Scratch

[Christopher Wolfe]

G''day from down under.

This is my first posting to this forum so time for introductions.

I live next to a large lake, so tend towards floatplanes,

All my models are carefully built by hand, usually from traditional balsa and ply but carbon fibre and Mylar covering are becoming useful as I learn how to use them properly.

Regards from down under

Skippy

[David Ovenden]

Welcome Chris,

It would be nice to see some photos of your floatplanes. It's wet and cold here, but summer for you, so maybe you have some nice summer flying pics to share?

David

[Christopher Wolfe]

Thanks David. I plan to go flying off the lake in a week or three when all the holidaymakers have departed so shall take some photos.

Currently on the building board is a DB 'Mighty Barnstormer" with my mods for floats, flaps and 2 piece wings to plug into a fixed centre section. I found a short kit locally for less than $100 Au and as well as the full size plan all templates were supplied on sticky paper.

Power is to be a new Saito FA -100T, it should look nice with the heads poking out both sides of the cowling.

I think that if my calculations are correct and so comparing the weight of the Saito twin to the average .60 two stroke engine from when the Mighty Barnstormer was originally designed my calculations resulted in shortening the nose by 24mm (about 1 inch). Better than adding lead to the tail.

Power should be (hopefully) adequate for the conversion and to lift the Mighty Barnstormer to fly above the lake on floats .

I shall post build/progress photos if anybody is interested.

Skippy

[Toni Reynaud]

We are always interested in a build, especially one that contains a few mods from the original plan!

[Nigel R]

Hello and welcome

[Nick Cripps]

Hi Skippy, welcome to the forum.

I also regularly fly waterplanes and am currently building a variation of the Barnstormer 72 called the Sea Stormer. This is a low wing version styled like a Supermarine Schneider Cup seaplane with a wingspan of 69" for a .90 four-stroke.

It uses the same ribs and construction style as the Barnstormer and was published as a plan in the July 1996 issue of Aviation Modeller International. The plan is still available from ADH Publishing/Doolittle Media.

I look forward to hearing more about the Mighty Barnstormer build and your waterplane flying exploits!

[kevin b]

Hi Chris and greetings from North Yorkshire.

Rather than shorten the nose, why not move the battery and servos nearer the tail ? There should be plenty of room in the fuselage to access them.

[kc]

Welcome to the forum Chris.

I think Kevin is right - leave the front as standard & move the battery rearwards if needed. In any case it would only take a tiny amount of lead at the tail compared to a huge chunk of lead at the front if your calculation is wrong!

[Christopher Wolfe]

Hi people.Thanks for the wecoming words

I once built a Svenson Wayfarer and decided to power it with a Saito .90 twin.

As the rear end was already lightened a bit by building the rudder and elevators from laminated outlines and using a pull-pull rudder cable my calculations resulted in this after chopping the nose a bit.

A bit ugly but it flew very sweetly. It still flies well after 16 years

My second floatplane is nearly 25 years old and it's specialty is inverted runs on the lake to leave a wake at our annual floatplane comp (a bit of piano wire taped to the fin helps}.

Estes missiles now de-commissioned and launch pods removed after a chat with my friendly local poiceman after a few pesky jet-skiers complained - Well they broke my fishing lines so need to keep 30m away.

So why do people use slabs of balsa for control surfaces?

Control Line Stunt fliers worked this out long ago.

Look at a typical WWII aeroplane, rudder, elevators and ailerons typically fabric covered. then ask yourself why?

Regards * skippy *

Edited By Christopher Wolfe on 24/12/2020 08:24:17