Astro32 Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 I bought the Guillows Fairchild 24 kit a couple of years ago on a lark, as I'd built one at age 12. Unfortunately I could never get that one to fly right. On launching it would do a violent right-hand wingover and pile drive itself into the ground a few feet ahead of me. Yet it would glide perfectly. Last week I pulled the latest one off the shelf and began building since my Revell Mustang is at the point I need to decide on aftermarket goodies, etc. Honestly, it's been a blast! I'm about 60% complete at this point. I haven't decided yet on going with R/C or electric free flight, but I will make it more scale and do what I can to save weight, which I've already gone a long way to accomplishing. The main weight savings will be NOT using the included wire for the landing gear. Just that alone is a significant percentage of the dry fuselage weight, so I'll make a new, more prototypical gear from carbon fiber. And lightweight wheels. Generally this has been tremendously fun even though it involves just some spare time and a single-edge blade along with Titebond III wood glue so far. I can't wait to see this one fly! Again, it's been really fun. I hope y'all can appreciate this. BiggTim and spacewolf 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacewolf Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 'Wood' love to see pics.... BiggTim, Astro32 and Jack 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 (edited) I will Log on to see it On your first one I wonder if the prop was missaligned. secondary effect of yaw is roll. so if its was pulling off to one side it would roll. Edited April 16, 2018 by TonyT Jack, Astro32 and Jeff 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggTim Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 I love a good stick build! Great change of pace from the plastic rut! Tim Astro32 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn M Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 i have a soft spot for old balsa models Astro32 and BiggTim 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro32 Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 On your first one I wonder if the prop was missaligned. secondary effect of yaw is roll. so if its was pulling off to one side it would roll. What I couldn't figure out, and neither could my dad, is why it did a wingover in the direction of the prop's rotation. Torque and the prop grabbing the air should've spun it the other way, to the left. I tried shimming the prop shaft, giving it down thrust, side thrust, etc., to no avail. Reducing the winds on the rubber band didn't do much good either. Yet it would glide perfectly as I've mentioned so there wasn't a bad misalignment of the flying surfaces, and I had the c.g. set per the instructions. A mystery I never solved. Hopefully the new one doesn't do that! BiggTim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggTim Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 (edited) Could it be as simple as too much friction on the prop shaft? If it didn't spin freely enough, it would roll in the direction of the prop spin....right? A long shot, I know. Edited April 16, 2018 by BiggTim Astro32 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro32 Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 I have a soft spot for old balsa models Me too! My first one was a Piper Cub as I recall. Dad helped me build it; I was about seven years old. My father and his brother built them back in the late twenties and thirties. Dad told me once he ended up chasing one of his creations for fifteen miles out of Luton on his bicycle to retrieve it. They built theirs from mail-order plans or what was included in a magazine I believe. BiggTim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro32 Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 Could it be as simple as too much friction on the prop shaft? The shaft spun freely. I made sure of that. BiggTim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 If my wife caught me with a balsa airplane again, I'd be in deep doo-doo! 20 years ago I promised I would give up the R/C hobby if I could build one last project car. Sold it all to buy and build my '66 GT Fastback. Should have seen my explaining plastic when they started showing up. "You said you were giving up airplanes!" "Honey, I said I was giving up flying model airplanes." BiggTim and Astro32 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggTim Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 The shaft spun freely. I made sure of that. Yep, that's an odd one, for sure. I used to build tons of balsa & paper kits, but I only flew them as gliders, never R/C, as I couldn't afford the electronics. I got sick of breaking them even as gliders, so I just hung them from the ceiling after a while. The only one I have in the stash now is a giant P-38 kit for when I get the itch to build one again. I do have a 1/16 Camel kit in progress, and I did do that 1/16 Fokker DVII scratch build a couple years back to keep the mojo going, though. Astro32 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro32 Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 I used to build tons of balsa & paper kits, but I only flew them as gliders, never R/C, as I couldn't afford the electronics. I couldn't afford the radio gear either. Got the Rat Fink Hairy Eyeball from my dad when I asked for a set and he went to price one out. Nothing ventured, etc........ The recent micro gear is astonishing. Fully proportional linear actuators the size of a cigarette stub, speed controls the size of my index fingernail, etc. and the electric motors! I have some just a little longer than a pencil eraser which might find their way into some peanut scale project or other down the road. BiggTim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 I remember in one of my older brothers boys mags of old, I can no longer remember the name, they had plans for a tiny model plane that involved glueing a load of bluebottles to the wing as lift engines lol, I somehow doubt that would be allowed today. Astro32 and BiggTim 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Lol found the Russian version https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSj6DrV1tP5d8yOzui6ZuNXH5vY5nOYJXFx6BSYEiAxv36I-AsP Astro32, Jack and BiggTim 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggTim Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 "A guy" I know did something similar as a kid involving large horseflies, glue, and fishing line as a leash. Astro32 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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