Baby Flite Streak Tank

I just finished building a baby flite streak (from plans) and picked up the suggested tank. I is a Perfect 2/3 oz tank with the feed line out the wedge.

The tank fits behind the engine, but I slid the engine back to balance the airplane, there is no room to route the fuel line. I am using a Norvel 0.49 and the Muffler. For balance the motor had to be slid almost to the back of the motor slot. I tried shorting the feed line a little, but it is almost hitting the back of the head.

Questions:
How hard is it to re plumb this tank?
Is there a better off the shelf tank?

Almost every profile I build has a problem with the nose being too short. Any suggestions?

What weight did your baby flight streak end up at?

I am going to build one with a td.

LAST EDITED ON Mar-08-04 AT 03:54 PM (CDT)
 
Thats the same tank I have on my Baby Flite Streak. I have no problem with the fuel line but I don't have my motor all the way back. I have it up front more. The fuel line does touch the motor head though but I have no problems with it. I use the 1/2A fuel line with it so it is a tighter fit. Maybe you could just mount your tank on the other side of the fuse and run your fuel line over? I have a Norvel .061 on mine and use .008 42' lines. I like flying my Baby Flite Streak as any other CL plane I have. The plane really rips and moves around the circle really fast and does a quick pattern like a combat plane.

You can easily unsolder the standard pipe and seal over the hole with solder (or even a small patch of metal soldered on. Then route the pipe out the bottom of the tank about midway. I like to unsolder the back of the tank so I can see precisely where the fuel pickup is.

While the thing is open, you might consider adding a unifo vent system. Tank bashing is easy, and since you can always undo the solder multiple times, it is hard to screw up permanently.

Always pressure check a reworked tank under water to be sure all your seams are solid.

If you haven't learned how to solder yet, this is a great place to start!

LAST EDITED ON Mar-08-04 AT 06:10 PM (CDT)
 
Here is by Baby is an even bigger tank that the one your described. It a Brodak 1 oz (BH521) re-plumbed with a Uniflow vent. I have no problem fitting it in the Baby FS.

Where are you trying the balance the model? Mine still balance very far back about 20%. Even with the engine ar far forward as possible the model still need a little nose weight to bring it within a reasonable range to 15 -18%.

LAST EDITED ON Mar-09-04 AT 09:34 AM (CDT)
 
I am attempting to get it to balance right on the plans, or a little behind. It's easier to add nose weight than tail weight. My airplane is scratch built from (brodak) plans. I must have picked real light wood for the tail, as I don't have that much room up front.
Total weight with everything (wheel, tank, muffler, prop) is 7.2 oz. I could save a little weight on the wheel (it's an old perfect wheel I had)

It is clear dope and Coverrite Lite ( I like that stuff!). There are a few strips of Carbon fiber and a few patches of blue tissue for color. You can see there isn't a lot of room up front. I think a 1 oz tank is the same lenght and a little wider, and the feed line will be outboard of the head.

Does uniflow help on the little airplanes?

I wouldn't fly a metal tank which I had not looked inside of. This is particularly true of Perfect tanks. I'm all for you replumbing your tank.

Where are you trying to balance the FS. The plan alway have the C.G. too far back. I would start at about 15% and go from there. That should be about 3/4" or so from the L.E.

Uniflow is the only way to go with the Norvel. I tried every on the Norvel, Backplate presure, muffler presure, etc. But uniflow is the only way to get a consistent 5 minute run on the Norvel. Start with atleast 3 head gaskets. That is most people problem, they over compress their engine.

From the photo I see your problem. You can start with the tank about 1/8" above the center line. I have dozen of Norvel and that seem to be the right height. You can bend the outlet feed so it doesn't hit the engine or simply shim the tank outward do that is does not hit the cylinder.

There is definitely room the more you engine forward so it clear the tank fuel pickup.

Go ahead a try flying it before you determine the final location of the C.G. My first Baby Flightstreak was way nose heavy, about 10% from L.E. and I still am able to put in a pretty good AMA pattern on it.
Actually it is easier to put tail weight rather that nose weight, because it require a lot less weight to balance.

From What I remember, I was attempting to blance it about 1/2 way between the LE and the spar, that's a little further back than you are stating. With the Mufler etc, I did not want to end up a nose heavy bomb.

I built one of these things as a kid. With a Black Widdow, it was wildly tail heavy, then we put a McCoy .098 on it and it was a nose heavy bomb. Almost all my profiles end up being nose heavy.

I'll try moving the tank up and out and see if that helps.

I can't wait till it warms up here a little and can try it out.

Dave Siegler

LAST EDITED ON Mar-09-04 AT 01:47 PM (CDT)
 
Yours may be a bit more nose heavier with the newer Norvel. It sounds like your C.G. is close. Just go ahead and fly it. I always thought the FS flys a bit twichy, so a little more forward of the C.G. couldn't hurt.

Also an easier method to lighten up the mose is your wheel. How much does your wheel weight. Remember, add 1/2oz of wheel is a lot a 1/2a model that only weight 7 oz. I found wheels from an R.C. electric park flyer works well for 1/2a without add too much weight.

The Brodak plastic 1/2a wheel are light, but durability is a problem. I find that there only last a few flghts especially if you fly over asphalt.

On the copy I have of George's original Baby Flite Streak plans, the CG is shown at the rear of the leading edge, ie 1/2 inch back from the leading edge of the wing. That looks about right to me. On the two larger Flite Streaks, the CG's on the Brodak plans are as shown on George's original plans. My last Jr. Flite Streak had the CG 3/8 forward of where the Brodak plan shows it and flew fine. Where the CG should be on any airplane is where the airplane flys to suit you.