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Post by grubbyjeans on Oct 18, 2007 2:45:40 GMT 1
I've graduated beyond flying folded paper. Here is one of my learning experiences with my first r/c plane, the HZ SC. I've repaired the plane and am now back in the air. The crash repair: www.flickr.com/photos/grubbyjeans/My first video: The sun was low and I needed more light but I'm happy I didn't crash again. ;D www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_gpBCVCg1w |
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zeta30
Squadron leader
Posts: 162
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Post by zeta30 on Oct 18, 2007 3:08:41 GMT 1
That is a great repair job! Looks very clean. I wish I had that talent...I also like the camera mount, what an awesome idea.
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Post by flydiver on Oct 18, 2007 6:10:24 GMT 1
Very nice repair job. Pictures are great-tell the whole story.
I consider the battery box/wing spars/landing gear to be the "trifecta" of weakness for the Cub. All those forces coming together at the same place. This forum encouraged me to get away from wing spars (put in a carbon spar), and reglue the battery box while reinforcing it and the landing gear. Nothing broken in that area in months of flying.
flydiver
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bar
Flight lieutenant
Posts: 64
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Post by bar on Oct 28, 2007 11:17:56 GMT 1
nice work.yea i agree with you flydiver. the batt box/landing gear combo is the Cub's Achilles heel. i've re-glued the batt box about 4 times now, and i'm forever bending the LG back into shape.
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Post by patmatgal on Mar 18, 2008 15:50:22 GMT 1
Uh Oh.. Is this what I have to look forward to? I`m a newbie (do more crashing than flying) and these problems are starting to show up, battery box tearing out of fuse and landing gear popping out. Before these become more major problems, is there anything I can do now to reinforce the foam area around the battery box? Try to put off the inevitable I suppose. grubbyjeans, those are some good pics, that looks like a fantastic repair job.
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Post by flydiver on Mar 18, 2008 17:27:37 GMT 1
I took the box out and gorilla glued in short 'whiskers' of .5mm carbon fiber all the way around into the foam-3 per side of the box area. Those little foam tabs are pretty flimsy.
Then I glued 2 x 5mm wide strips about an inch long vertically in the front where the landing gear hits the foam to brace it. Then re-glue the box.
I replaced the struts with a carbon rod in the wing so they wouldn't be yanking on the box.
FWIW, ALL planes have weaknesses. The Cub is better than most but is also used by new fliers that test it's strength rather rigorously. After all, in the end it's just foam and can only take so much. Your first plane is likely to be a bit of a sacrifice. If you REALLY mess it up you just have to start over. If you are going to learn to fly, you have to learn to fix. Goes with the sport. Crashing will always be with you but does get WAY better after awhile.
fly
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Post by patmatgal on Mar 18, 2008 18:50:22 GMT 1
Right now I`m just putting generous amounts of Gorilla Glue in thru the battery hatch, hoping for it to foam up between the battery box and inner fuse wall (watching out for the X Port). It can be smoothed out so as not to interfere with removing and installing the battery and of course there`s the air flow around battery that has to be kept. Any other ideas?
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Post by flydiver on Mar 18, 2008 20:16:07 GMT 1
Just read around in the forum, esp. troubleshooting. Make notes of stuff that pops up all the time as a problem. Fix accordingly.
I would glue ~ 5-6" of 3mm carbon or bamboo skewer on each side of the skinny area of the tail. The whole tail breaks off in cartwheel crashes. These seem to happen when you are learning to land in wind and get caught cross wise a a critical moment.
Tape a thin flat carbon ribbon on the elevator for the same reason. The cartwheels crease/break them.
Tape the wing-leading edge minimum, along the entire bottom is good, and around the tips to protect from rash.
If you don't do the carbon rod wing reinforcement, replace the lousy struts with an alternative. Lots of suggestions for that.
Get larger wheels (3") - lands and takes off better. Less likely to nose over and break props. You'll probably have to epoxy on some brass tubing (5/32"?) to make the axle larger so the wheels don't wobble, and add wheel stoppers. Several more extensive threads available on doing this. Well worth the effort.
I took the box out to put in the carbon whisker reinforcement but you could also just push them in from the outside since you have it so gooped up with glue. Just make them a tad shorter than the distance from the outside to the box.
Reinforce the wing saddle front and back somehow (I glued in flat carbon trimmed to fit). It gets pretty bashed up and the wing saddle gets sloppy. Even a layer of duct tape would help.
Expect the landing gear to bend. It takes most of the shock of poor landings. Just pop it out and reverse. Do NOT try to straighten in place as that stresses the box. I straighten at home in a vise after flying so it's reasonable for the next outing. Could be worth having a spare if you landing area is rough and you bend them a lot.
A slight larger rear wheel is nice-helps ground control.
fly
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Post by patmatgal on Mar 19, 2008 18:52:11 GMT 1
OK.
"Tape a thin flat carbon ribbon on the elevator for the same reason. The cartwheels crease/break them." That`s a new one for me, but I`m about to do it. Been reading a lot about weak spots and what parts of the plane to reinforce. Tail already broke, wish I had done something prior to that. Bamboo skewers...
Many thanks
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Post by mararra on Mar 19, 2008 23:21:58 GMT 1
Looks like the "Fly" has got 'er down pat. Great advice there!
M
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