Parts help

[Richard Hutlet]

Evening fellas.

Spent the most of the afternoon watching stunthanger and Windy Urtnowski videos. Learned
a lot of interesting new things. Have a bit of a problem mind you. It's been almost 20+ years since I've been
involved in the hobby and I'm having a bit of a problem finding some stuff so if a few of you wouldn't mind
I'm going to ask a favour even if I'm not in the right forum.

I watched "sparky" make fillets with something called "superfill"?? Would like to know where to get that.
Also I have ordered the LA46 and would like to find out the part numbers I need to replace the
backplate with as well as the Venturi and NVA. the .272 and .280 thing are just numbers to me at
this point and I don't want to order the wrong thing. I'd also like a link on the proper installation of
a bellcrank assembly if possible. And last but not least the proper thickness of lines that I should get
for an LA46 combo'd with the Vector 40 kit. This is just a few of the questions I have but it's a start.
Don't mean to be a pain but I'm rather excited about getting back into C/L and I want to get it right
from the get go. As an example where do you guys get a "spool" of 26G copper wire?? Little things like that.

Thanks in advance to you fellas that don't mind helping out us noobs. I know there are different forums
for this stuff but I'm not sure how many of you guys go to those individual forums and I'm in the process
of ordering things now so didn't want to wait lol. Again sorry. Soo many questions and soo little time til spring

[Garf]

Is this what you are using the wire for?

[Richard Hutlet]

Yes sir. I'm guilty of soldering or epoxy coating my lines back in the days.
I haven't seen any really think copper like that in my area or on line with Canadian suppliers.

[Garf]

OS 46 LA-S

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXPUE3&P=ML

Venturi

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCX05&P=Z

NVA
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCX05&P=Z

Backplate from FP 40 N/A, see Curtiss Ship.

[john e. holliday]

If you don't mind taking the time,  do a search for the items you ask about.   Just the last week or so there has been a lot about the LA .46.   Get your pad and pencil so you can write stuff down.  

[Richard Hutlet]

Thanks Garf...much appreciated.

Hello John. I spent the last 5 days reading posts on this web site. Evaluating and trying
to understand what I was reading. The problem with forums like these is that they are usually
not "new person" friendly. I watch what you fellas write and also watch the replies. The problem is
not all of us understand what you guys are writing about  I know guys like me can be annoying
at times..Especially with people that know this stuff inside out.

You can rest assured that before I ask any questions on these forums I have at the very least tried
to find the information on my own. It may be that I could not fine it, was not entirely sure what I was
looking for...OR really did not understand what I was looking at. But as I mentioned. I'm serious about
getting back into the hobby after about a 20+ year break and if I need to know something I'd be pretty
foolish not to throw out questions to people like yourself from time to time. If it seems like I have
been asking to many questions it's only because I've done very little in the last week except do
research on a hobby I am looking forward to getting back into.

With that said...thanks again for you fellas that don't mind helping us "noobs"

[pmackenzie]

Yes sir. I'm guilty of soldering or epoxy coating my lines back in the days.
I haven't seen any really think copper like that in my area or on line with Canadian suppliers.

Being that you are sort of a remote area  , ebay might be your best bet.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2PCS-0-1MM-Copper-Soldering-Solder-PPA-Enamelled-Repair-Reel-Wire-/201047654823?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ecf5fc1a7

At one time Radio shack carried this sort of thing, but since they changed to The Source they are pretty much useless.

Pat MacKenzie

[Phil Spillman]

Hi There Info Needy, I use hair wire found in many craft shops and hardware stores to whip my flying line and leadout wire ends. You may want to use shrink tight tubes to cover your wrappings for all of the above rather than epoxy Ambroid or some similar substance. If used for flying lines color code your ends say white for up and black or red for down. I've found this helpful and as an advantage it doesn't appear to be as rough on the cable strands. You shrink it with a lighter or a match.

Phil Spillman

[Randy Cuberly]

Richard,
Superfil is about the best thing since sliced bread for fillets.

It's available from:

Aircraft Spruce
www.aircraftspruce.com

Phone:  1-887-4spruce

You'll find a lot of other useful goodies there also.

Randy Cuberly

PS:  Forums like this are as much for folks like you as anyone else.  Maybe more so!  Never be afraid to ask questions here...that's what it's here for.  You're doing a great job of investigating your questions.  The videos that Sparky has provided are great information for anyone.

[Randy Cuberly]

A search on this forum will turn up a lot of info on bellcranks and bellcrank and control horn installation.

Also look up Tom Morris products in the Vendor Corner here.

Randy Cuberly

[Dave_Trible]

Yes sir. I'm guilty of soldering or epoxy coating my lines back in the days.
I haven't seen any really think copper like that in my area or on line with Canadian suppliers.

Richard I get 28 ga. brass wire at True Value Hardware.  Works just find for binding.  A dab of epoxy on the wraps is fine but my red flag went up about solder.. Never solder lines or leadouts.  Obviously they are apt to corrode when soldered but more importantly soldering creates a mechanical 'hard spot ' where the solder stops.  The flexing wire will work around at that spot and break strands right there.  Most epoxys stay flexible enough not to promote strand breakage.
Not looking for trouble...... But I'd just run your new LA as it comes out of the box at least until you really find a reason to mess with it.  I only have one but after a long and rather tough break in it runs quite well as is.  No reason to add complication or expense until you find you need something more than the engine is giving you.... Some love to tinker.  That's OK but for your needs the stock machine should do fine.

Dave

[Richard Hutlet]

I'm learning that there is a LOT more to this forum that I am apparently missing
when it comes to information. Thanks Randy. I'll try and look harder before asking.
As mentioned I'm sure the answer is here somewhere  

[Andrew Hathaway]

SuperFil is a full scale aircraft product, you may be able to find it locally.  You might look at the dealer list on the Poly-Fiber website (http://www.polyfiber.com/where/index.htm) but ordering from Aircraft Spruce is probably easier.  Aircraft Spruce also carries Randolph dope at a significant discount over most of the hobby sources.

Jim Lee at http://leemachineshop.com/ can make you any size venturi you need, for almost any engine.  

The stock NVA assembly from the 20-40FP will fit in the LA and should work, but for a bit more $$$ Randy Smith's PA NVAs are a nicer product.  http://aeroproduct.net/  Just keep in mind the Smith NVA is slightly larger diameter, so you'll need to open the spraybar hole in the case a bit.

The Vector kit plans show a modern, proper bellcrank install.  The kit hardware is probably OK, but personally, I'd upgrade the bellcrank to something a little nicer than the nylon unit that comes in the kit, and use http://www.centralhobbies.com/control_linkage/pushrod2.htm pushrods with good 4-40 ball links at all four joints.  I prefer control horns with bearings, and also the kit horns don't match the geometry shown on the plans, so I'd either build my own horns or purchase them aftermarket.  Should be able to get top quality control system hardware from http://stunthanger.com/hobby.

For lines, I'd start around .015x61' eyelet to eyelet.  http://www.mbsmodelsupply.com stocks 1000' spools of bulk flying line, along with the brass eyelets and copper wrapping wire.  Lee Machine sells the wire and also a handy wrapping tool.  Be careful with the hobby grade "copper" wire.  I bought three spools from Hobby Lobby last year that felt funny, figured out they were steel wire with a copper wash after a magnet stuck to the spools.  The previous spool of copper wire from the same brand and matching packaging was honest copper.  McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/) sells rolls of copper wire too in any size you could want.

[Richard Hutlet]

Thanks Andrew. That is exactly the information I'm looking for. Thanks
for taking the effort. Much appreciated. At my level stuff like this is invaluable.

[Andrew Hathaway]

Without being able to just walk into the local hobby shop and buy whatever we need to build, finish, and fly a plane, we have to get resourceful.  In a way staying active in the modern hobby is as much about being resourceful, and finding or fabricating the materials we need, as it is about actually flying the planes.  A thread like this helps you find what you're looking for, but it might also give me or someone else another place to get something they might not have been able to find on their own.

[Dennis Moritz]

No CL clubs anywhere near you? Can you get to a CL contest during the summer? Wow. Middle of Canada, you are far north. What were you flying 20 years ago? Were you flying full bodied planes? What engines? If you were not flying full bodied planes before, a profile like a Brodak Streak and an LA25, would be a simpler way to get back involved. Much easier to troubleshoot. Potentially less frustrating. Also capable of doing the pattern.

[Richard Hutlet]

Hi Dennis. I'm about 1100 km north of the US border smack on the Mb./Sk. border. Not sure
you can get more central to the middle of no where than myself. Closest place is Saskatoon and Wpg.
Saskatoon is 550km west and Wpg is 800 km south. I started into the hobby back in the 70's with a
friend of my father by the name of Jack Willis. Jack was the original "McGivor" We built "Busters" with
bulsa fuselage and often used cardboard for ribs. Jack had a variety of old engine but I can not
remember what sizes we used back then. 29 to 35 and everything was "balls to the walls"..none of this
"wet"2 or 4 2 4 which I still have NO clue what most of it means. I was taught to lean out an engine and let it fly.
20 years ago I flew a Twister. I'm sure I had a 40 size engine on it. I was actually very good at aerobatics as
far as figure 8's and such. Problem is back in those days up here we walked away from a plane and said "ok..far enough"
lol. We had no idea how much line we had out. I'm really looking forward into doing it right.

[Dennis Moritz]

Richard, build a Twister, or the current Brodak equivalent. Actually there is no exact equivalent. The Tanager is more complicated, requiring a sheeted leading edge. Harder than a Twister to build and get straight. Some kind of jig would be advisable there. The Brodak Buster flies great. Is a bit smaller An improvement over the Carl Goldberg plane. Powered with an LA25, running hard, should get you back flying something pretty easy to handle. I know what you mean about flying these sized planes flat out. Lots of fun. I put a Tower 40 on my Buster and ran it balls out. Loved it. 60 ft of .015 would work with either engine. A Shark 40, is another capable and simple profile. Sig still advertises Twisters. You can put your LA46 on a Twister. I've seen it done. But the engine needs to be run on the rich side. Otherwise it will be a jet. The older engines did not put out as much power as the modern engines which are Schnurle ported. Running a Fox35 or Enya 35 flat out is less power than a Tower 40 or FP40 flat out. PM me, I'll see what's around the shop to help you out.

[MikeCoulombe]

Hi Dennis. I'm about 1100 km north of the US border smack on the Mb./Sk. border. Not sure
you can get more central to the middle of no where than myself. Closest place is Saskatoon and Wpg.
Saskatoon is 550km west and Wpg is 800 km south. I started into the hobby back in the 70's with a
friend of my father by the name of Jack Willis. Jack was the original "McGivor" We built "Busters" with
bulsa fuselage and often used cardboard for ribs. Jack had a variety of old engine but I can not
remember what sizes we used back then. 29 to 35 and everything was "balls to the walls"..none of this
"wet"2 or 4 2 4 which I still have NO clue what most of it means. I was taught to lean out an engine and let it fly.
20 years ago I flew a Twister. I'm sure I had a 40 size engine on it. I was actually very good at aerobatics as
far as figure 8's and such. Problem is back in those days up here we walked away from a plane and said "ok..far enough"
lol. We had no idea how much line we had out. I'm really looking forward into doing it right.

Richard you are way out there. Next door to Flin Flon.
If you are more likely to get down to Winnipeg, there are a group of guys called The Perfect Circle flying club.
Send Dennis an email to get on his mailing list. thesaydaks@mymts.net

[Steve Helmick]

I've wandered around several "Canadian Tire" stores, so if you've got one, there's at least some things there that can be used. Epoxy, screws, silicon gasket maker, aluminum, paints, thinners, batteries, wire, naptha, Coleman lantern fuel, lawn chairs.    

The 28ga. wire is a bit tough to get here, actually. Craft shops might have it, but it might not be copper, and it does need to be copper. Tom Morris, Jim Lee, Randy Smith, RSM, Brodak, and the rest of the vendors below in the Vendor's Forums are about it. As long as you've got postal, UPS, FedEx, and a computer connection, that's about as good as many of us have.

Fuel is the one thing that most of us rely on a hobby shop for. We make a "fuel run" to a source, and a few get a case or pallet of cases shipped in by truck...not cheap. Those of us who have access to fuel, try to take care of those who do not...we bring it to contests, some guys will bring it back from VSC (Tucson, AZ), etc. Fuel is the tricky part. If you find a friendly hobby dealer, they'll usually order "good fuel", if you're willing to buy a whole case. That's often only 4 gallons...sometimes 6. Not really a huge amount.

There's apparently a fair group in Winnipeg (call Larry Maltman) and Edmonton, a few in Calgary, a few in Saskatoon, etc. If you want email addresses for those, most are probably members here, or send me a PM.
  Steve  

[Richard Hutlet]

Dennis Mike and Steve..thanks, I am in the boonies but with the internet have access to anything.
Thanks for the help though guys. I'm only 5 hours out of Saskatoon and another 8 from Edmonton.
I manage a Lumberyard here so I do have a small amount of leverage when it'd time
 to "take a day off".

[Mark Scarborough]

Thanks Garf...much appreciated.

Hello John. I spent the last 5 days reading posts on this web site. Evaluating and trying
to understand what I was reading. The problem with forums like these is that they are usually
not "new person" friendly. I watch what you fellas write and also watch the replies. The problem is
not all of us understand what you guys are writing about  I know guys like me can be annoying
at times..Especially with people that know this stuff inside out.

You can rest assured that before I ask any questions on these forums I have at the very least tried
to find the information on my own. It may be that I could not fine it, was not entirely sure what I was
looking for...OR really did not understand what I was looking at. But as I mentioned. I'm serious about
getting back into the hobby after about a 20+ year break and if I need to know something I'd be pretty
foolish not to throw out questions to people like yourself from time to time. If it seems like I have
been asking to many questions it's only because I've done very little in the last week except do
research on a hobby I am looking forward to getting back into.

With that said...thanks again for you fellas that don't mind helping us "noobs"

Hey,, I have a lot of experience running the LA 46,, if you have questions you are leary of asking here, private message me,, I was a Noob not very long ago,,
some say I still am,, LOL

[john e. holliday]

Richard, I hope you will forgive this old man as I keep forgetting about where and when I got started.   I was lucky in that we had a drug store that carried Flying Models magazine(no longer in production).   America's Hobby Center was my hobby shop when I couldn't make it to the city.   I think they our out of business too.   We have Brodak Mfg,  RSM Dist. and MBS Model Supply as well as Lee Machine Shop for most of my needs.   Don't be afraid to contact them as they are very helpful, not like some old  man I know.

[Tim Wescott]

Lifetime supply for $16 from All Electronics:

http://tinyurl.com/p2ks7vl

[Jay]

Try Kaz, he sells the LA 46 cheaper than anyone. Shipping is not bad.

http://www.shop-online.jp/mnti/

[Bill Heher]

You can also strip a discarded lamp cord and get 22-32 gauge wire in a pinch.
I grew up in Grand Forks N.D.- south of Winnipeg, and know that CL fliers up on the great windy prairie are pretty few and far between. The advantage is you learn to fly in the wind, which helps later on when you want to practice- the wind usually dies down near dusk, and a nice evening with your plane highlighted against the sky is magical.

The FM Skylarks in Fargo have a good contest each summer, if you can swing a vacation it would be worth the drive to go and watch/ make contacts, even if you don't fly in any of the events, I know guys from Winnipeg used to come down for it.