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Author Topic: Larry Renger's ET-1 Trainer Specifications.  (Read 1246 times)

Offline Dan McEntee

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Larry Renger's ET-1 Trainer Specifications.
« on: December 16, 2021, 09:53:24 AM »
  Myself and another guy in out club are going to build up some of Larry Renger's ET-1 trainer. I'm in the process now of going through stuff and seeing what I have for electronic gear, and will dig into the stack of political yard signs to cut parts out. I have some info Larry sent me, but I do not see a wing span for the airplane. I have been searching the forums looking for it and can't find it. I need to scale up the drawing to the proper size to make some patterns.
  Can anyone fill in the blank for me? If anyone has any updated or different plans for it I would be interested in those also.
  Thanks a lot and
  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
  Dan McEntee
AMA 28784
EAA  1038824
AMA 480405 (American Motorcyclist Association)

Offline Tim Wescott

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Re: Larry Renger's ET-1 Trainer Specifications.
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2021, 04:41:57 PM »
I have drawings but no dimensions.  The one I have hanging in my shop has a wingspan of 25 3/4", and I think that dimension came from Larry.  You should be able to print the plans out at 100% and get close enough -- anything that prints out to a wingspan between 24" and 28" will probably be just fine.

You should have a general view and a parts sheet.  If you don't have both let me know.

If you haven't flown one be aware that they're very much a primary trainer and otherwise absolute dogs.  "Stunting" involves maybe succeeding at horsing one around to inverted, and then spending a couple more laps getting up your courage to get it back upright, at which point you decide that maybe touch & goes are the best way to enjoy the plane.  Note that I mentioned this to Larry and hey said something like "well duh, it's a trainer".

I gave one of these to a nephew of mine a while back -- here's the flying instructions that I wrote up for him.
AMA 64232

The problem with electric is that once you get the smoke generator and sound system installed, the plane is too heavy.

Offline Dan McEntee

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Re: Larry Renger's ET-1 Trainer Specifications.
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2021, 06:13:53 PM »
   I'm looking for the printouts that I made from the files Larry sent me in the last year or so. I think the plan is on a 8.5" by 11" sheet of paper and need to be enlarged. I will try printing things out again tomorrow as soon as Kinkos opens, if I can't find what I'm looking for tonight. Everything I have dug up on the forum mentions making them from political signs, and the corrugations run across the shorter dimension of the standard sign sheet, and I don't thing the plan or instructions mentions anything about joining wing halves, but I haven't read the instructions closely yet.  Our intensions for these are strictly trainers, using a transmitter to control speed and flight length. I've got a 1/2A Skyray that I built from coreplast and yard sticks that is powered by a Blackwidow  .049 that will do the basic tricks, if that's what I want to do. The ET-1 will be strictly trainer.
   Type at you later,
   HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
   Dan McEntee
AMA 28784
EAA  1038824
AMA 480405 (American Motorcyclist Association)

Offline Paul Wescott

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Re: Larry Renger's ET-1 Trainer Specifications.
« Reply #3 on: December 17, 2021, 01:05:01 AM »
Hi Dan.  Got your message, copied it below to make it a little easier for me to reply here.  I’m replying here so I can include a reference photo which should answer a few questions..

In the kit I have on my shelf there are 2 separate wing panels and each is 13” spanwise for a total span of 26”.  If you have a large enough piece of coroplast the kit CAN be built with a single piece wing with minor modification.

If you take your file to a blueprint shop (old school source) or anyone who has what is now called a large format printer (36” wide roll of paper by unlimited length) and have them print it out with a 26” wingspan all the rest of the parts should be the correct size.

As you can see from the photo the leading and trailing edges are BOTH swept, so I lined up the root and tip with the grid lines so the measurement marks would make sense.

I have seen lots of different names for the “signs” and yard signs is one.  But yard signs are typically kind of small at least around here.  A better source of free material is after an election to drive by every major intersection with a pair of diagonal cutters and cut down the bigger signs.  Another source is screen printing shops and/or sign shops.  Check their dumpsters or simply ask the production folks what they have.  Both types of shops may have a few test pieces or scrap signs as it’s not cost efficient to wipe off all the ink if you have a few that are not up to par.

Let me know if I can help with anything else.

Paul Wescott






Hi Paul;
    I was poking around the Knights of the Round Circle site tonight looking for information on the ET-1 trainer that Larry Renger designed and that you guys use for your C/L displays and such. I saw your name and thought I would ask you this as I have not heard back from Larry 
     I got some plan and instruction files from Larry Renger by email a year or so ago and now a friend and I are going to start cutting parts and such for a couple of these for our club. The plan drawing does not show any dimensions for wingspan and such. The plan prints out on a normal sheet of paper and I can scale it up from that. The instructions and such and threads that I have searched out on Stunthanger all mention building them from political yard signs. I got tons of those and I know the corrugations run the length of the shorter dimension, and the plan nor the photos I have seen don't indicate that there is any joining in the middle of any kind, so I am assuming that whatever the short dimension is on a standard yard sign is what the wingspan is?? I hope to get started cutting parts pretty soon but need dimensions. We are going to use them just like you guys do, electric power controlled by a radio. I may fool around with one powered by a Cox engine just for giggles and grins. Any information you can give me on size will be appreciated.
Thanks a lot and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Dan McEntee
Florissant, MO

Offline Paul Wescott

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Re: Larry Renger's ET-1 Trainer Specifications.
« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2021, 01:17:07 AM »
Below is a picture of all the other parts still sealed in the plastic bag.  I didn’t open it and spread everything out because it’s late (or early) here.

It sure doesn’t look like your typical kit of balsa parts.  Every one of these $20 specials was unique and in a different color scheme due to scavenged signs.

You might be able to get RSM to cut kits.  The new owner probably still has the file to control the laser cutter but prior owner Eric Rule did not stock the plastic.

Paul


Offline Paul Wescott

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Re: Larry Renger's ET-1 Trainer Specifications.
« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2021, 01:20:10 AM »
And here’s a photo of a built ET-1 sitting on a table at an AMA Expo or similar…

PW


Offline Dan McEntee

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Re: Larry Renger's ET-1 Trainer Specifications.
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2021, 07:29:29 AM »
   Thanks for filling in the blanks Paul! That is what I needed. In the plan views that I have on file, there are no dimensions to go by when trying to scal`e up the drawing. I'm familiar with the drill on how to do it, and the local Kinkos has the equipment that I have used a lot, but I didn't have any numbers to go by, not even wheel diameters. I could have use the "LAR's" method (Looks About Right)  and fudged things but why go through all of that trouble when all I needed was one dimension and the best to use was wingspan. Like you say, everything else will fall into place. Now I just have to load up a thumb drive and hope Kinkos is open today!
   Thanks a lot for filling in the blanks!!
     HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
    Dan McEntee
   
AMA 28784
EAA  1038824
AMA 480405 (American Motorcyclist Association)


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