1st time scratch build

[balsaguy]

This is a pic of the first free hand scratch build I put together using traditional balsa and ply construction. It was quite the learning experience, I took the basic measurements from a battered ARF I had lying around and made plenty of revisions along the way. Needless to say, I'm going to do the same thing with the other ARF's I have, a couple have never even flown before, just because it was too much fun building in this nature, that and start to finish, took about a week to do and was able to revise it in the way I wanted it to. One important revision I made was in the motor mounting system, if I nose it into the dirt, its floating on a custom spring system, which means it will cushion that section before hitting the forward "removable" firewall, so makes it noob proof in that area. I reinforced the leading edge of the wing with a carbon fiber rod and sheeted the lower front section of the wing with 1/32 balsa. This was also the first time I used ultracoat, was doing everything in paper before, I'm absolutely sold on that concept as well.

Wish me luck on it's maiden.

http://discflight.com/components22A.jpg

Additional info, 11.1 lipo, brushed geared 390 motor, aerlon/elevator control, configured for rudder control for a later date. 38" semi symmetrical aerfoil wingspan"removable".

[canadagoose]

That looks really good balsaguy, keep it up the good work. It really pays off seeing you're own creation take flight :). Scratch building in my opinion adds a whole new realm to the hobby. Keeps things interesting.

[balsaguy]

Looks like we are real birds of a feather, it's a learning process, but a whole lot of fun regardless. I do feel this end of the RC gambit should get better coverage, too much is placed upon the mass produced commercial lines and I feel we owe it to the next generation to get them enthused with the building aspect, it's not the end result as much as the process of taking raw materials and making it into something tangable. Do you have some photo's of past scratch builds yourself? If so, please post a photo or two.

[canadagoose]

Did you maiden it yet?
Can't find any photos of my past scratch designs but i took a couple pics of one that i still have that needs some fixing. This was one of my first if not the first.
It has survived because it is a very tough plane. I used alot of roof flashing to make parts out of and hand fabbed a spring landing gear from music wire, aluminum tubing, wood dowels and sheet steel.
The fuse had doors that opened on the sides but discarded them and i flew it mostly without them.
This one i had to make revisions to to get it to fly good by building new wings and tail feathers and also increasing the incidence of the wings. It flew good after with a Magnum 15.
My 8 year old son wants it now, i just hope it will be tough enough to with stand him :D .

[canadagoose]

another pic, quite the homely looking thing hey :o. I thought it looked good on paper at the time.

[balsaguy]

Haven't taken it out for the maiden, it's been either rainy or too windy to fly anything. That's not a bad looking little plane, it reminds me more of a toy then an actual scale model, I'm glad you tinkered with the flashing, I buy the same type of sheetmetal regularly in 8' by 4' sheets for surfacing at my regular non airplane related work, it does actually glue down if you are using the right contact cement, you can also polish it up to a chrome like finish. I can't believe your 8 y.o. flies RC, that's very young of an age to be able to be in on this, perhaps he's learning through osmosis from his dad :)

[Gerryy]

nice work
GY