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07.01.2012

Back on 2003 I built the Doughouse by Dick Smith. He used to sell plans and kits at rcrunway dot com. You can find more photos of it in my blog.

Wing Span: 54.0 in.
Wing Area: 720 sq. in.
Length: 46.0 in.
Weight: 5.5 ~ 6lbs
Engine: .40 - .45 2 - cycle
Chord: 13.75"
Loading: 17.6 ~ 19.2 oz.

I flew this model until about 2009 on a GMS .46 glow engine. Then, I sold ALL my glow stuff in transition to electric only. But, I just could not let go of the Doughouse airframe. Today it made it's Electric Conversion Maiden!

Scorpion 4020-14
Castle HV85 ESC
Castle 5A BEC
6s 2800mAh
APC 14x8.5

It came in a 5lb 14oz and flew beautifully.
WOT: 45.5A -> 975W!!
That's about 165W/lb

I used (2) 3s 2800 packs. Moving forward I'd like to use a couple 3300mAh packs. I switched to a carbon fiber landing gear but I'm not to fond of it. I need something with a little more give.

It's great to have this model back in the air with more power and more authority than ever. Below are some before / after pics.

-Rocko

Pictures are pretty much self explanatory.
Works great!

http://www.wixey.com/anglegauge/index.html

You could also zero it on one aileron and then place it on the other to show any
difference in angle with respect to each other.

-Rocko

Check out the attached photo....this is what happens to $1000 in lipo
batteries when your sump fails.

While the 'cash box' protects my house, it did not protect my
batteries from water.

I've tried to use emery boards for sanding in small areas. Most of the time they are not suited. I'm talking about the thin cardboard type. They are flexible (sometimes a good thing but usually not) and the are not flat. I decided to make my own.

I used a piece of 1/16" x 3/4" aluminum stock cut to about 6" long. 220 grit sand paper is applied on one side and 150 grit to the other side. So far, it works great.

-Rocko

Flyable:
Doghouse by Dick Smith (symmetrical foil aerobatic stick)
Jim Ryan P-38
GP Reactor Bipe
Raptor 30 Heli

On the Bench:
Peck Polymers Lacey M-10

In the shop:
Mini Ultra Stick (crash recovery and motor replacement)
Sig Kadet Mark II (extensive rebuild and mods)
Align T-Rex450 Heli (tail block repair)

The ARF & Kit Pile:
Carl Goldberg Ultimate Biplane
TopFlight Hot Kanary
E-Flight Taylorcraft 450
E-Flight Mini Pulse XT
Great Planes Li'L Poke
Flyline Models Great Lakes "Trainer"
Peck Polymers Baby Ace
Peck Polymers Peanut Scale Nesmith Cougar
Peck Polymers Peanut Scale Andreason BA4-B
Peck Polymers Peanut Scale Mitsubishi Zero
Comet Phantom Fury
Guillows #201 Thomas Morse S4C Scout
Diels Engineering 1/24th scale Boeing F4B-2 Bipe
Guillows #905 P-51
Guillows #308 Beechcraft Musketeer.

-Rocko

All the Santa's brought great gifts this year. I've enjoyed indoor flight much more than years past with all the new advances in micro electronics so I put a few indoor RC items on my list.

Santa responded with an Ember 2 and a Vapor. I've flown both in the past when a couple flying buddies let me try theirs. I thoroughly enjoyed it can't wait to get back to the gym to fly my own.

Also on my list were some free flight kits. I received a whopping FOUR kits by Peck Polymers. That brings the total to 10!!.

Here is what I got so far:
1. Peck Polymers Baby Ace
2. Peck Polymers Peanut Scale Nesmith Cougar
3. Peck Polymers Peanut Scale Andreason BA4-B
4. Peck Polymers Peanut Scale Mitsubishi Zero
5. Comet Phantom Fury
6. Guillows #201 Thomas Morse S4C Scout
7. Diels Engineering 1/24th scale Boeing F4B-2 Bipe
8. On the bench I have the Peck Polymers Lacey M-10.
At my next indoor fly, I'll be picking up:
9. Guillows #905 P-51
10. Guillows #308 Beechcraft Musketeer.


I only recently became interested in the free flight kits when I learned I could convert them to RC with the electronics that are available today. I prefer to stay away from foam when possible. With the exception of the Ember, I prefer to fly built up balsa. A foam core wing is fine now and then but again....balsa is preferred. Hopefully my Lacey build will go well and I'll continue by building the rest of my FF kits.

-Rocko

I'Ve started my first Peanut Scale build. I'm working on the Peck Polymers Lacey M-10. My intention is to make this three channel RC. I'd like to use DSM2 electronics or maybe Plantraco. My next indoor fly is January 10th. I'd like to maiden by then.

I thought this would be quick and easy. My opinion so far is, this is much more difficult than a larger airplane. Everything is so small and breakable. Here is what I got so far....Continue Reading

Bad Day.

Before today I've been lucky. I crashed my trainer once several years ago but that's about it. Today was not so good. I snapped my Mini Doghouse in two....engine died, cartwheeled on "landing". Then I crashed my (Mini Ultra Stick) MUS on it's maiden. Got this used, everytihng looked good. I think low rates may have been too low and high rates were too high. Took off like a bat out of hell.....hit the dirt just as hard. I think I got lucky with the MUS. I'll have that in the air this time next week if I can figure out what to do about the motor. I snapped the shaft. If it's not bent, I think I can use what's left. I'll have to see. The Mini Doghouse is retired. It was a it heavy anyway. I intend on building another.

Finally finished up the motor mount, ailerons, tail fin, and battery box.

-Rocko

I spent some more time on the Elipstik. These steps were slow but well worth it.

This one required lot's of pins becuase of the bent wood. Some pieces were soaked in warm water for a few minutes to get the correct shape without breaking. Lots of pins held the shape until the wood and glue dried. I used Titebond wood glue for the 'wet' joints. Also, I admitedly used pins in a few places where it was not necessary. Sooooo, I felt it was necessary to fill some pin holes. It looks much nicer now.

I mentioned in the previouse build post that I was not happy with the trailing edge and was considering an 1/8" square strip of bass wood added to the TE for strength. I got favorable results with CA soaked balsa end grain gussets where the airfoil caps meet the TE. Much lighter and probably more effective. I tried other gain orientations and this seemed to work out the best.

I shaped the the leading edge as well.

Next is sanding the ailerons and battery box installation.

-Rocko

Here's a pic of my P-38....this picture was taken when it still belonged to the previouse owner. It still looks the same...really.

On the buddy box with me is Ron Sassaman. I credit Ron with teaching me to fly. He spent many flight on the buddy box with me.

I found some pictures of my first flight ever. It was April 14th, 2002. I was on the buddy box with club member Bud Trapp flying my recently finished Sig Kadet MkII. The planes was powered by a K&B 40 and futaba radio gear. The K&B was soon after traded in for a GMS40.

-...Continue Reading

Here's me flying my Raptor 30 last June. I can't wait till the weather breaks so I can get back to it.

-Rocko

About two years ago I purchased a World Models Ultimate 40S biplane, GMS47 engine, pitts muffler, servos, ect.....

I was going to fly it that spring. Shortly after, my first child arrived and shortly after that, we got our first house. And then I got into helis. The list of excuses goes on.

A few weeks ago I was going though some of my RC plane stuff (still packed away from the move almost two years ago) and eyed the Ultimate Bipe still in the box. I have a T-Rex 450 flying on a 3S 2100 lipo pack. I picked up an electric P-38 from a club memeber that flies on that same pack. So I got to thinking....sure would be nice to fly an Ultimate on that pack. But the 40 size Bipe is way to big so I sold it in favor of Great Planes new Reactor Bipe.

http://www.electrifly.com/parkflyers/gpma1580.html

So, Dilema solved.

Now my plan is to fly it this spring....see the trend?
But this time for real!

-Rocko

Here is an update with lots of pics. I got far enough to pull it off the building board. This was my first time using drywall as a building board. Not bad.

I'm not too happy with the strength of the trailing edge. I think I might add a piece of 1/8" sq. bass along that edge.

So far so good. This one is really light.

-Rocko


And the pics.......Continue Reading

A club member asked if I was interested in building his Elipstik 260. I took the kit home to review the plans and read through the instructions. In the next few days we agreed on a few terms and I started building. Here is what I got so far.

This is a cool little plane. I might have to build one for myself.

Feels good to be building again....

-Rocko

8.2 liters and 19 feet of American Steel.
It also has plenty of room in the trunk for an airplane or heli

Mini Doghouse...Continue Reading