What's Next???

Locked
coachchuckaahs
Coach
Coach
Posts: 680
Joined: April 24th, 2017, 9:19 am
Division: B
State: NM
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 95 times

What's Next???

Post by coachchuckaahs »

We are starting to get into Regionals and even some State competitions. If your team gets knocked out, but you want to continue to fly indoors, Where do you go next?

My team last year progressed to Limited Penny Planes. These are simple, with very similar construction to the Wright Stuff planes, but fly much slower and longer. These planes have a minimum weight of 3.1g, which sounds light, but is not hard to hit using glues and techniques you have already learned.

Our team chose Bill Gowen's Carbon Penny, which is a plan that can be downloaded from HipPocketAeronautics web site, https://www.hippocketaeronautics.com/. We chose this because we used it as the basis for our WS planes. Our first builds are a year old and still flying weekly. These simple planes can be built without highly specialized tools or techniques. Josh Finn (J&H) also sells a kit if you prefer that route.

You will quickly want to get a rubber stripper. I recommend Ray Harlans, about $180. You can fly without it, but optimization of your plane to the site, you will really want one. If not, try some 3/32" stock as a starting point, and just adjust the length of the loop and pitch of the prop.

Wright Stuff is a lot of fun, but very limited in season and opportunity. If you liked it, you will LOVE moving on up to AMA competition (Note, the Academy of Model Aeronautics, AMA, sponsors the SO Wright Stuff and ELG events). AMA membership is free for juniors (18 and under), and many contests waive entry fees as well for Juniors.

You will want to try to link up with local or nearby indoor enthusiasts, through a local AMA chapter. However, that is not always possible. We did not have a big indoor community in Albuquerque, so we made one ourselves. It is now growing and vibrant!

I hope to see some of you on the competition circuit in the future! If you have questions, post here or PM. Others such as Jeff and Cal would probably jump in with advice as well.

Coach Chuck
Coach, Albuquerque Area Home Schoolers Flying Events
Nationals Results:
2016 C WS 8th place
2018 B WS 2nd place
2018 C Heli Champion
2019 B ELG 3rd place
2019 C WS Champion
AMA Results: 3 AAHS members qualify for US Jr Team in F1D, 4 new youth senior records
jander14indoor
Member
Member
Posts: 1653
Joined: April 30th, 2007, 7:54 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 29 times

Re: What's Next???

Post by jander14indoor »

Let me endorse the recommendation to try Penny Plane. Lots of designs out there, if you build to accurately and to weight, they all fly well. They are little harder to build than a Wright Stuff plane. Similar jigs and skills. Slightly smaller parts, stiffness selection becomes more important. More advanced covering materials may be required to hit weight, but not crazily so. You just about have to make your props. It is a popular class, so always lots of competition to find.

For those in SE Michigan, there is a very active indoor free flight club. Cloudbusters Model Airplane Club. They have business meetings once a month, fly weekly at a soccer arena in Pontiac. Their big annual meet is May 3rd. All day flying and everything from Penny Planes to scale to EZBs to F1D typically. SO students generally free at that contest. Worth coming to just watch if you even think you might be interested. cloudbustermac.tripod.com

And if you find yourself really hooked, some of the club members fly F1D and are willing to give tips to new builders.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI
calgoddard
Member
Member
Posts: 257
Joined: February 25th, 2007, 9:54 pm
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: What's Next???

Post by calgoddard »

I too endorse the recommendation that WS fliers try their hands at the Limited Penny Plane (LPP) event. I have built a number of LPP models and really enjoy flying them. Bi-planes are not allowed in the LPP event so that makes an LPP model easier to build to the minimum weight and easier to trim than if it were a bi-plane. If you are really good, you can fly 5+ minute flights with an LPP model in a typical high school gym.

Some WS fliers may first want to try the P-18 event. The rules of the P-18 event basically specify an 18-inch wide and long stick model with a minimum weight of 7.5 grams and an unmodified commercial 6-inch injection molded plastic prop. The First Derivative P-18 kit from Laser-Cut Planes is an excellent, easy-to-build model that can fly 2+ minute flights in a typical high school gym. A P-18 model is far easier to trim than a WS 2020 model as the wing area and stab area of the former are very generous.
coachchuckaahs
Coach
Coach
Posts: 680
Joined: April 24th, 2017, 9:19 am
Division: B
State: NM
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 95 times

Re: What's Next???

Post by coachchuckaahs »

I agree with Cal, though if you were successful enough with WS to want to try something new, you will like LPP. P18 is really very similar to prior WS events, in terms of weight (7.5g) and wing sizes.

I have had non-WS kids and adults (8 so far) build the First Derivative kit. It builds very easy, 2-3 hours at most. Put in a good amount of rudder to get it turning. Otherwise, flies nice, and our group is getting 1:30 to 2 minutes in a 24' room. It is self-jigging, just put it together then dab glue everywhere. Simple. The First Derivative generally came out to 8-8.5g, primarily because the prop is 3.5g! You can request it with an Ikara prop instead, and then have no problem making minimum weight.

But, yeh, LPP so much more satisfying. 6-10 hours to build, maybe.

Coach Chuck
Coach, Albuquerque Area Home Schoolers Flying Events
Nationals Results:
2016 C WS 8th place
2018 B WS 2nd place
2018 C Heli Champion
2019 B ELG 3rd place
2019 C WS Champion
AMA Results: 3 AAHS members qualify for US Jr Team in F1D, 4 new youth senior records
User avatar
Maxout
Member
Member
Posts: 59
Joined: May 26th, 2015, 5:10 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: What's Next???

Post by Maxout »

LPP is definitely a great starting point for AMA flying. I've got a couple kits for sale, and Lasercut sells a nice sport biplane as well.

P-18 is fun and you can use Ikara props.

We'll be flying all of these classes at the Nats in Arizona, last weekend in May. Please consider flying with us; we'll even have on-site build clinics!
http://nats.modelaircraft.org/schedule/
Josh Finn
coachchuckaahs
Coach
Coach
Posts: 680
Joined: April 24th, 2017, 9:19 am
Division: B
State: NM
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 95 times

Re: What's Next???

Post by coachchuckaahs »

There is currently a new "Postal" event getting started. This is focused on a living room flyer, the Scraps plan. This is a small plane that can be built to the minimum 500mg weight with readily available wood. While this weight level may be a challenge coming form SO 8g minimum weight, they are small planes, and the goal should be reachable with covering you have on hand (the original plane was covered with condenser paper). You will probably need to make a wire prop hanger, as SO prop hangers are quite heavy for this size. Otherwise, it should be a quick and simple build.

The rules and (free) entry can be found as a Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/542680676660442/

Hope you join us! Should be a fun way to pass time in isolation!

Coach Chuck
Coach, Albuquerque Area Home Schoolers Flying Events
Nationals Results:
2016 C WS 8th place
2018 B WS 2nd place
2018 C Heli Champion
2019 B ELG 3rd place
2019 C WS Champion
AMA Results: 3 AAHS members qualify for US Jr Team in F1D, 4 new youth senior records
User avatar
xiangyu
Member
Member
Posts: 276
Joined: April 6th, 2019, 8:32 pm
Division: Grad
State: MI
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: What's Next???

Post by xiangyu »

If I don't have sheet balsa, can I use plastic for the propeller?
Medal & Ribbon Count: 33
Former EGRHS Team Captain 2017-2021
https://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/User:Xiangyu
User avatar
xiangyu
Member
Member
Posts: 276
Joined: April 6th, 2019, 8:32 pm
Division: Grad
State: MI
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: What's Next???

Post by xiangyu »

EDIT: Nvm, the answer is probably no. Plastic too heavy anyways.
Medal & Ribbon Count: 33
Former EGRHS Team Captain 2017-2021
https://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/User:Xiangyu
bjt4888
Member
Member
Posts: 882
Joined: June 16th, 2013, 12:35 pm
Division: C
State: MI
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 51 times

Re: What's Next???

Post by bjt4888 »

coachchuckaahs wrote: March 19th, 2020, 10:12 am There is currently a new "Postal" event getting started. This is focused on a living room flyer, the Scraps plan. This is a small plane that can be built to the minimum 500mg weight with readily available wood. While this weight level may be a challenge coming form SO 8g minimum weight, they are small planes, and the goal should be reachable with covering you have on hand (the original plane was covered with condenser paper). You will probably need to make a wire prop hanger, as SO prop hangers are quite heavy for this size. Otherwise, it should be a quick and simple build.

The rules and (free) entry can be found as a Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/542680676660442/

Hope you join us! Should be a fun way to pass time in isolation!

Coach Chuck

I’m building one this weekend. Should be fun. Got my crudely built “living room stick” (1.1 grams, 6.5” wingspan; built in 1992) out yesterday and got 49.6 seconds on it under an 8 ft ceiling. Different world handling an 8” loop of .017 g/in rubber. Hoping for 2:00 for the 500 mg “Scraps” design.

Brian T
coachchuckaahs
Coach
Coach
Posts: 680
Joined: April 24th, 2017, 9:19 am
Division: B
State: NM
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 95 times

Re: What's Next???

Post by coachchuckaahs »

xiangyu wrote: March 19th, 2020, 1:17 pm EDIT: Nvm, the answer is probably no. Plastic too heavy anyways.
They are allowing balsa sheet props or plastic.

In a 500mg plane, plastic way too heavy. But if it's all you got, these are desperate times!

The blades are small enough, perhaps you could do with curled paper?

If you have any sheet wood, sand it down carefully

Coach Chuck
Coach, Albuquerque Area Home Schoolers Flying Events
Nationals Results:
2016 C WS 8th place
2018 B WS 2nd place
2018 C Heli Champion
2019 B ELG 3rd place
2019 C WS Champion
AMA Results: 3 AAHS members qualify for US Jr Team in F1D, 4 new youth senior records
Locked

Return to “Wright Stuff C”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests