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Author Topic: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea  (Read 6067 times)

XV Pilot

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Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« on: July 31, 2012, 11:11:16 pm »

I must say I am rather taken with this hobby, so when I have completed my current project, I think a Springer will be in order as the local club seems to be primarily tug-oriented.

I will be basing the model on a standard-size competition-legal fiberglass hull, and building my own superstructure. I like the idea of how Springer builders are encouraged to be creative with their superstructures, so mine will be inspired partly by early hydroplanes, and partly by the Cadillacs and other big-winged American convertibles of the 50s and 60s. The driver figure will be about 18cm tall, and the rest of the superstructure will be built to suit, making the thing 1/10 scale, matching the models already in my collection.

Here is a quick drawing to give an idea of what I am going for:



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Martin [Admin]

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2012, 11:53:55 pm »


  :-))   Brilliant!
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john44

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2012, 08:33:34 am »

Great, just needs a mouth full of teeth and an eye {-) {-)
Springers are great fun,also virtually unsinkable.

john
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Tug Fanatic

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2012, 12:12:23 pm »


.....................also virtually unsinkable.

Now there's a challenge!

Looks great - the fin(s) make it somehow reminiscent of world speed record boats & cars + aircraft   :-)). Must say that I love 50's Americana. This won't be the easiest shape to make!

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XV Pilot

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2012, 08:32:22 pm »

Aye, it will be a challenge, but I think I'm up to it. I am very much a beginner to RC boating, but I have built many a model glider in my time, and they are full of curves.

I am pondering a few approaches, either using traditional bulkheads and stringers, or building the basic shape out of plasticard and smoothing the curves with fillets of Isopon. I might even carve a plug out of wood and mould the thing in fiberglass. Plenty of ideas, and plenty of inspiration here on the forum!



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Arrow5

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2012, 09:30:25 pm »

Why not try the well proven aero modelling technique of blue foam and brown paper. Easy to get flowing curves and is lighter than the body filler route.
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XV Pilot

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2012, 09:51:13 pm »

I was contemplating blue foam, but substituting the brown paper for lightweight glass cloth in the interests of strength and water-resistance. I was also thinking of using another aeromodelling technique, making the shape out of ordinary white foam, covering that in epoxy and glass cloth, then melting the foam using acetone.

There is certainly no shortage of possible approaches - the trick is to choose the right one...
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Arrow5

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2012, 10:13:41 pm »

The brown paper is a good base for the f/g resin and essential if using polyester resin.  I wouldn't melt the foam out...this is a good safety measure, you have great buoyancy. {-),
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XV Pilot

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2012, 10:54:14 pm »

Good point. I need to get into the habit of thinking about buoyancy. That hasn't been a concern with the RC aircraft and cars that have been the focus of my hobby interests for the last two-and-a bit decades!  {-)
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Tug Fanatic

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2012, 06:08:33 am »

If you are going to rely on the superstructure for buoyancy you had better attach it well to the hull!

I have not tried this but I have seen it suggested that a serious covering of PVA on polystyrene foam acts as a barrier that allows polyester resin to be used which would otherwise dissolve the foam.

http://tinytugboat.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2012-08-02T18:56:00-07:00&max-results=31&start=1&by-date=false
Look at entry for 14th June 2012.
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Arrow5

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2012, 07:31:04 am »

Yes that is the method. The brown paper is saturated with PVA and will dry to an eggshell-like finish, shrinking the paper at the same time. Subsequent coats of the thinned (50/50 water and PVA woodglue) will proof the whole against attack by polyester resin.  :-))
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Tug Fanatic

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #11 on: August 03, 2012, 08:08:15 am »

The method in the link does not require the brown paper allowing you to go straight to the polyester resin & matt/tissue.  :-)

Like model aircraft the superstructure will work best if it is kept light to keep the c of g as low as possible.

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Arrow5

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2012, 08:21:06 am »

I noticed that , no eggshell finish then ?   What size is the tug in the link ? I got the impression it was manned.
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Tug Fanatic

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #13 on: August 03, 2012, 08:49:02 am »

As I said I haven't tried it but if it works it gets over one of the big problems of using white foam as a plug. Personally I have always found it to be much easier to get a decent finish with blue foam, as it sands to a smooth finish so much more easily, is a closed cell structure & it is polyester resin resistant anyway. The big advantage of polystyrene foam is obviously its price - there is loads thrown away every day from packaging and house construction. I seem to think thay you, arrow5, enjoy skiphunting.  :-)

One of the other possible attractions is that if you don't use waterproof pva it should be fairly easy to get out most of the foam, dissolve the glue & remove the rest of the foam. This will give a clean empty moulding.  

I have actually test flown a model aircraft that had hot wire cut polystyrene core sparless wings covered in brown paper attached by PVA. The person who had built it has used rather thick paper & it made for a heavy model but it did work.

The link is for a man carrying model tug that I got from a link here sometime ago on a forum topic that discussed them. The model in the link does not seem to be totally successful but he is still trying I think. The Dutch models are lovely!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoM9LxiupkQ&feature=BFa&list=ULDYvR8s2QewA
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Arrow5

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #14 on: August 03, 2012, 10:36:11 am »

No the blue foam isn't polyester resistant, the pink stuff is I believe, I `m not sure on that , haven't tried pink (ahem no saucy remarks please ! ) Yes our local (rural) dump is quite accommodating in that the supervisor`s hut is out of site of the skips. Many an old drawer has been turned into a Springer. Current bicycle wheels and  tyres came from same source :}  The Dutch bootes are a laugh.
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Tug Fanatic

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #15 on: August 03, 2012, 10:51:09 am »

You learn something every day. I have used blue foam but never used polyester resin with it but I always thought that it was polyester resitant. Also don't use evostick nor some superglues. Long live epoxies &PVA!

You are lucky with your dump. Ours now has ground level skips where you push your rubbish 6ft back into a hole & it then all gets crushed + it is right next to the supervisors hut & they continually inspect what is going on anyway.
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XV Pilot

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #16 on: August 03, 2012, 09:16:12 pm »

I too have built and flown model aircraft made out of brown paper-covered white polystyrene foam. One of the more popular 2m glider trainer designs at the club I used to fly with made use of this construction method for wings, fuselage and tailfeathers, the only wood being the pushrods, spars, towhook mount and servo mounts. Some people got creative with the colour schemes, using thick coloured wrapping paper instead of brown paper. The things flew well, were surprisingly tough, and very easy for beginners to repair. They also had the advantage of being affordable enough to be almost disposable, making the inevitable beginners' crashes a whole lot less heartbreaking.

Another method I am strongly considering using is one I tried a few years ago when making a model buggy bodyshell. I carved the plug out of white foam, covered it in brown packaging tape, blew a hairdrier over it to shrink out the wrinkles in the tape, then covered it with glass mat and polyester resin. The tape protected the foam, and made removal of the plug a lot easier as the resin didn't adhere to it. I then brought the outer surface to a good finish through the application of polyester resin and microballoons, along with plenty of sanding!
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Tug Fanatic

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Re: Cadillac-inspired Springer idea
« Reply #17 on: August 04, 2012, 07:44:09 am »

It sounds to me that you have plenty of ideas.

I have never heard, or thought of, using wide sticky tape to protect polystyrene.

Polyester resin is a bit of new territory for me as with model aircraft it is epoxies, superglues, pva etc. I will be very interested to hear how you get on & which techniques you try.

As a model flyer did you ever try pva on the centre wing join bandage on veneer covered foam core wings? This was the standard method in my club & we never had a failure despite flying agressive models yet all instructions/ magazines etc that I can remember recommended fibeglass resin + bandage & model shops sold expensive joining kits especially for the purpose. Very few of our models had any sort of spar unless you count balsa leading & trailing edges which didn't cross the wing join anyway . We did chamfer the wing edges if we needed dihedral & then epoxy them together before applying the bandage but then again so did the fibreglass kit majority.

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