53 ounces is way too much, but if it's Fancherized it can stagger through the maneuvers convincingly.

Tim, ok so 53 is top of the range. What is the bottom end? I have flown rc gliders and the trend has been " as light as you can get it" problems arose as the airfoils flew best at certain weights. Each airfoil has a sweet spot but also a range. I may have not asked correctly, what is the range for the twister.

   Depends on what engine/prop you are going to use. For 35/10-6 - as light as you can make it. OS25FP/10-4, maybe up to around 45 ounces.

    Brett

Ok. I obviously have left out some important information. I have the kit. I am planning on using electric and will order soon. However, what motor do I order? Well that depends on area, and weight of the model. So hopefully you see it is chasing my tail.

What's the weight of the model? That will determine the motor.
Which leads to what motor will I use? That is determined by the weight of the model.

Am I concerned about something that is not a problem? I don't know. That's why I'm asking here. Thank you for responding   I do appreciate it 😊

   I am not sure what the dilemma might be, you may be able to build the airframe with all the hardware and finish, but no engine or motor, for around 20-22 ounces, up to maybe 26-27. Then add the weight of the motor and battery you plan on using.

    With electric, properly set up, I would guess you could tolerate up around 50 ounces without too much problem, above that, the wing loading will be pretty high. Electric will probably tolerate more wing loading than most IC engines.

   The weight of the motor and battery will probably end up weighing more than the bare airframe, so the choice of motor and battery also affects the all-up weight, so attempting to chose the motor based on weight will be an iterative process.

     Brett

New here so be kind. Wasn't sure where to ask so I'm posting here. I have a twister kit getting ready for the bench. I have spent a lot of time here on the forum gathering information on on twister builds. Everything thing from build threads to keep it stock to Fancherize it. However I have not been able to find what all up weight the twister should be. I realize it depends on how it's built, type of coverings etc, but what weight should I shoot for?

Thanks, Rick

     Hi Rick, welcome to the forum. I have been flying C/L models in some form since I was 12 or so, but spent several years flying R/C sailplanes like yourself. I ran into job problems in '87 or so, about the time sailplanes went to 300 dollar air frames controlled by 600 dollar radios! I had been collecting C/L stuff for a long time up to that point so went that route as it did interest me and I always lusted after the nice models in the magazines. It took two models for me to get through my first beginner contest (one of which was a Twister) and took me about 17 years to make the climb to the Expert level. I built some good airplanes and some real turds along the way. I tended to NOT make a great effort to get extreme light weight finished models. I got some good coaching along the way and was told to just work on building straight airplanes and not make them too heavy. I had been thinking like you have, that their must be an ideal weight, but it's not easy building in a ballast box on a control  line model right at the balance point! I have just tried to build them straight, properly balanced and powered, and try for a pleasing finish without going over board on weight. Then I could spend more time learning to fly. One side advantage to flying a heavy model is that you DO learn to trim it and fly it if you don't have anything else in the stable. I won my first expert contest and honest 500 point score flying a Magnum that weight 72 ounces powered by a stock ST.51 against some pretty good regional talent, and was just a half point out of qualifying for Advanced at the NATS that year with the same airplane ( a gust of wind coming up the hill from the grass circles nailed me on my landing!.) In your post you do not say what level you are flying at but since you are building a Twister, I assume you are in the early stages. A Twister, if built stock, is not hard too come out at a fairly light weight if you don't overdue the finish. I have one I have been working on in my garage, stock built with kit wood, doped up to almost ready for colors and it weighs less than 20 ounces. I did the only modifications that I really recommend for this or any other stunt trainer type model and that is make the motor mounts longer, added a tip weight device and adjustable lead outs. I have told the story many times here about a local guy that used a single , stock Twister to go all the way from beginner to expert powered by several OS FP.40's that he wore out along the way, and that was back when no one understood them. I think a new flyer should build some stock airplanes while he is learning to save time, money and get a feel for how they fly, then when you get to a certain point, do some mods now that you can understand what they are for, and you can do them justice, and take them home in one piece more often. A Ferrari ain't no damn good to anyone that can't drive a stick shift, you know what I mean? I have never seen a "range" of weights for any model as it's pretty difficult to control every aspect of the materials you put into it if you are building kits. You could say "I'm going to make mine 45 ounces" but it will be difficult hitting that target if you ant a real nice magazine type finish. You need to build it for what you are using it for, learning the pattern and flying recognizable maneuvers. If you are making it IC powered, you can probably make the engine mounts to where they might accept a few different engines without too much hacking. OS FP.35, 40, Tower.40, OS LA.40, and LA.46 all take the same mounts. A Fox .35 is pretty close, and I have flown a few that were powered by OS LA.25s and while they could do the pattern, it was marginal on power and in any kind of wind it's dicey to say the least. In short, I would say put the scale away, just pay attention to construction details to make it straight, square and strong, make it pleasing enough to your eye, and fly the heck out of it. The Fancher modifications are something to consider but at a cost of extra weight and time building. I would rather see you learn to fly it with the handles we have these days that are fully adjustable and tune the model to your liking with the handle and line length. Take some time to l;earn about props and how they affect things and why. While you are flying and trimming this one you can be building the next one and what you learn from this one you can make adjustments on the next one. If you are going too stick with the event for a while, you just need to lay a good foundation to build up experience on. Watch things closely, ask questions, and keep an open mind about everything but you will soon learn what the wheat is and what is chaff. It will be a fun endeavor and you have this whole forum and the rest of the internet to cruise, but none of that is a substitute for having the handle in your hand and burning fuel or running down batteries.
   Good Luck and Have fun,
  Dan McEntee

Thank you so much for your responses. I do appreciate your time and help with this. I do plan Fancherize it. I asked because I was confused about what size motor to get. So when I return home from the holidays I will build it and get it in the air. I have spent the last 4 days reading many threads on SH. One thread is the one listed by Ken. Thanks Ken, it's a good thread that I can follow building mine.

There's really no sense in building a Twister unless you Francherize it. With a few simple changes it will fly tremendously better.

Motorman

      Absolutely utter BS and not true. I have seen otherwise and experienced otherwise. What do you base a statement like this on? The Fancher mods are helpful if you are ready for and understand them, but for a rank beginner going through a lot of models it is un-necessary until they get further along. At the early stages a new comer doesn't know what "fly better" is. He or she is just worried more about flying and not crashing,  period!  Why don't you just go a little further and have him build an Impact? Or an SV-11? You are not looking at things from their perspective. Maybe we can meet up one day and I'll put my stock Twister (Fox .35 powered) up against you and your Fancherized model? I don't care what it's powered with.
   Type at you later,
     Dan McEntee

We are only guessing what Rick's skill level is.  I am assuming he already knows how to fly or he would not even be asking the questions he is.  The "F" Twister is easier to fly than the stock and IMHO is a better choice no matter what your level is.  I could, and have, made a stock Twister turn in an Expert level pattern but the "F" does it so much better and I have gotten out of situations in bad air that would have crashed a stock version.  Look, he already has one so lets help him make it the best it can be.

Ken

   Well, Ken, that is your opinion based on your experience with the design. I stand by everything that I have said based on my personal experience with the design over the past 30 years. Building them, flying them, helping beginners and low experienced flyers with theirs, and seeing them beat tuned piped ships in stock trim. Hell, I've even seen one that was completely made out of pine, in stock configuration, weighed 60 some odd ounces and trophied in Intermediate and Advanced classes.  The Twister is probably one of the most successful designs that has ever been manufactured, bar none, and to make the statement that "it doesn't make sense to build one without Fancherising it" is simply selling it way too short and if you have to have the Fancher mods that is all well and good. I have never said that the Fancher mods don't work, or are a waste of time, just that the airplane in stock form can fly better than most people can, or they wouldn't still be making them and people wouldn't be buying them two at a time.

    Rick, good luck with yours and have some fun along the way.
      Type at you later,
       Dan McEntee

Motorman, understood that many may reply and some will be of great help 😆. Looking forward to returning to the circle. Last time I flew cl I was 12. Last flight I had ended at the bottom of a wingover.😂

Rick
build one as F Twister...I set you up with the extra balsa and notes on the lid of box
build the other as box stock...but use the extra half ribs I already cut

all the extra balsa in each kit is contest grade lite stuff

minimal finishing....every ounce of paint and hour of time is lost...some will disagree in as much as any effort is learning effort...true enough...but IMO the two gifted airframes are intended to be low cost expendable training craft

you have my phone...call if this is confusing

phred

My Fancherized Twister is built from Walter Umland kit it weighs 40 oz powered by a LA 46. Wing is covered with ultra cote painted everything else with Klasskote epoxy also has Tom Morris controls. It flys very well (compared to the other stock Twister I built) on 60’ .015 lines somewhere around 5.1 second lap times.

This thread was started to obtain information to make the correct choice of power setup. And the power setup is based on ready to fly weight.

Thank you for your comments and keep them coming , I do have some pretty thick skin.

     I would caution you that a typical CL model has/requires *much* more power for a given weight than an RC model. If you have some "motor and battery size calculator" used for RC, it is likely to grossly underestimate the required power for anything other than level flight. It's not just the weight, it's also the drag - a Twister being particularly draggy.

   The other thread should give you a better idea on what sort of motor and battery you will need.

    Brett