Killing time

batjac Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:12 am

Well, it's been wet and rainy here for the last two weeks. When it's not raining it's completely fogged in. Since I can't paint inside, I have to wait for a day with low humidity to paint up my Profile Speed entry. So, I figured while I wait, I'd go ahead and build the Golberg L'il Toot that my wife's friend's husband gave me a couple of months ago. After setting out all the parts, I noticed three things. 1) The husband had started building the plane, and didn't glue some parts too straight, and over sanded other parts. 2) The kit is really overbuilt and heavy. And 3) I just don't like how they did certain things on the kit.

So, being me, I decided to just build it my way. I used the existing parts as templates for a new fuse, empennage, and wings. I slightly redesigned the struts. And I eliminated a lot of the parts count. I then packaged up the original parts in the box and set it aside for the future. I don't know if it was the way the guy built it, or if the kit was planned that way, but in the kit the upper wing was too far forward. So I moved that back also. I spent about three evenings building, and now it's up to being ready to paint also. Once we get a dry day I'll be doing LOTS of painting. I mounted a Babe Bee on it for pics, but I'll be using a clearance 8cc stunt tank I got from Bernie on it.

I didn't like the weight distribution, so I moved the lower wing back a half inch. It looks about right from the side. That, plus moving the upper wing back to where the wing tips for upper and lower wings line up puts the c.g. just behind the leading edge of the lower wing. When I put the 8cc tank on and paint the plane, I'm hoping the c.g. will be right on the leading edge of the lower wing.

I also cut out a second fuse from 1/8" balsa and empennage from 1/16", and set them aside for another rainy day when I could build a Toot for a PeeWee engine. How they expected a .020 engine to fly the original is a wonder to me.

The All Wet Mark

daddyo Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:22 am

I really like the look of that plane. I can see it getting too heavy with a lot of paint/filler, and stalling out too early, so I would guess build it light! Are you building it 1/2A or 0.020 (I think that's 0.020...)? This link suggests 0.049 http://brodak.com/control-line-kits/brodak/1-2-a-series/1-2a-little-toot-kit.html

batjac Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:26 am

Daddyo, that's an .049 on it. I'll fly this one with an .049, and later build a lighter one for .020. I'm not going to prime and fill this one. I'm just going to leave it rough and shoot color coats. I'm trying to keep it as light as possible.

That Brodak kit is converted from the original Bee mount to a beam mount. Seems like Brodak did that with all the Goldberg kits they have re-released. Maybe to promote their own .049's? It also does away with a lot of the same parts that I eliminated on my build. I think Goldberg designed their kit more to withstand crashes than to fly. I have a suspicion that if you flew an original Goldberg L'il Toot, and then the Brodak with the same engine, the Brodak would fly much better.

The Rough Mark

706jim Mon Jan 06, 2014 12:09 am

I built two Little Toots. In both cases, they ended up flying with just the lower wing as the biplane attachment is relatively flimsy compared to the main wing. Not too stuntable with that tiny bottom wing however.

Couldn't help but notice your comment about the 0.020 engine. I just loved the Pee Wee and built a Swordsman 18 for it. The plans explicity tell you to wrap solder around the engine to balance the plane with the 0.020.

Well, couldn' t have an ugly wrap of solder around my adorable 0.020!

So attempted to fly it tail heavy and was immediately rewarded with an unexpected loop upon which the plane crashed into the only square of pavement in the field.

The cylinder bent at the exhaust ports and I figure the engine was done. My dad was able to get it straightened out on a lathe at his workplace, but the engine would only run on its prime. I dicovered some years later, that it was VERY easy to break the fine tip of the needle off in the tank backplate and it is impossible to remove it once this occurs.

batjac Tue May 06, 2014 11:43 pm

Well, now that the weather is finally looking good, I'm finishing off the planes I built during the winter. I pulled the Little Toot out of the closet to paint it and hook up the lines. With the paint and all accessories, it weighted out at 5.15 ounces. Then I pulled the instruction sheet out of the box to see what the listed weight is. DRAT! The listed weight is 5 ounces! I've never come out heavier than the listed weight before. I guess I went overboard with the pain on this one.

The Overweight Mark

microflitedude Wed May 07, 2014 2:48 pm

It may be overweight but it sure does look sharp. Thumbs Up

Let us know how the maiden flight goes.

**Cribbs74** Wed May 07, 2014 10:18 pm

I don't think the extra .15oz is going to break the bank. You could drop the 8cc tank in favor of a 5cc. It may shed that weight and move the CG back a little. Not sure if it's actually nose heavy, just guessing.

Good job on the build.

JPvelo Thu May 08, 2014 12:04 am

Get some sig 35% and don't sweat the .15oz.
Nice looking plane.

Jim

batjac Thu May 15, 2014 5:29 pm

Well, it flies great! I took it out this morning and put a couple of flights on it. It's nice and stable, and the c.g. seems just about right. I didn't put a stunt tank on it, so all I did was a few loops and wing-overs. On 35 foot lines it does a nice, round loop. But only one loop. I tried two consecutive loops a couple of times, but with all that drag the second loop has it just about at stall speed at the bottom of the loop. It just sucks the energy right out of the plane. I'll try a different prop and see if I can get better results. But I'm calling it a success.

The Successful Mark

getback Thu May 15, 2014 6:32 pm

Glad the flights came out well Biplane

looks good! Very Happy

, You always have great color schemes Smoking

... Getback

roddie Fri May 16, 2014 7:29 am

What a great looking airplane Mark! I had a tried to comment about a week ago.. but had some serious web browser issues. What prop and % nitro were you running?

JPvelo Fri May 16, 2014 7:38 am

Mark! Did you get a chance to fly your speed plane?

Jim

roddie Fri May 16, 2014 9:04 am

JPvelo wrote: Mark! Did you get a chance to fly your speed plane?

Jim

I too am curious to know how it fly's with the Pee Wee!

**RknRusty** Fri May 16, 2014 12:09 pm

JPvelo wrote: Mark! Did you get a chance to fly your speed plane?

Jim

According to his answer to my question in the Reed Speed discussion thread he submitted an entry:

batjac wrote:
RknRusty wrote:Of all entrants, who of you has:
1 submitted an official run?
2 submitted an official attempt but failed to get a full run?
3 has flown your plane in a non video test run?
4 has not tried to fly your plane?

Rusty

Well, you asked for it...

I'M NUMBER ONE! I'M NUMBER ONE! I'M NUMBER ONE!

The Chanting Mark

Mark, did you upload a video?

batjac Fri May 16, 2014 2:56 pm

JPvelo wrote: Mark! Did you get a chance to fly your speed plane?

Jim

Jim,

I PM'ed you the YouTube video link the afternoon of the first deadline. Then I PM'ed you again a couple of days later to ensure you had it. The link is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJiY-o18p4Q

The confused Mark

roddie Fri May 16, 2014 6:06 pm

I can't speak for Jim, but I figured he was referring to the Pee Wee mod that Mark had done to the Sea Fury as he said he planned to "after his official speed flight had been logged". Mark posted a photo over a week ago.. of the plane with the smaller engine mod having been done.

See the CEF Speed "discussion" thread May 7th where Mark posted this photo, and his declaration of having previously submitted his vid.

Killing time Post_c10

batjac Sat May 17, 2014 7:57 pm

roddie wrote:I can't speak for Jim, but I figured he was referring to the Pee Wee mod that Mark had done to the Sea Fury as he said he planned to "after his official speed flight had been logged". Mark posted a photo over a week ago.. of the plane with the smaller engine mod having been done.

See the CEF Speed "discussion" thread May 7th where Mark posted this photo, and his declaration of having previously submitted his vid.

Oh, okay. Like I said, I'm easily confused. No, I haven't flown that one yet with the Pee Wee. I finished the conversion, but never got around to putting the engine on the test stand until yesterday. I should get to test fly it next week if the weather's not bad. Besides, I started on another plane today, so it'll need test flying next week also. I'll take both out at the same time and try to get some video.

The Starter Mark

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Liitle Toot and Swordsman 18

DRAT!!!!!

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