Received my Dandy Sport and Diddlerod today..

[Jim_W]

Got my order from StevensAero and Mountain Models this afternoon. Jeesh this D'rod is a tiny plane! :eek: Looks like I'll be busy for a few days! :D I'll get some pics up soon...I hope. Gotta run to Ricks Sat morning and pick up some thin CA, and maybe a few other odds and ends to! :rolleyes:

Jim

[Mars Flyer]

Got my order from StevensAero and Mountian Models this afternoon. Jeesh this D'rod is a tiny plane! :eek: Looks like I'll be busy for a few days! :D I'll get some pics up soon...I hope. Gotta run to Ricks Sat morning and pick up some thin CA, and maybe a few other odds and ends to! :rolleyes:

Jim


Jim,

I can't speak for the D'rod but the Dandy Sport will go together nicely. I have the Mountain Models SmoothE and it was a pleasure to build. Everything fits together tightly then you just put on a little thin CA and you're done. She should fly nice too!

Rob

[dleviner]

Yep that's it --- put all the balsa in a bag, add CA and shake! :)

Be careful, you'll love StavensAero and MountainModels kits and never go back to foam.

A couple of days is way to long to spend on these kits. My DiddleRod went together in 1 1/2 hours and was up in the air after another hour of covering and gear installation.

Maybe a little longer for the Dandy Sport. This is very similar in construction to my SwitchBack. 2 1/2 hours construction. 2 hours for covering and gear installation.


dl

[dleviner]

Let me add to the previous post. The DiddleRod was built in that amount of time by my son, who at the time was a 5 year old. He did all the "locking together" of balsa parts. I did the rest... thin CA etc., covering, gear install.

[Jim_W]

Went out to the shed to take a quick look at the D'rod and pop out some parts from the balsa planks. Before I knew it, I had the fuse and wheel pants completed and sanded. :) I had forgotten how much I enjoyed sanding something! :D Nothing like the smell of balsa! It's been too long since I built with wood! It's good to be back. :D

[Jim_W]

I finished up this morning on the SA D'rod. I'll try and get a few pics up sometime today. Anyone else here local that flys a D'rod? I'd like to know what the AUW is on your plane. I'm using the stock motor, etec 250 2S, and a GWS 4 ch rec. I'd like to use a smaller ESC, as this GWS 300 is as big as the motor! I had a GWS 50, but I can't find the dayum thing. I'll probably invest in a Pixie 7 for these itty :eek: bitty plane projects! This plane is a real cutey!

[Jim_Marconnet]

I finished up this morning on the SA D'rod. I'll try and get a few pics up sometime today. Anyone else here local that flys a D'rod? I'd like to know what the AUW is on your plane. I'm using the stock motor, etec 250 2S, and a GWS 4 ch rec. I'd like to use a smaller ESC, as this GWS 300 is as big as the motor! I had a GWS 50, but I can't find the dayum thing. I'll probably invest in a Pixie 7 for these itty :eek: bitty plane projects! This plane is a real cutey!
Jim:

I presume the GWS 300 is just a model number, not a current-rating. If so, that would explain the large size you mention. :)

You seem to be really adept at getting, putting together, and flying a lot of different neat planes. I don't know how you do it. I have several plane projects underway just now and I cannot seem to make real progress on any of them. So I keep flying just the SS I have all together till then.

Too bad you are "way over there". As far as I know, I've not gotten to meet you in HSV or to see you fly.

Hopefully this Spring when weather gets nice you can have us all over to witness that huge grille I saw on your website, not to mention flying! For a grille that size, we'll need to take up a huge collection for the meat, the sauce, and the wood, assuming it uses wood.

Jim

[Jim_W]

I can promise the food will be good, but not too sure about the flying. I'm hoping to get to see you and some of the others fly and compare notes.

Just a "FYI", I have a connection on getting fresh chicken, so I can cover that! :) If you've never had fresh chicken, there is a difference in taste. If you like chicken, you'll love it fresh. :D

I use charcoal on the grill. It will hold 40 chicken halves per cooking. I don't think we will need anywhere near that!

I think the GWS ICS 300 is 8 amps. It's really big to be such a small amperage ESC. I have a Pixie 20 and it is half the physical size of the GWS, but I have it tagged for another project.

I hope we can do the "Chicken-n-Flying" soon. ;)

Jim

[Jim_W]

Got my order from StevensAero and Mountain Models this afternoon. Jeesh this D'rod is a tiny plane! :eek: Looks like I'll be busy for a few days! :D I'll get some pics up soon...I hope. Gotta run to Ricks Sat morning and pick up some thin CA, and maybe a few other odds and ends to! :rolleyes:

Jim

edited

[dee-grose]

Jim, what did your DiddleRod end up weighing? Just wondering how close to the advertised specs you got.

How about David? How much does your DiddleRod weigh?

You guys both did a nice job on the builds...might have to get one some day.

Andy

[Jim_W]

Jim, what did your DiddleRod end up weighing? Just wondering how close to the advertised specs you got.

How about David? How much does your DiddleRod weigh?

You guys both did a nice job on the builds...might have to get one some day.

Andy

Weighed the D'rod a few minutes ago. AUW is 90 grams/3-1/8th ozs. Wife is going to pick up a lighter ESC for me today. I'll post the results tonight.

Jim

[dleviner]

Mine came in a little over 2 1/2 oz. Here is the setup:

LPS-B2C-C (6.2:1) motor
GWS 7x6 SF
Pixie 7P, 4gr, 1.2A BEC
2S ETEC 250mah 8C, 14gr, 30x25x10mm
GWS R4P II, 5.3gr, 25x15x9mm
BlueBird BMS303 servos, 4.1gr, 10oz-in, 19x7x16mm

[Jim_W]

Mine came in a little over 2 1/2 oz. Here is the setup:

LPS-B2C-C (6.2:1) motor
GWS 7x6 SF
Pixie 7P, 4gr, 1.2A BEC
2S ETEC 250mah 8C, 14gr, 30x25x10mm
GWS R4P II, 5.3gr, 25x15x9mm
BlueBird BMS303 servos, 4.1gr, 10oz-in, 19x7x16mm

Mine is exactly the same setup. I must have used too much CA, or maybe it's the covering.

[dleviner]

I noticed you used a "glob" of hot-melt glue to attach the servos. I simply CA'd them on. Also, what covering did you use. I used so-lite (SolarFilm Lite). It weighs the same as Saran wrap but much stronger -- 20 gr. per sq. meter. Compare that to something like Econokote or Monocote which weighs in at approx 75 grams per sq. meter.

[Jim_W]

I used the Solite I got from SA. As for the hot melt, I figured I could peel it off if need be. Might want to use the servos again if I trash the D'rod. I may have used a bit too much though!

Jim

[Jim_W]

Updated pic of plane and pilot! Snoopy's ready but the weather isn't! :(

Madisonites', looks like I'll be in some of you guys 'neck of the woods' this morning. Taking the wife to "The Cracker Barrel" for a birthday breakfast.

[dee-grose]

Jim, the Snoopy flying ace really adds a lot. Looks great!

[Jim_Marconnet]

Jim, the Snoopy flying ace really adds a lot. Looks great!
Jim: I like the snoopy too! It adds a LOT!

Years ago I put a similar Snoopy on an open-wheel R/C electric race car I raced frequently indoors in shopping malls. In that instance, snoopy did not look quite right where the whitish head/neck transitioned to the white car cockpit, so my dear Wife cut out a cute little red scarf which we wrapped around his neck, crossing in the back, and glued in place, allowing it to flap in the breeze. With that simple addition, I had a race car that all the kids at the mall loved to cheer on during the races.

Yours looks just fine as-it-is, but I just wanted to share my particular experience. People love Snoopys!

[Tram]

Wait until you slap a GT wing on the Dandy sport.. Then you'll be talking.. The DS is my "fly in anything" airplane.. :)

[Jim_W]

Wait until you slap a GT wing on the Dandy sport.. Then you'll be talking.. The DS is my "fly in anything" airplane.. :)
I'll probably wind up doing that!

I bought Brad's old Miniflash, just haven't been able to get "weather" and "time off" in the same sentence lately to fly it! It should be a blast as well! Brad says it is! :D

[Tram]

Yeh, that is the only Miniflash I have ever flown and I enjoyed it..

I think I have an extra Dandy Sport wing laying around if you ever need one.. :)

[Jim_W]

Flew the maiden on the D'rod today. Flys nice. Not much glide to it though. Too much drag I suppose. Anyway, I'm happy with it! :D I've got some trim issues, as it needed alot of right rudder trim. I think I have uneven washout. Not enough time to figure it out today. I'll get it though!