Calling the best minds in control line (please read)

[RC Storick]

I have received this email asking for help. I am asking for you as the Stunt Hangar crew to help them.

Hi Stunt Hanger,

I will be mentoring a group of 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students this coming spring. The main focus of this Engineering and Innovation Club will be aerodynamics with an emphasis on flying/fixing/designing model aircraft. This club is hosted by the local Vocational Education High School in our area.

We do not really have the space to fly RC aircraft but we certainly have the space for control line flying. I am already somewhat invested in electric RC gear as I am learning RC at the moment. I spent hours flying C/L in my parents' front yard, literally hours a day with two buddies until we ran out of fuel. My Baby Flightstreak was a fantastic flyer.

I have been in contact with Wil Hubin (he lives about an hour and a half from me) about his timers and am heading in that direction. What plane and powerplant would you recommend for getting these middle schoolers started on C/L flying. We need to go electric because the issue of having glow fuel at the school gets sticky.

We have access to a complete Fab Lab with laser cutters/engravers, a nice 5hp cnc router, vinyl printers/cutters for wraps & decals, and a nice 3D printer. I will be teaching the kids how to use the laser and vinyl cutters. I was wondering if anyone made airframes out of coroplast. I have alot of coroplast and we can cut it with the laser and or cnc router. I want to have airframes that are rather resistant to pilot induced ground modifications! With these assets it would be possible to build airframes from plans...especially if the plans are in electronic format i.e. autocad.

looking forward to any guidance you can provide.

Cordially,
Name omitted by moderator

[Paul Taylor]

I would say contact Bob Hunt and Mark Weiss <sp?>.
I think they built a nice E trainer for Joe Null. I thought they even sent out plans.

Just my two cents. 

[David_Stack]

Larry Renger's ET-1 / ET-2 series.

I believe coroplast is a primary construction material, they are designed for e-power, and IIRC, Eric Rule is cutting them which means he likely has laser cut files available...

r/
Dave

[ericrule]

Sure do! Yes, coroplast is what we use for the ET-1 and also the fuselage on the Et-2. that with a bit of plywood is about all you need to run them off.

I'm certain that Larry Renger (the designer) would be pleased to allow the laser files to be sent to you. I will ask him when I speak with him later this week.

Just have the moderator drop me a note at eric@rsmdistribution.com and I will see what we can do to assist in the project.

Eric Rule

[Dennis Leonhardi]

I have received this email asking for help. I am asking for you as the Stunt Hangar crew to help them.

... The main focus of this Engineering and Innovation Club will be aerodynamics with an emphasis on flying/fixing/designing model aircraft.

I'll duck after saying it, but I would start with hand launch or catapult gliders first, considering the focus ...

A 16" to 20" glider, built and trimmed, is a great vehicle/process for learning the basics.  I believe that knowledge is important to learning to fly control line.  I've mentored dozens and dozens of kids with that start.

Dennis,
ducking ... Now!
 

[Dan McEntee]

    See Art Johnson for a pdf of plans for the Tuff Baby we fly at Oshkosh and a couple of other simple designs. All made from corplast. Art is a member here I think and probably hangs out in the carrier section. The Tuff Baby is designed around the Norvel engine, but a conversion to electric should be easy enough.
   Type at you later,
     Dan McEntee

[Larry Renger]

As far as I am concerned the ET designs are in the public domaine.  The ET-2 is designed to be sold complete as a Knights of the Round Circle next step for the kids who enjoyed flying the ET-1. We hope to be able to sell a complete package including battery and charger for under $75. It may even be less than that.

The ET-1 is our club kid trainer, and it has proven itself durable and easy to fly, even in the wind.  I will be delighted if it becomes the standard club and project trainer. It was designed to replace our PT-19 fleet and turns out to be WAY BETTER! We even have a modification to let it fly at reduced speeds on short lines. We did training at the AMA Expo this year, indoors!

Eric, please feel free to send the design package to anyone who wants it, as will I.

For more info on the designs, do a search on this forum. Photos and drawings have been posted. Contact me with an e-address and I'll be pleased to provide a complete design package.

[dave siegler]

original tuffbaby. 

And a fox 60 powered one....

[Mike Alimov]

I'm located in Northeast Ohio; would be willing to help in any way I can.  I have 30 yrs in control line, all competition stunt; my 8-yr old is already flying solo and learning stunt.  Contact by email: malimov(at)hotmail.com

[FLOYD CARTER]

Don't overlook "whip power".  A fly fishing pole and about 15' Dacron lines.  You don't need no steenkin' motor, and "crashes" over grass do no damage.  You can learn loops and inverted flying.  AND, the price is right!

Floyd

[Steve Thornton]

"I'll duck after saying it, but I would start with hand launch or catapult gliders first, considering the focus ..."
"A 16" to 20" glider, built and trimmed, is a great vehicle/process for learning the basics.  I believe that knowledge is important to learning to fly control line.  I've mentored dozens and dozens of kids with that start."


Good for you Sparky...and I agree with Dennis.  Balsa and a tube of Ambroid were relatively cheap.  Hand launched gliders are great fun and great for learning basic building skills.  I learned the purpose of dihedral, rudder offset, and nose weight.  I also experimented with a V-tail design, and a really long rubber catapult.  Most of my 10th and 11th summer days were spent in the country flying off of hills around my house...and playing baseball of course. Better than any X-Box I ever tried.
Steve

[Tim Wescott]

You can get some pretty awesome flights from a glider made with a balsa stick, a foam plate, and some canopy glue.  It's cheap, uses mostly easy to get materials (and you could substitute something else for the balsa stick), and it doesn't have any toxic glues to scare the soccer moms.

[Steve Thornton]

You can get some pretty awesome flights from a glider made with a balsa stick, a foam plate, and some canopy glue.  It's cheap, uses mostly easy to get materials (and you could substitute something else for the balsa stick), and it doesn't have any toxic glues to scare the soccer moms.

There you go!  Good idea Tim.