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Building Tips and technical articles. => 1/2 A building. => Topic started by: Chancey Chorney on November 12, 2016, 12:54:35 PM
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Hi all again. So I have just finished my second 1/2a plane for a beam mount engine, and will be using a TD. This will be a first for me actually running a rotary engine on a plane rather than the bench. Anyways, I am needing to find out the line length required to fly these planes on. The 3 I currently have are 22" wingspan up to 28" wingspan. All are profile fuselage and wings. They are just for fun flying, no competitions, and I would like to use some braided fishing line. I will be flying these by myself and will also not be involved in any combat if it makes a difference. So far to date all I have flown were standard 1/2a planes with solid wings and Cox reed 'Bee' type engines, so have been using 30-35 feet of the mentioned braid and string. Thank you.
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I fly TD 049's with bladder pressure on 42' solid lines. The baby bi-slob is on 42' .008 lines. But that's an .061. So maybe not a good comparison.
Any way, 30-35 foot lines with a TD on suction is great!
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Gee Dane. Thanks for the bad news. ;D And I thought a Babe Bee powered plane with 30 foot lines was quick. Looks like I'll have to start practicing turning in circles this winter in the basement. Or even better, outside in the snow so when I fall, it will be soft. Thanks again for the information, it's exactly what I was looking for.
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Lol. Go with 42' and cut them down if the tension isn't great. But I've hit 60mph with a TD powered plane in a speed contest on 42' lines. The TD will handle the long lines. Use that light spectra line. Use the .008 od stuff. It should feel great
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I'll have my 1/2A Pinto done for this weekend. She's powered by a G Mark .061....any suggestions for line length and thickness of lines? Thanks,PhillySkip
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I flew my original Tercel on 52' lines, .008" dia. TD .049, 32" span, 210 sq in.
This thing took 1st at the 1/2A unofficial event at the Nats three times. (One of those three wins was when Bart Klapinski flew it.)
Keith
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Wow those are long lines.What kind of lap times? I'd need binoculars to see it that far away!
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For any competition obviously you need to correct line length by the rules
But Chancey mentioned TeeDee for sport flying and a lot really depends on the engine...prop...fuel delivery and size airplane
and ...more importantly winds!
I have several smallish lite combat planes with TeeDee's on bladder and to get lap times down I started with 52' .008 lines but any slight gust would have me chasing the plane
My recommendation would be:
Make three sets with lite fishing line... 52', 48' and 42' and use each set based on how windy it is
A lite plane with TeeDee on 35' Dacron lines are just too fast a lap time for me but about just right with a Black Widow
I fly my Core House Lil Hackers with TeeDee, bladder and 45' lines... 52' is too loose and 42' is too fast
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Thank you for the advice. I like the idea of having 3 sets of lines with different lengths.
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All my years of flying 1/2A's, all just sport stuff, we flew on 28' Dacron lines, or .008" braided steel. The only time I ever saw longer lines on a 1/2A were 52' lines on the club Wizard when used for new fliers first getting their feet wet. Otherwise it was all 28's.
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Thank you.
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I keep two sets of lines for 1/2A. 35' and 42'. Since trying no stretch braided fishing line, Dacron seems like using a rubber band. I had some braided nylon once that was hopelessly stretchy.
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I typicly fly my Tee Dee powered 1/2a models on at least 42' lines.
Jim