F-Twister is STILL a PIG !!!!

[Paul Taylor]

OK,
I stopped at Wally-World and pickup a scale that weights up to 3 pounds. Guess what.... my pig of a Twister weights 52.9oz. So my guess is that my starting weight was closer to 56oz.

What about cutting holes in the fuse. Then cover the fuse with monokote???

Thoughts?

Paul

[RC Storick]

OK,
I stopped at Wally-World and pickup a scale that weights up to 3 pounds. Guess what.... my pig of a Twister weights 52.9oz. So my guess is that my starting weight was closer to 56oz.

What about cutting holes in the fuse. Then cover the fuse with monokote???

Thoughts?

Paul

Paul do your self a favor and build a new one.

[Bill Gruby]

 Robert is right Paul, you can mess with what you have forever and probably not lose more than a few ozs. It's too late for that one, start over with a new one.

  "Billy G" 

[Wynn Robins]

burn it - that will make it "LIGHT"

I will agree with the above and say build a new one - use your controls and landing gear and what not

actually DO NOT build a new twister - build the Pizzazz I sent you the plan for  - you will not regret it.

[Paul Taylor]

Well I have a Cardinal that I scratched built. I have all the parts just waiting to go together.

Man I hate to give up, but I guess it it time.

Bummer...

[Wynn Robins]

yep - you can dress a goat in a tuxedo - but it is still a goat

[Perry Rose]

I just finished framing an F-Twister using the kit wood throughout. a 1" high top deck and 1/8" fin and rudder, 3/8" cheek piece are the only changes, 3" extended fuse of course. I brushed on two coats of thinned 30 min. epoxy and it weights 19 ounces. Let me double check that. Yep, 19 ounces with no metal parts attached, only bare wood at this point. I was concerned because the fuse. wood was rough cut on one side not sanded. Not at all Sig like. The kit was still shrink wrapped. I rebuilt my first one and used a 3/8" fuse. board. It worked very well with no unusual twitches in flight.
Perry Rose

[john e. holliday]

I vaguely remember in St Louis a couple of years ago a gentleman flying a Twister that was completely built out of hardwoods.  Pine I beleive he said.  Put in a very respectable pattern with it.  DOC Holliday

[Alan Hahn]

First everyone should realize that kits can vary all over the place--sometimes light , sometimes heavy. I figure it is what wood is available when the make the kit. I've had two Twister kits, the first had pretty heavy wood, and the latest is pretty light (maybe too light for the fuse as someone has pointed out).

Secondly, I think most of us are our own worse enemy when it comes to building, basically adding a little strength here and there...

Paul, I think it would be most useful for you to dismantle the plane's parts (but not the plane!), and weigh each one. See where the weight is, and where you can spend time reducing it. Subjectively redoing things is not always the best way to lighten the load. It would be useful for you to provide
1) Engine+muffler weight
2) Tank weight
3) landing gear weight
4) rest of plane weight.

You might find that information interesting.

[Paul Taylor]

Paul, I think it would be most useful for you to dismantle the plane's parts (but not the plane!), and weigh each one. See where the weight is, and where you can spend time reducing it. Subjectively redoing things is not always the best way to lighten the load. It would be useful for you to provide
1) Engine+muffler weight
2) Tank weight
3) landing gear weight
4) rest of plane weight.

You might find that information interesting.

Alan,
I have stripped the plane of everything that I could. The only hardware on the plane is the CF pushrod, and the landing gear that are fixed and built into the fuse. No way to remove them without cutting into the fuse.
Just the plane as it sits on the wheels weighs in at 35.3oz. The engine, muffler, tank and screws weigh 15.8oz.
I can lose 2oz by replacing the muffler I know. But I am still stuck with a 35oz hunk of wood.
What about cutting lighting holes in the fuse?

I know I should start over but at this point I have not drive to do so.

[Alan Hahn]

Well I note one thing. Everytime I see "F-Twister", another word for "F" comes to mind (sorry about that  ), and I always expect to see something negative! Somehow this one has lived up to that expectation!

[Mark Scarborough]

as it sits how does it balance? if it balances well then cutting lightning holes in the aft fuse will throw the balance off, and require added lead in the nose. If it is tail heavy and you have lead in the nose, then removing some bulk from the aft end will help because you can then get rid of nose weight.
granted, it will still likely be heavy, but it will always be good for practicing stuff like inverted flight, or squares, especially making that first turn down on the outside sqaures,, that way if you miscue, no HUGE loss.
a flyable plane is a flyable plane.
myself now that I dont crash quite as often, I find that I keep my tanks (pigs other wise) in the hanger for backups. or when the wind is howling.

[dave siegler]

it's a pig so you can use it for:

1) Baloon bust
2) Engine tester
3) keep it for a kid to fly