Starting my second scratch build. After searching outerzone for days (love that site) I found a design that I understand and like.

http://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=6143

I have been cutting the wing pieces and hopefully it will start going together this weekend.

I am new to building so any help with structral changes to accommodate electric would be appreciated.

Let the fun begin!

Nice looking plane. I just finished a great planes sportster 60 electric myself. Have fun. They fly well.

Started the right wing today. Made a few mistakes prompting some cut out and start over, but I think it is on the right track now.

I found the fuselage just behind the wing to
be a weak spot. My first onebroke there (completely
across) twice. I used very light balsa for the
sides. My second one has the vertical grain
side doublers behind former 5 tapering down
to the fuselage bottom. This seems to have
solved the breaking.

Crossgrain across the top of the fuselage sides
under the rear deck also improves the strength
dramatically. It can be very light 1/16 balsa so
it doesn't make it tail heavy. It also doesn't need
to completely cover the area. I used a piece of
3 inch wide balsa behind each former, and left
some space in front of each former.

Skip the wheel pants unless you are using a
formed aluminum landing gear. If you put
them on wire gear, you WILL have holes in
your wings.


Jenny

ps. The RCM sportster flies great, really
great, but it flies different than the GP
super sportster which is also a great flier.

Having some problems sourcing a few things locally

First, I am unable to to find 1/8th ply for the wings in "aircraft grade" to reinforce the center ribs in the wing. All I can find is ply labeled "hobby use". I can however get 1/16 aircraft ply. Anything wrong with laminating it to thickness?

Second is the pine for the trailing edge where the wing secures. For as small of a piece as I need I would think there would be an appropriate species of wood at my local big box lumberyard, I however am not sure what would be a good substitute.

All other materials are available.

bummer. i guess you don't have a local hobby shop? my hobby town has a great balsa section. sorry.

Originally Posted by walter3rd

bummer. i guess you don't have a local hobby shop? my hobby town has a great balsa section. sorry.

I have a hobbytown and a crafts store nearby. The wood section at the hobbytown is in shambles. Most of the ply rack is mixed up or not in stock.

For the plywood plates you can use
any birch plywood. It doesn't need to
be "aircraft grade" (which means
certified for airplanes carrying live
people who want to stay alive).
You can use poplar plywood as well
but should probably double the
thickness. You could also use a
few layers of balsa.

For the pine trailing edge you can
use pretty much any wood that is
harder than balsa. A chunk off an
old pallet, an old doorstop or whatever
you can find at the dump will work fine.
It just has to be hard enough that the
screws won't pull through it. It is
not so big that weight will be a big
issue.

Jenny

there are certain areas that i don't mind added extra weight too. where the landing gear bolts to the fuse, motor mount points...... i like knowing ply and epoxy are going to bat for me. i usually land nice and soft but you never know... you never want to go full throttle and see the motor leave the plane! lol. Walt.

I don't think that a ply is required. for the wing bolts area. I used a hard balsa block and embedded fender washers into it to spread the load. I used drawer bottoms (luan) for the ply ribs.

Originally Posted by npntransistor

Having some problems sourcing a few things locally

First, I am unable to to find 1/8th ply for the wings in "aircraft grade" to reinforce the center ribs in the wing. All I can find is ply labeled "hobby use". I can however get 1/16 aircraft ply. Anything wrong with laminating it to thickness?

Laminating the 1/16 will work just fine.

Jim

Which airfoil are you using?

Originally Posted by Al M

Which airfoil are you using?

Flat bottom according to the plans.

Thank you everyone for the advice. I will use plain old pine and laminate the ply.

I built one of these in 1975 and flew it for 15 years. I used the semi-symmetrical airfoil and a Max .25. I now have the Great Planes 40" Super Sportster EP. It is pretty much the same as the original.

Garry

Reeboot!

Pulled the wings and the plans off the shelf today. Trying the remember where I left off...

This is as far as I got last winter. Hopefully it resembles a plane by spring.