Cessna 170 LC

[WIDDOG]

Hello Anirudh,

Cessna 170 LC looks great. I also like the Zero and Mustang. Great to have you on Team Guillow's

[Scott]

Welcome Anirudh,nice work on your Cessna.

[Sai1704]

Thanks, Scott and Widdog.
I sat for a really long stretch today, and finished covering the wings.

http://m1316.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... l?newest=1
http://m1316.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... l?newest=1

I am extremely happy with the covering . I don't know if I should still go ahead and shrink it, because there are no visible wrinkles, but it isn't taut either.
I also finished some of the solid part of the fuselage, ie. The motor, propellor, windshield, etc. I attached the windshield using CA, and sure, it fogged up. But with the help of and earbud and water, I could clean it up quite a bit.

http://m1316.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... l?newest=1

[Sai1704]

After another day, I have completed covering the fuselage and the next step is just putting 'em together. Hurrah!

http://m1316.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... l?newest=1

http://m1316.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... l?newest=1
This picture covers the windshield area. You may still notice some white , foggy patches on the clear plastic, which was due to the CA.

http://m1316.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... l?newest=1

I'll be putting the parts together with extra thick CA. Yeah, I know I use CA a lot and it has many disadvantages, but I've grown used to it. I'll say it's like a necessary evil.

[Sai1704]

Okay, I'm practically done! She turned out to weigh 47 gms ( is that bad? ). The tissue on the wings warped, after I sprayed it off with Krylon™ Crystal clear, but I can fix that. The CoG is *almost* perfect, but this had to turn out tail heavy too. Next step: decals. I am not going to paint it, as I am hoping to get this to fly.

http://m1316.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... l?newest=1

http://m1316.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... l?newest=1

http://m1316.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... l?newest=1

[Wildpig]

Very nice.

47 grams should be o.k. But, I think you will have to use a bigger rubber motor than what is in the kit.

Be sure to make a few test glides before you wind up that motor. If it doesn't glide properly, then it probably won't fly under power very well.

[Sai1704]

Thanks wildpig. I am not really looking at 'quality flight'. If it flies for even 5-10 seconds, I am happy. And make that weight 48.63 gm

PS the decal work is going horrible.

[Sai1704]

I took my C170 and P-51 to fly today. None of the glides went well, and now both are in a very damaged state. Mustang may have hope of flying again, but not the Cessna. The cessna's landing gear (both) pooped clean off after the second glide, and later after a hard nose dive, the center fuselage and one wing joint are badly damaged from the shock. I think I can repair the mustang's nose and this time reinforce it by filling with balsa. I don't know if I want to try free flight again in the near future, or until I find and nice and safe place to fly them.

[Wildpig]

Sorry to hear your test glides did not go well.
Maybe you can find a field with tall grass for your next test glides.

Most of these models need some kind of reinforcement for the wings to survive bad landings.

The landing gear is another matter. You can reinforce the attach points, which means more weight, or use break away landing gear. They can be held on with tiny magnets or some people use rubber bands.

Don't give up, it's all part of the learning process. We've all been there. That's us free flighters, I mean.

[stx44]

I too have to say dont give up- this sort of thing is an "occupational hazard", and happens to all of us at some point.

30 years ago I designed and built an ME262 for catapult launch. Flew ok on the hand launch, but on its first go off the catapult (15 feet of braided rubber and a tent peg) it flipped inverted and dove into the ground. I stil remember the crunch! The only thing recognisable as from an airplane was the right wing.

More recently, my first build returning to the hobby (the 900 bird dog) made about 3 very dodgy flights before it ripped itself in half. My second was a bit better (the skyraider)- it flew, but never particularly well (it consistantly rolled left). It wasnt til my third build (another bird dog) that I got something that flew OK.

For me, the first test glides are done over a soft surface and from a crouch to reduce any impact. Only when any glaring problems are solved do I stand up. Then its a matter of gradualy winding in some power to test- I start with 20 turns and build up by 20-30. I start at 20 as my belief (right or wrong) is that the motors also need to be "broken in", and like to be gradually built to higher turns.

[davidchoate]

thats nice work. they sell stuff caller Canopy Glue that dries clear, but ,honestly, I think it's just expensive Elmers glue. I saw a cool idea on MAN e letter about making framing around canopies with JB Weld. i'm gonna try it out on my Edge. I'll post how it goes. Oh, and i think they mean the regular kind , and not the15 min. kind. i'm ready to install the Rx & servosnow. I had to drop off my Tx (DX6i) at the LHS yesterday cause the motor (E-Flite park 250 would'nt program to the WSC properly (10A E-Flite ESC), but he fixed it. it would run the motor & stop after 2-3 seconds, and had no throttle response. I am using a 2cell 7.4v 750mah batteries, but the Tx was reading a 3 cell. I could tell by the 3 beeps. he charged me 10 bucks, but I learned alot. I really was surprised he charged me because I bought the Tx, and about a million dollars of other things there as well. every time U make a purchase of 50 bucks or more; U get a $5 coupon good on any purchase over $50.00. I have about a dozen coupons.But i know they make nothing off sales cause I see the same prices on the Web as in the Hobby STore. They repair RC cars, and Helies alot. I guess thats their money maker.Honestly, if not for a man who passed away recently,and left them his planes to hang up, they would'nt even have 1 display. I think I'm the only airplane dude they got. It's all helis & 4x4's now.I'm gonna take a pic next time because some of the planes in there are beyond belief. sorry for the digression, but I'm bored.





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[davidchoate]

your weight is good. I just made a Javelin that was41g done. then I added 4g to balance it. I'm probably the newest guy to FF, but i have learned already to NOT fly on a day with even a mild breeze (unless U really got some experience). My Jav flies so good I did'nt even have to trim it. (actually i did mess with the balance, and thrust angles, but it made it worse), but one evening I had time for 1 more flight before night. I had the prop wound in the car, and told my Boss ,who drives me home, to pull over at the soccer field,and I got out let it fly into the 3-4mph breeze,and i was lucky because the plane began to "porpoise" as Mitch would say,took a sharp turn to the right, leveleled off, and glided about another 40meters or so before landing perfectly on its gear.( I'm still amazed at how very well this thing lands).M longest flight yet,so I figured I'd try again. I was believing the headwinds were creating lift or whatever, but this time as soon as I launched her into the breeze she almost immediately went into a vertical stall, and fell to Earth landing on its prop. had this been my little RC plane, I would'nt even have been worried about the breeze. FF is a different game,and i like it. It's silly, but I can take off from the ground (RC) easier than I can hand launch a plane, but I crash on EVERY landing. Nope, never a sucessful single one, but this damn Javelin lands perfectly under no power! Every time!I need a trainer pilot to help me. Anyone from PHILA. PA into this stuff?

[davidchoate]

oh your weight is fine. I just did a Javelin weighed 41g. then I added 4g ballast. it flew wonderful, but the weather must be WINDLESS !!!. I did one flight in a 4-5mph wind and although it was probably the longest of my flights, it also almost went very bad. I noticed it "porpoising" (a term I heard Mitch Use), take a sharp turn, and luckily it never got the wind to the side. I then tried a launch into this 4-5mph wind, and as soon as i released her, she went nose-up into a stall, and landed on the prop. I went home after that.

[davidchoate]

im sorry, wrong photo!Im so nsoprrry

[Wildpig]

............... sorry for the digression, but I'm bored.

You aren't building enough models.