Viper the series.Christmas project.

[RC Storick]

I do a airplane at Christmas vacation. My plane for the build this year is Viper 8 or V8. This is my kind of ARF. It starts life in the first picture. A pile of lumber..

Here are a few shots of the components I have been working on. I am almost ready for final assembly. The work pictured here is about a weeks worth. I should be able to get it ready for our FEB contest.

One of the nice things about being able to build so fast is I have time to experiment. This plane ( piped PA.40) should come in around 45 OZ. 650 sqs. This is going to prove to myself what I have known all along "LIGHTER IS BETTER". I am using this as an experiment to the next generation of high performance aircraft. Ron O'tool and I are working on a design the will afford light weight yet maintaining the large size plane.

I choose to use MonoKote for the speed and weight of finish. I do not like MonoKote but it looks as if is is going to be the only way to gain an advantage of weight savings.

More photos to follow this week in the building section.

[john e. holliday]

Robert, with this CRS I have I can't remember if you or anyone else has plans for your Viper.  By the way, monokote takes practice and patience.  DOC Holliday

[RC Storick]

Robert, with this CRS I have I can't remember if you or anyone else has plans for your Viper.  By the way, monokote takes practice and patience.  DOC Holliday

The Viper is always in R&D so there are no plans. It's not that I can't do a good Monokote job it just looks cheap to me. There is nothing like a good Dope finish. JMO.

[Leester]

Sparky: Looks good to me. Just a question on your hinges on the Stab & Elev. You have 4 ea side, what is the hinge line lenght of ea elev. ? The plane I'm building now has a Stab. hinge line of 23" elev. 11" ea. and the plans show only 2 hinges ea side. Is this enough ? Do you have a rule of thumb X # of hinges per ? in. ?   Thanks

[wmiii]

 I don't know about Sparkies standard, but with 11" elevators, 3 would be the minium for me,I would probably use 4.

 Walter

[hoythawkins]

regarding hinges, best to be safe than sorrw....use at least 4 on each elevator. 

Get a good smooth surface just as you would for dope finish, and Ultracoat can produce flawless appearance.  But you will have to practice to get it right.

Happy New Year to all.

Hawk

[Richard Grogan]

I choose to use MonoKote for the speed and weight of finish. I do not like MonoKote but it looks as if is is going to be the only way to gain an advantage of weight savings.

=

Your Monokote job looks pretty darn good for a "Dope" head!!          



I agree with you though, nothing looks better than a good dope job! Whats your target weight with Monokote v/s estimated weight with dope?

[RC Storick]

Target weight is 42-45 oz. I still can't make 40 oz. The fixed weight is too great.

[Allen Brickhaus]

Here is one more Viper.

Allen Brickhaus

[Allen Brickhaus]

One more.

Allen

[Allen Brickhaus]

And..........Tah Dah, the last posting.

Allen

[RC Storick]

Thanks for posting those Allen. I thought they were lost. Here is number 6

I might add the number four pictured above in Allen's post was built in 1 week. I had crashed the blue one above that, a week before a contest and did not have a back up, so number four came into existence. Wallah!!



Number 7 ended up in the trash can so on to number 8

[john e. holliday]

Sparky you need to get the design down on paper with details of the variants.  When Rolle McDonald sent me plans for the detroiter, not only did I get the original, but, plans for most of the variants.  He was a true gentleman as his son is now.  DOC Holliday

[Leester]

Robert: You want to put any more in the trash can I'll give you my address and postage money. Speaking of money, why not make up plans for the Viper and sell them, I'd take a set and I'm sure others would also. You'd be on # 12 before we got ours done.

[wwwarbird]

The Viper is a great loooking plane, someone should kit it.