My Shoestring Stunter is RTF

There are dozens of Foxes, plenty cheap on the Bay too. I could have had one for $35 plus $8 with a Buy It Now button. But I like the looks of the Thunder Tiger, and considering the source, I went with the one I knew i could trust. In the picture, the needle on the Tigger looks just like my Norvel fine thread ones... I wonder.

New good news. The previous owner has a brand new fuse to give me at the club meeting Monday evening. I'll just make all new tail feathers and whatever other parts are needed. It will make a longer project, but a much nicer airframe. And I can dispense with that gawd-awful yellow junk. A nice lightweight paint and covering job, a new Thunder Tiger ball bearing hot rod engine, and I'll be in business.

Good deal Rusty, the one I saw was red with cream wings. It looked great.

The new fuse was a stroke of good luck!

Ron

cribbs74 wrote:Good deal Rusty, the one I saw was red with cream wings. It looked great.

The new fuse was a stroke of good luck!

Ron

No kidding, it'll be a new plane. I'm not a cream color guy though.

I've been trying to look up information on that Thunder Tiger Pro, but there's hardly anything about the .25 on the web. I found a manual on the ABN R/C version but not the ABC or any C/L version. Larger TTs seem to be really popular in cars and boats.

Hi Rusty,
Yep, theres not a lot of info out there on them. Not to steer you away from us, but you might hit Stuka Stunt for info. It's C/L stunt, period, and theres a ton of set-up suggestions.

(0.7 hp @ 16,000 r.p.m.)

http://manuals.hobbico.com/ttr/pro-air-series-manual.pdf

hey, how 'bout dark red and white with some black trim?

Mark Boesen wrote:hey, how 'bout dark red and white with some black trim?

I LIKE it! I was thinking of suggesting Bernie call his Garnet and Black Bee the Carolina Shaker, or the Gamecock. But nobody but me would get a kick out of it. Garnet and black on the Shoestring. I'll seriously think about it.

About the Thunder Tiger, the main thing I've been reading about is when, if ever it changed to ABN... or from ABN to ABC. The box says ABC, but there's major confusion because some say the sheet in the box says ABN. I was just trying to find a time when this might have changed and what it means to me as an engine owner. Yiiii!

Yep, that's the manual I downloaded that started my search.

And another thing, the NVA on yours looks like a Super Tigre NVA. In fact it looks just like the Driscoll F/T NVA I use on my Norvel.

It is a ST needle or at least a knock off, I mentioned that in the PM last night, also sent a spare.

I'm thinking 10x4 or 9x4 prop is the ticket.

Yep, the box says ABC...some say ABC is better, some say ABN is better, I don't think it really matters. What it is I really don't know, I'd guess and say ABC as that what it says on the box?

p.s.
years ago i did a Sig Banshee that kinda looked like a Gee Bee, white with red trim and Husker logos, it rocked!

The "hard" chrome plating is harder than the nickle plating. The aluminum piston supposedly wears out about when the nickle plating wears out, the chrome supposedly can go through a couple pistons before wearing through.

The brass of the liner won't hold up for long without the plating.

There are very few engines I have seen run this hard, or this much (let alone run one like that myself!). I don't think the difference is significant for most of us who fly a couple dozen days a year.

Phil

I'm going to need a strip of some lightweight fiberglass cloth, but I can only find medium everywhere I have searched. Anyone know where to get it, or what would be a good substitute. The plans refer to it as nylon. I also need to know what size the ply doublers on the nose are. I'm thinking 1/16". I can't see even an outline where they were applied to the original, but I haven't excavated yet.

Is this the stuff?
http://www.sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmart.exe/MainMenuFV5.html?E+Sig
EDIT: That link doesn't go to it. The part number is: SIGSH571

Opinions are like noses, everybodys got one. I'd repair the busted fuselage and go, save the new one for a second plane...that and I want see you flying ASAP!

Not a bad idea. That way if you wreck while getting used to the bigguns you will have a spare

Fiberglass cloth is measured in the weight per square yard. A 6 oz cloth weighs 6 oz per square yard, and is the standard weight for most applications such as full scale boats, car bodies, storm celler doors...

If you look under "fiberglass cloth" SIG offers 6 oz, 1.5 oz, .75 oz, and .56 oz. The .75 oz is probably what you want. You will need to cut it into strips, and stout shears are the most expedient means, but the shears won't last long. Trapping the cloth between a piece of metal bar and a cutting surface, then using a fresh, stout razor knife is probably better as the blade can be replaced.

When you cut it, cutting it diagonally will provide for stronger resistance to twisting, while not reducing the resistance to bending by much.

Phil

If you want to use nylon get some rip stop from the fabric store.

Thanks for the cloth info, Phil.

Man, you guys are making a real play on my wishy-washiness. I kind of want to fly the thing too. Then at least if I bust it again, I'll have some experience with it, being a new type plane to me and all. Y'all are my fun-compass.
See I'm already rationalizing. A complete rebuild will be a Lot of work.

Rusty
You can't go wrong with that Thunder Tiger .25, a real great engine. And their hot.

I would be concerned with the weight. My Fox on my Shoestring with tongue muffler is weighing 6.85 oz's. A OS LA .25 without muffler weighs 8.30 oz's. A Magnum .25 ball bearing weighs in at 8 oz's no venturi no muffler or needle. The Magnum shares similarities to the Thunder Tigre.In all cases, the stock mufflers are USELESS for control line. They're going to add an immense amount of weight and they're going to cause problems in the engine run itself. They're too restrictive and they will only add to overheating and sagging of the engine. A tongue muffler will reduce weight and also allow for better flow. The Fox ball bearing .25 is the lightest ball bearing engine which weighs 7.8 oz's no muffler. The Mccoy .35 weighs in a 6.75 oz's.

The Goldberg Shoestring wasn't designed for modern engines. It's not that they wouldn't work, but you certainly are going to need a lot of extra tail weight to carry around. I see this frequently how the LA .25 for instance is considered the replacement for the Fox.35. These are two totally different engines with totally different characteristics and I for one know for a fact that a LA .25 on a Goldberg Shoestring isn't going to outrun a Fox.35 in performance. I've never seen a LA .25 swing a 10 x 6 for instance (at least not happily) and I certainly have never seen a LA .25 fly a 550+ sq inch airframe. Our speed limit stuff is 420 squares and weighing less than 24 oz's. The LA on these types of planes are running flat out with no power to spare and are slightly struggling. This is where I enjoy the ball bearing .25's as these have more than enough power to spare.

I've seen this at Brodak's over the past years as well. Yes, LA's have taken first place the past 2 years at Brodak's but this hasn't been with Goldberg kits. A new laser cut kit from either Brodak or Eric Rule has been the success due to the all up weight of these planes not exceeding 26 oz's. I would venture to say that a Goldberg plane even with a Fox .35 still weighs close to 33 oz's. if not more. Just something to think about when choosing engines. Ken

So if I'm not mistaken, mine compares most closely with the Magnum. I have no need for a muffler except for my own ears. I've enjoyed using the muffled Norvel, because it's much quieter than my angry Tee Dee. I'd forgotten how much until I fired up the Li'l Satan at the field last week. But I can at least leave that off to help some. If it won't perform in its quick-repaired form, I'll go ahead and rebuild it with the new fuse. My Goldberg plans say it should not exceed an AUW of 30oz. I should be able to come in under that If it won't perform with that, I'll go back to the Fox. I was about to pull the trigger on one for $35+$8 the other night when the sexy TT snatched my attention. If I end up with a Fox on the Shoestring, I'll have to build another plane for the TT.

Rusty, I would think you should be able to use that engine. Just watch your balance which is why I listed the differences in engine weights. I've come across some porky examples and mine which I feel is average is weighing 28.5 oz's ready to go. My plane though has some heavy covering as I like to use this on my racing models. My posting of engines and weights was in regards to how the plane would fly in the event you wanted it to be maneuverable. I know you stated the original builder had a OS .40 on it. I was real curious as to which one seeing that most OS .40's for the most part weighs in at almost 10 oz's.

I've seen this done before where the model is powered with a large engine and once the power cuts it falls like a rock. If you have the ability to ditch the muffler, that will obviously keep the weight off the nose. My only other concerns would be the size venturi that's in the engine. Was this originally a R/C engine that's been converted? Ken

No, my new TT is an CL engine. Mike may have been mistaken about the OS 40. The bolt holes are in the correct place for a Fox and should fit my Thunder Tiger too. When I saw it fly, he was doing nice circular loops and decent wingovers, and when the power cut it glided in for a pretty landing. Unfortunately for him, the next landing was unscheduled. I'll say this, when I held it for launch, it almost jerked itself loose from my grip. I had underestimated how hard the big thing would pull. I'm sure glad I managed to hang on.

Hi Rusty,

No, it was a R/C engine, the venturi is the correct size. Like i had mentioned it saw action on a C/L plane and briefly on a R/C.

Mark Boesen wrote:Hi Rusty,

No, it was a R/C engine, the venturi is the correct size. Like i had mentioned it saw action on a C/L plane and briefly on a R/C.

Ah, okay. I'm looking forward to playing with it.

Speaking of playing, I need to fly. If I can't sneak out to fly my little ones this Sunday, it'll be a couple of weeks before I get to fly. It's going to start getting windy soon, and won't dependably calm down before May.

I used 3" bamboo sticks sharpened on each end and epoxy. the fuse is straight and the elevator and wing are lined up perfectly. I still have to pack the gaps with sawdust and more epoxy.

I'll patch the elevator with a basswood strip and mount the engine. I don't know if I have a big enough tank, but I'll rig something up for now and order a new wedge if I need it.







Not only that, but i got the tail feathers for the T-28 cut out. All except for the rear section of the rudder because I ran out of wood.

Awww man! Looking good. Love those Shoestrings. Not much longer now.