A really cool little story to share with you fellas.
My father-in-law has been helping a couple young boys learn to fly R/C airplanes. Due to the distance between them out in rural Alberta, they haven't been able to et together all that often. These boys have mostly been flying store bought, ready to fly, foamy airplanes. They have basically zero knowledge about how to build an airplane, and nothing of aerodynamics.
But, that didn't stop them from doing something incredible. They stumbled upon a picture of a Junkers Ju-52, and decided they should try building a model of one. A big model.
Now, not knowing any better, they built this thing out of lumberyard 2x2's, leftover barn plywood, steel plate for landing gear, and 1/4" steel bolts. They glued the whole thing together with their moms hot glue gun. My father-in-law had a look at it a while back and recommended some minor corrections, which they did.
Well, they were getting close to being finished, so yesterday I drove out to their place and met my F-I-L there. We both went through the airplane and helped them finish the final setup and electronics installation. Now let me tell you, this thing looks pretty crude and rough up close, and boy is it heavy. But considering how little they know about building a model airplane.....it's pretty amazing.
And the best part is, just before the sun went down last night, it FLEW! I had the honour of being the test pilot for the maiden flight. It was a real handful as the CG was too far aft and there is something causing a hard right roll that they need to figure out. But it flew! And with some adjustments it should actually fly well.
Congrats to Chet and Stratton on a fantastic job! While most kids their age are playing video games or endlessly texting their friends, these brothers (around 15 and 12 years old) scratch built themselves a flying, giant scale r/c airplane using whatever they could lay their hands one.......from only a photograph.....by themselves!
Now that they know it will fly, they are going to put the finishing touches on it, and paint it in post-war airline colors.
Sent from my iPhone using Biplane Forum
My father-in-law has been helping a couple young boys learn to fly R/C airplanes. Due to the distance between them out in rural Alberta, they haven't been able to et together all that often. These boys have mostly been flying store bought, ready to fly, foamy airplanes. They have basically zero knowledge about how to build an airplane, and nothing of aerodynamics.
But, that didn't stop them from doing something incredible. They stumbled upon a picture of a Junkers Ju-52, and decided they should try building a model of one. A big model.
Now, not knowing any better, they built this thing out of lumberyard 2x2's, leftover barn plywood, steel plate for landing gear, and 1/4" steel bolts. They glued the whole thing together with their moms hot glue gun. My father-in-law had a look at it a while back and recommended some minor corrections, which they did.
Well, they were getting close to being finished, so yesterday I drove out to their place and met my F-I-L there. We both went through the airplane and helped them finish the final setup and electronics installation. Now let me tell you, this thing looks pretty crude and rough up close, and boy is it heavy. But considering how little they know about building a model airplane.....it's pretty amazing.
And the best part is, just before the sun went down last night, it FLEW! I had the honour of being the test pilot for the maiden flight. It was a real handful as the CG was too far aft and there is something causing a hard right roll that they need to figure out. But it flew! And with some adjustments it should actually fly well.
Congrats to Chet and Stratton on a fantastic job! While most kids their age are playing video games or endlessly texting their friends, these brothers (around 15 and 12 years old) scratch built themselves a flying, giant scale r/c airplane using whatever they could lay their hands one.......from only a photograph.....by themselves!
Now that they know it will fly, they are going to put the finishing touches on it, and paint it in post-war airline colors.
Sent from my iPhone using Biplane Forum
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