Flite Streak

I am about to build a couple of Flight Streaks. The materials from Lone Star should be here at any minute. OK, I'm not a very good flyer, never was, and I'm just getting started again. Other than looks, what would happen if I left off the fancy tips and just used tip plates? I hate to admit it, but the odds are in favor of total destruction of at least one of them. I am still amazed when I can spend an afternoon with my Akromaster and not break anything. Four flights today, no crashes, and the last landing may have been my best ever. Thought it was a good place to quit. Thanks for any input.

Well Russ,
Without the "fancy tips" the airplane will still fly OK.
It will fly a little better with them on however because leaving them off represents a significant reduction in wing area.

Don't leave the stationary flaps off because they do also add a significant amount of wing area.

My reccommendations would be to put the tips on...making sure they are straight and not twisted or warped. If you are concerned about them being easy to break you could reinforce them with light 1/8 inch thick strips about 1/4 inch wide all around the outside on both sides of the tip. This also makes covering them a little easier.

If I ever build another one of these, I will copy the tips in thin plywood and brace them very well. I have trouble covering tips like this in Monokote.

LAST EDITED ON Oct-05-06 AT 07:33 PM (CST)
 
>If I ever build another one of these, I will copy the tips
>in thin plywood and brace them very well. I have trouble
>covering tips like this in Monokote.

The FS tips are a pain I grant. Those on the Peacemaker (UK) I think are easier to do. Loss of wing area of course means higher wing loading, less lift and higher speeds needed in consequence to make up for it (turning circle is reduced some as well). Is that going to hurt? Well, the rocket dudes can probably explain it better than I can, but if you are a newbie the last thing you want is a faster higher loaded airplane. It might not be enough of a loss though to be really noticeable tho...

Don't think omitting the tips(or modifying them to something easier to cover, align, etc.) will make much of a difference at the level you are referring to.
It is difficult to get and keep the original FS tips straight through building and covering. If they come out warped, they are just like a trim tab confounding wings level flight.
For aesthetics, you might put on a light 1/2 balsa tip block similar to the ringmaster tips.
Jim

I had trouble controlling Flite Streaks until I took the advice of a good soul and added 1" to the nose moment and 2" to the tail moment. I now have a Streak that I can manage; rock solid in level flight; nice corners; not twitchy at all, but seems to be responsive enough (at least for this old man),and lands beautifully. Just a thought........Glen

And also by adding to the nose you can fit a tank larger then 2oz.
A clunk tank is nice.

Paul Taylor

~I wish I knew everything you have forgotten about C/L.

Check out my Blog@
http://rootbeard.rcuniverse.com
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LAST EDITED ON Oct-05-06 AT 09:28 PM (CST)
 
What engine? An LA25 will make for a mild mannered stunt trainer. Very useful, if that's you're interest. A rockin and rollin 40 will make for a hot rod and lots of laughs.

Do the wingtips, take out as many wrinkles as you can, don't worry about it. Covering the wingtips section by section should help keep most wrinkles out, if you want to go through the trouble.

The leading edge is a troublesome two part glue up, if you're using the Brodak plans. Can convert to a standard 1/2" or 3/8" square leading edge like the ARF. I've built three of these and assembled one ARF. All great flyers, lots of fun. Built light like the ARF and powered with an LA25 will make for a forgiving no muss no fuss flyer. This design is in balance, leave it as it is. IMHO. A 3.25oz chicken hopper fits back there. Good enough for a 40, if you're flying it for sport. More than you need for a 25, enough for the entire pattern when using a 25. Other 3oz with bottom exit pickups also fit and work.

Keep the wing as straight as possible. If you're using the two part trailing edge, jig it up and keep checking. I put in webbing between the ribs along the trailing edge. Use light balsa. I also web between the main spars. This helps lock out the warps.

Cover top and bottom of one side before doing the final high shrink heating of the monokote. Watch this. It's easy to throw the wing off kilter by shrinking one side real tight
before covering the other side. Go side to side tightening up the panels. Watch the rudder. Make sure it's on there vertically with very little offset. It's a big area fin, can throw the trim off big time unless on their 90 degrees to the wing. Makes a big difference in line tension between inside and outside maneuvers.

If the plane feels a bit jumpy go to a narrower line spread at the handle.

If you're using a mild 25 aircraft ply doublers are o.k. If you aim for a 40, definitely use five ply.

Make sure the wing fuse joint is tight and epoxied all the way through.

Make sure the stabilizer is trued to the wing.

Sounds like you'd want to start off with a mild mannered 25 for power. The LA or possibly the Brodak. (I don't have any experience with the Brodak, but it sounds all right.) An FP 20 or 25 should also do it.

An excellent flexible design. A true classic.

Engines? Nothing new. Fox slant plug .29, Fox stunt .35, McCoy .35. Lots of good ideas here, keep them coming. Thanks

I cheated when I built the two SHIMS I used in the Tulsa Mirror meet. The wing and tips are allot like the Streak just a little larger. I had a Primary Force short kit so I just copied the wing tips, they are made from a sandwich of balsa sheet. The inside piece is just an outline of the tip shape and then two solid pieces to go over the outside. Not sure what the Pforce used but I used 1/4 inch for the inside and 1/8th for the outsides, this made a tip that was 1/2 inch thick but hollow on the inside.

Light weight, thick enough to make covering easier and won't warp. I took advantage of the hollow tips and used the outboard for an adjustable tip weight box and the inboard for adjustable leadouts.

Don't use 1/8 balsa for the stab and elevator. Use either 3/16 or 1/4" wood.

The balance point should be no more than about 1/2 way between the leading edge and spar. Plane will still turn easily but won't be jumpy. Use a 4" bellcrank, won't need the extra leverage but the plane will be easier to fly smoothly and you will still have all the corner you'll need.

The original wing tips are more effecient, but leaving them off won't hurt the performance too much.

As said earlier; don't eliminate the fixed flaps.

Use double landing gear instead of the single plus a tail wheel.

Round the fuselage on top and bottom. Doesn't take much time and looks more professional.

brodak had a "short nose" 3.5 oz uniflow tank that would fit the stock kit.

If the plane weighs anywhere in the 20's it'll easily do the entire pattern. Even in the low 30's you shouldn't have any problems.

Put the tips on and get them straight - they work. I could tell the difference in flight of a tipped and non-tipped flitestreak when I was 12 or 13 years old and that was a long time ago HA! George got it right with the tips as well as the rest of the plane which has been copied by others (designers?).

Anyone got some photos of a Flite Streak?

It's 40-45 years (Aaaagh!) since I last saw / flew one

The tips aren't that hard to install. So do it. Currell

A slightly different variation on Randy C.'s suggestion. Use 1/16 X 1/4 strips (like capstrip material) to outline the tips on both sides. The TE strip will be cross grain to the tip material and greatly reduce the tendency for the tip TE to curl. You also get 3/16 thick material to stick the covering to at the tips which helps particularly if you're using a film covering.
Steve

LAST EDITED ON Oct-07-06 AT 01:00 PM (CST)
 
>Anyone got some photos of a Flite Streak?
>
>It's 40-45 years (Aaaagh!) since I last saw / flew one
>
>Charles

[photo not recovered: p7060297.jpg]
Top Flite ARF Flite Streak, OS 20 FP for power, APC 9-4 prop, Hayes 3oz plastic fuel tank. Flies on 60'x.012" lines using Sig Champion 10% nitro fuel.

I really appreciate all of your suggestions and comments - don't feel that anything is going to waste. I'm going to print the whole thread for reference. I had to order enough wood to build 2 models so I could make Lonestar's minimum and I was just going to build 2 at once. You've got me thinking now, so I will do one and see how it turns out. I can always do something different on the second, this way.

hi,we fly to have fun,its a reliable and sturdy plane.leaving the wing tips off will not affect its flying.i have flown flitestreaks all my life.in my opinion the best.remember,have fun.keep the wind to your back. george eckhardt