ARF Cardinal

Well... The big move is over, have the house ready for winter, mowed my flying field for the last time this year and my shop is about 75 percent organized. Haven't really been keeping up with the posts, too busy trying to get my life back on track. First item on the agenda is getting my Skylark finished and ready for classic battles next season. Power is going to be a ST 46 with Brett's venturi and plasma P&L.

Purchased an ARF Cardinal for an engine test bed to help evaluate engine settings and venturies before committing one particular ST 46 configuration for the Skylark. Just unboxed the one I have and it looks pretty good. Don't particularly care for the stranded leadouts in a non-bushed nylon bellcrank but it will probably outlast the airframe.

What upgrades/changes (if any) are being made to the ARF Cardinal? Also, am going to be switching engines allot, how is the engine clamp set up working out on the ones that have been flying for a while?

Thanks and it's good to be back thinking about airplanes instead of what I have been doing for the past 9 months

LAST EDITED ON Dec-01-04 AT 06:12 PM (CST)
 
Boy, am I going to watch this thread like a hawk.

I have an ARF Cardinal with a Tom Lay ST .46 with the Plasma P&L slated to go into it. And there is a CLC Southwick Skylark kit waiting for me to get to the point I have the building, flying skills and power train sorted out to commence building.

I decided to put a layer of carbon veil into the engine well when I coated it with a thin layer of epoxy to seal it. Can't hurt to stiffen up that much of the front, I figured.

Have purchased a set of hinges to replace the CA hinges for less friction.

Am going to use a Central Hobbies Carbon Fiber push rod between the elevator and flaps and Tom Morris hardware to the extent I can. Here is a discussion on control set-up

There are discussions about using hardwood dowels with threaded inserts to bush up the holes for the tank mounts--some concern that the mounting holes for the tank and engine are the weak points in the design.

Recent discussion indicates a Gator three blade 12.5 by 4 pitch (to start with, you trim a little off of each tip to fine tune the load on the engine and get the rpm you are after) is the hot set-up for the ST .46, so I intend to get one of those. The three blade is pretty much required if you want to do a proper Skylark.

I have a 2 inch Froom Spinner ready for use.

Past that, I'm commited to simply building the Cardinal as it came from the kit so as to get the d**m thing in the air rather than working on it.

Here is what the forum had to say when I asked the same question.

And another earlier thread on the plane.

My two sense.

Cy

There are a bunch flying around here, and the usual changes are : real hinges and doctoring the clamp type motor mount ......

That's about it....

See Ya

LAST EDITED ON Dec-01-04 AT 07:44 PM (CST)
 
I did the following:

Pinned nylon hinges.

3/8 dowels with dubro threaded inserts for tank. As per other post

.093 aluminum engine mounting plate. Can be cut with your favorite scroll saw if mills and such aren't available. I took a dremel router bit and routed out the engine mounts for clearance for the engine thru bolts.

I think it does a couple of things. Some improvement in rigidity of the nose but most of all eliminated the side load that the kit clamp system puts on the inserts. It also provides a quick way to test various engines. Make up a plate for each engine and swap at you pleasure. No swiss cheese motor mounts Done this on most of the planes I am building , even built up fuse. stuff. Haven't flown it much but time will tell.

Also used a Brodak 40 (DUH!). The long nose really would have required a fair amount of tail lead to balance with 40LA or 46LA.

Everything else as provided in kit.

Edited - Forgot, I didn't need any tip weight at all.

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Tell me a bit about your tank mount.

The tank is rubber banded to the yellow piece, which slides up and down for adjustment?

What is the yellow piece made of?

That is custom from the kit.

Cy

Don't forget that I am still offering raffle tickets for a new card ARF. All proceed going to support the "Regis House" in Syracuse. See previous $2 Card thread now on page 2.

>
>Tell me a bit about your tank mount.
>
>The tank is rubber banded to the yellow piece, which slides
>up and down for adjustment?

Yes - 4 -40 Socket heads threaded into the imbedded 3/8 dowels with dubro threaded inserts threaded and expoxied in them.

>
>What is the yellow piece made of?

1/8 plywood on front with 1/16 balsa glued to back with slots for the wires. (.043" dia I think) and cover with yellow moneykote.

>
>That is custom from the kit.

No - homebuilt as described.

>
>Cy

LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-04 AT 06:56 AM (CST)
 
Someone sent me an e-mail asking about the motor mount inserts. They are the original inserts. I did not replace them. I bought metric sockethead screws 3mm X 15mm (Dubro #2124) to attach the plate.

Also wanted to know if he could copy the plate. Look closely at the photo and in the lower left hand corner you will see a "Pat. Pend."

Edit - Weak attempt at humor - THIS IS A JOKE! Feel free - Sincerest form of flattery and all that. Nothing pending, well maybe lunch!

Hi Dick, Curious about the pat.pend. I manufacturer items that are patented. This does not mean that they cannot be copied. It just means that they cannot be copied and sold. As long as it is for the copiers use, there is nothing I do about it. If I could, it wouldn't be worth the cost to pursue. Kinda like the music thing on the internet. Just curious.
Lee TGD

Was already going to replace the hinges, forgot to mention that. Really dislike CA hinges but they might work on a Rabe Rudder

Been a while since I have played with a ST 46 but seems to me a 4 pitch prop is not enough for the low rpm 4-2-4 Tiger, but what do I know. Managed to aquire a pretty good selection of Rev-Up's and will probably stick with what worked for me back when.

Thanks for the tips gang...

LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-04 AT 05:15 PM (CST)
 
The 4 Pitch recommendation is specific to the Gator props which are multi-bladed and very efficent.

The general idea--as I understand it--is that a 3 bladed Gator airfoil prop at 4 pitch is like a two bladed older fashioned prop at 6.

It's new territory for me, but the folks that have tried the Gators rave about them.

I'd love to hear what you find works well in a Rev-up for the ST .46 once you have it all going.

Cy.