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Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Air Models / May 2006Tower Trainer Trouble
Hello, I hope someone can please give me some guidance. I am a young flyer but have been semi-active for about 3 years. I have a Tower Trainer 40 MK II ARF .40 size, and it has served as my only airplane since I got into the hobby. I trained with this plane so it has some cuts, scrapes, and dents in the covering. The exhaust has also started to peel back my covering at the seems, even though I thoroughly wipe it down after each flight. I am looking to strip the factory covering off of my plane this winter and recover it. I also have a broken wingtip. I have looked at and called Tower hobbies and they said they do not have replacement tips for this plane, does anyone know where I could buy wingtips that would fit onto this plane? Also, I will need to remove the ailerons and will likely have to ruin the hinges, does anyone know what type of hinges could work on there? Finally, I have an O.S. .40 LA engine for this plane but it seems like it has always been underpowered. I have been able to work with it until of late, I cannot seem to get the plane into the air despite our field being mowed very short. I called hobbico service and warranty and they were of no help. Could anyone tell me what to do with this engine, (what is the normal rpm range,? are there things I can do to maximize the performance?) besides getting a new one? I am a student and on a limited budget, so buying a new aircraft or engine is out of the question or certainly a last resort. Any and all guidance anyone could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance > ... I also have a broken wingtip. >I have looked at and called Tower hobbies and they said they do not >have replacement tips for this plane, does anyone know where I could >buy wingtips that would fit onto this plane? Take both wingtips off, paint the exposed area white, continue flying. Or glue a big hunk of balsa on each tip, shape as desired, paint white, continue flying. >Also, I will need to >remove the ailerons and will likely have to ruin the hinges, does >anyone know what type of hinges could work on there? Any kind you want to install. For a .40-size plain, CA hinges are quite adequate. Or you may use hinge points. Or flat, piano-style hinges. > Finally, I have >an O.S. .40 LA engine for this plane but it seems like it has always >been underpowered. I have been able to work with it until of late, I >cannot seem to get the plane into the air despite our field being mowed >very short. If you've been running gas with castor oil, it's probably time to take the engine all apart and get the varnish off the piston. I imagine someone's got a website with a how-to. You might be lucky and just need a new glow plug and/or fresh fuel. Marty > Hello, > I hope someone can please give me some guidance. I am a young flyer [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > have replacement tips for this plane, does anyone know where I could > buy wingtips that would fit onto this plane? Make wing tips out of balsa wood blocks, since you are going to recover it. The don't have to look exctally like the old ones. Also, I will need to > remove the ailerons and will likely have to ruin the hinges, does > anyone know what type of hinges could work on there? CA hinges work well Finally, I have > an O.S. .40 LA engine for this plane but it seems like it has always > been underpowered. take the baffle out of the muffler if you have no noise restrictions. It's easy to make a low restriction muffler out of your stock one. Do a web search on "mousse can pipe" I have made ont recently out of a Bud long neck aluminum beer can for a .60 Thunder Tiger. Make sure your prop is the right size 10X6. I have been able to work with it until of late, I > cannot seem to get the plane into the air despite our field being mowed > very short. I called hobbico service and warranty and they were of no > help. Could anyone tell me what to do with this engine, (what is the > normal rpm range,? OS web site says 2,000-16,000 RPM, if you get 12,000-13,000 it should fly the plane. mk are there things I can do to maximize the > performance?) besides getting a new one? I am a student and on a > limited budget, so buying a new aircraft or engine is out of the > question or certainly a last resort. Any and all guidance anyone could > give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance "Jake" <model.aviation@hotmail.com> wrote in news:1148665002.527511.49670 @u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com: > Hello, > I hope someone can please give me some guidance. I am a young flyer [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > down after each flight. I am looking to strip the factory covering off > of my plane this winter and recover it. Just a warning - That may be a bigger deal than you realize. Getting the old covering off isn't too bad, and once you have the surfaces clean, covering it again isn't too bad. But getting soaked-in oil out of balsa & plywood can be a slow, frustrating process. And normal heat-shrink coverings won't adhere to oily wood. > I also have a broken wingtip. > I have looked at and called Tower hobbies and they said they do not > have replacement tips for this plane, does anyone know where I could > buy wingtips that would fit onto this plane? I'll go with the others on this one - don't sweat the wingtip too much. Pretty much anything that you do that looks okay will fly okay. > Also, I will need to > remove the ailerons and will likely have to ruin the hinges, does > anyone know what type of hinges could work on there? I prefer CA hinges, myself. However, if the covering is still well- adhered at the trailing edges of the wing, you might be able to leave the ailerons in place. Simply leave the covering on the sub-trailing-edges and put new covering over it. I'm not sure what the Tower Trainer is covered with, though - may want to experiment a bit there, first. > Finally, I have > an O.S. .40 LA engine for this plane but it seems like it has always > been underpowered. The LA series are kind of weenie engines. Even if it's running great, it's right at the bottom end of what I'd put on that plane. > I have been able to work with it until of late, I > cannot seem to get the plane into the air despite our field being mowed > very short. This could be a *lot* of things. The oil buildup is certainly a possibility, but - are we sure it's running right? Not too rich, good prop? Simply switching from Master Airscrew 10x6 to an APC 10x6 might make a real difference. There could be non-engine problems, too. Are we sure the elevator's working right? Do you have badly-bent landing gear that's giving you a lot of drag? > I called hobbico service and warranty and they were of no > help. yeah, after 3 years, I'm not surprised. > Could anyone tell me what to do with this engine, (what is the > normal rpm range,? are there things I can do to maximize the > performance?) #1 make sure the needle's adjusted right. #2 make sure the prop is balanced - if you lost a chunk of your prop and kept using it, that alone might cost you enough power to make takeoffs very difficult #3 make sure you're using the right prop. Often this takes some experimenting, but fortunately props are relatively cheap and putting on the wrong prop won't usually destroy your plane. > besides getting a new one? I am a student and on a > limited budget, so buying a new aircraft or engine is out of the > question or certainly a last resort. Any and all guidance anyone could > give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance There are occasionally some great deals on used equipment, at least at my field. Of course, you're always taking something of a risk, but . . .  Signature"Whatever will have been, will have been." - Douglas Adams, "Life, The Universe, and Everything" >Just a warning - That may be a bigger deal than you realize. Getting the >old covering off isn't too bad, and once you have the surfaces clean, >covering it again isn't too bad. But getting soaked-in oil out of balsa >& plywood can be a slow, frustrating process. And normal heat-shrink >coverings won't adhere to oily wood. Long ago, I used to use this carpet cleaner called K2R to suck oil out of the wood. Can't find it anymore and don't know what to use at this point. Anyone familair with this stuff and know if it's available anywhere or if there's a good substitute? Use K2-R (spot remover) to get the oil off the wood....works GREAT ! > Hello, > I hope someone can please give me some guidance. I am a young flyer [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > question or certainly a last resort. Any and all guidance anyone could > give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance >Use K2-R (spot remover) to get the oil off the wood....works GREAT ! OK, disregard my previous post.. Where do you find this stuff? I haven't seen it in YEARS and even google has let me down. I bought a can of K2R about 3 weeks ago at my local Ace Hardware Store. Bruce in SC >>Use K2-R (spot remover) to get the oil off the wood....works GREAT ! > > OK, disregard my previous post.. > > Where do you find this stuff? I haven't seen it in YEARS and even > google has let me down. >I bought a can of K2R about 3 weeks ago at my local Ace Hardware Store. > >Bruce in SC That's about 3000 miles East of here. Evidently retailers have pulled the stuff from the shelves out here due to some EPA regs ... >>I bought a can of K2R about 3 weeks ago at my local Ace Hardware Store. >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > ... Could be; some states (particularly California, if that is where you are at) seems to be overly cautious in that regard. Perhaps their web site will be of some further assistance .... http://www.k2rbrands.com/ . Bruce in SC Thanks to everyone for your help. Your suggestions will definitely help me out. |
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