Has anyone tried this stuff yet...you get over 2M of the wire and an inverter for around £6..
It can as far as I know be cut to lengths.. and one inverter should handle multiple shorter joined lengths

Im intrigued by that Glow wire did a little research and they have some very small light weight looking inverters. Not as cheap as LED but very cool effect

I Just completed my first kite the "simple" plan cant wait to take it up but I havent flown anything but a toy 3ch heli in many years and even back then I was notorius for crashing my trainer until I gave up and went to land based models :-)

Thats one reason im excited by these kites, they are easy to build First one went together in only afternoon and iff I crash i can repair or rebuild it very easy.

Right now im working out on FMS with the IFO model to get the hang of it

well done ...post pics of your kite please...

And get lots of Sim practice.... definitely an essential bit of kit for any grade of modeler.. if you can fly well on the Sim you will be fine in reality..

The IFO was my first successful electric model... many years back, with its brushed geared motor and heavy nicads it actually went well... It was cannibalized to make one of the early kites on this thread

I am unsure how to cut and rejoin or power up sections of the wire.. but from what Ive read it has a main core wire and a fine wrapped around outer wire...
you could also cut strips from the EL pads they sell
The 12v inverters are about 25x15x20mm .. under 1oz.. I just used one adding a back light to my spektrum DX6i radio..

the wire does indeed look cool....
But LEDs will always be the cheapest option and wired up in designs you like will look as cool..
Not many of the videos do justice to how great they look at night...even with a limited number of LEDs they are special..

Hey Dave I have a setup question for you on the simple.

Can you tell me roughly how much actual measured deflection I should have for the elevons at full servo travel?

I had a really hard time with the IFO on FMS simulator until I turn my ATV control on my transmitter way down. Then it became controllable so before I take the real kite out I want to set the actual deflection for the minimum travel needed for just a test flight without being too sensitive.

Will post pics of the finished kite soon

Thanks
B

sorry I always get the maximum travel I can .. 45 degrees or more.. first do that, BUT then dial it right down.. try about 30 degrees each way for max up rates and 15-20 for the down rates.. fly on low throttle just enough to fly... going fast makes the controls lots more sensitive..

Oh and if youve got expo on your transmitter use about 50% on everything to make life easier...

You sound quite new to flying... it may be better for you to make one of the trainer foamies and get your flying sorted on that first... The simple kite is more the equivalent of an aileron model.. a second stage model in the flying game, which goes where you point it in neutral flight...
what you need to start is a model that sorts itself out to a large extent, one that needs little input to fly it about..

I appreciate your comment I have spent a little time with a high wing trainer many years ago. I seem to be getting the hang of an elvon model in FMS so I will keep practicing. I can figure 8 and roll OK and have pretty good control even when inverted even managed to land a few times.

Pics of my scratch built simple Kite build











B

That looks perfect...

May i suggest you seal up the gap between you main fuse and elevons (between the green and blue) as it will allow wind flow and makes your surfaces less effective. On high speed, it might not work at all.

Curious about that gap comment...

Just for my own reference if I could ever get this far in a build ... What if jeeperb had a 1/2" overlap of 'loose' fabric that would lay over the gap. Not attached to the elevons, just held in place by the force of the wind as it was flying. Would that take care of this?

Originally Posted by AC5FF

Curious about that gap comment...

Just for my own reference if I could ever get this far in a build ... What if jeeperb had a 1/2" overlap of 'loose' fabric that would lay over the gap. Not attached to the elevons, just held in place by the force of the wind as it was flying. Would that take care of this?

I would logically be much better as you don't lose prop wash into the gaps. You may want to try putting soft tape - surgical tape to seal the gap. My early builds were like that with gaps and on a high speed dive, i lost all controls unless i power down and yank the sticks.

Kenchin is correct.... seal the gap....A loose/baggy strip simply stuck either side of the gap is fine .. keep it loose enough to let the elevons move...

There's a website called funwithwind.com. You can get all sorts of good stuff from there, including 2" adhesive repair tape, different colours, made with ripstop nylon.

That might be a straightforward way of fixing the gaps.

keep it cheap, a strip of offcut fabric glued with UHU will do ..

Ive taken the W wing out at night and whilst it goes ok I am not happy with the effectivness of the elevons..the model lacks response on roll and pitch...
at first I was thinking it too nose heavy, but on measuring when back inside I am rear heavy at near 39% when 32 is normally good on this shape..

the W shape is extreemly self stable, it was flying itself as much as I was steering it.. rudder was effective and power changes made it easy to control its rate of climb, or cruise.. the blue wonder and the kite frame makes for an almost silent model.. very nice for gentle flying, but I want aerobatics as well so the elevons must get sorted..

so I am looking at the build and I think its flex in the frame on the hinge line rods.. when the surface is raised it is easy to flex it down by hand, without any servo arm movement...
Now I think I will have to use some thicker rods at that location.. probably doubling the ones there will do the job, using a 3mm rod as a doubler sewed in place should stop a lot of that flex..
.

W Wing night kite lit up (2 min 29 sec)

I am stiffening up the hinge line by adding a 3mm cf rod along the front of the present 2mm rod,
and I am adding and extra rod on the elevons so I can fit a small ply plate for better horns..
Hopefully this will stop the flex that is loosing me elevon response.