David Ovenden Posted September 3, 2022 Share Posted September 3, 2022 Slightly misleading to post this in the Single Channel thread - but not completely. Got bored and have built a Veron Robot from plans I downloaded. When I'd printed and patched together all the A4 sheets it looked little distorted in the wing department so I re-drew the wing plan on tracing film to be straight and true. Model is now largely built. It will have an OS15 and three 9g servos for R.E.T. I will use it initially with 3 ch propo but intend to try it on single channel in due course. I have built an S/C transmitter using the info from the recent RCM&E article. Need to get it all covered and install the engine and radio next. Wonder how good my thumb-on-button technique will be after all these years? 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted September 5, 2022 Share Posted September 5, 2022 The Robot looks great David, almost a shame to cover it! ...and a good choice for s/c. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Cooper Posted September 6, 2022 Share Posted September 6, 2022 Wow, this takes me back 60 years to those sunny days of childhood and the fun we enjoyed with our single channel models. 🥰 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Christy Posted September 6, 2022 Share Posted September 6, 2022 Nice project, David! I've actually got a Robot, powered by an OS15 which flies it really well. I usually fly it on 6-channel "reeds" (Rudder, Elevator and Throttle), though occasionally I switch it back to a propo transmitter so that learners can experience how a PROPER training aircraft flies. Compared to most modern trainers, it is an absolute joy. Not as "floaty" as a Super 60, yet extremely stable and easy to handle. Brian: I still have a couple of genuine single channel models, flying on the button. One is a Mini-Robot, and the other set of s/c radio gear swaps between two models: A Sub-Mini (half size Super 60 for a Cox .049) and a Sharkface (also Cox .049 powered). These last two both use Elmic rubber driven escapements, and are a hoot to fly! -- Pete 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Cooper Posted September 6, 2022 Share Posted September 6, 2022 I still have some Elmic escapements ... and an RCS single channel Tx (on 27Mhz). They really should be in the museum at Buckminster. 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Curry Posted September 6, 2022 Share Posted September 6, 2022 Memories. I started my RC journey in the late sixties with an OS15 powered Robot, single channel with an Elmic Compact escapement. Excellent stable model for learners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted September 6, 2022 Share Posted September 6, 2022 (edited) The Robot plans are here on Outerzone if anybody needs them. However they don't show the diagonal ribs, so I wonder how David calculated these? Or even if its necessary to have shaped ribs - maybe plain diagonals would be just as good. Why anybody today should want to have single channel by push button is a mystery to me! But it takes all sorts to make a world! If you just want to make flying more difficult then surely it's easier to hold the Tx behind your back or something! Of course I am joking - full respect to those aeromodellers of the 1950's and 60's who developed RC to become what it is today. My view about aeromodelling is that we do it BECAUSE it's difficult. Edited September 6, 2022 by kc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Bowers Posted September 6, 2022 Share Posted September 6, 2022 44 minutes ago, kc said: <SNIP>However they don't show the diagonal ribs, so I wonder how David calculated these? <More SNIP> The wing is flat bottomed from the spar to the TE which makes it easier. Here’s how I’d do it. The height of the diagonal ribs is equal to the height of the chord-width ribs at the two ends. Probably another 5 points would do it. So mark up the chord-width rib on the plan into 6 equal parts, which gives the two ends plus 5 intermediate points. Measure the heights of the 2 ends and 5 intermediate points, so 7 heights. Lets call these H1 to H7 On a sheet of paper, draw a line of equal length to a diagonal rib and divide it into 6 as above. Draw lines / place points at a height of H1 to H7 along the length and join up the ends / dots. Hope this makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatMc Posted September 6, 2022 Share Posted September 6, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, kc said: The Robot plans are here on Outerzone if anybody needs them. However they don't show the diagonal ribs, so I wonder how David calculated these? Or even if its necessary to have shaped ribs - maybe plain diagonals would be just as good. Why anybody today should want to have single channel by push button is a mystery to me! But it takes all sorts to make a world! If you just want to make flying more difficult then surely it's easier to hold the Tx behind your back or something! Of course I am joking - full respect to those aeromodellers of the 1950's and 60's who developed RC to become what it is today. My view about aeromodelling is that we do it BECAUSE it's difficult. Of course you could always go the other way & still maintain nearly 60 years of vintage heritage. 😀 Full house Robot.pdf My version with a Fox15 Later converted to electric. Edited September 6, 2022 by PatMc 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ovenden Posted September 6, 2022 Author Share Posted September 6, 2022 2 hours ago, Graham Bowers said: The wing is flat bottomed from the spar to the TE which makes it easier. Here’s how I’d do it. The height of the diagonal ribs is equal to the height of the chord-width ribs at the two ends. Probably another 5 points would do it. So mark up the chord-width rib on the plan into 6 equal parts, which gives the two ends plus 5 intermediate points. Measure the heights of the 2 ends and 5 intermediate points, so 7 heights. Lets call these H1 to H7 On a sheet of paper, draw a line of equal length to a diagonal rib and divide it into 6 as above. Draw lines / place points at a height of H1 to H7 along the length and join up the ends / dots. Hope this makes sense. That's what I did 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ovenden Posted September 6, 2022 Author Share Posted September 6, 2022 Now got the engine and tank sorted. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ovenden Posted September 9, 2022 Author Share Posted September 9, 2022 Bit of a 70s colour scheme emerging here I feel? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted September 9, 2022 Share Posted September 9, 2022 (edited) On 06/09/2022 at 13:36, kc said: Why anybody today should want to have single channel by push button is a mystery to me! Many things are a mystery to me KC, but that particular one isnt 😀 Here we have a chap who in the full spirit of "& E" has built his own single-channel equipment, and a perfectly suited model to fly S/C. Well done David! Edited September 9, 2022 by Phil Green 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ovenden Posted September 9, 2022 Author Share Posted September 9, 2022 5 hours ago, Phil Green said: Many things are a mystery to me KC, but that particular one isnt 😀 Here we have a chap who in the full spirit of "& E" has built his own single-channel equipment, and a perfectly suited model to fly S/C. Well done David! Well Phil, I only wired up your unit in a box with 2 switches. So I didn't do much "E" work. Still it's been fun. Thanks for making the emulator units available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Cooper Posted September 9, 2022 Share Posted September 9, 2022 Yes, it certainly is a mystery. . . I also have a "button push" single channel outfit, and it is actually good fun. It's like going back to my childhood. In a nod to modern times, my radio has servos rather than rubber-powered escapements, but they have no finesse to them so they give full deflection when the button is held down.... such is the characteristic of single channel operation. Once for right. Twice for left. Three for up elevator. Quick blip, 3-position throttle. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Harris Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 I captured this video of my clubmate years ago flying what I think is the same model? FROG 80 powered using his original single channel radio. He let me have a go but I was pretty useless at it, in his skilled hands I was surprised at how aerobatic it was with just a rudder. We don't know how easy we have it these days. The quality of the video isn't great. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Stephenson Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 Richard, Looks like the Mini Robot by the size and lack of ailerons. I had one in the 60s powered by a DC Merlin. Rudder-only control was just enough to keep it out of trouble mostly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 And he got that Frog 80 to run with ease, a friend had one and could never get it to go well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ovenden Posted September 12, 2022 Author Share Posted September 12, 2022 Nice to see that video. Yes, it's amazing one can have controlled flight with just one push button! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 Just a reminder that there are many examples of S/C flying in the annual "S/C & Retro R/C event" videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pandas+single+channel+retro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ovenden Posted September 21, 2022 Author Share Posted September 21, 2022 It's slowly getting there. Need to finish rc installation now. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted September 21, 2022 Share Posted September 21, 2022 On 12/09/2022 at 12:31, J D 8 said: And he got that Frog 80 to run with ease, a friend had one and could never get it to go well. Mainly because they were knackered after a few hours of use. Secret was to acquire one new, or if less rich, in a cheap sweet spot. Assuming the rich original owner didn’t bend it, and you are not suspicious enough to spot it. Assuming the thing was not a Friday afternoon jobbie. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ovenden Posted October 2, 2022 Author Share Posted October 2, 2022 (edited) Successful first flights today in 3ch propo mode. Single channel test will follow later. Model was well overpowered with it's OS15! The other wing just visible in the photo was my Veron Tomtit. So it was a nostalgic 70s Veron morning! Photo courtesy of Paul De Tourtoulon Edited October 2, 2022 by David Ovenden 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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