The Biplane Thread

[cymaz]

[Andrew767]

Posted by Foxfan on 05/08/2013 23:10:51:

Has anyone done a flying model of an Arrow Active?

Martin

Martin...There is a plan somewhere in the myhobbystore site....or at least there was!. I also keep thinking it would be a nice model to build. Shame there are no newer plans...Now if Mr Hooper were to become bored.........

Andrew

[Foxfan]

Exactly, Andrew. It's a favourite of mine and I have a few good shots of the only real one when it was at Little Gransden.

Lovely old kite.

I'll force myself to look up the "MyBum'sBiggerThanYourBumNah-neearnah" site.

Martin

[Foxfan]

Nah, typically, for that toytown site there's no photo or even a description. They seem to think you'll buy one without even knowing the span or any details from the X-Plans mine!

Not a chance. I'll do my own when the time comes. I've had enough of buying their plans.

Bring back MAP (of blessed memory!)

Martin

[Andy Muckley]

Hi guys could anyone shed a bit of light on how to fix the inter plane struts to a DB. Tiger Moth, i have almost finished the main build but not sure how to bend the 18swg rods that hold the top of these together i.e. through the pin eyes, its hooked at the bottom but its the top rod part i am struggling with, i have tried bending as to plan but am less than happy with them. some pic's would be great if anyone can help, as i must be doing somthing wrong thanks guys and look forward to your feed back as you all have the knowledge and this is my first bipe build

[cymaz]

When I refurbished the Stampe I used 3mm clevises and rods through some k and s streamline profile. Used stainless steel brackets on the wing but turned the bracket so the strut folded onto the wing.

Not sure if you can do this but it makes for an easier rig-up.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Hi Andy

On my DB moths, the strut hooks in sideways at the bottom.

At the top, is an eye at the top of the strut and an eye protruding from the wing. With both struts in position, a piano wire is pushed through all the eyes.

I would do it slightky differently now. I would have two eyes protruding from the wing at each strut position. That way, the strut eye would fit nice and positively between the two wing eyes, then the wire would go through.

I find this system very quick to rig at the field.

[Andy Muckley]

Tanks Cymaz for the speed of that reply cheers thats food for thought

[Andy Muckley]

Hi Chris new you would come up trumps but did'nt want to bother you as i'm always asking you stuff.

So you just have two 90 bends each end or is the rear one a stop end of sorts ie. a couple of nuts or somthing cheers guys

[Rich too]

There are some tips on this on the DB website - I happened to be reading it yesterday. Rich

[Rich too]

**LINK**

[Andy Muckley]

Brilliant Rich thank you

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Andy I still think an improvement would be to have two eyes in the wing at each strut point, with a small gap between them for the eye of the strut. That way there would be no chance of movement backward or forward. If you see what I mean?

Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 06/08/2013 13:42:48

[Gordon Whitehead 1]

Some pics of my most recent bipe. It's my second Jungmeister, and this one is about 2 years old. It's built to a scale of 27.5%, making it 71.5in span and construction is all wood, including the balsa cowl. It weighs in at around 17lb, and power is a Saito 36FG petrol turning an 18x8 APC-W. It flies and aerobats very realistically.

It looks and sounds great in the air.

The Saito is quite well hidden inside the cowl.

The wire bracing is functional and the wings detach as pairs. The u/c is sprung in scale fashion. Covering is polyester Solarfilm trimmed with Solartrim, and the cowl is painted with white and yellow Solarlac, the red stripes being Solartrim again.

[Gordon Whitehead 1]

And here are a couple of oldies which I made years ago.  I'm still a great fan of Harold Krier's planes  and there used to be a decent amount of info on the web about him, but it's all gone.

The 55in span Krier Kraft N5400E had a ST .90 for power. It only weighed about 7lb so was well over-powered, and was the first plane I had that would do a knife-edge loop.

The 47in span Krier Great Lakes had an Enya .46 4-stroke for power and was also a lovely little flier.

Both are now long gone, and I'm thinking of making one or both again, at 55in or so span, for 6S electric power.

Edited By Gordon Whitehead 1 on 06/08/2013 14:31:50

[Concorde Speedbird]

That is brilliant, what a superb model.

CS

[mal brewer]

Posted by Gordon Whitehead 1 on 06/08/2013 14:29:02:

And here are a couple of oldies which I made years ago. I'm still a great fan of Harold Krier's planes and there used to be a decent amount of info on the web about him, but it's all gone.

Hello Gordon,

I don't know if you remember,but many years ago,when you wrote a scale column in,I think, Radio Modeller,I sent you a picture of my Krier Kraft,built to 1/4 scale,based on the Don Stothers plan.You sent me a very interesting letter by return,explaining your model and its data.All this was pre-computer days,to give some idea,probably early '80's?Any way,there are a couple of pictures of this model on an earlier date in this thread(page 5).I have almost completed another Krier Kraft to 1/4 scale,based on your plan,so hopefully it will be a little more to scale than the earlier model.Incidentally,ther are also a couple of pictures of this model somewhere on this thread(page 8).It is now covered,and awaiting paint.Hopefully,it will be ready soon,as I am now working on this model once again,after a bit of distraction with other models and classic cars.....................regards,Mal.

Edited By mal brewer on 06/08/2013 15:09:01

[Tony H]

Here is my Pegasus Models Jester Biplane, a really nice quick build and safe flyer, I'd recomend 25/32 2-Stroke or 30/45 4-Stroke. It's a great classic plane. Fit's in the car easily in one peice 38" wingspan

Edited By Tony H on 06/08/2013 16:30:16

[David Davis]

This is my Flair Baronette finished in the colours of Hans Weiss, one of Manfred von Richtofen's flight leaders. The model has long since been sold on because although it flew nicely, it was difficult to land and to take off without hitting the lower wing tip on the ground.

Had Hans Weiss been born an Englishman his name would have been "John White," hence the preponderence of white on his aircraft.

[Andy Muckley]

Hi Chris thanks for that i will add the extra eyes as you say it gives a bit more security as i know you had them unlock in flight

[Gordon Whitehead 1]

Posted by mal brewer on 06/08/2013 15:03:25:

Hello Gordon,

I don't know if you remember,but many years ago,when you wrote a scale column in,I think, Radio Modeller,I sent you a picture of my Krier Kraft,built to 1/4 scale,based on the Don Stothers plan.You sent me a very interesting letter by return,explaining your model and its data.All this was pre-computer days,to give some idea,probably early '80's?Any way,there are a couple of pictures of this model on an earlier date in this thread(page 5).I have almost completed another Krier Kraft to 1/4 scale,based on your plan,so hopefully it will be a little more to scale than the earlier model.Incidentally,ther are also a couple of pictures of this model somewhere on this thread(page 8).It is now covered,and awaiting paint.Hopefully,it will be ready soon,as I am now working on this model once again,after a bit of distraction with other models and classic cars.....................regards,Mal.

Edited By mal brewer on 06/08/2013 15:09:01

Hello Mal.

It's great to hear from you again. I read all the posts on this thread before posting my pics, and I did read your post about your lovely new Krier back there. Also, now you mention it I do remember you sending me a pic and description of your earlier model for the column, thanks. I looked back and found your details in the July 1991 column. I chuckled when I read that you were then in the Cheshire Falcons club, as we’re trying to sell our house to move to Cheshire to be close to our daughter who lives there. We’re looking in Sandbach, so we may bump into each other eventually if you still live in the Wirral area. Glad to see that you’re still a Krier Kraft fan. I bent mine badly when I tried to fly it with the ailerons reversed because the pre-computer Tx was set up for a different model. Thank goodness for Spektrum’s “Model Match” these days!

Best regards

Gordon

[Gordon Whitehead 1]

Posted by Concorde Speedbird on 06/08/2013 14:29:23:

That is brilliant, what a superb model.

CS

Hi CS

Thanks! That’s what I thought when she first stood on her wheels in the garden, and for the first 20 flights or so. Then my inexperience with big model operation hit me big time! I’d purposely built the model STRONG to absorb the Saito’s vibration, but had not reckoned on the bracing wires and elevator pushrods resonating!

On about the 20th landing I noticed that the wires were vibrating horribly at engine tick-over, and examination of the clevises I’d used revealed significant wear on the pins, whilst the holes in the brass securing lugs had all ovalled. These clevises came from the Flair 1/4 scale Tiger Moth flat wire bracing kit, and I’m left wondering how guys flying that model combat clevis wear.

I drilled out the lugs and modified the clevises into screw-up clamps to stop them vibrating.

That worked, but then the rotten wet weather made the piano wire bracing rust! So I decided to use the Flair flat wire and ferrules, along with home-made fork ends based on the Dubro rod ends.

These work well, but then the brass tubing cabane struts began to crack with the vibration.

So I replaced the cabanes with stainless steel ones, and at the same time replaced all the brass sheet bracing lugs with stainless steel sheet ones. I chose stainless as it’s rustproof.

Meanwhile, vibration of the carbon tube elevator pushrods caused the Robart horns to wear, despite the pushrods being well supported in their middle.

To cure this problem I glued the pushrods firmly to the fuz structure, lined them with nylon Bowden cable outer, and made new pushrods from piano wire.

The final anti-resonance measure I took was to make up interplane bracing anti-vibe rods in semi-scale fashion.

Combatting the vibration and resonance has been a long haul, not helped by the past two years’ wet weather preventing flight testing. But at last the Jungie is fully vibe-proofed.

Whilst struggling with the problem, I bought a Great Planes Ultimate 160 ARTF to see how that model coped with Saito 36FG vibration. The answer is that the Ulti barely registers any vibration, suggeting that the Saito doesn’t vibrate much at all! The Ultimate has no bracing wires, and the elevator servos are only about 6in from their surfaces. So there’s no resonance, and clearly it was resonance along with my choice of the wrong materials for wires and pushrods that was cause of my probs with the Jungie.

I’m pleased to be able to say that I’m now back to agreeing with your comment about the plane!

Kind regards

Gordon

[jeff2wings]

My re-modelled Flair Legionaires

two down .........

two to go !!

[cymaz]

My two bipe additions for 2013 (just made it before new year)

[Cliff Bastow]

here is my Great Planes Tiger Moth.