The Great Planes "Spirit of St. Louis" parkflyer is a scale replica of the famous plane used by Charles A. Lindbergh. The largely pre-built ARF foam model is totally painted, and in addition to all the hardware needed to assemble it, also includes many extras like ultra light foam wheels, replica engine cylinders, Speed 280 motor, 4.1:1 MJ gearbox, and APC 9x6 Slow Flyer prop.
On May 21, 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in history, flying his Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" 5,810 kilometers (3,610 miles) between Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, and Paris, France, in 33 hours, 30 minutes. With this flight, Lindbergh won the $25,000 prize offered by New York hotel owner Raymond Orteig to the first aviator to fly an aircraft directly across the Atlantic between New York and Paris. When he landed at Le Bourget Field in Paris, Lindbergh became a world hero who would remain in the public eye for decades.
The aftermath of the flight was the "Lindbergh boom" in aviation: aircraft industry stocks rose in value and interest in flying skyrocketed. Lindbergh's subsequent U.S. tour in the "Spirit of St. Louis" demonstrated the potential of the airplane as a safe, reliable mode of transportation. Following the U.S. tour, Lindbergh took the aircraft on a goodwill flight to Central and South America, where flags of the countries he visited were painted on the cowling.
"Spirit of St. Louis" was named in honor of Lindbergh's supporters in St. Louis, Missouri, who paid for the aircraft. "NYP" is an acronym for "New York-Paris," the object of the flight.
Introduction
The Great Planes "Spirit of St. Louis" parkflyer is a scale replica of the famous plane used by Charles A. Lindbergh. The largely pre-built ARF foam model is totally painted, and in addition to all the hardware needed to assemble it, also includes many extras like ultra light foam wheels, replica engine cylinders, Speed 280 motor, 4.1:1 MJ gearbox, and APC 9x6 Slo Flyer prop.
The 40.1" foam wing and 25.5" foam fuselage make the Spirit exceptionally light. The stock 8-cell, 150mAh, NiCd pack or 8-cell, 350mAh, NiCd pack provide 3 to 5 minute flights at a model weight of about 12-13oz. The included Speed 280 power system and the light undercambered wing are ideal for slow, stately flight but can also provide slow, gentle loops and simple stall turns.
Any modeler with moderate building experience and an eye for scale looks will be happy with what the Spirit of St. Louis offers. Building is relatively easy for this scale ARF model while conveniences and scale touches abound. Detailed landing gear and replica radial engine heads help to enhance its realism. An easy-open battery hatch speeds flight pack installation and replacement.
Additional Items Needed
To complete the model, you need a 3-channel radio system, a 5-10amp ESC, 2 micro servos, and an 8-cell, 150-350mAh NiCd flight battery pack. For charging the battery pack, the Great Planes ElectriFly Peak Charger (GPMM3000) is recommended.
In addition to common household tools, the following list of items is used to build the Spirit of St. Louis:
5-minute epoxy
Medium CA
Hobby razor knife with #11 blades
builder's triangle
drill and 1/16" bit
double-side servo tape
sand paper and sanding block
small #1 Phillips screwdriver
small T-pins or craft pins
At the conclusion of my review, I have listed some of the possible selections and substitutions that would work very well with this model.
Kit Contents
An extensive kit of parts are included (left) and only 4 basic additional components are needed (right)
The 24-page instruction manual for the "Spirit of St. Louis" electric parkflyer is magnificent! It is packed with photos, parts drawings, and diagrams that clearly label every piece in the kit. A thoughtful list of building supplies, important building notes, and additional items needed are presented before the assembly instructions begin. I give Great Planes the highest grading on their manual quality and completeness.
My Spirit parts were also very carefully boxed so that their was no damage incurred during shipping and handling. The additional components that I used to complete the model are stated in the opening specifications box. At the conclusion of my review, I have also listed some of the possible substitutions that would also work very well with this model.
Although the scale features of the Spirit would require more time to build than other ARF models that I have reviewed, I was off to a great start on what would prove to be a very fun project!
Construction
Since the manual has clear instructions and photos for every step along the way, I will briefly summarize my building process. If I feel a change is needed or some detail is unclear, I will provide additional explaination and photos.
Tail Surface Assembly
The two stabilizers are glued together using a pre-cut slot
The first stage is to assemble the tail surfaces. You start by cutting the elevator and rudder away from the stabilizers and sand a bevel into the leading edge. The control surfaces are then mounted using the supplied transparent tape. This part of the assembly was straightforward and clear. I used a small amount of 5-minute epoxy to glue the stabilizers together.
Battery Holder Assembly
The battery holder can be completely assembled before gluing
The battery holder is assembled next. The unit can be fitted together before gluing and then compared with the photos for correct orientation. I used medium CA to glue the entire battery holder assembly. All the parts fit very well.
Fuselage Assembly
Balsa formers are reinforced by thin plywood doublers
The fuselage is supported in several areas by balsa formers that are re-enforced by thin, light 1/32" plywood doublers. The instructions and many photos are very clear in this stage of assembly and I made no deviations. The music wire landing gear would be cleverly mounted between the plywood doublers at a later step.
The plywood motor mount is created from 2 pieces for a perfect locking fit in the foam nose
Servo Installation
The servos slide for perfect alignment before gluing in place
The servos are mounted into balsa trays and then fit, but not glued, into the servo tray assembly that was glued inside the fuselage in the previous stage. The servos are not glued into position until later when the stabilizer and fin are mounted. This allows the servos to be slid into their final position after aligning the elevator and rudder to neutral.
The pushrods and guide tubes (or snake tube) come pre-bent and assembled. The elevator pushrod, which exits from the right side of the fuselage, has the ends bent at 90° to each other.
The pushrods are pre-bent in the guide tubes
I glued the guide tubes into place at both ends using epoxy. One end lays in the balsa servo tray and the other end in the foam fuselage. On models of this type, I have found it very beneficial to additionally anchor the guide tubes somewhere in the middle. The thin metal rods and long plastic tubing can often bend in the middle under sufficient force. Since the pushrods crossed inside the fuselage on my Spirit, it was fairly easy to epoxy the tubing together at the crossover point because it was only a short distance from the top opening in the tail. The added support provides a great improvement in accurate control surface movement.
Note that I also routed my receiver antenna wire out the rear of the fuselage tail before gluing on the stabilizers.
Hooking up the Controls
Proper right angles and incidence are important to obtain when gluing the fins
After gluing the stabilizer and fin assembly to the tail, the aft end of the pushrods are connected to the rudder and elevator. My elevator pushrod was sufficiently short so that I reversed the direction of the servo in the tray to allow the rod to extend further aft. Now, both of my servos faced the same direction with the control arm closer to the balsa pushrod brace. The short elevator pushrod was likely due to using Hobbico CS-12 Micro servos instead of CS-5 Nano servos.
The pushrod ends are secured to the horns with tubing
Completing this section also included securing the pushrod ends with small white plastic tubing, taping the bottom of the rudder to the fuselage, and mounting the tail braces to the bottom of the stabilizer.
The balsa tail skid was replaced with a harder nylon version
Instead of taping the bottom of the rudder, I cut a smaller hinge made from fiber hinge material about 1/3 the normal size. I glued it in place with a small amount of white glue after first slicing slots into the rudder bottom and joining fuselage. The result had a much cleaner look.
I have never liked the rather short lifespan of balsa tail skids so I replaced the stock piece of balsa with a harder nylon skid that I purchased at my local hobby shop. It may not look as scale as the stock skid, but, it will last much longer on paved surfaces.
The scale looking tail braces are added last
The four tail braces mounted easily into small slots in the fuselage. I carefully cut away only the top painted layer in the bottom of the stabilizer so that the brace (or strut) had an indentation to lay in. I glued the braces in place with odor-less (foam safe) CA for a cleaner look.
Landing Gear Assembly
The landing gear assembly is strong and easy to assemble
The landing gear looks delicate and difficult to install, but they are actually very strong and quite easy to assemble. The unique "shock absorber assembly" landing gear makes ROG (Rise Off Ground) takeoffs and landings very forgiving when performed from relatively smooth surfaces.
Mounting the Motor, Gearbox, and Pinion Gear
The nose is designed for an MJ (MP Jet) style gearbox
The instructions for this step are clear and they have excellent photos. There is, however, one large omission. They neglect to have you solder the ESC wires onto the motor terminals before mounting the motor to the firewall. I recommend doing this procedure at this stage.
A product improvement addendum sheet that came with the kit also adds the procedure for soldering the 3 capacitors for filtering motor noise. This is a good time to implement that procedure as well.
In addition to the sanding of the motor shaft, I also like to score the inside wall of the pinion gear for a better hold using medium CA instead of the supplied green Locktite. I then tape the motor into proper position in the gearbox using masking tape. This provides additional hold for vibrations.
Cowl and Cylinder Head Assembly
The cylinder head assembly favors the true scale enthusiast
The plastic cowl was easy to cut and trim, however, the cylinder head assembly was a chore that separates the average ARF builder from the real scale enthusiast. It was labor intensive and required some patience. The nine cylinder head halves must be cut, trimmed, and sanded. Eight of the nine head halves are then glued together. The resultant cylinder is then cut in half lengthwise to create two heads.
The instructions call for using CA but I used a liquid plastic model cement from Testors (#3502) that could be brushed onto the joining surfaces.
A great looking result makes the effort worthwhile
I was happy with the look of my finished cowl and it fit perfectly onto the fuselage with 3 small metal screws that are supplied with the kit. When drilling pilot holes for the screws into the balsa firewall, be sure to angle the hole from the front plywood sheet toward the rear plywood sheet. This provides a greater window for error in the relatively thin pieces of wood.
Measuring the Current
A current test was performed with the Astro Flight Micro Wattmeter
When I first measured the current draw of 2.6amps at full throttle, I thought it was too low. I then realized that a beginner is likely to leave the throttle setting at full power for most of the flight. This was probably a good design choice by Great Planes for improving the motor longevity with most entry level R/Cers. I measured 3400 RPMs with the stock 9x6 prop and 8-cell, 150mAh, NiCd pack.
More experienced pilots that are accustomed to throttle management, may wish to try a lower ratio gearbox since a larger 10" prop would scrape the ground. The 3.46:1 MJ gearbox available at Hobby Lobby (MJ8004) would be a good replacement for the stock 4.1:1 gearbox. The newer Graupner Speed 280 Race and Speed 280 Sport motors would also be a reasonably low cost upgrade since the stock gearbox and 9x6 prop could still be used.
Mounting the Spinner
The spinner is mounted with small drops of CA
The spinner is first cut to proper shape and then secured to the spinner base with a few small drops of CA. In this manner, it can be easily removed if you need to change the prop or access the motor/gearbox assembly. Be sure to test the power system before gluing the spinner in place.
Wing Assembly
The wing assembly is permanent. First, the battery box is test fitted and then a hole is cut into the wing middle to access the flight pack. Once satisfied with the fit of both the battery box and the wing, they are glued into place and can not be removed. Be sure that you have re-tested the servo controls and are satisfied with the motor system before gluing on the wing. Also, make sure that the battery cable is properly routed into the battery box so that it can be reached once the wing is permanently attached.
Starting pieces for the two ends jigs
The 3 finished cardboard jigs for setting the wing dihedral
Once the wing is mounted, the correct dihedral and washout angles are set using die-cut cardboard jigs that are supplied with the model. I found the one photo of the completed 3 jigs in the manual to be a bit puzzling so I have included several additional photos to help clarify the assembly.
Three scrap pieces of cardboard are left over
The plane rests on all 3 jigs and is weighted down before wing strut assembly
The wing struts are cut to proper length and then glued between the wing braces and slots in the fuselage. Be sure that the model is firmly resting on the jigs when the epoxy is drying. I used 4 marble coasters to hold the wing against the jigs.
Finishing the Model
After looking at some photos of the Spirit on display in the Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum, I decided that the supplied spoked wheels were a closer match in stock form than with the added hub caps, so I left them off.
A Du-Bro small nylon hinge is used for hatch access
I also deviated from the stock sliding battery hatch window and mounted mine with a Du-Bro (#119) small nylon hinge. I like this style of Du-Bro hinges because the pin is locked in place. My hatch window simply swings open to expose the top of the battery hatch. A small piece of Velcro secures the hatch window against the fuselage.
The water transfer decals applied very easy and could be positioned perfectly by sliding them in place before drying. A family distraction caused me to apply the wing bottom decal, "N-X-211", 180° rotated from the correct position. It should read properly as the plane approaches you from the front.
Balancing the Model
The manual recommended the CG to be 1 5/8" aft of the leading edge measured by the sides of the fuselage. My model balanced 1 7/8" back from the leading edge so I cut off a few of the cylinder heads and filled them with modeling clay before gluing them back on. This added another 0.3oz to my flying weight.
Since I have seen other reports that the model is tail-heavy, I would recommend mounting the wing about 1/4" aft of the stock position.
Ready To Fly (RTF)
The "Spirit" was RTF at 12.9oz
I was RTF at 12.9oz with the stock 8-cell, 150mAh, NiCd pack. My 150mAh pack weighed 2.5oz. I also had several other ElectriFly 8-cell NiCd packs. The 270mAh pack weighed 3.4oz and the 350mAh pack weighed 3.7oz. For about an extra ounce, I could double my flight time! At the conclusion of my review, I have also listed some other possible substitutions for flight packs that would also work well with this model.
Flying
Before you fly the Spirit, you should perform an overall inspection of the model. This is often referred to as a "ground check". First, you inspect the model for damage. You then power up the transmitter first and the plane second. Next, check all the control surfaces for proper movement and direction with the stick changes. When viewing the plane from behind, left stick should move the rudder left. The throttle up test should check for a balanced prop and that it is rotating in the correct direction. The motor should sound like it is reaching full power. I usually tip my model upside down and inverted to check for any movement of the battery pack.
For maiden voyages, a range check should also be performed. With the transmitter antenna collapsed and the transmitter and receiver on, you should be able to walk at least 100' away from the model and still have control. Having an assistant for this check really helps since you can either yell instructions or use hand signals.
A gentle toss or ROG from pavement starts the Spirit on its journey
When ready to launch the Spirit, it can either takeoff from pavement or can be hand launched by holding it on the bottom of the fuselage just behind the main landing gear. A gentle toss with full power applied at a level or slightly nose up attitude is all you need. Remember to launch and land into the wind.
The Spirit is a mild powered flyer and lands very gracefully
Performance Tips
An identification tag is included on the back page of the manual. It is a good idea to fill this out and put it in your model. Since the Spirit is essentially sealed, I put mine on the underside of the wing near the fuselage.
Before flying the model, be certain that your battery pack is properly peaked.
Using multiple battery packs for successive flights keeps you in the air longer but be sure to allow proper time for the motor to cool between flights. A 5-10 minute cooling period is typical.
For less experienced or first time pilots, it is always best to get help from an experienced R/C pilot!
It is recommended to fly the Spirit in calm or no wind conditions. Frequently, winds are the most calm in the early morning or early evening. Although the Spirit will fly in 5mph winds, it is most enjoyable to fly in calm conditions. Launch and land your plane into the wind!
Many beginners tend to pull too hard on the sticks, causing the model to stall or veer to one side. Use a gradual climb rate and continue to climb to a safe altitude (100 feet) before throttling back and trimming the model. The Spirit should fly well and maintain adequate airspeed at about 1/2 to 3/4 throttle.
Conclusion
The Spirit of St. Louis is a very scale looking and well-mannered parkflyer. The kit is complete and comes with good instructions. The plane can easily be flown in light winds and flies well within the area of a small field.
The model climbs out nicely with the included Speed 280 power system but it is rather weak and must be flown at a conservative angle of attack to gain altitude. It is a stable flyer without any bad habits, although it prefers gentle and graceful turns. This type of flying favors an experienced pilot.
The limitations that I noted were having no access to the radio equipment and fairly short flight times ranging from 3 to 5 minutes. The current draw of the geared Speed 280 motor was a bit low. A lower gear ratio or Speed 280 Race (or Sport) motor in combination with a larger capacity NiMH pack would allow the Spirit to handle a bit more wind and fly longer. A larger 10" prop will not work without scraping the ground.
With the help of a trainer, the Spirit of St. Louis ARF can be built and flown by a beginner, but, it is probably best suited for intermediate level pilots that are looking for a fun and realistic scale project.
Similar Threads
