From: svoboda@rtsg.mot.com (David Svoboda)
Subject: Re: Advice on a 1/2 A Scale Zero?
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 00:47:27 GMT

In article <1992Nov4.184310.29681@noose.ecn.purdue.edu> mgwheele@author.ecn.purdue.edu (Matthew G Wheeler) writes:
|
|My question's are concerning a half built 1/2 A scale Zero that I started to 
|build before I knew anything about RC.  The kit seems pretty good although the
|directions are a little sparse.

Heh, heh.  I was just discussing this with someone today.

Who's the kit manufacturer?  Was it meant for RC.  Is it a House of Balsa, by
any chance?  If so, would you sell it to me?  :-)

|	1). Will I be able to fly it?  Low semetrical 28" wing + no throttle
|            + elevator-aileron control = fast and manuverable?

It might be a little hot for you.  That's pretty small for a 1/2A airplane, so
the wing loading will be pretty high.  And the symmetrical wing won't give you
all too much lift.  (Most quick 1/2A planes are semi-symmetrical.)  Definitely
get experienced help for the first flights.

|	2). How do I know if it's to heavy.  What's an appropriate wing loading
|	    for this type of model.

I always liked to aim at anything under 16 ounces for a good-performing 1/2A.
You might want to aim a bit lower, since you have little wing area.  (I know,
I didn't answer about wing area, but on 1/2As I tend to concentrate more on
power loading.)

|	3). I'm triing to get this thing in the air farily cheaply.  Are micro
|	    servos a must? Are there special light weight recievers? Who has
|	    the cheapest prices.

I strongly advise micro-servos, for the weight (you can save close to an ounce
right there), and the size.  Some fuselages are narrow enough you have trouble
fitting two mini-servos.  You probably don't want to even consider standard
servos in a plane that small.

A tiny reciever will not be all that much lighter than a normal one, in my
(rather limited, on this) experience.  The most consideration is the size of
the fuselage, and whether a normal receiver will fit.

I have an RCD 535 FM micro-reciever for 1/2A, btw.  It was under $100.

A strong consideration is the flight battery.  With two micro servos and a
non-PCM reciever, you can get away with a 200mah or smaller battery, at the 
expense of some flight time.  That saves a LOT of weight.  Also, you should 
get a smaller switch harness, as the standard ones are large and heavy.

If you decide to go too cheap, the plane won't fly well.  Even if you spend
some money on micro equipment, the little ones turn out to be pretty cheap,
comparitively.

|	4). I have a cheap Cox Black Widow motor.  Is this sufficient or 
|	    should I get something else (throttle control, more power)?
|	    What about a gas tank.  I think I'll get pretty short flights
|	    using the built in tank on the Black Widow motor.

If I remember right, the Black Widow will run for about three-and-a-half
minutes per tank.  Since you don't have a throttle, it is often just as
well that the tank is small; you can't land until the engine quits.  You
can always fuel up quick and go again, too.

Power; well, the Black Widow is the most powerful of the reed-valve .049s,
but you would without a doubt get more power from a TD.  In that case, too,
you would use a klunk tank (one or two ounce), or possibly a (Tatone?) tank
mount, which serves both purposes.  Whether the power of the TD would be 
necessary depends on how heavy the plane comes out.  Try what you have, and
if it doesn't fly, or you want more pep, you can always get a TD later.

|        5). Should I leave off the landing gear? Hand launch and slide in on
|	    the belly to land.

Definitely.  You can save an ounce or so, at least, by leaving off the gear,
and lose some parasitic drag, to boot.  And a little warbird looks great 
flying around clean, like that.  If you use a plastic prop (use a plastic 
prop!), you won't break anything landing on the grass.  Hand launching is not 
hard, it just takes a little practice.

|Answers to these Q's and any other helpfull advice on 1/2 A scale models would
|be greatly appreciated.  Thanks a bunch guys.

MAKE IT LIGHT!  Use a lightweight covering (like SolarFilm; is that stuff still
available?), don't add any doodads, sand a lot, use nyrods and small hardware.
Think weight, weight, weight.

Email me if you have any more questions, or complaints. :-)

				Dave Svoboda, Palatine, IL