.008 or .012 lines for 1/2A?

Last night I messed up yet another set of .008 x 35' braided lines. I just cant seem to assemble and crimp the ends without kinking the lines somewhere . A few weeks ago, one of my year-old .008 lines broke right at the crimp as I was disconnecting the handle after my last flight. (I guess I was lucky it didnt break in-flight!)

Should I switch to .012's? Would there a noticable difference in the way the plane flies? Are there any "secrets" in assembling and handling .008's?

I had also bought a set of 35' tuff-strand (kevlar)lines thinking this would solve my frustration with kinking but I have see several threads on this forum where folks are advising against using them.

Any advice would be appreciated. I am flying small C*x and Norvell powered planes e.g. combat kittens, Sarpolus Spitfire, Midwest P-47 etc.

For fun flying, switch to Spyder Wire 14 pound test Fusion fishing line. Get one of the handles that the line goes through and just tie the two ends and adjust the neutral through the handle.

If you are going to use cable, DON'T CRIMP!!!!

Go to Hobby Lobby and go to the Beadwork section and get their 38 gauge copper wire. This will go around the .008 wire easy enough. Wrap those lines like the AMA book shows ya and you won't have to worry about cutting a line during the crimp again. The only way I wore out these lines was when my Manwin flipped in on them and cut it with the prop. So we switched to Spyder wire. Drag is not much more and you can't beat the price per set. 150 yards of line for 6 bucks? Thats a whole bunch of flying. I wouldn't sport fly with anything else.

Hello William could you fill me in on Spyder wire.I have heard it mentioned before and have no idea what it is or where you would get it? Thanks Dennis

Kmart, Walmart or a fishing store will have the Spyderwire. Now, there are several types of Sypderwire, you want the Fusion which is a woven wire that does not stretch.

I always use .008 solids or cable. The solids are wrapped per AMA regs, but the cables are crimped. There are several tricks to it, though.

First, chamfer the inside edges of the tubes to avoid sharp stress risers.

Second, use aluminum tubes

Third, crimp away from the ends of the tube

Fourth, use about 1" of heat-shrink tube over the metal tubes to reduce the stress that can be applied right at the end of the tube.

Finally, use two colors of heat-shrink tubing to key you on up and down.

I use the heat-shrink on the solid lines too!

For sport flying, .012 cables are OK, but they will be much shorter than you can get away with using .008s. For competition, the thin lines are a must.

If you use crimps, use aluminum tube.

Spyder Wire/Fusion is great for 1/2 A Sport Flying. I've used it for the past two years out to 48 ft lengths for Norvel .061 powered planes. Tough, cheap, easy to live with.

>Spyder Wire/Fusion is great for 1/2 A Sport Flying. I've
>used it for the past two years out to 48 ft lengths for
>Norvel .061 powered planes. Tough, cheap, easy to live with.

I haven't had the chance to try it yet, but I understand the Aussie made "Fireline" is better. GMA was really impressed with the potential (on both) for 1/2As before he passed on.
I use .008 solids, and wrap the line ends.

Jake

I've had problems with Spiderwire Fusion. Just tying knots in the end, the line tended to snap at the knots well below the breaking strength. The braided(stranded) fishing lines don't. Also, all the hi-tensile lines we've tested actually break at about half the rated strength, so use 30 lb. test line on half A's.

other than that, they are MUCH easier to handle and much more resistant to abuse than stainless steel cable.

I am quite happy with the spider line for sport flying. I am surpised how easy it is to use and how well it allows the plane to perform.

Tie a fishermans not on it, haven't snapped one yet including after flying across the circle and going kerslap.

>Tie a fishermans not on it, haven't snapped one yet
>including after flying across the circle and going kerslap.
>
>From somewhere near Parkville, Mo.
>William Crane
>AMA 6733

Mr. Crane is correct.. I had problems with knots either breaking or slipping, until I was pointed to the "fisherman's knot"--it's in a thread somewhere ( pun not intended, but pretty neat for an accident). Makes all the difference in the world! Spiderwire is all I use--they don't even cut very easily in a prop. I have one set of .012 35' 7-strand ss for if I ever get to a contest sometime, somewhere.
--Ray

"Thee old Palomar knot"

>Mr. Crane is correct.. I had problems with knots either
>breaking or slipping, until I was pointed to the
>"fisherman's knot"

Ray, is this the "fisherman's knot" that you use?
http://www.cabelas.com/information/cabelas-field-guides/Knot-Library-Fishing-Knots/Improved-Clinch-Knot.html

>Spiderwire is all I use-- <snip>

What size or pound test?

Roman Ramirez

Is Spiderwire practical to use on large 1/2A airplanes, such as a Brodak 1/2A Pathfinder? I have some for the small 1/2A's, but have only used steel lines on the little Pathfinder.

>Is Spiderwire practical to use on large 1/2A airplanes, such
>as a Brodak 1/2A Pathfinder? I have some for the small
>1/2A's, but have only used steel lines on the little
>Pathfinder.

Don't sue me if it gets away, but I would use spiderwire without worrying. I've flown my Rumbler combat wings, using .061's, since their inception--and that's a lot of planes--on 35' and 42' spiderwire, at 70 + mph. Course, it's only a 5-to-6 oz. plane; I guess heavier would produce more pull even at slower speeds. But I also flew my highly modified (read: heavy--about 12 oz. but maybe 50 mph) triplane,on the same lines with no problems. In fact the only set I've thrown away was one that got into the prop during a combat match--and they weren't cut even then; just highly frayed after we finally untangled them from the prop hub. And that's the other really nice thing--spiderwire is cheap; if you have a set that's even slightly questionable, you can just throw it away and cut another set, with no qualms about the waste. "Try it--you might like it."
--Ray

>>Mr. Crane is correct.. I had problems with knots either
>>breaking or slipping, until I was pointed to the
>>"fisherman's knot"
>
>Ray, is this the "fisherman's knot" that you use?
>http://www.cabelas.com/information/cabelas-field-guides/Knot-Library-Fishing-Knots/Improved-Clinch-Knot.html
>
>>Spiderwire is all I use--
>
>What size or pound test?
>
>Roman Ramirez

No, the Palomar Knot as posted above is the one, although that cabelas thing looks like it would work too.
I use "Spider wire fusion" "8 lb. diameter, 12 lb. strength"--haven't broken one in two years now. Only thing I don't like about it: It's green, and disappears in the grass. A bright red handle solves that, though.

>Last night I messed up yet another set of .008 x 35' braided
>lines. I just cant seem to assemble and crimp the ends
>without kinking the lines somewhere . A few weeks ago, one
>of my year-old .008 lines broke right at the crimp as I was
>disconnecting the handle after my last flight. (I guess I
>was lucky it didnt break in-flight!)
>
>Should I switch to .012's? Would there a noticable
>difference in the way the plane flies? Are there any
>"secrets" in assembling and handling .008's?
>
>I had also bought a set of 35' tuff-strand (kevlar)lines
>thinking this would solve my frustration with kinking but I
>have see several threads on this forum where folks are
>advising against using them.
>
>Any advice would be appreciated. I am flying small C*x and
>Norvell powered planes e.g. combat kittens, Sarpolus
>Spitfire, Midwest P-47 etc.

Darryl,
A few years ago at the EAA KidVenture CL event, we used 0.012 lines (42 foot as I recall) on the Bratco Plastic Flybaby Arf. The main reason was that we were flying a lot of flights (thousands with 3 circles--also as I vaguely recall), and we needed something a bit tougher than the 0.008's. The Skybaby comes with the Norvel 061 engine, so didn't lack for power. I'd say that for general round-round type flying, it is fine.

Howver after reading the other posts, I'd start looking at the Spyder line stuff.