Author Archives: Mark

The shaky maiden of the scratch-built Sopwith Triplane

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Mark

After months and months of struggle, including three different motors, I finally got an actual flight out of my scratch-built Sopwith Triplane!

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, Flying, My Planes, R/C Planes, Scratch Built | Leave a comment

Winston flies (a little bit)

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Mark

It was a short, scary flight but, for the first time, it was something approaching a real flight. I actually have some hope now that I can get this bird in the air.

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, Custom & Modified, Scratch Built | Leave a comment

Yet another attempt at getting the Sopwith Triplane to fly

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Mark

Following failure after failure, my scratch-built Sopwith Triplane has been gathering dust for quite some time. I’ve decided to give it another go. The plane seems really tail heavy, so I’m drastically shifting the weight. I’ve rebuilt the motor mount … Continue reading →

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, Custom & Modified, R/C Planes, Repairs, Scratch Built | Leave a comment

Flying in Kansas

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Mark

Posted in Flying, RC Chat | Leave a comment

Bipie Maiden Flight

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Mark

I maidened my little bipe today, in 12-13MPH winds which proved to be WAY too much for it. 🙂 (Video beneath the photos.)

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, My Planes, R/C Planes, Scratch Built | Leave a comment

“Bipie” build thread

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Mark

Based on the “Bipie” plans from RCGroups, this little guy will have an 18″ wingspan and be built from a single sheet of Dollar Tree foam board. I’m hoping to use the guts from an E-flite UMX Gee Bee to … Continue reading →

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, Build Threads, Building, Custom & Modified, Scratch Built | 1 Comment

Computing Surface area with Photoshop

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Mark

Computing the area of a plane’s wings can be complicated, involving lots of geometry and assorted arithmetic. This method requires none of those, beyond some very simple multiplication, and handles any shape, no matter how convoluted. Here’s how it works: … Continue reading →

Posted in Building, FAQs and Tips | 1 Comment

UM F-27Q Stryker 180 – “Baby Stryker”

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Mark

This little guy is Parkzone’s ultra-micro Stryker. When it looked like HorizonHobby was closing them out at $65, I couldn’t resist. He’s stock at the moment.

Posted in My Fleet, My Planes, R/C Planes | 2 Comments

Custom tool – screw eye driver

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Mark

I’ve used tiny, brass-plated screw eyes on several of my planes. The eye gives me a nice anchor point for flying wires. However, they are a major PITA to screw in and out of the struts. Frustrated with turning them … Continue reading →

Posted in Building, Equipment | Leave a comment

The Arlene Turner Memorial Moth

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Mark

This is my fourth Tiger Moth, and my second GWS Tiger Moth 400 kit. You can see details of the build, here. Current setup: GWS Tiger Moth 400 Power-up 400 SlowFly motor HURC 18 Amp ESC GWS 9×3.8 slowfly propeller … Continue reading →

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, My Fleet, My Planes | Leave a comment

Maiden Flight of the Arlene Turner Memorial Moth

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Mark

The ill-advised first flight of my newest GWS Tiger Moth 400. ProTip: If the plane is under power and still blowing backwards down the runway, it just might be too windy to fly.

Posted in Biplanes & Triplanes, Flying, R/C Planes | 1 Comment

OrangeRx Stabilizer V2 – Delta Wing Setup

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Mark

I’ve spent hours fighting with the HobbyKing RX3S OrangeRX 3-Axis flight stabilizer. I just could not get the gyros running in the right direction. Well, I think I’ve finally solved it. My current testbed for the gyro is the SnowDragon wing. … Continue reading →

Posted in Building, Custom & Modified, Gyros | Comments Off