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WWI Spad Comet Kit not sure the scale 12" Wingspan
- Thread starter Swordsman
- Start date
ausf
Master at Arms
I see a lot of pins in your future. 
A while back I got hooked on peanut scale balsa. A buddy of mine who is a RC plane guru took me to a club meeting of these old timers who flew free flight stuff. It was truly amazing, these guys scratch build detailed flying models that are rubber powered. They're wound to a certain number of turns (like 300) and launched. They fly in controlled circles and land on their own. The flights are timed and the longest wins. These things would fly for a long time, all alone and land. That's some serious building skill to get the airframes true, super light and beautiful. They buy balsa stock by density, the tissue and rubber used are all to precise specifications, etc. They add tiny paper ailerons to tune the flight. It's a real art.
Nothing but respect for balsa and tissue.
A while back I got hooked on peanut scale balsa. A buddy of mine who is a RC plane guru took me to a club meeting of these old timers who flew free flight stuff. It was truly amazing, these guys scratch build detailed flying models that are rubber powered. They're wound to a certain number of turns (like 300) and launched. They fly in controlled circles and land on their own. The flights are timed and the longest wins. These things would fly for a long time, all alone and land. That's some serious building skill to get the airframes true, super light and beautiful. They buy balsa stock by density, the tissue and rubber used are all to precise specifications, etc. They add tiny paper ailerons to tune the flight. It's a real art.
Nothing but respect for balsa and tissue.
Swordsman
Active member
Thanks Jeff ... I haven't built one of these for awhile ... It was just givin to me so it is WWI so ... something different ... I once knew a guy who decided his P-51 kit wasn't scale so plasic scale kit measured & cut into sections until He was happy ... about the second flight it didn't survive an inside loop ... Must have altitude ... 
A hobby is just that I have some bigger Gallows kits P-51 & P-40 which I may try next ... :hmmm
A hobby is just that I have some bigger Gallows kits P-51 & P-40 which I may try next ... :hmmm
I have never seen one of these completed, sending :zen and looking forward to it. 
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
LOL
My second year at college, we came back from spring break and one of the dorm floor jocks had discovered flying balsa model planes. Before long everyone on the floor got into it and had to build one. We cleaned the town out of balsa plane kits. I built a Fokker Triplane kit that would glide beautifully, but wind up the prop and let it go and it was barrel roll city.
Still have that poor model and after almost 30 years it is a little bit on the brittle and shabby side.
My second year at college, we came back from spring break and one of the dorm floor jocks had discovered flying balsa model planes. Before long everyone on the floor got into it and had to build one. We cleaned the town out of balsa plane kits. I built a Fokker Triplane kit that would glide beautifully, but wind up the prop and let it go and it was barrel roll city.
Still have that poor model and after almost 30 years it is a little bit on the brittle and shabby side.
Swordsman
Active member
Oh yeah this is going to be interesting
I'll crack the box open & give her a look see ... But now as I see by the clock on the wall time to board the train & head to the House ... :train ...
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
They're supposed to Fly ??? ... I was just gonna build the plane out of the wood ... Don't think I'll be using the rubber powered motor ... But since I have about 2 years yet ... I think that's enough time what with what's happening now in My life ... :snoopy
It says right on the box "Flying Balsa Wood Scale Model" and "Balsa Flies Better".
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Actually, you can paint it, just don't load it with paint until it is smooth and fully filled. A couple of light airbrush coats to give it color isn't the problem, it is painting it until it looks like a plastic model.
Swordsman
Active member
Thanks Guys ... I hope you enjoy the ride ... I opened the box the other day ...
Very old kit Copyright 1963 .... old tissue, instructions & balsa ...
Doesn't look like enough parts here but I took the wrapping off so it all must be here ... 1st thing I did was tear the destructions & as anyone who has built one of these knows this is bad ... I'll take it them to work and tape them back together ...
Meanwhile this is the Stinson ... a friend gave me ... it is a rubber powered but looks like free-flight would be possible ... Let's face it I'm old school and reliving my youth ...
Very old kit Copyright 1963 .... old tissue, instructions & balsa ...
Doesn't look like enough parts here but I took the wrapping off so it all must be here ... 1st thing I did was tear the destructions & as anyone who has built one of these knows this is bad ... I'll take it them to work and tape them back together ...
Meanwhile this is the Stinson ... a friend gave me ... it is a rubber powered but looks like free-flight would be possible ... Let's face it I'm old school and reliving my youth ...
To make this Spad fly:
1/2" dihedral on each wing tip.
Build in 3/32 washout per wing tip.
Enlarge stabilizer to 25% of the wing area as seen from above.
Move rubber peg forward to twice the distance from the balance point as from the prop hook to the balance point
Increase the angle of incidence of the lower wing to 3/332"- keep the top wing at zero.
Any on these old kits can be made to fly if you follow the above basic rules. For low-wingers, 10 degrees of dihedral per foot per side, low wingers 5 degrees. Amount of rubber motor and length thereof is a whole 'nother story!
1/2" dihedral on each wing tip.
Build in 3/32 washout per wing tip.
Enlarge stabilizer to 25% of the wing area as seen from above.
Move rubber peg forward to twice the distance from the balance point as from the prop hook to the balance point
Increase the angle of incidence of the lower wing to 3/332"- keep the top wing at zero.
Any on these old kits can be made to fly if you follow the above basic rules. For low-wingers, 10 degrees of dihedral per foot per side, low wingers 5 degrees. Amount of rubber motor and length thereof is a whole 'nother story!
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
LOL! :laugh:
As I have not done any flying models in decades, what you just said Chuck is now mostly Greek to me. :huh:
As I have not done any flying models in decades, what you just said Chuck is now mostly Greek to me. :huh:
Swordsman
Active member
To make this Spad fly:
1/2" dihedral on each wing tip.
Build in 3/32 washout per wing tip.
Enlarge stabilizer to 25% of the wing area as seen from above.
Move rubber peg forward to twice the distance from the balance point as from the prop hook to the balance point
Increase the angle of incidence of the lower wing to 3/332"- keep the top wing at zero.
Any on these old kits can be made to fly if you follow the above basic rules. For low-wingers, 10 degrees of dihedral per foot per side, low wingers 5 degrees. Amount of rubber motor and length thereof is a whole 'nother story!
Thanks for this info ... I will use it in my construction of this spad I never knew you were an aeronautical engineer ... Now I'll Google some of these terms ...
