Brodak weight box

[Robert Mathis]

Hello everybody, I'm building a Brodak Thunderbird and incorporating Clancy Arnold's throttle control system, I was thinking on eliminating the adjustable weight box and just glueing the weight in the wing. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated, I'll be using the plane for recreation and not competition, Enya SS 40 engine and Insulated lines from Brodak. Thank you! Bob

[Leester]

Not that much work involved in putting a weight box in. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Wether you fly comp or not you still want it trimmed correctly.
Just my opinion.

[Tim Wescott]

It's more fun with just the right amount of tip weight, and with your insulated lines you'll need more than usual.  Put in the box!!

[keith varley]

What in the heck are "INSULATED" lines? I looked in Brodak catalogue and didn't really learn anything. IF they are just the usual steel cable that is covered with some plastic insulation , then that sound awful , as in tons of air drag. Why in the heck would anyone want that ?
I would never build a plane without a weight box.Keith

[Robert Mathis]

Weight box installed, Thank's again for the advise!

[Will Hinton]

Kieth, Bob is going to throttle his T-Bird for the fun of doing touch & goes and other throttle maneuvers.  He is going to use Clancy Arnold's electronic controls for that operation and the lines must be insulated so they don't short out if he does loops, etc.  This is common practice in scale, and it sounds like Bob is just another sport flier who likes throttle.
Bob, I think you'll have a real ball with the throttle, Clancy's units work great.

[Tim Wescott]

Kieth, Bob is going to throttle his T-Bird for the fun of doing touch & goes and other throttle maneuvers.

I've considered putting a throttle on a plane for the educational value of doing lots of takeoffs and landings.  There are 13 maneuvers out of the 15 in the pattern that you can practice over and over again during a flight without a throttle -- but that still leaves the two on the ends that you only get to practice once per flight.

Given that I mostly fly off of rough grass, and occasionally off of nice pavement, it would be nice to leverage that rare "pavement time" to practice smooth takeoffs and landings.

I think I'd use a 2.4GHz system, though.

[Trostle]

I think I'd use a 2.4GHz system, though.

That would be OK for practice, but you cannot use the 2.4 GHz system in a CLPA contest.  At least, not until a change proposal is passed similar to what the Carrier guys did last year.

Keith

[Howard Rush]

Given that I mostly fly off of rough grass, and occasionally off of nice pavement, it would be nice to leverage that rare "pavement time" to practice smooth takeoffs and landings.

That's about all Delta Park is useful for anyhow.  Make yourself a timer that uses either a servo or muscle wire to squeeze a hose.

[Tim Wescott]

That's about all Delta Park is useful for anyhow.  Make yourself a timer that uses either a servo or muscle wire to squeeze a hose.

Hey!

Do we need to have a Delta Park vs. Thun Field smackdown here?

[Paul Smith]

I would sooner use 2.4 and dispence with the insulated lines.  With the insulated lines competition stunt is a moot point.  The battery & reciever would be a good tradeoff for the tip weight.  You might need to devise a way to locate the battery so it can be moved in & out.

The 2.4 could be used in stunt practice and disabled for contest flights.

I'm not wild about either one, but 2.4 is a lot closer to practical than insulated lines, which were a way of beating the old "no radio" rule.

[Steve Helmick]

I would sooner use 2.4 and dispence with the insulated lines.  With the insulated lines competition stunt is a moot point.  The battery & reciever would be a good tradeoff for the tip weight.  You might need to devise a way to locate the battery so it can be moved in & out.

The 2.4 could be used in stunt practice and disabled for contest flights.

I'm not wild about either one, but 2.4 is a lot closer to practical than insulated lines, which were a way of beating the old "no radio" rule.

Indeed. I think the coated wires will bind up pretty badly, plus when the plastic gets roughed up, it'll get even worse.  Steve