Ace R/C Guppy

Thanks guys, I thought I replied earlier but I guess it got lost in web world,

Yes, it will be powered by Peewee .020….. Remember the one I posted a few months ago that had the bent cylinder and 706 Jim fixed it?…. I wanted to build something relatively safe for that engine…

Yes, It does look kind of like a sea plane but definitely a dry land glider for me… I think it will give me some opportunity to fly small gas close to home…

   

Coming along nicely this about the speed i build at when doing so Looks like maybe you got the voltage thing figured out , hope so anyway .

Thanks, I like building so I don’t hurry it too much…I have the 5V regulators but am waiting on some switches I ordered…. Will make up a harness when that part comes around and do a little testing….

A little more progress….Just gotta finish a few details and install the radio…,An interesting thing happened on the wing… It was fairly floppy in its raw form but after three thin coats of the spar varnish wiped on it stiffened up pretty well… To the point I don’t think it will need any strapping tape “spars”… It will get a layer of Duck tape to protect leading edge however….

It got a 1/32 ply skid on its belly … Opportunities to fly close to home will be rough ground…

Looks Good , I guess putting the varnish on the foam filled the pours a bit to make stiffer ? that's cool cause i have a R/C plane to build that is some foam .. Thanks for that ! Parts coming from China LOL

Thanks Getback… The foam on the toy glider wing is fairly open structure (cheap) and Im guessing the varnish gave it a bit of a skin on the surface that helped to resist flexing ….Maybe kind of like covering an open frame structure with film…Add surface tension…

If you coat foam with varnish please be aware it will yellow somewhat, …. Was OK with me on this project due to its vintage design…

I will keep the yellowing in mind if I go that way , Kits still sealed and i got it from RSV Bob so it may just bee dust in it Joke between him and me You still waiting on equip. ?

Pretty much had everything except a switch… I had ordered some a couple of weeks ago but they have not come in so I had to find a donor…



So I made up a switch harness…. The 5 V regulator is that black blob under the red connector…. I have 2 S 370 mah for power so will hook it all up tomorrow and see if I can keep the smoke in….




It’s going to end up about 6.5 oz rtf…. Will give it some test glides when the wind dies down

The right day finally came around to see if Guppy would fly so gathered up and went out to a flying site I’ve been thinking about….

Getting prepped for flight…Last photo just in case    



I flew it a few times then set the phone up to video…. Grabbed a few still shots out of it…. The plane flew in and out of the frame too many times to be decent to post video….

Gets up to spec height on its .020…. High enough I can hardly hear it….



About the engine, This is one I got from Bay and had a bent cylinder… Link to that party..

https://www.coxengineforum.com/t15523-peewee-020-bent-cylinder?highlight=Bent

706Jim offered to repair it and apparently he did an excellent job… It starts easy and runs stout for its 90 sec or so tank full of fuel…. Thank you again Jim, Your repair work is flying high….Awesome!! 

Gliding in to land….



Flew it seven times…. The wing turned out better than I expected…. I think it’s appropriate for a would be Ace replica…. The 5V regulator for the rx worked out OK… It used every bit of 20 mah when I recharged the 370 2 S battery…. Worked out OK thought cause it’s all the forward in the nose and I didn’t have to add any weight to balance…

Off to search for micro thermals  



   

GREAT POST AND BUILD THREAD!!!!

CONGRATS ON BRINGING A CLASSIC TO LIFE!!!!!!!!!

rdw777 wrote:The right day finally came around to see if Guppy would fly so gathered up and went out to a flying site I’ve been thinking about…. [...] Off to search for micro thermals  



   

Congrats Robert on a truly successful build and venture. Photo above, I believe you may have an engine of the month winner if you can place over the empty blue sky merged as one photo, a an angled front/side photo of the engine and pod up close.

Looks like you've built a winner, from a beautiful plane to a good flyer. Thanks for sharing.

7 flights says it flys very good and sounds like you had a fun day out fling , hanks for sharing the build and fly !!! c

Thank you CEF FRIENDS …..It is the first gas powered plane I’ve flown in about twenty years…. Nice to tinker with the engines again!!…. Electric certainly has its place and I’ll always have one or two, but it just seems more alive with an engine screaming away …. I think I can get by with flying this one about a mile from the house…..

I may just take you up on the photo GG’r…. Nice idea

Robert

That was a heck of a good thread.
I enjoyed reading how yer made her.
She's a keeper and winner.
Hats off and well done.
I think those tiny engines are kinda real cute.
Gonna have to get me one some day.
Jim is a genius for being able to fix it.
Happy flying .
Akways.

rdw777 wrote:I may just take you up on the photo GG’r…. Nice idea

I see Robert, you just did that, excellent!  

CEF: Cox Engine of the Month - Submit Your Pictures June 2022, Post# 211822

rdw777 on Jun 2, 2022 wrote:PeeWee .020 - Ace R/C Guppy

Thanks Guys, Was a neat ride….I’m watching your Phantom too Woody, Fine craftsmanship

GG’r… Was a neat photo idea…. My grandkids liked it …. Your Ranger 30 un the photo contest is very nice, Well done!….. I built one when I was about fourteen…. New nothing about FF trimming but dumb luck got a few nice flights.

I went ahead and posted the video I took the stills from….Quality is not too good…. Was circling quite a bit just try and keep it in the phone’s frame…. Better flight profile is just fly it out straight and climb  till the engine quits and do big lazy circles back…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XxR9YvOdRI8

rdw777 wrote:Your Ranger 30 in the photo contest is very nice, Well done!….. I built one when I was about fourteen…. New nothing about FF trimming but dumb luck got a few nice flights.

I went ahead and posted the video [...] Was circling quite a bit just try and keep it in the phone’s frame…. Better flight profile is just fly it out straight and climb  till the engine quits and do big lazy circles back…

Robert, I thoroughly enjoyed your maiden flight. It reminds me a lot on how my 1973 Top Flite Ken Willard's 27" (short wing version) R/C Schoolboy with Pee Wee flew, flight characteristics very similar. Then, I learned that if I replaced the factory 4.5x2 props with a Top Flite white nylon 5.25x3 prop (much more durable - Cox props were brittle, expensive, often only got a couple flights out of them, a dead stick nose over would break the prop. ) then I got a minute more flight time over the usual 1.5 minutes to 2.5 minutes, but at the same flight speed.

The Top Flite nylons were nearly indestructible, but were notoriously out of balance. I bought a balancer from Ace R/C (used 2 double edged razor blades), sanded the back side of the heavier blade until balanced. For only $0.35 apiece, (Coxes were over a dollar! ), they were the right ticket. The Pee Wee is a torquer. Today, since the T/F nylons are no longer available new, I need to find a suitable substitute.

The photos of my Ranger are posted on Outerzone:

Outerzone UK: Ranger 30 (oz3830)

I supplied Steve with my scan in B&W of the CG Ranger instruction sheet. The parts traces came from another.

Here is a photo that is not on Outerzone, shows better proportions without camera wide angle distortion:



Please note, I have not maidened it yet. Where I live in the higher desert, there are few trees on this open high plains, there is rarely a calm day. Most of the time have at least a 15 MPH wind or greater. This has limited me from flying half-A R/C, going to slightly larger A's (.09 to .15, C/L .15 to .35).

That's a shame about the wind all the time that would drive me nuts . One Nice looking plane George ! The Guppy looks good up in the air and seemed to fly very well !!