Cobra questions

[Matt Colan]

I went to Brodak and I HAD A BLAST!!!!!!!!  I got Brodak's Cobra short kit, I opened it up in the hotel room and I gathered a couple of questions.  
1)  The cobra has only two formers, is that enough so that the fuselage won't flex or should I add more formers?
2) What is the ideal weight of this model, my guess is somewhere around 45-50oz?
3)  Is an OS 35S adequate power for the Cobra, I'd like to put in a Brodak 40, but the OS is powerplant choice number 2?

The Cobra will be started soon and the Oriental Plus project suspended until I get a PA 40UL, and I will be taking pictures of it.  Now I need to start drawing up some paint schemes for this thing  

[Matt Colan]

HI Matt. The Cobra has/had only two formers because the top and bottom blocks were that , blocks, and very rigid as applied. I made molds for my two and it is stronger and lighter, but I added one more former near the rear.  I use an ST .46 and an OS .40FP in my two.  It's bigger than the Ares as you well know, and there is no substitute for cubic inches. Also use Tom Morris controls.  You are right in the hardest part is finding a paint scheme for it.  Good luck. 

I'm also not going to use blocks since I waste 95% of the wood, so I'm going to mold it and just put a block in the nose, for the spinner.  I am going to use Tom Morris controls with a 3 inch bellcrank.  I'd like to put a Brodak 40 in it, and I might.

[Wynn Robins]

I have 4-5 paint schemes desinged for the Cobra that I never built - if you are interested I can e-mail them to you

[Matt Colan]

I have 4-5 paint schemes desinged for the Cobra that I never built - if you are interested I can e-mail them to you

Let's see what you came up with, send em

[phil c]

This is Steve Wooley's design Cobra?  If it is, Wooley's original plane probably weighed no more than 38-40 oz.  His Argus, which is slightly smaller than an Ares, weighed under 30oz.

[RandySmith]

  His Argus, which is slightly smaller than an Ares, weighed under 30oz.


20 something ounce Argus? Really??  that is  helium light!

Randy

[EddyR]

Mat I built four stock Cobra's and three variants of it. One of Steve's is still around and I do not know the weight. I saw Steve fly at least two version of the Cobra with Fox.35 in them. Steve is the one who showed me how to build I/beams and four of mine weighted 45 -50 oz with ST.40-46's in them. I had one light one back in 1969 with a ST/35 in it and it was a exact copy of Steve's  bubble canopy version and it weighed less than 40 ounces. I built it from hand drawn plans that I copied from Steve's hand drawn plans. The bubble canopy version had a shorter tail moment than the published plans.Steve had a bubble canopy version of the Argus also but he liked the turtle deck version better. The airfoil was slightly different on the bubble canopy version. I always  thought it was an enlarged Argus and the Cobra came from it. I never use blocks in mine. I used 1/8 sheet cut in to narrow tapered strips and planked the body.
EddyR

[Matt Colan]

I started construction on the cobra today.  Didn't do much, just tapered one elevator down and then I had to go home.  Watching your Brodak flights, along with helping grandpa find some retarder, and sanding, it goes by gind of slow   I have been drawing up paint schemes for this, made 12 and I finally narrowed it down to 5.  Grandpa thinks I should put the original paint scheme on it, but I don't care for it.  The wing is ok but I don't like the fuselage trim on it, or the colors for tha matter.