For the experienced pylon flyer, building race planes does not provide to many problems, for the novice club flyer it can seem like a different world. With this in mind Hints and Tips will cover information I have been asked for since starting this web site, plus any other tips I can pass on. If you have any tips to pass on, or know of a better way please let us all know. e-mail.

Dave Norman's - Speed Secrets . Dubb Jett - Crap Trap. Darrol Cady -  Racing Info


 

How to keep your radio in top shape!




Timing Disc

Make your own self timing degree disc, 

using a CD-DVD and a printer Click here  




Tail Plane Construction

The method I use and many other sport40 flyers use is, two layers of 3/16 Balsa sandwiching a 1/64 ply centre sheet, balsa grain must run span wise with 1" tips grain running cord ways. The ply ads a great deal of strength to the structure and also gives a nice centre line for sanding, before gluing I also cut out of the ply where the mylar hinges are going to sit, when dry you can now sand to shape and glass, next cut out elevator and hinge. Dont forget to fit elevator push rod mount before mounting tail plane in fuselage.

 





Ailerons on balsa skinned foam wing

Most modern F3D models use moulded wings with ailerons hinging on the top skin, this works by cutting through the bottom skin along the hinge line, then each aileron end, with this set up the top skin will flex to allow enough movement, for 5-6 mm of travel.

When it comes to the sport 40 and Q500 models most use foam core wings with a balsa skin, If you try to use the F3D method, you find the skin is to stiff at the hinge line and as a consequence of this the servo is having to work too hard, plus the skin is easily cracked.


The method I use is, before glassing I cut through the top hinge line with a sharp knife, lightly sand around the hinge line to a width of 30mm, next remove all dust and balsaloc the skin to 10mm each side of the hinge line. Then when the balsaloc has fully dried, iron on a 20mm wide strip of solatex the length of the aileron hinge line. Now glass your wing in the normal way, when fully dry cut a slot 3-4 mm wide along the bottom surface hinge line, clean out slot and cut aileron ends, job done and more than enough movement to cope with all the racers needs without over loading your servos.




Fuel cut off Valves

Running a motor without a carburetor, how do you cut the motor?. Take one brass tube inside diameter = 2x fuel tube diameter x 20mm in length, carefully turn the edge over at one end so the pipe will have lead into tube, next plug other end with 1/8 balsa and drill 1mm hole in center or larger if cut off wire is to be run through a plastic snake. Next make up cutoff wire and loop which will pull the pipe into the tube hole and kink pipe . Simple and very little chance of servo stalling.

 

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