How to design and build a model plane from corflute.

I think Gus the IA has built a bunch of them. Maybe he'll chime in. A bunch of people on RC Groups.com do it, you might check there.
Rusty

Here's a couple pictures of a Beginner Ringmaster I built as a trainer. I think it would fly ok with a .049.






I built ET-1 first, off the Stunt Hangar forum. The ET-1 flew better.

I don't think that you can beat materials like coroplast and foam board for speed building. Much quicker than balsa bashing.

This little electric plane looks very nice but as for conversion to, say, a Cox Babe Bee .......

On the negative side

Coroplast is heavier than a balsa build and the outrunner you currently have on the model has more power than a Cox 049.

From the photograph - I am guessing that you have used hot melt glue. I like the stuff for speed building, tacking things in place ...... but it doesn't like hot unburned fuel exhaust and hot engines .... it softens.

The engine mount would also need fuel proofing.

On the positive side

A Cox Babe Bee is lighter than all the electrickery - motor, battery, ESC and timer.

If it flies as is - then try it with a little Cox and see! Nothing ventured - nothing gained.

I have seen many I.C. engine powered Coroplast RC models and they fly well.

I have not seen a Coroplast 1/2 A control liner though.

Thanks for the replies and just so you know it's an rc plane. I have the air frame complete and am waiting on some servos and so far its relatively light as i weighed it all and added on what the servos weighed and the plane has a wing span of 700mm and a chord of 6" and weighs around 210 grams. Do you thing it will fly.

Oh sorry it is 320 grams

Mad Monkey-There are a few good websites for building with coroplast/coroflute, google SPAD.

Ian- I used CA to glue this plane together, I think I still have it. I should bolt a baby bee or black widow to it and see how it flies. The weight of that battery should make a huge difference. I could get 10-15 minutes easy out of that battery. I usually put up 10 kids for one minute flights before changing batteries. I think the plane will fly, I've built heavier coroplast combat wings and they flew well with a black widow.

Cheers.

This vid might help with some construction ideas. It's part one of three for this RC model that's powered by a Cox Black Widow.

I've thought about building that plane Roddie. I've watched those videos.

Here's part 2 of 3..

I can't seem to find part 3 of 3... ?? Here's the flight test... not too shabby.

duke.johnson wrote:I've thought about building that plane Roddie.  I've watched those videos.

Yea Duke, It's a pretty cool little model. I don't have any RC flying experience though... so this model wouldn't be good for beginners like me. Being quite aerobatic... it has no inherent stability characteristics of a trainer... like generous wing dihedral and has no throttle control.

Thanks all i will spend the evening watching the vids and will atempt to post a pic at some point and that may help you help me to improve it.
I made a plane once that flew no so well but the feeling of seeing my plane fly was so good i have been wanting to build ever sines. It was a park zone slo v that i changed a lot of and stuck a baby bee 049 on it and as you can imagine its very under powered.

roddie wrote:

duke.johnson wrote:I've thought about building that plane Roddie.  I've watched those videos.

Yea Duke, It's a pretty cool little model. I don't have any RC flying experience though... so this model wouldn't be good for beginners like me. Being quite aerobatic... it has no inherent stability characteristics of a trainer... like generous wing dihedral and has no throttle control.

You could go to the SPAD site and find a plane to suit your needs. I don't have that much RC experience either, I'm fine with the rudder and elevator planes, but I've been practicing on the sim for the full house planes. I have myself used to flying rudder/elev on the right stick and get all messed up when I move the rudder to the left stick. The good thing, coroplast will take a beating.