Roddie's 1st bipe-circa 1992

roddie Mon Nov 05, 2018 7:56 pm

This was a self-designed 1/2A class, control-line, sheet-wing/profile biplane.. derived from tracings/patterns from a Sterling DR-1 kit E2's top and center wings, tail-feathers and fuse (side-profile). The year was sometime around 1992.. and I'd already started building the Sterling kit.. and had completed all the "subassemblies".

The Sterling DR-1 was my first attempt at a completely built-up balsawood scale-model... and I was quite happy with how it was turning-out. Note that the "rudder" I chose to skin; both-sides with 1/64" plywood. I'd planned on an eventual radio-installation.. powered by a Cox .049 Babe Bee with Ace/Cooney venturi throttle. The Sterling kit-build hasn't progressed any further.. because there were significant improvements being made in radio-gear; particularly nano radio-gear.. so I thought it best to wait a while.. to install lighter-weight components as they became available.

I was a novice control-line flyer.. but had been doing a LOT of flying. I wanted a biplane because I always loved the way they looked. I already had one self-designed 1/2A C/L mono-plane model under my belt which flew ok, so why not try a biplane?

I chose 1/4" (6.4mm) sheet-balsa for the fuse.. and 1/8" (3.18mm) sheet-balsa for the two "sheet-wings" and tail-feathers. The two-pair of wing-struts are craft (popsicle) sticks.

This is what I came up with..

The main gear is an inverted "V" design of 1/16" music-wire and lightweight/custom "craft-store" tin-spoke wheels..

The hubcaps are index-card paper "cones" glued-on and painted with Aero-Gloss "Fokker-Red".

Painted (Aero-Gloss Fokker-Red) and ready to fly (circa 1992) with Cox .049 reed-valve engine sporting an updated product/horseshoe back-plate and Perfect-brand wedge/stunt-tank.

I had a BLAST flying this airplane back then.. and put a LOT of hours on it. It towed Mylar happy-birthday banners for parties.. and did some "balloon-bursting" too!

Marleysky Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:54 pm

Nice trip down memory lane there Roddie! You’ve build a number of flyable balsa models that are pretty impressive. I’ve always used “factory” designed kits to help ensure good flying, but crashed a few back in the day..

getback Tue Nov 06, 2018 8:30 am

Thats Cool man good to see you out there fling , i like the design of the DR-1 that plane looks big for a 1/2 .049 But i am sure once in the air shed bee a good floater !

roddie Wed Nov 07, 2018 6:47 pm

Marleysky wrote:Nice trip down memory lane there Roddie! You’ve build a number of flyable balsa models that are pretty impressive. I’ve always used “factory” designed kits to help ensure good flying, but crashed a few back in the day..

Hi Rene, Thanks so much for commenting. Yea.. I've enjoyed designing my own models.. more than buying kits.. or building from plans. The thrill/satisfaction for me was.. and still is; being able to control the flight of a model that I designed, built and worked on its engine to get it running strong enough to get it off the ground. That makes me feel like I know what I'm doing.. even though I don't.

roddie Wed Nov 07, 2018 7:51 pm

getback wrote:Thats Cool man good to see you out there fling , i like the design of the DR-1 that plane looks big for a 1/2 .049 But i am sure once in the air shed bee a good floater !

Hey buddy-man! Those photos of me flying; bring back some really great memories. I flew a LOT back then. I was in my early "30's".. and had just been "bitten-bad" by the model-airplane flying bug/history. I wasn't into computers yet either. There were still hobby-shops around back then.. who's owners were knowledgeable-enough to know about the old engine that you brought in.. and sat on the shelf.

You bring up a GOOD point Eric. My early C/L designs were a bit large for the stock Cox .049 reed-valve engines that I was running back then. Maybe the saving-grace was the short (26ft.) line-length that I used when I flew those airplanes in my side-yard at home. That's where I flew back then. I had four children with only one year between all of them. Our side-yard had just about enough clearance for a 55 foot circle. I used to measure-off and stake a 5-gal. "pail-lid" in the center of the circle to feel with my "foot" while flying.. so as not to wander-off circuit.

My latest designs for Cox .049 engines have been smaller; mostly due to the info. surrounding the Forum's Speed-Contests which started in 2013.

NEW222 Wed Nov 07, 2018 8:20 pm

Nice design, and great build. I like when you share your own designed models. Always very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

roddie Wed Nov 07, 2018 8:46 pm

NEW222 wrote:Nice design, and great build. I like when you share your own designed models. Always very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Thank You Chancey! Cutting-up and gluing-together some balsa-wood to mount a model-airplane engine on.. and "fly it"... is more fun than............... well....... let's just say that it can be a lot of fun! Thumbs Up

rsv1cox Thu Nov 08, 2018 6:43 am

Looks great roddie, and you know I'm a big fan of Bipes.

Love the way you did the fuel tank too, built into the fuselage. Seems like the most logical way to do it on a profile but it doesn't seem to get much love here on the forum.

I did mine that way sometime back in the '80's on this home built.

Benefits are less drag, profile fuselage loses no structural integrity, shorter fuel lines, and no need for rubber bands or wires.

Bob

getback Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:36 am

Is the fuel tank glued in ? Pumpkin

rsv1cox Fri Nov 09, 2018 10:43 am

getback wrote:Is the fuel tank glued in ?

Mine was epoxied in. I would think that roddie did the same, or perhaps CA?

Ken Cook Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:01 pm

The main reason for installing a wedge in the fashion mounted is that it lines the feed up correctly with the venturi. This is the main reason why a TD doesn't want to draw fuel correctly on a profile. A TD can be made to draw properly when this type of mounting is used. When the tank is mounted conventionally onto the side of the fuse this places the engine in a automatic lean condition. The pickup is too far outboard. The draw back to this type of mounting is one: the tank height can't be adjusted unless you leave enough room and the other is that centrifugal force can richen the run. This may require moving the tank further outboard if needed. It's not quite the same run as a inboard mounted tank but it could very well need to be leaned up on launch more. This however can also have a impact on level flight vs going into maneuvers . Whenever I secure a tank like this, I use RTV. While contractor grade silicone works, it attacks the plating whereas RTV doesn't.

rsv1cox Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:27 pm

I hadn't thought of using RTV Ken, might mitigate vibration and fuel foaming if the area between tank and fuselage is loose enough.

I flew this model frequently in my younger days and the engine always ran great. The engine was the best part of the plane, but my flap design made for some erratic maneuvers but I had fun with it. The wing is the tail from a crashed R/C model aircraft.

My son flew it as recently as a few months ago and had a lot of trouble keeping it in the air.

Bob

roddie Fri Nov 09, 2018 5:30 pm

rsv1cox wrote:
getback wrote:Is the fuel tank glued in ?

Mine was epoxied in. I would think that roddie did the same, or perhaps CA?

The wedge-tank that I used; a Perfect-brand #17 long/tiny 1/4 oz./7.4cc capacity, was definitely NOT glued-into the fuse. I don't have many photos of the airplane from back when I was flying it. The tank was held captive merely by the fuel-line connecting it to the engine. Looking back; that wasn't the most brilliant approach.. Laughing

but the airplane always flew-out the fuel in the tank. This model wasn't a stunter.. but rather a roundy-round model that was controllable.. and when out of fuel; usually landed on it's gear.. without incident. Satisfying.. when you're a novice-flyer.

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Roddie's 1st bipe-circa 1992

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