Pizza Express

[weathervane]

I decided it was time to do something with the set of foam wings I have had floating around the shop for a while. I thought it would be fun to build something a bit different. I wanted to build a plane from nothing but spare parts. With as little cost as posible.

landing gear w/pants free from a crashed plane
horiz stab free from a friends parts bin
vert stab free was a horiz stab. same friend
wing cores free from fellow club member
pizza box free from the HUT

So far tolal cost $0.00

-Andrew

I hope to fly it on a 3 cell Li-Po with a Turnigy brushless out runner and a 40 amp esc. I'm shooting for an all up weight of 4lb.

[benovisoff]

that looks way better than some of my planes still.

[Larry3215]

LOL

I like it!

[weathervane]

Thanks guys. I just hope it flys.
-Andrew

that looks way better than some of my planes still.

LOL

I like it!

[weathervane]

Here is a picture of the plane. I think it is a bit tail heavy though. I will have to work on that some more. At just over two pounds I am happy with how it is turning out. I am going to use this Turnigy motor with a 3200mah 3 cell Li-Po and a 40 amp esc.
//www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=4916 (http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=4916)

-Andrew

[gfdengine204]

Andrew,

In my line of work, we often are amazed at how, when we think we have seen it all, something new comes along and stuns us.

I have NOW seen it all! :Q

I can NOT wait for the maiden video. There will be video, right? :cool:

[weathervane]

Thanks for the kind words Kev. Oh yea, there will be an onboard video of the maiden flight. I will find a place to put my FCO2 on it somewhere. I do not know how well it will fly, if nothing else it should be fun to watch.
-Andrew


Andrew,

In my line of work, we often are amazed at how, when we think we have seen it all, something new comes along and stuns us.

I have NOW seen it all! :Q

I can NOT wait for the maiden video. There will be video, right? :cool:

[Larry3215]

Here is a picture of the plane. I think it is a bit tail heavy though. I will have to work on that some more. At just over two pounds I am happy with how it is turning out. I am going to use this Turnigy motor with a 3200mah 3 cell Li-Po and a 40 amp esc.
//www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=4916 (http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=4916)

-Andrew

Considering the taper on your wings thats very tail heavy. Your at least at the 50% MAC point if not behind that.

Do you have a fix in mind?

[weathervane]

Nothing is glued in place yet. I can move the boom forward to shorten up the tail and add nose weight. Other than that I'm not sure what to do yet.

-Andrew


Considering the taper on your wings thats very tail heavy. Your at least at the 50% MAC point if not behind that.

Do you have a fix in mind?

[Larry3215]

That should work. If the wing can slide back on the fuse/boom that will put the motor more forward. Might not take much.

[weathervane]

I might drill some holes in the tail to remove some weight. Like I said, it is made of spare parts. If it flys great, if not oh well, It looked good.

-Andrew

[gfdengine204]

Andrew,

Will you have video from the ground, too? I wanna see a flying Mia box! :) (I like the Pizza Mias ;))

[weathervane]

I will do my best. I'm sure I can find someone to video from the ground for me.
-Andrew

Andrew,

Will you have video from the ground, too? I wanna see a flying Mia box! :) (I like the Pizza Mias ;))

[weathervane]

Ok, I think I have got my ballance right. It looks a lot better. Of course 4oz of lead weight on the nose will do that. My all up weight with no control hook up is 3lb. Servos are in, battery is in, reciever is in, esc is in. It's moving along nicely.

-Andrew

[capt. crash]

very nice! when do you expect to be able to maiden it?

[weathervane]

I'm not sure. Maybe this weekend.
-Andrew


very nice! when do you expect to be able to maiden it?

[weathervane]

Ok, the wings are epoxied together, the main boom is epoxied in and I can now start work on the placement of everything. A maiden flight this weekend is looking better all the time.
-Andrew

[Larry3215]

Good luck!

[weathervane]

Ok, The Pizza Express is done. I have everything in place and it is looking good. I'm not 100% sure on a maiden this weekend but it will be soon.

-Andrew

[gfdengine204]

Looks great Andrew, can't wait to see the results.

If it goes well, you should notify Pizza Hut.....maybe there could be a deal in it for ya. Free Mias for a year or something.....;)

[weathervane]

It did not go so good. Back to the work bench for some reworking.


Looks great Andrew, can't wait to see the results.

If it goes well, you should notify Pizza Hut.....maybe there could be a deal in it for ya. Free Mias for a year or something.....;)

[weathervane]

Well the maiden flight of the Pizza Express did not go as planed. It was looking good for a few short seconds and then crash. With no ailerons and a small amount of dihedrial, the rudder does not have much affect. It was tracking streight and climing nicely. As soon as the wind got under the right wing, it was all she wrote. With full right rudder, it would not turn back. The left wing hit the ground and a cartwheel followed.
It is fixable. I will add ailerons and try again.

-Andrew

[gfdengine204]

Yeah, with no dihedral I bet the rudder had a devil of a time trying to right it after the wind got under the wing. I bet ailerons would be a big help. Wish we woulda thought about that and suggested it before you maidened. :(

Second try will be better, I bet!

[Larry3215]

Ouch!

yeah, I didnt even notice you didnt have ailerons. darn!

[capt. crash]

dang! but it looks like it's not that bad a crash to fix up, so good thing you figured out the need for ailerons without turning the plane into dust.

[weathervane]

It's not a bad deal. I have a second set of foam wings if I need them. Like I said, it is an easy fix. It was fun to watch though.
-Andrew

[MadMonkey]

I wish you were in Texas. I have a pair of UCanDo 46 ailerons you could use :D

And a pair of 60 size Ultra Stick ones, too, come to think of it. And some unused wings.

Heck, maybe I'll make my own Frankenplane!

[weathervane]

I'm taking donations.:D My total cost is $0.00. I'm trying to make a fun plane with no cost involved. So far so good.

-Andrew


I wish you were in Texas. I have a pair of UCanDo 46 ailerons you could use :D

And a pair of 60 size Ultra Stick ones, too, come to think of it. And some unused wings.

Heck, maybe I'll make my own Frankenplane!

[weathervane]

Up date on my Pizza Express plane.

I have added flaparon servos and am in the process of putting them on. My first flight showed what we already suspected. Little dihedrial with no ailerons and it will not turn. I did just that. Here are a few pictures of my flaparon servo set up and bell cranks.

-Andrew

[Larry3215]

That should get the job done nicely :)

[benovisoff]

Ok, I think I have got my ballance right. It looks a lot better. Of course 4oz of lead weight on the nose will do that. My all up weight with no control hook up is 3lb. Servos are in, battery is in, reciever is in, esc is in. It's moving along nicely.

-Andrew
but how? And with that huge motor and batt, this thing seems like a light flyer.

[weathervane]

I removed the lead weight. My all up weight is 60oz. I'm happy with how it seemed to want to fly. I'm hoping to retry this weekend.

-Andrew

[Larry3215]

Good luck!

[weathervane]

The way I fly, I will need a golden horseshoe in my pocket. Maybe one on my frequency pin just for luck.
-Andrew


Good luck!

[weathervane]

Death of the Pizza Express.

I flew the Pizza Express plane today. It flew pretty well, I quickly found out that I had more aileron to the righ that to the left. GREAT a plane that will not turn left. It was pretty tuchy in the wind, about 8-12mph. I did get a loop or two out of it (not by choice) before I landed it/controled crash. I was on a down wind heading and trying to make it to the ground for a quick looking over. It hit pretty hard, took the gear right out from under it. It also broke the main wing support and split the box open. Oh well, I was having fun. And I still have the spare parts. The only thing it cost me was a prop.
Next project.
-Andrew

[Larry3215]

Sorry to hear of its demise but it was a pretty darn cool idea anyway! :)

[Buck Rogers]

Yeah, I'm sorry for your loss. :D

[gfdengine204]

Instead of lead weight, you should have used a Pizza Mia for ballast. ;)

Nice work Andrew, too bad the project was short lived. It was definitely inspired! And very creative.

[weathervane]

Thanks guys. Yea, it was cool. I have the parts to build a second one. Maybe I will work on the design over the summer and build a second next winter.
-Andrew

Sorry to hear of its demise but it was a pretty darn cool idea anyway! :)

Yeah, I'm sorry for your loss. :D

Instead of lead weight, you should have used a Pizza Mia for ballast. ;)

Nice work Andrew, too bad the project was short lived. It was definitely inspired! And very creative.

[HeliScRapYard]

Up date on my Pizza Express plane.

I have added flaparon servos and am in the process of putting them on. My first flight showed what we already suspected. Little dihedrial with no ailerons and it will not turn. I did just that. Here are a few pictures of my flaparon servo set up and bell cranks.

-Andrew

Learn something New every Day! never had thought to hook up aileron linkages this way. this information will be put to use shortly. Thanks!

[weathervane]

Great, I'm glad my horsing around has helped you out.
-Andrew


Learn something New every Day! never had thought to hook up aileron linkages this way. this information will be put to use shortly. Thanks!