Glider Refurb'...

Hi all,

I'm a little stuck on where to start with this glider, I have been given it to 'do up' for someone. The budget at the moment stands at £50 (set by them), it needs servos (2, I think), an electric motor, esc, battery etc. I'm hoping the guy that asked me to do it already has a TX/RX because I can imagine it would go over the budget otherwise (not unless I can buy them second hand cheaply...very cheaply ..)

The wingspan is 98 inches, and I haven't weighed the air-frame yet but will do. I'm not sure on what motor size it needs, I presume standard 9g servos will do. Also not sure on a lipo size etc at the minute, what do you think would be best?

Attached to the vertical stabilizer (2nd picture) there is a platform that I believe an old motor use to be positioned on, but it just doesn't seem right to position the motor there...? It's impossible to put a pusher prop and even if I managed to put some sort of power source on that platform surely it would need a tonne of weight upfront to make the cofg correct.. hmm I'm stumped, I think a pod (as mentioned on live) would be the best way forward with this one, I'm not sure....

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated with this one as I'm a little confused... but I won't stand in defeat.... just yet


Tom

(The wings aren't attached, I need to work out a way of fitting them aswell, I'm thinking if the Pod is used, rubber bands would be best )

An Apex

That home built platform would certainly seem to be for a power source but possibly a very small IC motor like a Cox 020.

The conventional route would be to put the electric motor in the nose with a folding prop as this would mean the original wing mounting could be retained but being rudder and elevator only there would be limit on how much motor torque it could handle.

I think that 'platform' on the fin might have been an alternate mount for the tailplane and not a mount for a motor.

I would say at £50 your struggleing for a start

take the platform off. put a couple of cheap hitec servo,s in it clean it up new rx and switch, save your money on electric motors and such and chuck it off a nice slope!! hours of cheap fun.

chris

Thank you for all the responses, it's definitely the Apex, I think it may have had a cox's engine on it but I don't think that is an option this time round unfortunately, the person I am doing it for has never flown a model (wants me to give him a lesson or two in flying) so I think he wants something that is easy to manage (was given the glider by his Grandfather). Electric is definitely the way I think it'll have to be, not sure if he will want the front sliced off it but I can suggest it to him.

I have to agree, I thought £50 was a little small but I'll have to do the best with it and then if I run out it'll have to be extended, cheapo £2.99 servos and a cheap motor/esc should do it, shouldn't it? I have some white covering I used to repair one of my models so I'll just use that.

Chris, I think taking the platform off would be best, although I don't think chucking it off a slope would be an option as we live in the flattest part of the UK No slopes for at least 30 miles. But I could always suggest it. Hmm, I think either cutting into the front or creating a pod are the only options....

Tom

put a hook in the bottom and bungee launch it!!

Even the original had pod and nose power conversions but with IC.
Apparently you could even use the canopy as an air brake.
My suggestion would be to refit the wings as original (two aluminium tubes?) and fit a nose motor.
As it does not have ailerons fitting massive unlimited vertical power is a no no. Quite a modest 200W job should do as it will then be a 'power assisted' glider.
If you are careful it does not need to be much of a 'nose cut off' job as the spinner of the folding prop can virtually restore the original profile.
The folding prop and spinner on my scale Libelle glider.

If you use cheap and cheerful servos (I do!) then make sure the linkage and hinges are really free moving.

That's not a bad idea KK, I may suggest it to him! I could always tow him...

Quorneng: Thank you for the link to that, it is certainly interesting to see it like that, still confuses me on why the bit at the back is there, maybe it is for the tail as suggested! I think I might well do that, seems like the most sensible way although I am not sure on how to fit it to the front etc.. I don't have the tubes for the wings, let's just hope he does, otherwise it could be very interesting to fly...
Your glider looks great with the nose motor, so I am looking for a 200w motor and a folding prop to suit, do you have any suggestions on the best motor to use please? I'm not sure on a motor brand etc.. I was thinking of going to hobbyking for all the gear, hopefully it'll be reliable enough, if I don't go hobbyking then it'll be giantshark I think. As long as the motor can get the glider to a certain height where we can switch it off and let it glide that is all I think we are after.

Eric: It does indeed but I think it could well have been hangar rash, it's been stored for quite a few years I think, I will do a full 'MOT' on it, I have already spotted a hairline crack so will drill and put some filler in on that. I'll have to look at that rudd/elev but I don't think there is a way of modifying it? I wonder if a mix on the transmitter will eliminate some of that. Hmm, could be interesting to play around with

Hoping to buy all the gear early next week and then to start work the week after once the guy I am doing it for is on holiday... wants to watch I think, god help him

Tom

Tom
I am sure it will make no real difference whether you buy from HK or GS they are similar prices. The only thing to watch with HK is not all items are available from all their warehouses so you can end up with double postage.
I would strongly recommend an out runner, they are a lot cheaper, but then you have to decide which type of motor mounting you want to use - front or rear.
Rear is probably the easiest (cut off the nose fix in a bulkhead, screw the motor to the bulkhead) but does not look very pretty unless you get clever and extend the fuselage around the motor after it is installed, which is what I had to do with the Libelle.

Front mounting is certainly the neatest but the bulkhead gets rather more complicated and being further forward is rather smaller in fact just the size of the prop spinner. The nose of my foam ST330.

There is usually not much room and the wires from the front mounted motor have to run along side the rotating motor bell so need to be secured out of the way.
If you are really on a budget this rear mount or this front mount is about as cheap as you can get for the power.
With the 1200 or 1300 kV version you could use a 10x6 folder. The prop and ESC will cost about the same say £30 total.

I hope this helps.