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Building Tips and technical articles. => 1/2 A building. => Topic started by: jim gilmore on November 03, 2010, 01:11:54 AM

Title: Foam wheels
Post by: jim gilmore on November 03, 2010, 01:11:54 AM
I'm wondering if anyone has used the foam wheels on their 1/2a models.
1/2a is notorious for needing hand launch on grass but if the wheels could be bigger ?
Title: Re: Foam wheels
Post by: Tim Wescott on November 03, 2010, 09:47:38 AM
Depending on the surface you're flying from the results may be either disappointing or look really goofy.

One or more 2 foot by 4 foot sections of plywood, laid out along your line of flight, should be enough to get off the ground, unless you've got a really wimpy engine.  When I was growing up I had one with a stooge built in, for self-contained launches from the neighbor's horse pasture.

Or launch from a sleeve.

The control line circle I fly from is a bumpy corner of an RC field that the club started mowing when we realized that a couple of folks wanted to get back into CL (it helped that the guy who usually mows is one of us).  Since it's bumpy it has scalped spots and deep spots.  It's hell to practice a smooth take off with a regular sized stunter, but there's scalped spots that work quite well for an 049 powered plane.

Which is the long way of suggesting that you get out there with a weed wacker and scalp a runway for yourself.
Title: Re: Foam wheels
Post by: John Rist on November 03, 2010, 12:01:45 PM
I had a 1/2A Ringmaster with a Black Widow.  I used a standard card table as a launch platform.  The RM was airborne time it cleared the table.  And of course it has 3' or so of air under the wing when it cleared so it had room to drop some if need be.  Just had to make sure to step back and have the helper move the table.  This worked great because the helper did not need hand launch experience to succeed.  Card table also provided a good place to start the engine. I am older than dirt and I don't bend over all that well.  LL~

 y1
Title: Re: Foam wheels
Post by: Larry Renger on November 03, 2010, 12:38:37 PM
You can make a nifty runway from all those political signs that are about to go in the dumpster.  These are the plastic ones.   :!

They generally are 2ft x 1.5ft.  You trim an angle into both short sides and hinge them together accordion style with duct tape.  4 will make an 8' runway that folds up to 1" thick!

To calculate the angle:  angle in degrees= 114.6/line length in ft.   So for 45' lines you get 2.5degrees. 
Title: Re: Foam wheels
Post by: Tim Wescott on November 03, 2010, 01:03:14 PM
And with the left-over political signs you can make airplanes!
Title: Re: Foam wheels
Post by: jim gilmore on November 03, 2010, 01:09:39 PM
If I could find some I'd grab them. Problem is I never see any to take.
Title: Re: Foam wheels
Post by: john vlna on November 03, 2010, 01:40:29 PM
I've tried foam wheels but found that the fuel attacks them over time. OK with electric power though.
Title: Re: Foam wheels
Post by: Larry Renger on November 04, 2010, 07:55:35 AM
The signs are all over around here for weeks after the election.  I parked at one mini-mall and picked up 6 from just one corner.  There were similar amounts on the other 3 corners, but enough is enough!
Title: Re: Foam wheels
Post by: George on November 04, 2010, 11:26:11 AM
The signs are all over around here for weeks after the election.  I parked at one mini-mall and picked up 6 from just one corner.  There were similar amounts on the other 3 corners, but enough is enough!

Now Larry,

We know you only grabbed winners and left the losers!  ;D  ;D  >:D

George
Title: Re: Foam wheels
Post by: minnesotamodeler on November 04, 2010, 02:32:13 PM
on the contrary, I love cutting up the opponents' signs for planes!