Insectacide - building the big dustpan

[riverlandgirl.]

Hi all. This is the sequal to my 'micro lifting body' post. Due to the failure of my toy radio on the little dust pan, I've decided to build one three and a half times the size, with a proper radio and a niosy, oily thing up front. The first step was to build the engine cartridge. This set up allows me to use the same engiinge/tank/throttle servo on anumber of different planes, simply by removeing 4 screws. Step one was to set up the tank. This is a 125ml vinilla essence bottle. Just right for the ASP .12 I'll be useing. By pushing a short piece of silicone tubing through a slightly undersized hole, and then forcing a cleaned out length of ball point pen refill in I get both a n air tight seal and a nipple. The clunk is a sintered brass filter thing i found lying around at work.

[riverlandgirl.]

Next I made up a tank / engine mount from 1/4 ply. The tank is glued to this, and the engine is screwed, the two screws under the muffler only. The tank is covered with a hollowed out block of polysytrene glued on an carved to shape. The throtle servo gets inserted in a pocket cut out of the polystrene after covering. The cartridge is held to the plane by the 2 other enginge screws, 1 screw behind the tank, and 1 srew through the ply wood clear of the muffler, so I do'nt have to remove the muffler. The screws mount into wood blocks glued into the plane.

[riverlandgirl.]

Next made up the mounting pod that becomes part of the plane. The mount is 3/8 ply and the check peices western red cedar, cut from an old door.

[riverlandgirl.]

Heres the completted pod. Will start the tail tomorrow.

[riverlandgirl.]

Soory every one, I deleted my photos off my album, not relising they would disapear from here1 woops. will put them in a new post.

[riverlandgirl.]

[riverlandgirl.]

Thats better. Right the tail was next. cut and sanded to shape. a single spar of 3/32" balsa on the back between the foil and control surface. Next the wing? body? carapace? was carved and hollowed out. The hollowing took out five onces. Even though its 3 1/2 times bigger, it's still a small plane.

[riverlandgirl.]

This is the little one.

[riverlandgirl.]

[riverlandgirl.]

Control surfaces are attached with strips of packaging tape, one each side, along the hinge line. A slight gap is left between the rudder and fin. The sticky side of the tapes are then pushed together. The surfaces when then covered with coulored packing tape, as is the rest of the model. The only advantage of using tape is cheapness. Solar film would have been quicker and better, but at 10x the cost! Once covered the servos were installed- cut a pocket in the polystyrene and pop them in with a dab of glue. The glue through out was polyurethane wood glue. Control horns were cut from a spray can cap, four to a cap. The large bases provide a good glueing area and the glue foams up through the holes to form little 'rivets'. The covering tape is removed and the horns glued staight to the polystrene. They pop off in a crash, but have never failed in flight, even on a couple of 6ib .40 planes I've built.

[riverlandgirl.]

[riverlandgirl.]

[riverlandgirl.]

So all that remains now is set up the push rods, and go flying (I hope!). I thought it might be interestihg to throw in a few prices, just for comprason with the U.k. Engine ASP 12a, new NZ$79 (NZ1$ is near enough to 50p) Polystrene was free, some from the rubbish pile, some came floating down the river out the back. Techtonix servos $7 each. The packaging tape was $3 a roll. One roll will do 2 or three planes. Glue $14, two planes worth.

[riverlandgirl.]

Push rods set up, 1/16 s/s weiders filler road, of which I have an ample supply. Quick, simple, cheap and efective. So now we just wait, for calm weather and the cows to sod off! Will do some glide tests first, to fine tune the cofg.To far foward is disastrous in these things, the least touch on the rudder results in a spiral dive. A bit far aft and they just mush down, before going over backwards and rolling out.

[Stephen Jones]

I do like the look of That . It has that certain charm about it , well done .

Let`s hope it flys as well as it looks

[riverlandgirl.]

Thanks for your comments, Stephen. I'm itching to try it out, but of coarse it's blowing and raining! My partner has decided that "insecticide' is not a cute enough name, and has renamed it "caterfly"

[Simon Chaddock]

An impressive looking beast.

Does the adhesive on the packing tape resist the glow fuel?

That engine on the front looks ever so large (with lots of torque) for such a short wing span without ailerons.

However providing you don't hurt the engine you wont be putting that much at risk.

I hope the maiden goes well with a video to follow.

[riverlandgirl.]

Thanks for your good wishes. The tape eventually gives out, but while these are disposable planes, I normally get about five years of regular flying out of one, so jolly good value for the price. polystyrene soaks the fuel up as bad as balsa, but dosen't disolve. Yes the plane came out a little smaller than intended,but I don't have to use full throttle! Weight is underr 2ibs, so if nothing ealse it will go up! A video will forth comming, though probably not of the maiden!

[riverlandgirl.]

....Still raining......still blowing.....

[riverlandgirl.]

Finnaly got a break in the weather, and yes it flies! And flies well. My partner wasn"t around to point the camera, sorry. Hopefully tomorrow. Forcast is rubbish though. Other than eninge issues, (remind me not to try an untried engine and plane at the same time!) madian was uneventfull. Only exiting moment was a completely unplaned (and very axial) barrel roll! still don't know what happenmed there, never mind. Ok the landing wasn"t grace fulll -I am flying off a rough, steep cow padock, but up right and undamaged. Will get a video up as soon as it all comes together.

[Stephen Jones]

Well Done ,

See if you ignore others and go with you're gut Feeling you can achieve especially if you try hard enough .

Well sometimes .

Would love to see it flying

Edited By Stephen Jones on 30/06/2012 09:57:43

[riverlandgirl.]

Thanks Stephen, Here are some stills, untill I can get a video sorted. I must say the engine is giving me a REAL hard time, I'll put a plea for help on the engine forum.

[riverlandgirl.]

 

Edited By riverlandgirl. on 08/07/2012 10:22:26

[ken anderson.]

well done Rlg.....nice to see something different....i think either a slightly bigger prop or coarser pitch may assist the motor.....it appeared/sounded like it was reving like a goodin but had not a lot of thrust.....thanks for the video...

ken anderson ne..1 .... bigger prop dept..

[riverlandgirl.]

Thanks Ken. I forgot to point out that the muffler tail cone unscrewed during the flight, hence the strange engine antics! Lol.