. ! The stuff is so thin It's very hard to remove the film off the sticky side. I tried the two pieces of tape, etc, but it's still a pain in the but. But it is light, non warping, and adds strength. I bet it is lighter than tissue after doped.

[davidchoate]

I am going to use a one piece wing. The design necessary to maintain the scale shape will need more planning than usual. I am going to use Fairchild 1 to help . I am doing this because I had a difficult time gaining access to the inside for adjustments, and etc. A bottom hatch would be easier, but not as good. I have went middle price with the gear. Not El Cheapo, But not Top of the line. Horizon now has a less expensive line called Knexis. I did get a Castle Thunderbird 6 ESC and the wires were not soldered good if at all to the board, and it fell apart as soon as I plugged it in. I have found that great care and a minimal amount of plugging and unplugging as possible should be done. On any sized Rx or servos. The 2.5g mini digital servos I got from HURC for like $5 each. % years ago they were $20. I also have a 6ch. SPEKTRUM 3 axis 2g Rx, but dont think I'll use it. I have yet to build something with the need to program servos. Like the "V" tail planes,or even a B-25 like Bill is doing. a digital servo has advantages, but not needed here. I also was upset at that Castle ESC, and have to return it so I got a $3 6amp linear ESC from hurc. The Receiver lead is way long and heavy, but I think cause they are for multi rotor I think. It seemed to work fine on the little brushless motor on Fairchild 1, but I want My Castle ESC. It was like $25 or $30 bucks. The white tissue is good for nothing but to protect trhe plastic window material. The Gray tissue is better. someone at Guillows better get that crispy white tissue off the prod. Line. I'm using litecote film anyhows.

[davidchoate]

I'm going to try a method of gluing wheelpants I read in a recent magazine.

[davidchoate]

I'm going to try a method of gluing wheelpants I read in a recent magazine.

[davidchoate]

I nomally would not buy all the motor and power stuff till I knew ESC, but Data learned from Fairchild 1 helped Me. I am going to have to use the top Former of the "BOX" for Wing Center.

[Bill Gaylord]

So far so good on those little 2.5gm digital servos. They generally don't seem to publish current draw specs. I thought about using this 1A switching BEC, as digital servos can draw more current: http://www.ebay.com/itm/261243604047?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT
I cycled all three servos for some time on a 6A ESC with 0.8A BEC with a diode voltage drop added, and didn't notice any temperature rise on the BEC which is a good sign, outside of actually measuring current draw. I'll probably just use both ESCs with a diode isolation on each one for a twin project.

As for the long leads, I try to push myself to shorten and solder as many as possible, eliminating connectors whenever possible also. Soldering can be a bit of a pain, but the darn connectors weigh, as well as the wire. The Emax 6A ESCs I have came with receiver leads that are something like 7" long. The good thing about these small Guillow's high wingers is that we don't need much battery harness length. On the B25, I have the battery leads lengthened to about 6.25", which is about as long as I care to go, without adding caps. That includes the battery wires that came with the ESC being just barely long enough to exit the wing, giving me just enough to solder them onto the fuselage side of the harness. I think I will solder the motor wires directly also, eliminating 6 heavy connector pins. Most of these ESCs will allow reversal programming, but I already ran them and tagged the wires for rotation direction.

[davidchoate]

I am building traditional sides, but omitting the cabin roof. I cut several rib tips which will be used in making a locating former later. Bill I went to that Link,and I am not sure what I was looking at. A lot of circuit board stuff. Do You know about electronics on an advanced level? I wish I had the time to learn more about it.

[davidchoate]

I just submitted a copy of My receipt from Horizon to get another Castle ESC. I paid $26.00 for it because it already had the micro connector to plug into My Spektrum micro Rx. Which cost Me $65.00. Never internet shop after a six pack. Just kidding. I don't even drink. But I am guilty of impulse on-line shopping on occasion. However, Castle has a company that makes the smallest BL outrunners, and You tell them what YOU want it's specs to be. They are pricy, but for a special application it'might be of use. Anyways, I am getting tired. Been trying to finish this Dumas Bird Dog so I can get started on that C-47, or DC-3 twin. I have not decided which one I'd want it to be Yet. I an doing this Fairchild for something to do while I wait for a part (since they closed the LHS), or letting a glue dry, or whatever on My other project. Sometimes I just want a diversion from a long complicated build. I have had this Sullivan Gold Cable a while, and think I'll try it on the ailerons, Or The MPi retracts I got. I have been researching how to hook up a UBEC I think it is called. For when You have a lot of servos. I am starting to feel confident enough to start experimenting with retracts and flaps,etc, and am going to have to learn it. I know that BUS systems are the best way to go, but they are still a bit expensive, But It's the servos. The Rx's Are not too much. And there is no standardization as far as software etc. If I'm not careful I could invest in the "BETA" of serial Bus systems, but Aside from the side frames, I have not got much else done on the Fairchild II. This Dumas Bird Dog is a nice Plane. It's the perfect scale, and so light that the Build threads I researched clim You can walk next to it as it Flies without stalling. I am going to have to modify the Main support to create a flat top for the wing Center section, but I have been thinking on it, but do You guys think That I need any decolage? I was just going to set the wing and Stab at Zero degrees, unless anyone has a reason not too. When I first started doing Guillows Rc conversions I wished I learned how to modify to a one piece wing. So I want to share how i learned to do it for any one who is curious how,and the fairchild given it's unique shape is a slightly harder one which is good.

[davidchoate]

The fuse vside frames are dried and You can begin to see how I plan My one piece removable wing.

[Bill Gaylord]

They have a local museum that is restoring one of these, with the inline Ranger engine. I don't really care for the radial engined versions. It's been on my list of places to visit for some time, and is only about 45 miles away.
http://airheritage.org/our-aircraft/fai ... forwarder/

[davidchoate]

nice. looks almost similar to the way We make models. Had no idea it was a Warplane. Wonder if the Museum they're hiring. You live in PA Bill?

[davidchoate]

In a few hours it will all come together. Now I have to research Military color schemes. I new Fairchild made trainers, but thought the 24 was a orivate plane. Now I find out they were U-Boat hunters off the coast of close to My Home. I remember My Grandma tellking stories of liviung in Cape May NJ, and hearing explosions at night , and finding "stuff" washed ashore.

[davidchoate]

More Of the Wing Center Section

[davidchoate]

I'm starting on the wing panels now. I lowered the dihedral to almost nothing. If it was a warbird, or low wing I'd keep it, but the full scale has none, and I'll have nice big ailerons that hopefully work. I am going to leave as many stringers off as I can on the fuselage until I install the controls. Bill, when You use .020" wire. Do You run it through a plastic guide. seems like it would flex a lot if I do not. I'm going to try that this time instead of the .032" DuBro push rods.

[Bill Gaylord]

I haven't used sheathing for probably 8 years, as it's dead weight. I've used small sections in wings as aileron cable guides, but there's no need to guide the entire length. In larger models the weight isn't an issue, but it really counts with these small models. A pushrod support every 3" should be fine. For this model I'd probably only use one at most, midway between the servos and the tail surfaces. You may be able to get them to buckle if you load them by hand, but the forces in flight are much less on these small models. I either add a small ear along a former to guide the pushrod, or for rudder/elevator pushrods it's also convenient to add a light balsa plate, say 1/16"x1/8" across the fuselage, with holes in it for the 2 pushrods. I quit using light ply for the task also, as it's unnecessary weight, except for very small 1/32" ply ears glued along fuse formers, but not all the way across. A thin sheet plastic ear with a hole in it for to guide the pushrod, glued along a former, is more than ample. Clear sheet plastic has also been my choice for control horns, in more recent times. It's light, free, glues well with a light scuffing, can easily have any hole size bored out in it, and had no grain that can split. I'll probably never use light ply again for control horns. I think builders just tend to gravitate toward wanting to use wood, which is why so many use light ply. The sheet plastic can also be doubled, where you need more strength, such as cable ailerons where the cable exits at a bit of an angle, and will try to "flex" the control horn.

For this model, I don't think I used any pushrod support, with .020" wire. If you can get the tail pushrods to run straight with no flexing where they exit the fuse and connect to the control horns, then they're obviously less prone to having a "default" direction that they're always trying to buckle into. I could probably get them to buckle if I moved the rudder or elevator by hand, but there's no issue in flight.