Want to buld my first kit plane. Which one? Is this possible without Internet?

[Led Zeppelin]

Dear pilots,

I'm a thermal duration gliders fan from Canada. So far I have been flying ARF models (Fling 2M, Easy Glider, etc.) but I always wanted to build a woodie glider myself.

I am looking to build an elctric powered model (brushless outrunner motor) with a 2-3.5 meter wingspan. I do not have much experience in kit building.

Would you be so kind to recommend me a kit that will suit my needs. Can you also suggest literature/on-line sources that describe the process of building for newbies like me?

Your advice will be greately appreciated!

LedZep :)

[BenH]

You should look at the Chrysalis 2 meter electric from DJ Aerotech:
http://www.djaerotech.com/dj_product/chrysalis2m-e.html

While I have not built one, I have seen the electric version fly and it performed very, very well! It is of laser-cut balsa/spruce/ply construction. DJ Aerotech kits are quite good, with excellent instructions, so I am confident that an inexperienced builder could do a good job if they follow the instructions. The plane has a wide wing chord, so it's easily visible, and appears to be much 'bigger' than a 2 meter plane. They give several power system recommendations on their website.

Also there is a long ongoing thread on the Chrysalis 2m electric on RC Groups, the first part of the thread is here:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=852255
and the second at:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=952140

-Ben

[atjurhs]

OLY2s or OLY3 experience the joy of building a Skybench kit

If you want a serious challenge, electrify a Bubble Dancer.

There's plenty of threads about these planes already here on RCGroups

[Wylie Shaw]

I ditto all of the above choices, you also may take a look at the Helium MG2 listed in the link, complete laser cut kit, excellent instructions and designed for a beginner builder.. , and it flys very well....


http://www.stevensaero.com/Soaring-p-1-c-292.html


best regards,

Wylie Shaw

[Casey Jones]

I'd like to second the Crysalis. If this is your first build, it's definitely the way to go.

[Soar_dude]

If you want a serious challenge, electrify a Bubble Dancer.


For a beginner you want to scare the guy away.

I would suggest a Olympic II from Skybench or a SIG Riser 100. they are straight forward to build with no composite vodoo involved and are easy to electrify.

Soar Dude

[dwells]

http://www.skybench.com :)

[atmosteve]

That would be a very hard choice to make, the gliders suggested by the guys so far are all fine thermallers from what I can gather.
I just built an Olyimpic III from Skybench, it would be another excellent candidate for electric power considering the build isn't overly complicated, and its an affordable complete kit.

[tinkrerpilot]

LedZep

Go with the one Wylie posted. The Helium 2 meter Motor glider from Stevens Aero. Great model and great price.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=881665

[lincoln]

Suggest you build at least 100 inch span, unless there's a budget issue. They fly better, are easier to see, etc. Oly 2 is a wonderful glider, although not very fast. Fairly simple structure, although I haven't built one.

However, if the Chrysalis 2M flies anything like it's smaller sibling, it ought to be pretty good. And the instructions those guys write are very thorough. WIth patience, you could learn a lot about glider building by poking around the DJAerotech web site. Skybench posts instructions for some of their kits. And there are plenty of build threads here, although I don't follow them much.

If you want big, and you can find a kit, the Paragon has an excellent reputation. Also, I've seen a sailplane called the Mini Maxer fly ok. It's a floater. THey make versions up to, I think, 16 feet! But you probably ought to stop at the 10 foot version.

Plus, there's some other easy to fly, simple gliders over at the Skybench web site.

[lincoln]

P.S. If you have any patience, use slow glue. Gives you a bit of time in case you stick something down a bit wrong. With CA, if you stick it down a bit wrong, you're stuck. Yellow carpenter's glue is good when the fit is snug.

[Soar_dude]

I ditto all of the above choices, you also may take a look at the Helium MG2 listed in the link, complete laser cut kit, excellent instructions and designed for a beginner builder.. , and it flys very well....


http://www.stevensaero.com/Soaring-p-1-c-292.html


best regards,

Wylie Shaw

Little spendy for a 2 meter here is a link for a Riser 100 for 70 bucks
http://servohut.com/SIG62%20GLD%20RISER%20100.htm

Soar Dude

[tinkrerpilot]

Soar_dude

Risers are always a good bet. And with the inexpensive gear from Hobbycity. Are great flyers at a reasonable cost.

The Chrysalis is also anothr good one for the ones tht don't have much building time under their belts to. Don and Joe have gone out of their ways to make this a decent glider also.

I guess it would be a matter of pcketbook, type of flying, building skills, and what moel you like the most. Or een to the point of what you like to scratch build if you get involved into that aspect of the hobby. Have seen a few good ones turn up with just a little additional work.

[prodjx]

You also might want to check out the Electric forum.

[Led Zeppelin]

Thank you very much guys for your input and advice - much appreciated! I'll do my homework now and research the models you suggested. I was wondering, when you first started building kit gliders it was probably when there was not much help available on the Internet as there is today (at least this is my experience when I built my first and only simple plane in the mid 1980s). There was no Internet back then. How did you do it then? Unless one is part of a club, one has to trly solely on the instructions. But this is often not enough.

[bob393]

[QUOTE=Soar_dude]For a beginner you want to scare the guy away.

I would suggest a Olympic II from Skybench or a SIG Riser 100. they are straight forward to build with no composite vodoo involved and are easy to electrify.


I second these choices I have built both, the Riser in 2m though, and if I can do it you can do it!

[Soar_dude]

Thank you very much guys for your input and advice - much appreciated! I'll do my homework now and research the models you suggested. I was wondering, when you first started building kit gliders it was probably when there was not much help available on the Internet as there is today (at least this is my experience when I built my first and only simple plane in the mid 1980s). There was no Internet back then. How did you do it then? Unless one is part of a club, one has to trly solely on the instructions. But this is often not enough.

It took me a few tries of fly, crash and build. The first two kits I built I had no one to help me, but I learned from both of them. As I built more kits I got better and better at it learned something different from each build.

Soar Dude

[pmackenzie]

Thank you very much guys for your input and advice - much appreciated! I'll do my homework now and research the models you suggested. I was wondering, when you first started building kit gliders it was probably when there was not much help available on the Internet as there is today (at least this is my experience when I built my first and only simple plane in the mid 1980s). There was no Internet back then. How did you do it then? Unless one is part of a club, one has to trly solely on the instructions. But this is often not enough.

Magazines, local hobby shop, and fellow modellers.
Plus a lot of failures.

Where are you flying in TO?

Pat MacKenzie

[lincoln]

I dunno. A lot of gliders have decent instructions. I built my Two Tee in winter, 1984/85 without a lot of help, or else, and if its true I regret it, I forgot the help. But between reading the magazines, being a fan of model planes for years, fixing the already built glider that I had, shop classes and lots of home fixit in my past, etc. it wasn't very hard. It did have two annoying flaws, but they weren't bad enough to keep me from flying it for a long time. (Don't use CA on your joiner tubes, and, if you build a t-tail, try to make it strong without making it heavy)

[rkhoo]

Led Zeppelin, I also fly an electric EZG. I am also looking into woody 100" or bigger.

Would like to see what other fellows has to said.

ditto what Pat said, where about do you fly?

[lincoln]

If you guys are in Toronto and like to build stuff, you might enjoy meeting futabachan aka Susan Davis, who builds boats. Then again, maybe you wouldn't. In either case, don't recruit her for airplanes until the Insolent 60 is done. Yes, that's 60 feet, and no, it's not "Insolvent 60".

[Led Zeppelin]

I'm originally from Eastern Europe and I remember when I was a kid I would spend 2-3 days a week in a local aero-modeling club in my hood. These clubs were absolutely free of charge as you would expect it to be in a socialist regime. They had experienced instructors and provided Czhech and Russian kit models for free to the kids to assemble. This way kids had what to do in their spare time and stayed away from doing stupid things.

So I learned some stuff about builidng from scretch in my club but this was long ago in the mid 1980s. I was expecting that in North America there would be similar clubs (not free of charge of course). I tried to locate some in my area (Toronto, Canada) but failed.

I guess it would be great to have a local club where the folks would meet, exchange ideas, and build together. Proobably we should organize that? I started a discussion about this here:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=965939


LedZep :)

[StevenatorLTFO]

I was wondering, when you first started building kit gliders it was probably when there was not much help available on the Internet as there is today


My first planes were built before Al Gore invented the interlink. Back then, we had a great active RC club, and a good helpful guy running a hobbyshop near by, and RCM was still a great magazine. I miss those days sometimes.

[pmackenzie]

So I learned some stuff about builidng from scretch in my club but this was long ago in the mid 1980s. I was expecting that in North America there would be similar clubs (not free of charge of course). I tried to locate some in my area (Toronto, Canada) but failed.

I guess it would be great to have a local club where the folks would meet, exchange ideas, and build together. Proobably we should organize that? I started a discussion about this here:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=965939


LedZep :)


The EMFSO has monthly meetings through the winter. No building, but certainly the exchange of ideas goes on.
There is one tomorrow night. And it is free :)

Details here:
http://www.emfso.org/

Pat MacKenzie

[John Walter]

I was expecting that in North America there would be similar clubs (not free of charge of course). I tried to locate some in my area (Toronto, Canada) but failed.

I guess it would be great to have a local club where the folks would meet, exchange ideas, and build together.


When I lived in Toronto in the 90s I used to fly with the Central Ontario Glider Group (COGG)
Take a look at:

http://www.cogg.ca/

[lincoln]

My first planes were built before Al Gore invented the interlink. Back then, we had a great active RC club, and a good helpful guy running a hobbyshop near by, and RCM was still a great magazine. I miss those days sometimes.
DOn't think so about Al. I remember a housemate having a typed chat with his girlfriend over the ARPAnet back in '77. In fact, at the time we had the ARPAnet's first server in the house. It didn't work anymore, it took up a LOT of space, and no one wanted it. Dated to '62 or '63, I think. No components you couldn't see with the unaided (young) eye. So I guess Al must have done the work as an undergraduate or in high school or something? (I forget his age.)

BTW, PDP 1 power supplies make fine battery chargers. Get one for your winch battery today! Capacitors the size of beer cans. And the faceplaces make fine sanding blocks.

[FrogChief]

DOn't think so about Al. I remember a housemate having a typed chat with his girlfriend over the ARPAnet back in '77. In fact, at the time we had the ARPAnet's first server in the house. It didn't work anymore, it took up a LOT of space, and no one wanted it. Dated to '62 or '63, I think. No components you couldn't see with the unaided (young) eye. So I guess Al must have done the work as an undergraduate or in high school or something? (I forget his age.)

BTW, PDP 1 power supplies make fine battery chargers. Get one for your winch battery today! Capacitors the size of beer cans. And the faceplaces make fine sanding blocks.


Man...are you kidding?!?!? Not only did Algore invent teh intarwebs, he invented the very Earth we live on. If he didn't, why would he be so worried about global warming / cooling / climate change??? :p :D

Ones mind boggles when attempting to contemplate the awesomeness of Algore.


*Oh yeah...go for a good 100" plane. OLY II from Skybench gets my vote. :)

[StevenatorLTFO]

Not to hijack this thread, but who is more awesome, Algore, or Chuck Norris?

:D

Anyway, to get this back on course, if you hook up with a club, even if they don't have building going on at the meetings, if you are stuck on something, and drag the bits along, you should get some advice on how to proceed, perhaps even more advice then what you want ;)

If you go with something like the Oly II that posters above me have mentioned, you will find that the build will be very straight forward, and your work will be rewarded with a great flying airplane, and the best part, if you have a dumbthumb moment with it, you will know how to get right in and fix it, because you made it!

Steve

[Twizter68]

Chuck Norris; he scratch builds.

From Oak.


With his teeth.

[atmosteve]

They have both saved the world most awesomely, but Chuck has done it more than once, even us remote aussies understand that.

OlyIIs has a D-box construction and the S3014 airfoil, me likey this airfoil, so would Chuck.