wing warp on Cosmic Wind

Cribbs74 wrote:Hey Roddie,

A heat gun may work, but I would wait for someone who has fixed this problem chime in first.

I have to ask though. Is it a good idea to get re-aquainted with CL by using a collectible plastic RTF while flying over pavement?

Ron

  well... that's only if one personally considers the model "collectible" I guess... as Rusty would say; "what could go wrong"?

I have a heat-gun (Wagner-HT1000) new, haven't ever used it. Dual heat 750/1000 degree option. I know I'd have to be real careful if I do use it. Maybe a hair dryer would be safer...   

[quote="roddie"]I noticed very slight warping along the trailing edges of my Cox Cosmic Wind models' wing... probably from years of sitting in a box with other models that hadn't been used in years and in disrepair. This airplane only flew a couple times... because it was too hard to stooge-launch from the grass where I used to fly... and was certainly no fun to land on the grass either.

I want to try flying it this weekend over pavement, with the 42 ft. regulation line-set for the speed contest... just to get myself used to turning circles again.. before I fly the Rare Bear. This model was furnished with 2 props from Cox.. which I still have. A 5 x 2 and 5 x 4.. with special molded hub to which the spinner snapped onto.

I clamped pcs. of wood along the trailing edges in hopes that this would straighten them out. Would using a heat-gun while they're clamped, help to "set" the edge back straight?




Roddie: I would go with the hair dryer on low to start with. The plastic doesn't need to melt to flow, just get warm. Also the wood pieces need to be hard and NOT flexible like the tongue depressors.  When the plastic is warm it should take the form of the flat hardwood pieces.   
  happydad

   

Thank you happydad... I think that's sound advice. I have some 1/4" x 2" maple stock that I could rip in half... and cut 4 pieces about 6" long. They'll be thin enough to clamp easily. I'll try the hair dryer 1st... let it cool-down for an hour or so... then check it and repeat if needed.

Thanks again!

The 4" pitch prop, it might be too fast. Then again the 2" might be too slow. If there's any breeze you sure don't want to be too slow. You'll lose control of it. Don't you have a 5x3 or a 6x3?
Rusty

Warped plastic is a BEE-ITCH, a heat gun works great...until your plastic melts without warning, I've found steam from a teapot or a hair dryer works better, safer. have cold water to dip the warm plastic in works more then anything, as it seems to "lock" the newly warmed plastic into shape. Reforming plastic is almost a art in itself.

RknRusty wrote:The 4" pitch prop, it might be too fast. Then again the 2" might be too slow. If there's any breeze you sure don't want to be too slow. You'll lose control of it. Don't you have a 5x3 or a 6x3?
Rusty

I've got lots of props Rusty. I was planning on trying the 5 x 4.. but I do have 3-blade 5 x 3's. The gear on this airplane is very short/stubby.. and a six inch diameter prop will hit the ground on this model, as soon as the tail comes up... so that's not an option.. at least for a ROG. "Fast" is the whole idea here... so I'll have some idea of how the Rare Bear will hopefully fly.

EDIT: as you can see; putting a 6"d prop on the Cox Cosmic Wind is not an option. With both models sitting level, the Rare Bear's engine centerline is a good inch + higher than the Cosmic Wind's.

I have a warp in my left wing creating down aileron so would be lifting the left wing and lines pushing out note there is no right rudder pre molded in. Mine is mint never flown came with two stock props I have the 5x4 on at the moment. I may convert this one to RC. I would skin the underside of the wing sanding in for a semi symmetrical airfoil to compensate the heavy but robust easy to clean plastic. I would fly with a TD .051 the carb and muffler. I would consider carbon tube spare epoxyed across the underside and then balsa sheet. It will come in hot unless there is a breeze then it could hover in on throttle. This sucker would need to be aggressively tossed to get on the wings quick. The span is 16.25in. At the wing saddle the root is 4in with 2in tips. From tip of spinner to rudder 14.25in.

1/2A Nut wrote:I have a warp in my left wing creating down aileron so would be lifting the left wing and lines pushing out note there is no right rudder pre molded in. Mine is mint never flown came with two stock props I have the 5x4 on at the moment. I may convert this one to RC. I would skin the underside of the wing sanding in for a semi symmetrical airfoil to compensate the heavy but robust easy to clean plastic. I would fly with a TD .051 the carb and muffler. I would consider carbon tube spare epoxyed across the underside and then balsa sheet. It will come in hot unless there is a breeze then it could hover in on throttle. This sucker would need to be aggressively tossed to get on the wings quick. The span is 16.25in. At the wing saddle the root is 4in with 2in tips. From tip of spinner to rudder 14.25in.

Yea.. Cox built smaller .049 RTF's.. but not much smaller than this mono. Converting to R/C would be a challenge... but It might be better if trying that; to "build" a new semi-symmetrical wing with ailerons and less (or zero) dihedral..and the same type of saddle-mount as the original. Instead of cutting the nose apart to fit a Tee Dee.. either use a hot-rodded Bee.. or make a plywood plate that screws to the front of a horseshoe backplate to accept a small brushless out-runner.. and retain the integrity of the original engine mount. If you got creative enough.. you could do all of this without hacking the model. The receiver/speed control could mount to the center of the new wing inside the fuse, aileron servos (x2) in the wing could be set-up on a mixer to act as flaps to help with landing.. and the LiPo for the motor could be mounted externally under the fuse which is reasonably flat; from the nose rearward by using a Velcro strip for adjusting balance and rubber bands to secure it in flight. The trickiest part would be the elevator linkage. To avoid breaking something.. and to keep it original.. a servo would need to be mounted so as to actuate the C/L bellcrank.


The plastic pushrod "does" remove.. but the bellcrank is mounted using a clip that you don't want to remove if you don't have to.


Those lead-outs I made to make line-changes/attachment easier.



Note that the model has a rather large slug of "lead" in the nose from the factory. It is secured with a screw on the bottom and could be removed for balancing.

Wow, STS,

That is some kind of find. Even the glowplug looks new/unused. I've never seen that package before.

More importantly, this is just your second post in five years...welcome to CEF, the best little engine website on the Internet!

944_Jim wrote:Wow, STS,

That is some kind of find. Even the glowplug looks new/unused. I've never seen that package before.

More importantly, this is just your second post in five years...welcome to CEF, the best little engine website on the Internet!

I have a bunch of cox stuff Texan, Corsair a stack of Hyper vipers a big R Valentine collection, and countless others My collection is pretty nice many have more than I lol BTW the Cosmic wind is 100% Virgin with all the paperwork A.B. placed in it..

I like the plane and is that the hanger ? Michelob