Would like to make the Flite Streak a little longer???

[Paul Taylor]

We had a little mishap at our Fall Fun Fly. I figure I will just make a new fuse.
So here is my question.

I would like to make the nose just a tad bit longer so a tank will fit better between the engine and wing. Do I also need to add the same amount to the tail to balance it out?

And how to add?

[Tim Wescott]

You need to add more, because those tail feathers are lighter than the engine.

A not-bad way to go would be to ask someone who has a Skyray for measurements.

Have you built any profiles from kits?  Just pick your favorite and copy their construction methods.  If you haven't -- ask, someone will answer.

[Jim Thomerson]

If the Flitestreak is balanced as George said to, not as shown in the Topflight kit, it is a good stunt airplane.  The big Flight Streak should balance just behind the leading edge plank,  the Junior a little farther back.  Balanced properly they will turn a nice square corner, but are smooth and stable to fly.  Note the heavy hub on my big Flitestreak.

[Paul Taylor]

Thanks guys.
I was just going to add about 1 inch to allow more room for the tank and lines.
This is a Top Flite full size ARF.
It WAS a good flying plane. Now we will see if I mess it up.

[Steven Kientz]

Paul
 a friend of mine crashed his FS arf, the wing was the only salvagable part. I took it home and made a Skyray fuse and tail for it, and gave it back to him. Flies much better. Maybe Brett Bucks Skyray fixes would work on your Fs since you need repairs?

Steve

[Andrew Hathaway]

I have been flying a Flite Streak wing in a Skyray 35 fuselage since about 1994.  It happened the usual way, a salvaged Skyray fuselage section and a salvaged Flite Streak wing met in a workshop, and the rest is history...  Turned out it flew MUCH better than either the stock Flite Streak or stock Skyray.  In fact I liked it so much I built another Skyray fuselage from scratch to mate with another salvaged Flite Streak wing, and made it look more like a Flite Streak.  Both planes have been flown extensively, been rebuilt a few times, and have broken 500pts flying in PAMPA classes.



When Top Flite brought out the ARFs, they changed the dimensions to suit modern engines.  If you compare the ARF Nobler to the Top Flite kit plans, they shortened the nose.  On the Flite Steak they stretched the tail.  I want to say it's about an inch longer then the TF kit.  They also shortened the plywood doublers.  When the nose fell off my Flite Streak ARF, I stashed it out of the way and forgot about it. 



Earlier this summer I pulled it back out and thought about how I wanted to fix it.  I mentioned the doublers earlier.  There are actually two different doubler patterns that Top Flite used, the later of which (the loose double in the pic) extended a bit further back on the wing, but both extended further then the ARF version.  Regardless how I repaired it, I was going to stretch the doublers back to the kit dimensions.



I never much cared for the ARF, even with the FP 20 setup it never worked as well as the Skyray 35 fuselage versions.  I didn't want to invest much time or the materials into building a new fuselage for the broken ARF.  Instead I drew up a plan for the ARF style nose, but stretched an inch longer, and with the late kit style doubler outline.  I also narrowed the mount spacing to fit an FP 15 instead of the 20.  With the new nose built, I epoxied it to the original fuselage.  The ARF canopy didn't survive the salvage, so I cut a sheet balsa canopy to double the joint at the top of the fuselage.




So far it's worked pretty well.  It flies almost as good as an original kit wing in a Skyray fuselage.  Grafting a new nose on the old fuselage was more affordable than cutting a new profile fuselage.  From bare wood, the new nose received a few coats of spray on Duplicolor primer, and Duplicolor truck & van spray can paint to match the original Monokote.

If you cut a new fuselage from 1/2" sheet, or build up a profile fuselage like the ARF, I'd recommend copying the Skyray 35 fuselage.  If you're cheap like me, a new nose can be successfully grafted onto the old fuselage.  Slightly stretching the nose for more tank room won't upset the design since the ARF is already stretched in back.  A shorter tail would just mean adding ballast to bring the CG back.  Even with a forward CG the Flite Streak flies fine, I don't know that I'd worry about it too much. 

[Paul Taylor]

OK I'm sold.
Sky-Streak it is. Just need that rib template so I get the cut out correct.

[Paul Taylor]

Thanks Ty!
This is for Ryan. I will pass this one. Andrew should be emailing me a template.

[jim ivey]

well Iwasn't around for that conversation,however I was around for the debut of the flite streak.  He said it was just for sport flying. Geo couldn't fly combat be cause he couldn't fly counter clock. I asked him if he made it from the scrap in nobler kits. we laffed. and he gave one of the kits. it was a fun plane to fly. jim

[Avaiojet]

I shortened the tail once on a Flite Streak. Tad bit of weight to balance it. Flew great!

charles

[Larry Renger]

We fly the "Doodle Streak" here.  It has a much larger stab and elevator designed to dimensions provided by Bill Netzband (thus the name).  It is an extremely smooth and competitive stunt profile machine.  Nose and tail moments are stock ARF 'Streak.  The bigger tail surfaces allow a more aft CG, but provide smooth control power and better dampening of corners.