Stolp Starlet ARF

[donjiskra]

Just completed this beautiful ARF from Hobby Lobby.
http://www.hobby-lobby.com/starlet.htm
Love the way it looks except for the wire landing gear which I thought was not strong enough for our grass field, so I used HL's 6.5" carbon fiber gear as an alternate.
http://www.hobby-lobby.com/landinggear.htm
The gear is installed to a 1/8" plywood strip epoxied inside the fuse via two holes drilled through the fuse and the plywood. The gear is attached with 2 6/32" machine screws. A wire was used to keep the gear from "bowing out" (see photo) also I had to move the gear and 8 cell NiMh 1100 battery pack battery as far forward as possible to get proper balance.
The 2.5" foam lightweight wheels work great on the grass.

Went to maiden the Stolp today but rain came immediately after the taxi tests.

I'm using the recommended AXI 2208/26 brushless outrunner with an 8x6 APC SloFlyer prop.

Anyone else have experience with this model???? Appreciate your comments.
Don

[Don Sims]

I really enjoyed mine until I dumb thumbed it in. It's a nice looking plane, guess it's time to get it flying again!!

[donjiskra]

Way too windy today. All flights cancelled!!!!!
Will keep you posted.
Don

[Doppelganger]

Did you set it up for full house control?

[donjiskra]

I reckon you mean with ailerons?
Yes I did. See the attached photo.

[Doppelganger]

Cool. I have always liked the look of this plane. Seems like a nice easygoing flyer. I wonder if the dihedral will cancel the effectiveness of the ailerons? Looking forward to your post flight review.:)

Steve

[donjiskra]

Steve apparently not. You can see how nice it flies in Hobby Lobby's webpage: http://www.hobby-lobby.com/starlet.htm
Scroll down to the video section. NEAT!!!
Weather forecast looks good for Friday.
Don

[Doppelganger]

Yes, I look at the videos all the time there. But it looks like the plane is being flown with rudder only. I know the ailerons will have some effect. I'm just wondering how much.

[donjiskra]

Steve, you may be right about the HL video.
I'll let you know, weather looks good for tomorrow.

Don

[Doppelganger]

Awesome.
Thanks Don!:)

[donjiskra]

grounded once again!!!
:mad: :mad: :mad:

[Don Sims]

Good move Don, You don't want to maiden in high winds!!

[Doppelganger]

Good move Don, You don't want to maiden in high winds!!

I second that;)

[Barfing Pumpkin]

grounded once again!!!
:mad: :mad: :mad:

Horse Hockey! Go for it....

Jack

[Don Sims]

Hey Don, you get that maiden in yet??

[donjiskra]

Pre-flight check revealed 5 ounces of lead, all the way forward, was required to get proper balance.

Plane was set-up with an 8 cell 1900mah NiCd battery at 17 ounces.
Motor: AXI 2208/26 Brushless "Outrunner"

Wattmeter indicated: 20 amps 183 Watts 10.9 Volts at initial start Full Throttle. After 30 seconds, throttle reduced to 60%, Wattmeter indicated 7.4 amps 71 watts.

ESC:"Cool Running" A-25 (25 amp)
Prop:APC-E 8x6 Slo Flyer
Landing Gear: Hobby Lobby's 6.5" Carbon Fiber with 2.5" tires, gear was held together with a 1/16" wire held with wheel collars in order to keep the tires from "bowing out" and remain vertical.

Wind condition: 15 mph from West
Temperature 65 Degrees
Sunny with no clouds
Grass field approximately 1" high

Pilot: Paul Boborka, Woodland Aeromodeler's Chief Instructor & Test Pilot.

We were concerned about the extra 5 ounces of weight which brought the Stolp's weight to about 33 ounces but when power was applied the Stolp moved forward and took off with authority. The 15 mph wind was never a problem. Plane handled handsomely and Paul took her up to about 300 feet for trimming. Only 2 notches up elevator was required and after Paul did an inside loop he said it was a "sweet flyer". then it flew along at 60% power very nicely. After 5 1/2 minutes the power started to drop off so he brought it down. Landing required slight power for a graceful approach.

We were very pleased and Paul said it was a "winner". Quite a compliment from our chief instructor & test pilot.

Did the dihedral affect "full house"? Not at all.

It was a great day!!!!

[Twmaster]

W00T!

That is a very sexy looking plane. Congrats on a good flyer!

[Don Sims]

Congrats Don!! It is a nice little plane!

[Doppelganger]

Most stupendous!!! Congrats on the maiden. I love the looks of that plane.

Steve

[donjiskra]

Thanks Steve! We were very pleased with it's performance it flies with authority and wasn't at all bothered by the 15mph wind. My modification to the landing gear worked out great and adding the 1/8" aluminum tubing struts kept the wings strong without flexing. I attached the firewall in FRONT rather than behind, as recommended, by doing so the firewall does not push in,in case of a "noseover".
All in all I'm very impessed with its performance and must tell you it is NOT a slow flyer.

This winter I will install the GWS floats and my next plane will be the Mini Funtana EP. What a deal only $89.00. Plan to use the AXI 2208 (same as in the Stolp) Available from: http://www.horizonhobby.com/Shop/ByCategory/Product/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFL2075

Here's a link to the Mini Funtana thread:
http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188

Aloha from Illinois

[Doppelganger]

Isn't it cool when anticipation does "not" exceed the moment?:D Sounds like you did everything right. We may be moving to NM, so I have to curb my spending.:mad: No Starlet for me for a while.

Steve

[donjiskra]

Removed the 1900 SCR NiCd battery and the 5 ounce lead weight, which eliminated 22 ounces.

Stolp empty weight = 18 ounces

Repalced with a 3S1P Thinder Power 1320mah LiPo which weighs 3.5 ounces.

Perfect balance acheived by moving battery as far forward as possible.

Stolp now weighs only 21.5 ounces compared to the 1900 NiCd and lead combo of 40 ounces.

Wing loading reduced from 23.5 down to 12.9 DRAMATIC CHANGE.

Look forward to next flight test. Should be a vast difference.

Here's the latest Ecalc data attached:

[donjiskra]

Spectacular performance !!!
Very fast ROG from grass. Then reduced power to 50%. Test pilot Paul could not believe the power the Stolp now had.
Wind was brisk steady 15mph which buffeted the Stolp a little but it kept on climbing easily. Paul took it up to about 500 feet, trimmed it slightly then did some smooth rolls, loops and inverted flying, Inverted was unbelievable. Best part was when he went throttle off and it just hovered like a hawk into the wind.

He was smiling and laughing the whole flight and excalimed what a beautifull flyer it was. He brought it down after six minutes and the landing was much better this time because it just floated down.

I checked the LiPo for remainng voltage on the Wattmeter and it indicated 11 volts. I had programmed the CoolRunning ESC for hard brake at 9 volts, so we could have flown a lot longer. (All flying was at 50% throttle)

BTW: I still had to add 5 ounces to the nose for PERFECT balance so the Stolp now weighs 26 ounces. Now working on cutting out a hatch all the way forward and below so that I can get the battery as far forward as possible, so I won't need the extra 5 ounce lead weight.
Hatch has been cut out, battery velcroed to the hatch cover and preliminary balance looks good.
More later, with photos when completed.

What a neat plane it is!!!!!

[timocharis]

That sounds better! Good luck on getting balance without the fish weight. I suspect that will really uncork it, and I'd like to hear about it.


Dave North

[Doppelganger]

Great job with your bird bro!:)

[Don Sims]

Don't forget those modification photos!

[donjiskra]

Here they are!

A strip of velco was fastened inside, this holds the battery in position. The blue tape is only for the photo to show area opening.
Hatch cover has velcro attached to further hold the battery. It is then secured with tape. The yellow tape is for the photo only, I'll use Du Bro hinges to secure the rear end of the hatch so that it drops down allowing the battery to enter from the front. (photo to come, once installed)

Flying weight is now 22 ouinces.
Look at the Ecalc data. AWESOME PERFORMANCE !!!

[donjiskra]

Here's photos of the battery hatch modification.
I used DU-BRO Nylon Hinges CAT.NO 117, trimmed off width 1/3 to fit, then drilled 1/16" holes for toothpicks that were CA'd inplace.

The TP 1320mah LiPo battery can now be positioned all the way forward, under the hatch, for proper balance, which eliminated the 5 ounce lead weight. The hatch has a strip of velcro that the battery attaches to, which is neat because the battery is as long as the lid. (I used the battery for a template) The lid is then simply taped shut. Plane now weighs only 21.5 ounces AUW.

Looking forward to test flights tomorrow.

BTW: Just recharged the LiPo, getting ready for tomorrow'as flying. Interesting that after the last 6 minute flight, mostly at 1/2 throttle the Triton charger replaced only 697 mah, which means that the battery was only about half used (1320 mah).

Time to recharge was 45 minutes at 1.3 amps.

[Don Sims]

Great hatch Don! Can others like me use your idea?? It would make the battery entry so much simple than dropping it down the cockpit.

[donjiskra]

Certainly feel free to use it!!!
I posted the photos and text so others could benefit from my experience.
It makes me happy to know you understand and appreciate it.
Good Luck with yours.
Don :)

[Doppelganger]

Wow, that hatch looks like it was designed that way.:)

Steve

[donjiskra]

At the field today we had to put back the 5 ounce lead weight back in to get proper balance. The Stolp is an awesome flier in spite of the extra weight and 15 mph winds. AUW is now 27 ounces.
Guess that is what it likes so I'll stick with it. The battery hatch worked well.
All in all I'm tickled with it and how it does aerobatics so extremely well.
Sunday Nov. 13:
Epoxied 4 ounces of Derby Pine Car lead weights immediately behind the AXI motor. Each weight bar was curved to fit the fuselage and then epoxied on top of each one. The bars were ideal for this application. Each one weighs 1 ounce and measures 31/2 x 1/2 x 1/8.
Placing the weight in this position makes for perfect balance now and also reduced the weight from 5 to 4 ounces.
I figure that this weight is needed because of the landing gear, wheels and tail wheel modification. These changes improved the ground handling and made the Stolp much better. Flight performance is still awesome. The ailerons make aerobatics beautiful.

[donjiskra]

Ready for the Woodland Aero Modelers "First Flight of the Year" event, January 1, 2006 with DU-BRO "Park Flyer Snow Ski's" CAT NO.830

Can't wait!!!!! :) :) :)

[Don Sims]

Don, the skis look great on it! Have you been flying it solo yet??

[Jeremy Z]

Don,

That is a sharp-looking plane. You did quite a nice job on the mods, without overdoing it.

It seems to bother you under your skin that you needed to add the weight to balance it. But remember this. The extra weight & resultant higher wing loading will mean that it gets buffeted around by the wind less than it would otherwise. (that means a lot if it is as windy in Darien as it is up here in Round Lake Beach!)

Jeremy

[donjiskra]

Don, the skis look great on it! Have you been flying it solo yet??

January 1st will be my first solo. We've been getting the right balance worked out and it is now really grooving. I have full confidence.
This is really one beautiful flyer. Weather has been 25 to 30 mph winds since last flight. Then the wind was at 15-20 and she handled it with any problems. Hoping for lots of snow and I think she will just sit on top.
Can't wait, and during the winter I will be working on the GWS floats for the coming float fly events. The GWS floats look cool!!!

[donjiskra]

Don,

It seems to bother you under your skin that you needed to add the weight to balance it. But remember this. The extra weight & resultant higher wing loading will mean that it gets buffeted around by the wind less than it would otherwise. (that means a lot if it is as windy in Darien as it is up here in Round Lake Beach!)

Jeremy

Hi Jeremy,
Well I was bothered because we couldn't get the CG correct. It was way too tail heavy. But then I realized landing gear modifiication, the bigger wheels and the steerable tail wheel were the cause.
You are right about the extra weight is a benefit regarding the wind. She isn't bothered at all in 15-20 winds. Penetration is excellent with very slight buffeting. Power from the AXI motor is phenominal.
I'm tickled pink at the outcome!!!!:) :) :) :)
Thanks for your comments and I'm sure we've been sharing the same wind down here in Darien.
Don

[Jeremy Z]

Hoping for lots of snow and I think she will just sit on top. Can't wait, and during the winter I will be working on the GWS floats for the coming float fly events.

Don, I've read that the skis don't work well unless the snow is packed. Just thought I'd mention it in case you hadn't heard.

I'd be tempted to just leave the floats on all the time. Check the balance again though!

Jeremy

[donjiskra]

Jeremy, The Stolp with the skis was not a problem with today's light snow.
It only sunk about 1/4 inch and moved along smartly. This was on my grass yard. So I don't anticipate any problems.
Don

[donjiskra]

Don, I've read that the skis don't work well unless the snow is packed. Just thought I'd mention it in case you hadn't heard.

I'd be tempted to just leave the floats on all the time.
Jeremy

Jeremy, you are right!!!
I just tested the Stolp on our fresh soft snow this morning and while it sat very well it was extermely difficult to taxi. It kept "plowing in" under power even though I eased up on the trottle. It was unpredictable and your comment about packed snow is very appropriate.
I think I will get the GWS floats assembled and use them instead.
Thanks for your suggestion.
Don

[Jeremy Z]

Off Topic:

I'm working on what should be an excellent snow plane at the moment: A Multiplex TwinStar II.

I'm holding off on the maiden of my GWS Corsair, as I don't want to fill the motor with snow. (it's pretty exposed) I may put that ultra-cheezy landing gear on it after all, so that I can take off and land from the street. Otherwise, it's going to be a long wait for the maiden.

The T-Hawk makes an excellent plane to land on snow that's at least a little packed. If it's too powdery, it gets in the battery compartment through the canopy. I might bring some tape to seal it shut a bit better for future flights.

I also have a Yak 55 profile plane from Hobby Lobby which is patiently awaiting fundage for a radio system.

It seems like your system of buying & building one really nice plane, then adapting it to your environment is a better idea than my system of buying multiple planes and not being able to afford to equip them all! ;)

Jeremy

[donjiskra]

Jeremy,
Adaptation is a necessity for the environment, I guess,
I removed the skis today, since they were not good for powdery, light snow. I e-poxied GWS float halves together and tested for leaks, (for summer water float-fly events).
Now in the process of adapting the floats to the carbon fiber landing gear.
I'll use an aluminum tube through the axle holes and make it wide for a good "stance" and not be tipsy, then I'll fabricate a method to secure the tube to floats and make a mount for the rear portion.

I think the floats will work much better on light powdery snow.
I'm very impressed with the GWS floats. Very light and excellent step design.

Good luck with your efforts!

Don

[donjiskra]

Here's photos of the completed installtion of the GWS floats.
Details of construction will follow along taxi test results on light snow
Don
I used this excellent link as a guide:
http://www.seminolerc.com/EZ-Float-Design.html

[Jeremy Z]

Nice work Don! I'm anxious to hear how they work.

[donjiskra]

Yesterday I taxied the Stolp on the GWS floats on 9" of light powdery snow.

The Stolp now weighs 30 ounces and it sat nicely on the snow, just barely making a depression. Slowly applying the throttle it moved smooth as silk, torqueing to the leftas throttle increased. Right rudder kept it straight.
The 10" float separation proved correct as the wide stance kept it very stable. I could easily become airborne if my yard was long enough.
I was very pleased with the Stolp's performance on floats in the snow, a VAST improvement snow ski's!!!

Construction details:
I used a 12" 1/8" aluminum rod for "axle" inserted through the carbon fibre landing gear. Held in place by wheel collars. Modified control horns were screwed to the wood insert. the float step was located 1/2" behind the center of gravity.

The floats were located 2" outboard of the landing gear and secured by wheel collars on each side. At the front and rear of the wood strip insert a 5/32" aluminun square tubing was used for lateral rigidity.

At the rear, 1/8" round tubing flattened at each end was used to secure the fuselage to the floats. Holes were drilled at the ends and the flat section was bent to conform to get the proper angle, then screwed to the fuselage and float.

A water rudder will be installed for later for summer flying.

All in all I'm very impressed with the GWS floats and how well they performed on the snow. You will see in the photos why a vee-bottom float is necessary.