RE: Building a speed type pylon

[John Stiles]

Anybody know if there's a set of plans or blueprint to build one?

[Tim Wescott]

John:

The ones in the Control Line Speed regulations look pretty detailed.  Look at page 4:

http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/2013-2014CLSpeed.pdf

Since your goal is to fly a humongous Ringmaster without it flying you, you may want to make sure the pole is planted really well.

Most of the speed pylons that I've seen screw into a receptacle in the middle of the circle with some sort of pipe thread.  I've never looked to closely, because speed looks like it might be so much fun that it'd distract me from my progress in stunt.

[John Stiles]

Thanks Tim!

[Motorman]

Just a side note: a pole mounted on a 4x4 piece of plywood doesn't work.


MM

[David Hoover]

Just a side note: a pole mounted on a 4x4 piece of plywood doesn't work.

Is that the voice of experience talking?

[Avaiojet]

Anybody know if there's a set of plans or blueprint to build one?

Gee John,

You may want to try the EAA guys.

Your Ringmaster is large enough to get in. 

[bob whitney]

the pylon can be as difficult or as simple as u want to make it the main thing is that it needs to be solid at the bottom i have made them with ball bearings, needle bearings and bushings at the top ,they all work,  what ever is easiest to fit your pipe make sure the yoke is a snug fit so that it wont try to walk up and out of the pipe   the guys in Arizona do use a portable pylon on a piece of thick ply about 4x4  with a good solid base bolted to it

 if u plan on doing anything more than flying around level the pylon wont be much fun

[John Stiles]

.........if u plan on doing anything more than flying around level.....

That would be a good start, at least till I find out how many Gs  

[Tim Wescott]

That would be a good start, at least till I find out how many Gs  

If we know your line length and speed, then the physicists among us can tell you the accelerations.  Then if you tell us the plane weight (OK, fine, the plane's MASS), we'll tell you the line pull.

If you just tell us line length and weight we can probably make some wild-ass guesses that are in the ballpark.

[John Stiles]

If you just tell us line length and weight we can probably make some wild-ass guesses that are in the ballpark.

I already have one of those....G-man said I wouldn't need to worry, he said his biggen didn't pull him down!  

[Bob Reeves]

If you would plug the numbers into LineIII it will tell you what the line pull will be plus allot of other good info.

[John Stiles]

If you would plug the numbers into LineIII it will tell you what the line pull will be plus allot of other good info.

When I get the lines, I will do just that....I'm kinda hoping on 55' test flight and 70 to 80' flying. Weight was in the low 80s. Right about where it should be on a 2x/S-1

[Fred Cronenwett]

I have been flying the airplane pictured on the left for over 15 years now, 80" span and maybe 12-13 lbs total weight. It has flown with 90 four strokes, 90 sized two strokes and now flies with an E-60 electric motor. Even got the chance to fly her off the ROW pond in Roseburg, Oregon.

The model on the right is a Byron Originals Ryan STA with a 90 sized motor....it also had throttle control.

I have never needed anything to keep me standing up, but it does have throttle control so I can keep the speed within reason. The trick to flying the big models is keeping the line guide adjusted correctly and the speed within reason. At full speed the model has a lot of line tension.

Good luck!
Fred

[mike londke]

I have been flying the airplane pictured on the left for over 15 years now, 80" span and maybe 12-13 lbs total weight. It has flown with 90 four strokes, 90 sized two strokes and now flies with an E-60 electric motor. Even got the chance to fly her off the ROW pond in Roseburg, Oregon.

The model on the right is a Byron Originals Ryan STA with a 90 sized motor....it also had throttle control.

I have never needed anything to keep me standing up, but it does have throttle control so I can keep the speed within reason. The trick to flying the big models is keeping the line guide adjusted correctly and the speed within reason. At full speed the model has a lot of line tension.

Good luck!
Fred

  Awesome! Any chance there is a video of these monsters flying?

[John Stiles]

Thanks, Fred for the vote of confidence. Nice planes, when the weather breaks, I'll try to get a picture of the 2x/S-1 outside, balanced on my toe! LOL  Preciate the pics and the info. 

[Steve Helmick]

I've flown (speed) off pylons that were set into the ground, and pylons that had a steel base plate about 3' dia., made of about 3/8" steel plate. I preferred the ones that were set into the ground, because I could let the pylon take more of the load. Since you seem to live on some acreage, I'd suggest putting a socket in the ground. Tim may have looked at the details of the pylon socket in Salem. I suspect pipe nipple/coupler buried in concrete, flush with the ground?

Most only had a 3/4" steel pin sticking up out of the pipe for the pilot to hook his thumb around. That works well, but of course, isn't good practise for flying on a pylon that is made per AMA regs. It's not going to make a difference in the speed timing, but it's not per regs. But for your use, the simple pin would be my suggestion. 

If you do this, put a pipe plug in the hole when you take the pylon away to the barn, and use some anti-seize on the threads, etc. I think 2" Sch. 40 pipe would be ok for your purpose, maybe 3" for a real speed pylon. A pipe cap at the top with a pin welded through a hole in the center would work for the top, or another coupling with a plug and the pin welded through a hole in the center.  You'll need to figure out how long the pipe should be, and I suspect it would be good to recess the socket a couple inches so the pipe plug doesn't get hammered by the mower blades. Probably set it in concrete?

One more thought...55' lines will be way short for your big'un. I might start with 60', but if you've done your bench trimming, 70' will be safe if you've got the room. Measure twice, cut once!  Steve

[John Stiles]

One more thought...55' lines will be way short for your big'un. I might start with 60', but if you've done your bench trimming, 70' will be safe if you've got the room. Measure twice, cut once!   Steve

I have 3 flying circles, on is right here at the house, the other 2 are half a quarter away[transporting the plane comes into play]....the 55' test lines idea is simply to test controls, electrical circuits, and takeoff characteristics....maybe a couple of short hops. This flying area is limited to 55' by terrestrial impediments. I'm still working on an expansion of flying field #2 out to 90'. The third area is for RC, but can only be used seasonally because it's also for hay production. But after each hay operation, 100' circle is not a problem.  

Thanks for the ideas as to the pylon, I had not thought of using PVC. The post hole digger on my tractor will dig a 4' deep hole....I'm kinda wishing I had kept a certain trailer axle I let go to the scrap iron.

[John Stiles]

Will this work ya think?

[Steve Helmick]

I think a pin would be easier to fly with, but you can always just hook your thumb around one or the other side of the fork. For your use, it would seem best (to me) to hold onto the pipe with left hand (or crook of left elbow?) and fly with the right? You won't be "speed flying", and hopefully just use the pylon for a little temporary support/security blanket...you'll need to do some loops!

I didn't write anything about using PVC pipe. Did somebody else? I guess it would be ok if it was like 6" or something like that! If I remember correctly, Schedule 40 is standard wall steel pipe, Sch. 80 is next step thicker and Sch. 120 is da heavy duty stuff! And yes, PVC is gauged the same way,  same OD, with various wall thicknesses.  Steve

[bob whitney]

i agree with Steve just the pipe would be much better ,just hook your left arm around it ,,u wouldn't need to bend over  ,it would be much more com fertable  u could do the same thing by putting your left elbo in the yoke and walking around it  .if u use the pole be sure to have a long sleeve shirt on so u dont grab any hairs ha ha ha

[John Stiles]

i agree with Steve just the pipe would be much better ,just hook your left arm around it ,,u wouldn't need to bend over  ,it would be much more com fertable  u could do the same thing by putting your left elbo in the yoke and walking around it  .if u use the pole be sure to have a long sleeve shirt on so u dont grab any hairs ha ha ha

That's how I've been doing it, actually, for years. The idea of using a speed type setup was suggested to me, and I thought I'd see what that's all about. I kinda like the ball bearings.  Adapting this to a pipe and rigging up a receptical in the ground will give me options I didn't have before...like using a section of my hay meadow for a third, and larger flying field, say 100' plus.