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Building Tips
Mark "AZ SPAD Man" Jennings
April 10, 2002
ZIP!!**!!~~ POW**!!**~~ ZOWY!*!*!*! Faster than a speeding A.R.F. able to leap tall balsa kits in a single evening, yes combat pilots it's Super Spad (simple plastic airplane designs). Nothing! I tell you nothing builds faster or flies better with less stress than the Super Spads.
Do I sound excited? Well you got that one right, Pilot. Spads are great. Where else can you find a combat or trainer or fun fly or aerobatic airplane you can build for $10.00 and have it ready to fly in one afternoon?? Building a Spad ain't traditional balsa building, Jim Bob. It's so easy, even your brother-in-law could make one. By using simple tools you have around the house, you can have a combat airplane ready to fly in record time. My latest best time is 2 hrs. and 23 mins., and that was with 3 interruptions. Wow!!-keep in mind that was the 33rd spad I've built. It took 5 hrs. for my first one. Now lets talk about some AZ Spadman tips. The (SNS) Saturday Night Special is a great plane to start with. Use the building plans that are on the Spad web site (you can use our link to get there). Those instructions are easy to follow and if you do them by the number, you will do great.
The Wing
While building the wing you are to make indents or scribe the corplast. I like to use a screen door rubber spline tool, you know the tool with rollers you put the rubber in the slot with. Whoa Big Boy! Remember we are talking about airplanes here. If it is cold and uncooperative, use you trusty mono cote heat gun to soften things up (we are still talking planes). Take note, that heat gun puts out 400 degrees, that is hot enough to burn or warp the corplast, so be careful. When gluing the yard sticks-spars on, keep them away from the indents. If the glue or the stick is in the indent, the wing will not fold properly and the bottom of the wing will not be flat. Flat is good! :) Before you glue the other side of the spars to the wing, heat up the leading edge and spar bends with the heat gun and pre bend you wing. Let it settle in and cool. This will help you mark where you need to flash the bottom of the wing. I place a piece of wood that is 3/4" x 1" x 52" between the spars. When I lift the top of the wing up the wood stays - marking where I need to flash. It ain't rocket science - it's easy.
Ailerons
Aileron position is critical with this wing. Droopy ailerons will cause the spad to purpose up and down when trying to fly straight. Here is an easy trick to solve this problem. Put you servo in the wing and have you control horns in place, then plug the servo into the radio and turn everything on, check trim. Now place wing flat on a table and put a piece of 4 mill corplast under each aileron. Use weights to hold down the wing and ailerons. Now cut you control rods to size and attach to servo. When the servo stops buzzing the ailerons are balanced. Now turn both clevesis in two turns, and believe it or not, thats it. The first flight usually only needs a couple clicks of trim and no screaming for help at all. You will look like a pro. I have taken my new killer spads to the field and put streamers on them and trim them during combat. Maiden flight fighting, born in the heat of battle - thats cool man! Thats spad confidence! Oooohhh yeahhh!!
Have fun and watch your 6!!
AZ Spadman
(Stay tuned for future building tips - next week - fuselage. Then, landing gear and decorating. Then............well I guess you'll have to keep checking in)
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