A couple of Ringmasters

[Mike Griffin]

Thought I might share what I have been doing lately.  The Blue and Yellow one is a Ringmaster 576 from a Pat Johnston plan.  The wing is covered with SIG Yellow Tissue and the dark blue paint is Klass Kote.  It will be powered with a Randy Smith enhanced OS LA .46 . 

The S1 is a RSM Ultra Lite and is covered with Silver Ultracote and painted with Klass Kote.  The power will be a RSM .25 size Black Tiger power system. 

I don't know that I will ever go over to the dark side completely but I am enjoying dabbling in electrics. 

So many models to build,  so little time.

Mike

[Mike Griffin]

A better photo of the Ultra Lite RM

[Chancey Chorney]

Great looking birds you got there. A job well done.

[Mike Griffin]

Thank you Chancey.  Ringmasters have always held a nostalgic place in my heart.  Probably the largest selling CL design of all time if I had to guess. 

Mike

[Jim Kraft]

Neat Ringmasters Mike. When I quite flying R/C pattern back in 94, my first control line plane out was what else, a Ring with a Fox 35. The standard go to plane to get back into control line with. Have always had one since. Won some trophy's with them also.

[Mike Griffin]

Nice planes but please get back to me on how that one flys with the battery hanging down below the wing.

Thank you Walter.  As far as the battery box holder goes, It comes with the kit and is designed to be installed under the outboard wing and right up against the side of the fuselage underneath the wing.  The top rails of the box are cut to match the airfoil of the wing in that location. 

The pieces that compose the box are laser cut out of ply wood and you glue it together and install it at the proper time in the construction sequence.  Once the box is glued to the bottom side of the fuselage and the underside of the wing, you slide the battery into the box and adjust the balance by sliding the battery back or forward to the proper balance point.  I have found that the battery protruding forward about 1 1/2 inches, gives you the proper balance. 

To keep the batter in place, you need a small Velcro strap that keeps the battery in the box.  Usually the 3 cell battery is such a tight fit in the box, falling out is not a problem but the Velcro strap firmly secures it.

I have other planes that have the battery box mounted this way and they fly fine.  Again, you just slide the battery forward or aft until you find the balance point for the model.  Believe it or not, with the electric system installed and the battery shoved all the way back in the box, the plane was tail heavy. 

Walter, I don't know if this answered your question and I may have given you more information than you wanted but I hoped it helped.  I can post a picture of the box by itself if you want to see how it is constructed and how it fits under the wing.

Regards,

Mike

One important note here, DO NOT create a fillet where the box will fit up against the fuselage, if you do, you will have to create a stand off between the fuselage and the box in order to mount it properly.

[BYU]

The yellow and blue really pops.
Looks great. What weight is the 46 version coming out at?

[Mike Griffin]

The yellow and blue really pops.
Looks great. What weight is the 46 version coming out at?

Thank you  Elliot.    That deep blue color from Klass Kote is really pretty.  I have not weighed the engine yet but will and get back with you.

Mike

[Mike Griffin]

Neat Ringmasters Mike. When I quite flying R/C pattern back in 94, my first control line plane out was what else, a Ring with a Fox 35. The standard go to plane to get back into control line with. Have always had one since. Won some trophy's with them also.

Thank you Jim.  The RM 576 has a modern airfoil therefore it will fly, or should fly, much better than the polywog airfoil found on the original S1 Ringmaster.  I am anxious to get it in the air to see how she performs.  Ringmasters just seem to have a coveted place in the history of Control Line, nostalgic if nothing else.

Mike

[FLOYD CARTER]

Battery and electronic component placement is always a problem with profiles.  This means that an electric profile will always be a "kludge", with parts hanging from wing or fuselage.  It's hard to get very excited about such a project, except to say that an electric profile model is quick and easy.  That's about all.

[Mike Griffin]

Battery and electronic component placement is always a problem with profiles.  This means that an electric profile will always be a "kludge", with parts hanging from wing or fuselage.  It's hard to get very excited about such a project, except to say that an electric profile model is quick and easy.  That's about all.

Very true Floyd.  Mine will look just like yours when I get everything installed.

Mike

[john e. holliday]

Couldn't all those wires be shortened?   The Rings look great.  Need to clean mine up from all the goop from the IC power.

[mccoy40]

I'm not familiar with electrics BUT could you place the battery and controller etc. out on the outboard wingtip, as tip weight? - inside the wing possibly ? like a weight box?

[Ken Culbertson]

Battery and electronic component placement is always a problem with profiles.  This means that an electric profile will always be a "kludge", with parts hanging from wing or fuselage.  It's hard to get very excited about such a project, except to say that an electric profile model is quick and easy.  That's about all.

Not sure I would do it on a Ringnaster but a cowl is quite easy to build.

ken

[Mike Griffin]

Someone commented about how the electrics appeared on the nose of a profile.  This is how I arranged.  Very similar to what Floyd did. You really don't have a lot of options on a Ringmaster because of the short nose.

Mike

[Dennis Toth]

Mike, Did you look at the setup that Brodak has on the electric Ringmaster kit he sells? The battery box is very neatly installed in back of the motor mount (it looks like it adds some support). They still have the ESC/ timer hanging out on the fuse and wing. I have seen some that have a hatch in the outboard planking to load the electronics in, make a ve ry clear look.

Best,  DennisT

[Mike Griffin]

Mike, Did you look at the setup that Brodak has on the electric Ringmaster kit he sells? The battery box is very neatly installed in back of the motor mount (it looks like it adds some support). They still have the ESC/ timer hanging out on the fuse and wing. I have seen some that have a hatch in the outboard planking to load the electronics in, make a ve ry clear look.

Best,  DennisT

Hi Dennis,

No I have not seen the Brodak setup but I will take a look.  Thank you

Mike