Ben Mullins Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Hello all! I've been given a Short Skyvan by the marvellous Phil Clarigde, along with a load of other planes. They are all broken in some way, ill post pictures of 'em all soon. I've decided to make a start on the Skyvan. A little bit of info: Wingspan: 49" Motors: 2 X Speed 400 (w/folding props) Control: 3 Channel, Rudder, Elevator & Throttle. Now then, the wing has been broken at some point and glued back together, but this has made the wing SEVERLY warped. Because of this I wish to make new wings for it. Another advantage of making wings would be more control. I think im right in saying twin rudders don't do much untill they are at speed. Also, the wing has a high aspect ratio, but the wings arn't acctually that long, so they will need alot of speed before the plane even thinks of getting off the ground. So theres the lo-down on the plane. Seen as I want to make a new wing, I need to find the plans. So a search around finds many 49" Short Skyvan plans around, GREAT! Or not so great. It means im gunna have to work out which is right for me. Heres a link for the american forum RC Groups Skyvan thread. It has all different links for plans on the plane. Now, not being lazy, i've had a look at all the plans. The first link, the AMA website, doesn't work (we'll come back to that later), Second link takes us to a German website, but comes up with an error. So In the search bar I typed Skyvan in and it came up with this plane. I don't think that is the plan, as it doesn't look like the right plane (this is where a picture would help you people!). So, onto the next one, a freebie plan website, scroll down a bit to find the plan. It looks alot like my Skyvan, but is a bit larger than mine, so its a possibility. I scroll through the rest of the thread and the last post says "I received my 49" AMA plans". Ohh! This could be the one. So I travel along to the Academy of Model Aeronautics website and get to thier Plans service. Click on the 'S-Plans' pdf and open up. I scroll down to find a couple of Short Skyvan plans. Both 49", interesting. Look across to find they both come from RCM&E! Now I think these are going to be my best bet. I think that the plan I want is the Short Skyvan from the March 1977 Issue of RCM&E. The table says that the plan is IC, but I think that someone could have easyily converted to electric some years later. Just a point of interest, the ESC inside the model is an old fleet item, true brit plane this! I've had a look at the my hobby store website and they don't seem to have it. So, does any one have the Short Skyvan plan from the March 1977 issue of RCM&E that I could beg, steal, borrow or buy? Ill post some piccies of the plane later so you can see if it looks the same. Thanks, Ben. Edited By Ben Mullins on 10/04/2009 11:14:43 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Mullins Posted April 10, 2009 Author Share Posted April 10, 2009 Here are some pictures then: Theres the fuselage with my TX to give it some scale The whole airframe put together, I think it looks quite nice! Those props are 6X3" folders, very small! And heres that Fleet ESC with a bit of gunk on the label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 I think im right in saying twin rudders don't do much untill they are at speed. That would be the case if the model had a single engine, as there would be no propwash over the rudders. Not so with the Skyvan, I think. The rudders appear to be directly behind the props and so should be effective at all speeds. Nice unusual project - god luck with it! tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Mullins Posted April 10, 2009 Author Share Posted April 10, 2009 good point there Tim. If all goes well Im hoping to give it a flight tomorrow, see if its worth restoring! Im allready looking at possible colour schemes! The Olypmic airways one looks nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Claridge Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 glad ive given you something to think about ben, i would say the skyvan was the rcme version as i knew the builder. he sometimes comes on the forum so he may reply . i was told you must give it a long take off run to get airbourne good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Mullins Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 Thanks for the heads up phil. I havn't flown it yet, but given it a taxi run, sure has enough power! Just waiting for some decent weather now. Out of interest, was the designer Kevin Flynn? Edited By Ben Mullins on 12/04/2009 20:54:17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Mullins Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 Well, I hope it is! I've just ordered the 2 magazines (March and April 1977) off a website with the plans in. Yippie! Total w/p&p £9.13. Lovely jubly! I can now rebuild the wings even if they fly well or not! Be interesting to see what modelling was like 17 years before I was born! The April mag has a Nuremburg review in it! Haha, what new innovations will there be?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Servo elastic escapments? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Claridge Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 did it fly ben? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Mullins Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 It hasn't flown as of yet: 1)My instructor wasn't there, I need my A before I can fly solo. 2)Battery power dropped off while taxiing 3)Would have charged the battery but its started raining and the cows started to invade! Hoping that it'll fly this weekend though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Mullins Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 Forgot to update! It semi flew for about 3 seconds, the warp in the wing is just too much. Flipped over almost immediatly. Nothing broken thankfully. Its gone in the loft to get other planes airworthy. I will come back to it in the winter. Edited By Ben Mullins on 24/04/2009 15:01:49Edited By Ben Mullins on 24/04/2009 15:02:03 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Claridge Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 shame about that ben i will tell my brother off he rebuilt that wing he's six foot one and doesnt like being critisized so scarper quick and hide we broke the wing trying a hand launch at our grass patch i found out i am a silly chucker as it went about ten feet straight to mother earth i have been told it flys well but its not fast good luck on the rebuild phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willhappy Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 hi Any news on the skyvan, been some time will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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