Cardinette - keeps getting better

[Bob Zambelli]

For anyone interested, here is an update.

I was able to fly the Cardinette at Huntersville and yesterday at Reading.

At Huntersville, it was breezy. At Reading, it was blowing like blazes.

The little plane flew beautifully at both places. Yesterday, it was bounced around a little but it still went right where I pointed it. With some nasty turbulence, it had no problem even in the overhead eights.

The plans are available from Brodak's but if all goes as planned, an ARF will be offered in the future. A prototype is enroute to me now and if I approve it, production will start.

As I previously stated, if you have some engines kicking around in the .25 to .30 size, you might consider the Cardinette. To date it has flown with the Brodak .25 and Surpass .26, the latter being my favorite as I'm a 4S enthusiast.

Even without the take-apart feature, at 45 inch span, it will fit in the back seat or trunk of just about any car.

Lots of performance and fun in a small package.

Bob Z.

[Peter Hess]

Do you know if the Cardinette will be made available as a kit?

[Bob Zambelli]

Hi, Peter - I will encourage Brodak Mfg to furnish it as a kit.

As I have already done all the AutoCad work, it should be very easy to laser cut.

Keeping in mind that the prototype was scratch-built in one week (not covered), a kit should be a breeze.

I then started the covering/painting procedure on Monday and the plane was ready by the following Friday.

Absolutely no trim was needed for flying - it was perfect right off the bench.

Bob Z.

[old fart]

 afew pix would be nice
   ron smith

[Bob Zambelli]

As you wish!!!

By the way, a complete construction article is featured in CL World.

Bob Z.

[John KruziK]

Thats one nice plane!!  John

[Will Davis]

Bob,
   Do you have any pictures in the Take Apart Mode and shipping container . I saw them at Brodak's , really impressive . People might want to see this

Will

[proparc]

Looks like a really nice plane for the possibly up and coming Saito 40A control line motor.

[Bob Zambelli]

"Looks like a really nice plane for the possibly up and coming Saito 40A control line motor."

RIGHT------------------ (I hope this was posted in jest)

Actually, since it flies perfectly with the OS Surpass .26, why not go to a .62?

As one guy said - "too much power is not enough!!!"

Bob Z.

[Bob Zambelli]

Hi, Bill - thanks for asking. The take-apart feature of the Cardinette is very simple.

The wing attaches to the fuselage with 4 flat head bolts (4-40), padded by special washers that I machine myself.

The aircraft is placed on the ground, upside down. When the 4 bolts are removed, the wing is lifted and the landing gear removed.
Then, the aft part of the wing is lifted and moved sideways, disengaging the push rod from the flap horn.
That’s all there is to it.

The anchor points in the wing saddle and fuselage are 3/32 plywood, reinforced with epoxy and fiberglass.

Yes, I made a carrying case for the disassembled plane but it was, in reality, too big for its purpose. The plane is really quite small and it will fit in just about any car. If someone wants to do the take-apart feature, I would gladly document it with sketches and photos – really isn’t all that complex.

By the way, the carrying case has a built-in toolbox, as seen in the second picture.

Bob Z.

[Rudy Taube]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for giving us another excellent plane to choose from. As is often said: "so many planes so little time"

Could you please post some close up photos (and or sketches) of the removable wing and tail features. This would be a big help for those of us who are attempting to make our planes take-apart for easy storage and transport.

I know there are many ways to do it, but we can all learn from guys like you that have cool ideas on how to get something done. .... I saw a great KIS take-apart ARF Palmer Thunderbird at the CA Champs a few weeks ago. It is the one the pilot took to England for the annual English "Palmer" event. It had an aluminium tab that was bolted to the wing using the bolts for the LG and it continued forward and was then bolted to the bottom of the fuselage. It was approx. 2" wide and 2 1/2" long. Then two bolts in the rear of the wing. The tail was bolted onto a tab in the fuselage. It was all very KIS and it worked well.

FWIW: I know that 4-40s are common in CL, but wouldn't Nylon bolts, like 1/4"-20 be better for the wing hold downs? We have used them for decades in the "Dark Arts" world. They are light weight, large surface area to distribute the load, they sheer on impact (yikes, that can sometimes be a bad word?) and they really stay tight when screwed into tapped ply.

Again, thanks for another great plane, and TIA for any help on the take-apart feature. :-)

Regards,    

[Bob Zambelli]

Hi, Rudy - I'm sure the Nylon bolts would work just fine. I wanted the countersunk 4-40 and my special washers because they are nice and small and really look neat.

If I were to advance the take-apart scenario, I would saw off the back of the fuselage and design a bolt-together feature.

Here are some photos for you - hope they help.

Note the very small and weak  section of the fuselage.
The wing saddle is indeed a structural component.

Bob Z.

[Bradley Walker]

That is a cool little plane!!!

I bet it flies great!!!

[Bob Zambelli]

Brad - If all goes as planned, you'll get to fly it in the spring. 

I intend to make the trip to Texas when the guys from this area head down.

Bob Z.

[Rudy Taube]

Hi Bob,

I now see why you like your 4-40s. They look great with your recessed washers. My nylon bolts work, but they sure don't look "cool".

Thank you for the photos, they really help. I like your method of using the bottom piece with extensions much better than my method. Fortunately, I am at the point with my plane where I can still make a few changes and use your nice KIS system. .... Thanks! 

IMHO: I think the real solution will be to make our CL planes like we make our pattern and IMAC planes. With CF (or Al) tubes for spars and having both the wings and stabs/EL slide on these tubes. This would make a small package to store and transport, and still have it be very easy to assemble at the field in a few min. This way we could put our planes in a small box for shipping to far away contests.
     After seeing some of the aluminum braced take-apart systems in CL planes, I think the Dark Arts method can be made at a similar weight? If I get a chance, I will try to make one and see if it can work for CL planes. I just wish I could build as fast as you guys do. I am very slooooooow!   

Thanks again for your help. 

Regards,

[Bob Zambelli]

Hi, Rudy - thanks for the kind words.
What you said about sliding rods for take-apart makes a lot of sense. I tried it on my first attempt, which you can see in the Old Time section where I posted info on the Screwball Fury.

My Starlight (see photo) comes apart in a similar manner.

My triple will also use rods.

Bob Z.

[Gene O'Keefe]

Bob - Great looking plane - any idea of projected cost of an ARF ?

[Bob Zambelli]

Hi, Gene.
I'm not sure about the cost but I would expect it to be in the general range of the Smoothie - possibly a bit less due to less material. The production labor should be about the same.

As I've stated previously, I highly reccommend scratchbuilding this bird. Anyone who does so will understand - it's ridiculously easy. Check out my article in CL world.

In any case, the final prototype should arrive at my place soon and if it's in line, I will reccommend releasing it for production. Depending on the workload, it could be here before 2008.

Bob Z.