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60-size trainer


john melia 1
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Posted by David Davis on 27/03/2013 07:07:33:

Building from plans really isn't that difficult. There must be some "Ancient Modeller" in your club who can show you the ropes.

problem is the only club i'm in is a helicopter club , for my trex 600 , and everytime i mention "planks" i get a funny look , something like this ... crook

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Good point from DD.
Trainers generally have quite simple lines & many parts - formers etc
are squares or rectangles & quite easily marked out & made.smiley
Marking out more complex shapes - fuse sides etc isn't really too difficult.
Veneered foam wing panels can be professionally made - there are one or two
companies around who can make a set.


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Building from plans isn't all that challenging John.

First you need a board which will take ordinary dress makers' pins; I use pinboard glued to a chipboard base, other people use plasterboard. Cover the plan in transparent plastic and pin down the longerons. Glue the uprights into position with slow setting glue like aliphatic or PVA and build the second side directly over the first. In recent years I've adopted the practice of covering the first side in greasproof paper so that both sides don't stick together but in the past I've simply separated the two sides with a bread knife once the glue had thoroughly dried.

You will have both a plan and an elevation view of the fuselage so it should be possible to plot the size and position of any formers, place them into position once the glue has dried on the fuselage sides, join at the tail, make sure everything is straight and add the horizontals. You've got a fuselage!

As for the wing ribs, transfer the shape of the ribs to a piece of thin ply either by photocopying the plan or by using carbon paper. Make two templates, sandwich balsa rectangles of the correct thickness between both templates, cut, plane and sand to shape and you've got a ribset. Tail surfaces are easy peasy that's why many American kits start with the construction of the tail.

Don't fancy cutting out wing ribs? Firms like DB and Belair Models will off ribsets, profiles and plan-packs for a wide variety of models and Bill Kits will provide you with a foam wing.

Now you only have to choose the model you want!

face 1

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thanks for the info everyone , and thanks to david for his explanation on plan building , i'm somewhat in a bit of a dilemma , i want to get back flying asap , so thge ARTF route is looking more and more tempting , as cymaz says i can do a build while i'm re-learning with the ARTF.

Or i can continue my restoration of the flair puppeteer , and use that after i've become comfortable with the ARTF trainer , then move onto the wildcard 3d which i have stowed away smile o

All this while i'm replacing bits i smash on the trex 600 , and blade 450 dont know

so it still boils down to the best 60 trainer , i thought the thunder tiger cessna was going to be it , but i just don't know now after reading some of the comments above , has anyone got any experience flying the thunder tiger 60 ?

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As mentioned above, I've never flown the Thunder Tiger 60 Trainer, I've never even seen one but I have flown the 40 sized version and it's a sweety; I'd give it 9 out of 10. The only drawback is that it has a flat bottomed wing section so it can be a bit less easy to manage in a wind than a trainer with a semi symmetrical section like the Tutor 40 or the Boomerang, but if you're a helicopter pilot John, you should be alright. I expect that the 60 sized model will be just as easy to fly as it's smaller brother.

Generally speaking I'm impressed with Thunder Tiger products. I have three of their four stroke engines, including a 91 four stroke in the "works" Barn Door Wing Senior Telemaster, pictured below and I donated a perfectly sound GP42 engine to my club so that it could be used on one of our club trainers.

It makes sense to buy an ARTF at this time of the year and to get on with repairing the Puppeteer. This winter is not going to last for ever!

Senior Telemaster

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not to sure on the " helicopter pilot "bit david , i'm still in the early stages of keeping a decent hover going , and if the wind gets under that disc (rotors) strange things can eminate , normally a crash haha ,

again guys i'm impressed with the help and support i'm getting on here , and i really appreciate it , i think i'll go with the thunder tiger 60 , and if its crap i'll blame you david wink just kidding , i'll wait maybe until tomorrow though in case someone else has flown the thunder tiger 60 , and may want to put there experiences down .

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Steve Webb has the Thunder Tiger 60 Trainer listed on his website. Have you checked with him?

Oh, and Andy, though the Senior Telemaster will fly well on a 61 two-stroke, I regret that Hobby-Lobby will no longer send me any kits and deal with all enquiries centrally. I wouldn't mind but I didn't even owe them any money when they pulled the plug!

Might be able to find the odd plan though. wink

Edited By David Davis on 27/03/2013 15:03:04

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