Biplane leadout question

[Miotch]

When building the "I" struts, I had to come up with a simple, yet not-too-ugly system for the leadouts.  I ended up using plywood, a carbon graphite shaft and JB weld to craft what you see in the pictures.  I had to make an educated guess where they should be by hanging the plane by the leadout wires and seeing where the balance was (very slightly nose down now).  I originally thought about making some sort of adjustable guide, but gave up for sake of simplicity.  I originally thought I would press brass eyelets in the holes.  But now I'm thinking I should just test fly it as is in case I need to move the holes.  My old Sterling Great Lakes had leadouts that were just holes in wood and I never had any problem with them, so I'm guessing I should be all right for a few flights without the wires sawing through the plywood, or plywood damaging the leadout wires.

Am I being naive ??  This plane is bigger, heavier and probably has twice the power of the old Fox .35-powered Great Lakes.

So far, I still haven't spent a penny on this build, using only stuff I've had lying around for years, including old dope and even fuel for testing the engine.  In a way, this forced cheapness, has probably become a somewhat unhealthy obsession now (as evidenced by the glow igniter battery pack I made because my old one holds a charge for about 30 seconds).

[builditright]

before you finish the lead-outs out might consider making it an adjustable L.O. guide.
just need to connect the dots so to speak

[Dave Hull]

The leadout guide on the 38 Special is 1/8" plywood bolted to a 1/16" strut. It projects forward, but is more centered than the picture you show.

The leadout guide on my Bi-Slob are two brass eyelets on a 1/8" balsa strut. Centered, not cantilevered.

The leadout on a Heinz 57 B-Team Racer is 1/16" aluminum bolted to a plywood strut. Those pull like crazy.

I think it matters most if your guide is accurately positioned, and if you are using the line rake to "offset" other trim features like a lot of rudder offset or engine offset. That might give you trouble. I would also be more concerned about the asymmetry of the guide relative to the centerline of your strut. It might introduce significant twisting. As far as wearout, you could probably get a good number of flights even without the eyelets if it was trimmed. On the other hand, I had a combat plane that had a slight roll issue: it sawed thru the aluminum leadout tubing in just a couple of flights....

Good luck with your great-looking biplane!

Dave

PS--you're on your own with the battery salvage/restoration/repurposing. I don't do electrons....

[Miotch]

The leadout on a Heinz 57 B-Team Racer is 1/16" aluminum bolted to a plywood strut. Those pull like crazy.

THAT is Such a Cool Plane !!!!

[Dave Hull]

Thanks, Mio.  The Heinz is a "hollow log" plane that was designed and built by my old racing partner, Dave Dawson. It used to look a bit nicer, but I rolled it up into a ball (ok, I scattered pieces of it all over the place) during a takeoff in practice. It had a pretty serious torque-roll issue on takeoff. But we flew it enough that I have confidence in the leadout guide scheme. I also have a Torquette biplane with a guide that is integral to the plywood interplane strut. But remember that this one is a 1/2A speed ship. It was originally built by Larry Renger to a Dale Kirn design.

Maybe I should mention just in case, that wing stagger and wing sweep will move the needed CG, and that will move the leadout guide. The 38 Special has stagger but no sweep. So does the Slob and the Heinz. The Torquette has stagger and upper surface sweep. As does the full-scale Starduster. So the guide has to extend forward further if the interplane strut is more or less aligned from the main spar to the main spar pretty far outboard.

[Dave Hull]

Mio,

The earlier Heinz picture showed the LO guide. Here's one that shows the plane better....

The upper wing is gulled. The tail says GeeBee. The nose says bulldog. If you want anything similar as a scale plane, go look for the Hall Bulldog. There was a profile plan in one of the old magazines. I'd build it in an instant--except the paint job is waaaay too complicated for my skills....  (You might look at the LO guide on it, too. It must be attached to the wing struts.)

Dave

[Air Ministry .]

You could make a slit collet from brass tube , with a razor saw , deburr  . Slip it over , close with best pliers , and slide in the guide. Then theres superglue .



Itd be STRAIGHT toob , or oneada T shaped jobs . can open wiffa Knife End to open , if its to ' close ' , slip it on & play musical fingers , if ya dont wanna drag it on em . 

[Scott Richlen]

In a way, this forced cheapness, has probably become a somewhat unhealthy obsession now 

Hmm...that might not be good.....

'cause...

There is "Cheap"

and then...

There is "Dirt Cheap"

but finally,

There is "Control Line Cheap"

 

[Scott Richlen]

But, I do like the bi-planes!

[Ara Dedekian]

       Miotech,

           Here's a leadout guide I made for an OS 70 Surpass powered 60" C/L biplane. Held vertically, the plane hung level with the original leadout guide. It now hangs slightly nose down with the modification I attached to the original guide. I was afraid it would not be rigid enough and twist with the loads but it holds up and is a DREAM to fly.

           It was designed and built by Dave Slagle and was given to me, unflown, with a down the wires power system to control a throttle servo. That's Dave himself holding the plane. I modified it to use a ground frequency RC system.

       Ara

[Fred Cronenwett]

The forward/aft and the vertical location of the line guide will define the line rake while flying.

While flying the model forms a straight line between the handle, leadout guide and the CG of the model. If you hang it like shown in my video you can check the leadout guide location before flying the model.



Fred