WingThing Build Thread [Archive]

atjurhs

Dec 04, 2005, 03:04 PM

Well somebody had to start a build thread on this forum, so here we go....

Dave and I have been talking about building the WildThing by AZChuck for a week or two, and after a recent trip to Rick's, I came home with all the materials I needed to start the scratch build.

Actually I guess I should take a step or two back, and begin with Dave sending me the URL for the WildThing. Accordingly, the plans for the WildThing Mini-Wing are free and on the web at:

http://www.azchuckrc.net/wingthig.html

The plane is said to be a "gentle flying wing" We'll see....

So I got the plans from the website in DXF format, read them into a CAD program and had them them printed out full size (about 36" in width, and 18" tall) and had the ribs printed out on 8.5X11" sticky-back label paper at Kinkos. If anyone wants a copy of the plans just let me know.

Now with the materials in hand and the plans all printed out, I'm ready to begin construction. Below is the 1st pic in this build thread (not too exciting but hey it's a begining and don't you love the flowers in the back :p ), and more will follow....

The main mods I plan to make to the plane is to use a CF tube as the LE, to add a CF "turbulator" about 1" back from the LE, and to replace the designated powerplant system with a GWS IPS motor system and a GWS SloFly prop (I have no idea what a DC1717 motor is or where to get one and I have no desire to make my own props). This way I can easily attain parts. I still haven't fully convinced myself that wing tips or some sort of vertical stabilzers are not required (the plans don't call for them), but Dave assures me that the plane flys great without them.

I hope others will plan to join me in the build process (I know Dave is planning to, or else he has suckered me into this venture alone :eek: ) or at least plan to watch the build thread from the comfort of your lazy-boy-chair and internet connection.

Maybe this will spur-on other build threads, can you say OLY2...

GLIDERGIDER

Dec 04, 2005, 04:19 PM

Todd,
Your writeup got me to wondering how many RCGroups flyers have built this airplane. I did a search and found some interesteing hits.

Go here for the hit. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/search.php?searchid=4645507

Here a snipit from one of these threads. There's some good stuff. Different motor and battery combos and a little dicussion about adding vertical stabs.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=924836&postcount=24

Your tread is looking good, I will be following it closely.
Dave

atjurhs

Dec 05, 2005, 03:38 PM

Ok,

Well before I proceed too much further, I guess I should include a correction. The name of the plane is WingThing not WildThing, just in case you wanted to search the web for it.

One of the main mods I've made to the plan is to replace the LE with a CF tube vice 1/4" square balsa. Accordingly, that change needed to be added to the rib templates. And when it came time to cut out the ribs, I first drilled a 7/32" hole at the corresponding point designated for each rib. BTW, the CF tube I chose has a 5mm outer diameter and 4.65mm inner. And the 7/32" drill bit worked perfectly.

The next set of pics show the ribs templates printed out on sticky-label-paper, and the rib sticky-label-templates rough cut and adhered to 1/8" balsa sheeting. Next, I spent 20 minutes in the woodshop cutting these out with a band saw and shaping them with a disc sander. The thing I really like about the sticky-label-paper rib templates is that you can be VERY exact in cutting and shaping the ribs to match the plan/templates. After cutting them out (with whatever tool you choose) and shaping them, all you need to do is peel off the sticky-label-templates, or you can leave on the sticky-labels for added strength (paper does add a good bit of cross-strength at a small weight penalty). I'm still debating which way to go.

The next two pics show a very minor mod I made to both the #1 ribs. The servo wires were supposed to pass through the large hole that the plans have you drill. Well mine wouldn't. So I solved this problem by drilling two 5/32" holes and cutting out the space in between the holes to make a nice slot through which to pass the servo wire.

The final pic of this post shows the overall layout with the completed ribs, servos, and Rx. Note that the servos require 6" worth of wires to reach the Rx. Mine would not reach. Also because I had previously used these servos in another build, I had cut off the mounting tabs. Although that worked on the other plane, this design needs those mounting tabs. I also found that I left off the main four spars from my initial shopping list. Either that or "my dog ate them", so off to Rick's once again....

atjurhs

Dec 05, 2005, 03:46 PM

I am greatly debating the use of either the GWS IPS motor system or the GWS LPS motor system.

The actual gear ratios and props of the two are not so much my concern at this point as there is plenty of adaptability there to achieve just about any output thrust I need (and I could even slide a brushless Feagio motor in place of the actual GWS motor being used). The debate really comes along the lines of motor gearbox choice. The LPS weighs 8grams less than the IPS, and those 8grams are behind the CG. 8grams may not seem like alot for some planes, but the expected total weight of this one falls between 4.5 and 6 ounces. Additionally, the IPS has an easier to mount gearbox and a larger diameter prop shaft.

Any inputs to this choice would be appreciated.

GLIDERGIDER

Dec 05, 2005, 05:15 PM

I am greatly debating the use of either the GWS IPS motor system or the GWS LPS motor system.
Any inputs to this choice would be appreciated.

Todd,
How many amps do these motors draw in your likely configuration? Any idea?

Sorry I can offer any help with your selection.
Dave

atjurhs

Dec 06, 2005, 09:01 AM

Depending upon the motor, they draw between 2 -3 amps.

atjurhs

Dec 06, 2005, 09:34 AM

More from the build...

Well last night I starterd laying out the pieces, of course I left at home all the notes I made during the build process, but here's a few of the mods that I can remember:

After much debate I fianlly decided to go ahead and remove the sticky-label templates from the ribs if for no other reason than to show any "doubting thomas" that this method of cutting rib forms with xerox'd label paper works perfectly.

I trimmed the top of the #1 rib by and additional 1/16" of an inch to run sheeting along the entire top nose portion of the fuse, instead of stopping part way back as the plans indicate. And you can also see in the W2a rib the notch that I cut out for the turbulator in each of the ribs. To get the right postion for the turbulator notch all I did was lay down the turbulator on the board and make tick marks on each of the ribs where it crossed them. And proceeded to dice them with an exacto blade.

Two other notes in cutting the ribs: (1) Leave the full length of the #5 rib and don't cut off the last 1/8" as the rib template could appear to indicate. (2) Since I was extending my TE the full length back to the fuse, I did need to trim off the last 1/8" of the #2a rib template, but if you build the plane to spec, you would not want to cut it off as the rib template appears to indicate.

Next you see a few pieces of the wing being built up, and sizing the placement of the #2b rib based on the width of your servos. I choose Futaba S3108 servos because they were $5 off at Rick's. And my choice of the HiTec 04MG Rx proved to be perfectly sized to fit exactly inside the fuselage. Let's hope it's as "glitch free" as advertised.

Then you'll see a few pics of where the two wing halfs are joined together. Note that on the inside (bottom of) the top two spars I layered a "V" shapped 1/32" piece of ply over the joint for added strength. This additional piece would not be necessary for connecting the bottom two spars as 1/32" sheeting will cover the entire bottom of the fuse. And for the main connecting joiner at the aft of the plane, the plan calls for taking a 1/8" X 1/2" piece of balsa and trimming off two sections 3/8" wide from the ends. I didn't like that approach at all, so instead I married together two pieces of balsa of the correct lengths, one being 1/8" square and the other being 1/8" X 3/8". This seemed to work well.

Two additional hints: (1) Remember that you are building the wing upside down, so place the cutout ribs upside down as well. (2) Be sure to place the correct size blocks underneath the TE so as to build-in the correct amount of washout.

GLIDERGIDER

Dec 07, 2005, 09:56 AM

Looking great Todd. I'm liking what I'm seeing.

atjurhs

Dec 07, 2005, 10:32 AM

Can't really say that a whole lot of progress wasn't made last night (double negative - ick), but what was accomplished doesn't really show up too much.

First I removed the wing, flipped her over and epoxied the turbulator in place. The CA glue just didn't seem to want to afix to the CF. Maybe I should have tried CC or AF :D

Then I spent some time cleaning up the glue joints (that's not a lot of fun and doesn't have much to show for, but necessary nonetheless).

Fianlly Iwas able to get back to some "construction". On step #16 I made another mod, as I replaced the 3/32" ply motor backing with 1/32" ply. My reason for doing this is really based in my motor mount selection, and I don't believe that the added strength and weight of the 3/32" is really necessary, given the method that I will eventually use to mount the motor.

Steps #18 - #21 were skipped because I used a CF tube for the LE. and as it turned out, step #22 would have been the better way to afix the two top spars vice the "V" bracing that I talked about in my previous posting - ahhh, you live and learn. I should have read ahead in the instructions.

Anyways, here's two more pics of the build. The first one shows the wing right side up and the CF turbulators installed as well as the bottom skid panels of the "fuse". The second pic shows the top nose panel of the fuse installed (and some leftover epoxy that I need to sand off). The back of the top fuse panel has been left open for now, but eventualy I will make a removable covering/panel for accessing the electronics stored inside.

Since I mentioned epoxy, there are lots of different kinds for different purposes, but I find that the 6minute kind with some added glass beads works well for most of the build/construction phase of the wing. The glass beads aren't really necessary, and they do take away from the epoxy's strength, but they do lighten it up, make it thicker for gap filling, and make it a lot easier to sand smooth after it dries.

The wing is now ready for mounting the motor and the servos and doing a bit more joint clean up. Also, at this point I'm fairly certain that I am going to make some wingtips in the hope that I will increase the effective wingspan to gain a bit more lift and possibly prevent tip stalls. I've read other posts on the net concering this plane that indicate both ways - tips will help and tips had no effect. I figure they can't hurt.

GLIDERGIDER

Dec 07, 2005, 12:54 PM

Also, at this point I'm fairly certain that I am going to make some wingtips in the hope that I will increase the effective wingspan to gain a bit more lift and possibly prevent tip stalls. I've read other posts on the net concering this plane that indicate both ways - tips will help and tips had no effect. I figure they can't hurt.

Todd
The build is looking great.

I have a comment about adding wingtips. First, I'm not going to add them because the uniqueness of this airplane is the fact that there are no vertical stabs.

Yet, I do believe that adding vertical stabs will help in stability as I experimented with my electric zagi/slinger, about 4 years ago. In that time, I had both a WingThing and a e-zagi. The Wingthing didn't and Zagi did have vertical stabs. Well one day I'm flying the e-zagi, and after a pretty health crash and cart wheel, both wingtips departed the plane. Their structural failure prevented me from reattaching them while at the field. But my thirst for flying was not quenched yet, and I flew that e-zagi without any wingtips since I had some experience without tips from the Wingthing. The e-zagi did fly but it was very squirrely at low speeds and turns were exciting too. I didn't put it through the entire flight envelope, that day as I knew it was not as good an airplane without the vert stabs. I eventually put them back on the plane . Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Dave

GLIDERGIDER

Dec 07, 2005, 12:57 PM

Todd,
Last night I dug though my storage and found the makings of my unfinished SoSlo2. As you know, the SoSlo2 is the slower version of the WingThing. I will post some pictures of it tonight for your amusement.
Dave

atjurhs

Dec 07, 2005, 05:25 PM

Ok, I'll build it first w/o the wing tips and hold my breath. Of course I was going to be doing the breath holding thing anyways :eek:

atjurhs

Dec 08, 2005, 10:00 AM

Spent much of last night on the motor mount :(

I finally decided to go with the LPS 4.8v motor-gearbox and run it at 7.4v - most amount of thrust per weight. The LPS system takes a 5mm dowel, try finding that! A 1/4" dowel is too big, and a 3/16" is too small. After trying to sand down the 1/4", I decided to build up a 3/16" dowel instead. I used blue tape which I coated in CA once I got the right dimensions.

I wanted the motor peg to be replaceable should it (and NOT the motor mount) break. This idea guided much of my motor mount design, that and to KISS. The first thing I decided was to beef-up the main block. Recall in my post above where I choose to replace the 3/32" ply with 1/32", well I ended-up adding back on that 3/32" ply for a total of 1/8" - ahhh, you live and learn. I drilled out the main motor bulkhead with a 3/16" bit (yes it is slightly off-center, drat!) and reamed it out with the dowel for a tight fit. Also notice above the hole is a small divet where the LPS motorshaft will spin inside of. The next trick was to get the size and hole placement correct on the inside centering bulkhead. After three attempts, I think I got it. Part of the problem was the "off-centerness" of the main bulkhead's centering hole. Ok, my building skills aren't perfect on the first go around, but give me three chances and I'll get it right :) Finally I added two 1/8" square blocks at the top of the bulkhead to help keep the motor in place. After it was all put together (a template sure would have made things easier) with CA, I coated it with Epoxy for strength. Here I choose not to use the glass beads because I wanted the strenght and would not be sanding it to shape afterwards.

The next couple of picks shows the outcome of my motor mount configuration/method. Hopefully it's strong enough to endure a crash, and it seems fairly lite.

Well it was only 11pm and everyone else was in bed, so I decided to continue on with the build - bad idea :(

I cut out the servo placement blocks from 1/8" X 1/4" balsa slid them in between ribs #2a and #2b and slid the servos in place and adjusted the placement ofthe balsa blocks. Added a drop or two of CA to hold them there, and wouldn't you know it, the CA also grabbed a hold of the servos. I tried smothering them with CA Release, but they were afixed. One servo is exactly right in its placement and the other is lsightly tilted forward, but probably won't have much effect. I'll chock it up to being too late at night and knowing (what I already knew) to quit after 11pm so that the plane doesn't turn into a pumkin :)

Finally, the servo leads were not long enough. They needed to be 6" (try finding that on a micro servo), so I had to add on some servo wire extenders. Being that I was in the servo-CAing mood, I figured what the heck. I'd CA the wire connectors to a wing spar. That will keep them from jostling about when in flight. We'll see if this ends up being a problem later???

GLIDERGIDER

Dec 08, 2005, 12:36 PM

Spent much of last night on the motor mount :(
<snip>
The next couple of picks shows the outcome of my motor mount configuration/method. Hopefully it's strong enough to endure a crash, and it seems fairly lite.

Todd,
Thats an awsome build thread. You are almost there. I've got to catch up, and luckily, I have a partially completed SoSlo2. I need to add a motor mount, and I like what you've done. The intermediate bulkhead you added is perfect even though I have a slightly different motor.

The SoSlow2 is about the same size, the bottom is not covered, but otherwise it looks just like the Wingthing.

atjurhs

Dec 08, 2005, 04:37 PM

Dave,

I think the same sort of motor mount and gearbox (LPS) might work very well for you. You might even be able to get away with an LPS B2C system. Those are some of the lightest weight motor/gearboxes at about 12grams and they'll run on that 7.4v "gumstick" battery!

http://www.balsapr.com/catalog/motors/LPSView.asp?ProductId=S420729

GLIDERGIDER

Dec 09, 2005, 01:03 AM

Dave,
I think the same sort of motor mount and gearbox (LPS) might work very well for you.

Todd, I used your bulkhead method (Thanks). But I used a square stick rather then the round one becuase of the motor I have laying around requires a square peg. I have an IPS-A (I think). It is a 7 volt motor.

After making the motor mount, I loosely mounted all the electronics on board and spun up the propeller. So, now I have to cover it, make a control horn, and balance it.

Some details about routing the servo wires will require some thought, and I'm not doing to good in that area.

The hardest part will be waiting for that no-wind flying opportunity. Thats why I'm hurrying. Maybe Saturday morning.

atjurhs

Dec 09, 2005, 09:34 AM

Last night the family went to "The Greatest Show on Earth" and it truly was! We all had a great time, worth every penny of it, but the build did not progress.

atjurhs

Dec 12, 2005, 11:31 AM

Time to get started on the elevons:

Once again more mods went into these. The first was the addition of some "inner end tips" really just to make them look a little nicer, but also to provide a solid place to mount the control horns as I planned not to construct the ones the kit calls for but to use some Duburo Micro Control Horns. Here again I drew out what I wanted on sticky-label paper and cut and sanded to spec.

Then the construction of the elevons got started, and again more mods. This time it was due to lack of the called for material. The plans called for 1/8 X 3/16 balsa strips for constructing the hinged edge of the elevon, and I didn't have any, so I used 1/8 X 1/4, and I did the same thing on the elevons "outer end tips". I also replaced the small little gussets that the plans call for with some 1/8 by 1/4 balsa stips giving them more rigidity and strength for just a wee bit more weight.

At the joint where the hinged edge 1/8 X 1/4 balsa strip married up with my "inner end tips" I applied a trick from my rocketry days and coated the joint with CA and then layed down a pice of paper towel - it's a cheap and easy psuedo-fiberglassing technique that will greatly strengthen the joint. The main reason for doing this is that this joint is right where the Micro Control Horn will need to be placed.

I actually stuck to the plans for making the elevon "ribs". I didn't like them, still don't, but they will probably be sufficent in strength and purpose and they were a whole lot easier to cut out and install than the ones I'd preferred to use.

Next, it was time to make a back hatch to cover over the electronics. I used a standard technique catching the cover under one end and holding in place the other with tape.

Finally I spray painted the whole thing black. I know it will add a 1/10 of an ounce of weight, but I want it to look nice under the transparent covering material that I will use.

Oh, I also sanded a 45 degree bevel onto the elevon's hinged edge for obvious enough reasons. The plans called for doing this to both the top and bottom of the edge, but I only did it to the bottom because I will tape the elevons in place vice using the fishingline method the plans use.

GLIDERGIDER

Dec 12, 2005, 10:52 PM

Todd,
Nice work with the painting. I did that once to a 2 meter a while back. I liked the look then and still do. I'd follow suit but unfortunately, I covered my SoSlo2 yesterday. Here is a pic. I have to mount the servos, rig them with a push rod, and balance. Charge the battery, and fly. Speaking of balance, I'd better go figure out where that will be.

Dave

PS, the elevons and the extra end piece is an excellent touch. The hatch is cool too.

atjurhs

Dec 13, 2005, 10:19 AM

Dave you did a nice job with the blue RW.

I chickened out of using RW for the 2nd time and opted for So-Lite :p I did a little checking on the net about how to use So-Lite and found the "tape method". The tape is used to give the So-Lite a little form, so that it doesn't fall/curl back atop itself. After covering one model with So-Lite (this model) I found that I really like the stuff! It was simple to use, tacked nicely to the balsa and CF, and easily shrunk to just the right amount (BTW, I only use an iron, no heat guns :o ).

Of course sharp Exacto blades and good beer are a necessary part of every good covering job:

The basic idea was to lay out the So-Lite over the plan and add an inch or so around the border. Then lay masking tape (blue or otherwise) atop the So-Lite (on the colored side) and trim off the excess outside the tape. Then peel off the So-Lite backing, lay it atop the plane, and start tacking it down. (I can't say that I've found the "optimal" taking down procedure, and I do it different on every section of every wing I've ever covered - keeps me from getting bored with the process :rolleyes: )

By the time I got done with the main airframe, the clock on the stove read 1134, and from past expereince I know that if i pressed on and did the elevons too that I'd be sorry in the morning. So I called it a night.

My motor still hasn't come in at Rick's yet :confused: Hopefully this week.....

Anyways, you can see the finished product and the kitchen floor :D

GLIDERGIDER

Dec 14, 2005, 11:03 PM

Then peel off the So-Lite backing, lay it atop the plane, and start tacking it down. (I can't say that I've found the "optimal" taking down procedure, and I do it different on every section of every wing I've ever covered - keeps me from getting bored with the process :rolleyes: )
:D

Regarding the tacking down process, has anyone tried using a glue stick to perform the inital tacking down process? I'm thinking of this because with the Reynolds Wrap method, there is no glue other then the glue stick. It works good, and I wonder if one could use glue sticks for other types of covering?

atjurhs

Dec 15, 2005, 09:05 AM

Dave,

I guess what I meant with the tacking down process comment was more from a geometric process standpoint, ie. first I tack down this side (albeit the TE or LE) then I tack down this side, then this corner, then, etc. etc. etc. Perhaps some of the more "experienced" builders can weigh in on what process they use and why. About the only thing I do do is to do the bottom side first, and why I'm not really sure other than to say that some old gizzer in a hobby shop once told some young upstart that that's the way to do it, so I did.

atjurhs

Dec 15, 2005, 09:58 AM

Well last night her motor came in at Rick's, so I got motivated and finished her up :) Accordingly here's a few pics.

Notice I used tape to mount her elevons vice the fishing line method outlined in the plans. Tape has always worked well for me - Gary, I'm running out fast :eek:

Notice I had to cut a slot in her "top-hat" (fuselage compartment cover) for the motor wire to run through and connect up with the ESC. If you look under the hood, you'll see a jumble of wires in there all crossing over and around each other just behind the RX, the main battery wire runs over the Rx, and over the top of the antenna wire is that same jumble of wires. None of that can be good :confused:

Also, of concern is the ESC is buried inside the fuselage - I'm concerned about overheating issues. I'm thinking about finding a way to mount the ESC atop her top-hat, but that would require some re-wiring work. Although the preceeding paragraph sounds like I need to do that anyways. We'll see.....

I used a "tobagan" foam wrap for protecting the battery, and it holds it in place nicely as well. Although taking out the battery for re-charging requires pulling out the Rx :( But if you don't mind re-charging the LiPo in the fuse that is easily accomplished w/o removing the Rx.

She weighed out for flight at just under 6 and 1/4 ounces w/o adding any balancing weights, so now just to add a bit of balance weight and to find some no wind (no rain weather) for a maiden flight.

dleviner

Dec 16, 2005, 11:45 AM

Todd, can you give us a detailed list of the electronics you used? looks awesome. Can't wait to see her fly.

Thanks,
david

atjurhs

Dec 16, 2005, 01:23 PM

Yesterday I showed her to both Dave and Frank. Frank noticed a little "wash-in" on one of the wing tips, so last night I corrected that by securing down the fuse and twisting the wingtip to induce "wash-out" then re-shrinking the So-Lite. Worked great.

I also made a prop-saver from a left over two armed servo connector. Maybe I should post a picture of that :rolleyes: Still debating a bit between using a 7X5 prop and the 8X4.3 prop. Both give good results in MotoCalc.

The electronics I have in her are:

GWS LPS-A-RLC 4.8volt motor
CC Pixie 7P ESC
E-Tec 300mah 7.4volt battery
Futaba S3109 Micro servos (2)
Hitec HFS-04MG Micro Receiver on channel 32 (and stay off it! :) )
JR 8103 Tx on channel 32 (and stay off it! :) )

atjurhs

Dec 20, 2005, 09:58 AM

I finally decided to maiden her with a 7.5X5 prop. She also needed about 1/4 an ounce nose weight to balance.

With a "mostly no-wind condition" and full throttle, Dave gave her a toss and up she went. I backed off on her throttle to the 3/4 position, gave a two or three clicks of forward stick, and then another two or three of right stick and she was flying straight and level :)

So after a couple of laps around the park to begin to get a feel for her, it was time to test her out a bit. Since I wasn't quite ready to try rolls, I pulled a few loops back to back, and I had to ask Dave if she was inverted or not - I could not tell. Then I gave her full throttle and sent her vertical, and she climbed beautifully. Probably not as long as Don can get his Slinger to climb, but a good climb for a long ways nonetheless. After that I handed the Tx over to Dave, so he could fly her a while. It was real fun to bring her around real slow and close and then kick it in the :censored: at full throttle and watch her scoot, sort of like dropping the clutch on a 454 :rolleyes: well maybe a 350 :rolleyes: ok, a 305 :) We had been flying her for about 8-10 minutes or so with no sign from the battery of letting up. But the wind started gusting a bit. So it was time to bring her in. She landed beautifully.

This little wing will be a fun flyer as long as I can keep my upside-rightside-downside straight :D

After just one flight, I can say, build one (they're easy) and you'll enjoy the results!

dleviner

Dec 20, 2005, 11:26 AM

thanks Todd! sounds like a good kit.

dleviner

Dec 20, 2005, 11:28 AM

Oh, by the way. How did the motor and battery feel after the flight? How much current are you drawing with that setup?

GLIDERGIDER

Dec 20, 2005, 12:12 PM

Todd,
I forgot to bring a camera. This airplane is a beauty in the air, as it is so stealthy. It has no vetical fin, but tracks great anyway. Wish we had a picture.
Dave

atjurhs

Dec 20, 2005, 01:55 PM

Dave & Dave

We'll have to remember to bring a camera for her next flight. There should be plenty of opportunities for that.

Dave, I need to put the battery on the charger and re-charge it to see how many maH I sucked off in that flight.

atjurhs

Dec 22, 2005, 10:23 AM

Took her out again this morning with the guys at the NDS.

Dave and I both flew her around for about 10+ minutes until the battery said she was done. Pulled out the battery, warmed up the fingers, dropped in another battery and flew again for about the same time.

The plane would do just about anything you ask of it from 3D and vertical climbs to slow floating, but it won't tell you that it's upside down. I don't have a brake on the ESC, so it does get a bit draggy back there and probably limits the real 3D stuff, but I'm not ready for that anyways.

The Triton charger says that I'm putting about 275- 290 mah back into the 300mah battery after each 10 minute flight.

The battery and ESC were only slightly warm after the 10 minute flights, but then again it was 20 degrees outside. Perhaps in the Summer time I will have to put a hole in the underside of the fuse to get some air traveling in there for the ESC, we'll see...

This is probably my last planned post on this little plane. Of course I'll try to answer any questions that get posted herein, but I really have said just about everything I can think of on this plane, so now it's up to you to go build one...

dee-grose

Dec 22, 2005, 10:43 AM

Cool plane, Todd. Looked like it flew very nice this morning. If you're putting that much back into the pack, are your sure you're not draining it too far? Make sure you have that Pixie programmed for the correct cutoff.

Andy

atjurhs

Dec 22, 2005, 11:08 AM

I'm pretty sure I have it set for 6volts Soft Cut-Off on my 7.4volt battery.

Do you think that I'm pulling too much power out of the LiPos? I typically get about the same percentage of useage from my 1000 mah 7.4 volt LiPos that I fly on my SS. Somewhere between 85% and 95% of available milliamps.

Maybe Don or Rob can chime in here....

dee-grose

Dec 22, 2005, 11:12 AM

I've never drained a lipo that bad...not sure. I just never wanted to live that dangerously.

atjurhs

Dec 22, 2005, 11:51 AM

The only other two cut-offs for the Pixie 7p is either 8 volt or 4.7 volt. Obviously the 8 volt won't work, and I think the 4.7 volt is waaaay tooooo low :eek:

So I'm claiming that buying high quality batteries will enable you to drain them to within 85% to 95% of the advertised/available milliamps, I hope :rolleyes:

To be honest, I don't know :confused:

Thanks to Gary for taking this picture from this morning's flight:

atjurhs

Jan 10, 2006, 11:45 AM

After draining the battery in my SS letting some newbies have a little flight time, I got out the WingThing last night to fly back behind the COLSA building with Frank. But her prop did not want to spin. We had to kick-start it, like a glow motor, to get it to go, and she didn't have much power or thrust. After mlying for about 30sec with the motor coughing and sputtering the whole time, I decided to call it quits. Went home, checked the battery, and it was fine. So that tells me that running a 4.8v motor at 7.4v will give me a very short motor lifetime - about 4 flights. I was hoping for at least 15 to 20 flights before having to replace it. It could also have been the ESC, and I need to test that, but it is a Pixie 7p, and I'm drawing only a couple of amps 3 to 4 at most, so I decided to get the WingThing a Feigao Brushless motor. I'll let you know how that mod performs once she's back in the air.

Miderror

Jan 12, 2006, 07:40 AM

Another option Todd.

http://lensrc.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_27&products_id=85

GLIDERGIDER

Jan 15, 2006, 08:13 PM

Todd,
Thanks for getting me motivated. I really liked the flight of the SoSlo2.

Anyone out there thinking of building a WingThing or SoSlo2, you won't be disappointed. No vertical stab and it has great directional control. The SoSlo2 really does need a zero wind day, as it flys really slow.

Todd, I'm going to upgrade this gal with the carbon fiber leading edge. Got to fix the electronics box too.
Dave

Johnnie Paul

Jan 15, 2006, 10:50 PM

GLIDERGIDER

Jan 16, 2006, 01:51 AM

I have the material purchased, and I will build a little at a time as I learn to fly. What power set-up are you running?
Johnnie
I run GWS 7volt 12mm geared motor. "A" gearbox. Todd turned me on to a 300mA lipo battery. I flew 18mins on it. I grabbed a prop from the drawer. Don't even know what it is. probably draws 1amp.

atjurhs

Jan 16, 2006, 08:52 AM

Johnnie,

I think the SoSlo Wing would be a great plane for you to learn ailerons on! It flys really well and about the same speed as a SS. The WingThing is a bit heavier and likes to fly a bit faster :)

I did a bunch of research into what gear works well in these planes and the equipment I've listed on post #25 of this thread should serve as a good starting point for you.

Any micro or sub-micro servos (Bluebirds 306 would suffice, I got the Futaba servos on sale), a LiPo safe ESC that can handle 4amps (maybe less). But instead of the GWS LPS-A-RLC 4.8volt motor you should use the GWS LPS-A-RXC 7.2volt motor. The RLC 4.8volt motor run at 7.4 volts runs much faster and hotter and did not last as long as I would have liked - 4 flights. So I switched it out to a brushless motor, but those are a bit pricey. But Dave ran a GWS LPS-A-RXC 7.2volt motor very successfully.

As to the prop size, this really needs to be coupled with the gear box size. It looked to me like Dave had a 9 inch prop on his. If you read through my build thread prop length guided a lot of how I built/modified mine. I think an 0843, 0860, or 0947 GWS prop would work well on the SoSlo.

BTW, at www.balsapr.com you can group together package deals and really save some $$$.

Build your fuselage to the width of your Spectrum Rx, and be sure to use 1/32 ply on the bottom for strenght.

One other piece of advice, DON'T use Dave's motor mount design :D Dave will agree with me on this I'm sure. It was too heavy and on a rough landing it messed up his fuselage ribs. Take a close look at how I did mine. It's simple and light. You really need to keep the tail end light.

BTW, mine really liked the Feagio I put in it!

Johnnie Paul

Jan 16, 2006, 10:30 AM

Todd,

I have made me a little shopping list, and will trek on over to Ricks Barn for a little down time, thank you. The only gear I have on hand are the extra servos that came with the DX6, and they fit nicely per the plans. Since it will be somewhat breezy today, I may go ahead and start making some ribs.

Dave,

Nice looking SoSlo, the Blue RW is a good choice...does it come in Purple? I have never shopped for RW in a color before... I may even take Todd up on an offer of the extra covering that he has left over.

I will post here as I build w/ a pic or two, this could be fun!

Johnnie