The TEMAC Frankenbuild Challenge- to build a flyable airplane from orphaned airplane parts.
For the next build class on November 22, please bring any homeless wings, fuses, tail feathers. We will make teams (a guy who brought a wing teams up with a guy who brought a fuse) or you can go solo.
Object:
-Create a flyable airplane from trashed airplane parts.
Two classes
Beauty- a combination build that is obviously beautiful like a Spitfire Biplane.
Beast- an ugly combination of orphaned feathers flying in formation :D. The uglier, the better.
Test
The plane must make at least one circuit roughly the size of the cut field at Rogo Field.
The plane can have wheels, be hand launched or bungee launched.
The flight does not have to be pretty. It must just make the one circuit safely without touching the ground.
Be creative but please make sure it is safe.
Schedule
- Nov 22 build class- bring your orphaned wings, fuses and feathers
- form teams and trade parts to be able to make the plane. If you can't find a match, you can build the needed part out of foam, balsa or even a broom stick!
- January build meeting- have questions answered, problems solved and watch build techniques. If you are stuck or need help we will assign a mentor to your team.
- February Pilot Meeting- progress report. Bring your projects for show 'n tell at whatever stage it is at.
- May- watch the schedule for a Maidenfest type event at Rogo Field. Actual date depends on the spring weather.
note: the Morning Crew will have to field at least one plane besides Bruce's Triplane. They probably own more orphaned plane parts than the rest of our club combined. 8)
We have challenged the Beeton Club that we can out-Frankenbuild them any day. We will combine the projects at an event one of the club fields*.
Gentlemen.... start rummaging in your shops. ;D If you don't have any trashed parts you are not flying hard enough!
Frank
* The Beeton Club is both gas and electric. We will not know whether the participation in the event includes a gas project. If there is we will have to accommodate it somehow.
WHAT AM I BRINGING FOR THE FRANKENPLANE/BUILD CHALLENGE?
one 56 inch balsa wing from a Carl Goldberg Skylark. (Looking for a fuselage mate.)
one 36 inch foam Hiperbipe wing. (Looking for another wing and fuselage - Willing to mate with only a fuselage. Note: on a Nooner or similar fuselage, I think this wing could go like 'stink'.)
one 37 inch foam wing and fuselage from a Parkzone SE5A. (Actually think this one could be made into a Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 - 1918 German Military float plane.
Also a few other odds and ends.
Well, my Frankenbuild started tonight.
Re-joined the wing with some dihedral, cleaned up the fuse and added a firewall.
Here we go! Pics will be added later.
Looks like we will have some interesting planes.
Adam is building a Spezzna- a Spirit type glider body with a Cessna wing
Bruce is building the amazing triplane.... amazing considering he had to crash two planes first to start his project. For him, the crashing was a morning's work! ;D
Simon's project is so secret... which means it will probably have a 6S leaf blower built in (EDF).
BJ is starting strange so his project will end as a strange contraption. He was last seen holding a Mule fuse to a wing. Stay tuned.
Glenn's project is very secret. He just builds and shows up.
Vadim is also up to no good. He was last seen eyeing some parts
My project- An Amptique wing tied to a cardboard plan mailing tube body to hold the Chili Breeze .25 tail feathers in line.
Someone came up with a great idea. All planes must have a Frankenstein bolt through the fuselage.
Our aim- to have the models to show off at the February Pilots Meeting.
Frank
Here we go:
1. Wing re-joined with dihedral.
2. Fuse now has firewall and wing mounting plate.
I will be joining a P47 Thunderbolt wing to a Taylor Craft fuse. It will become a T47 Taylorbolt. I haven't decided it it will have the cannons and bombs on it, but I think so.
Rob,
re: "Taylorbolt."
How about "ThunderCraft" :D
Interesting combination. Why not get a second wing? Bruce has likely crashed many a Thunderbolt.
Frank
My Frankenbuild is progressing nicely:
The fuse is a 36" long tube that used to hold plans. It has an 8" long sliding cap. The neat part. I can assemble the whole plane, add the radio and batteries and slide the cap on. It slides forward and backward until the right CG is found and then some electrical tape will hold it in place.
Made a 10" slit in the bottom of the tube and squeezed the tube together to reduce the diameter towards the tail, added 5 minute epoxy and rolled electrical tape on it to hold everything in place. Then made a slot in the tail and slid the entire tailplane from the crashed ChiliBreeze, glued and electrical taped it in place.
Put two 1/8" plywood disks into the lid with 5 minute epoxy so the motor X mount can be bolted onto the front. Then the magical Mandarin box triangles will be glued to the sides to act as a wing saddle. Will just rubber band the wing to hold it on. The wing is about 54" span from an old Amptique
Once I find the proper CG by sliding the cap in and out, I will drill a hole and have the Frankenbolt (neck bolt) hold it in place.
The next challenge.... photos :D
Frank
Introducing the early of the T47 Taylorbolt (or quite possibly the Thundercraft)
Rob,
Love it. :) :) With flaps even....
The Battle of Britain would have been over in half the time... the Luftwaffe pilots would have died laughing before firing a shot. ;D
Frank
ps: make sure the retracts don't hit the pilot in the head! 8)
My Frankenbuild plane. The wing is rubber banded onto the tube. The wing seat is a set of Mandarin triangles and the lite ply from the container. The wing saddle was glued in place with hot melt glue. The removable cover has the motor on it and can slide back and forth until the proper CG is located.
Note the pink foam fin as a proper transition from the tube to the tail plane.
The second photo shows the tapered back end of the tube and the expertly mated tail feathers and sub-fin.
The motor tube will be bolted on with the Frankenbolt. Out of respect for one of our members, the bolt will be kept in place by a wing nut. :D
Now just have to add the electronics and the pushrods.
Frank
Ah, the Dutch Clipper!
Update:
The servos are in, the radio is in, the ESC* is in and the motor tube is finished. The plywood battery tray is drying now (5 min epoxy). All ready to go. Next steps is to find the CG by sliding the motor tube to the right place and drilling the hole for the Frankenbolt and Wingnutz.
Frank
* 35 amp ESC, 10x6 prop on 3S. Just in case there is not enough power, the motor is 4 cell capable. All my bases are covered.
It's not pretty, Frank!!!! But I bet it will fly!
re: Simon's "It's not pretty"
The story of my life..... :D
It is actually a good feeling to see parts of a beloved crashed airplane fly again.... pretty or not.... :)
The Frankenbuild Challenge is Temac's version of signing our donor cards. ;D
Frank
Damn! The plane came out tail heavy and sliding the motor forward exposes the battery cavity. :(
The solution is very simple. There will be a bigass Frankenbolt across the fuselage just behind the motor to act as nose weight. I am also moving the wing back about 3/4" using slight-of-hand techniques*. ;)
In true FvB fashion, there is a 72 meg radio in the plane. Andy and I have to uphold tradition. 8)
Frank
* cutting 3/4" off the front end of the wing saddle and adding 3/4" to the back.
Balanced right on! Just completed all the changes.
Moved the wing back an inch on the fuse, put a big 5/16 diameter, 3 1/2" long Frankenbolt through the fuse (2 1/2" diameter) behind the motor, and put both a regular nut and a wing nut on it.... just to prove this club has at least two nuts! 8)
Frank
Photo 1 shows the motor tube taken apart. A 3S 2200 battery. The receiver is behind the battery. The ESC is behind the motor inside the motor tube. The white plate to the left of the battery is the wing saddle with two dowels for rubber bands. The entire wing saddle is made from Mandarin triangles and lite ply sides.
Photo 2 shows the motor tube in place... with the Frankenbolt and wingnut in place to help balance the plane.