Walnut? Peanut? Dime?

[Bob McSmith]

Been flying the Sukhoi lately while my dad is in love with the T-28. We've been building .15-.60 size gas planes for years, but the sight of these smaller planes really FLYING, (not a flat plate hanging on a prop) has us mesmorized. Would like to get building this winter with the eflite brick and motor systems. What size (stick and tissue) of planes will these systems fly? Have read about all the different descriptions of sizes over the years (peanut, walnut, etc), but have never known what they actually meant. Can you give some basic weight/size/scale limits for these systems? I realize they will be ballpark figures and will vary with manufacturer and type of plane etc. Obviously something similar in weight and wing loading to the T-28.

[kenchiroalpha]

Hi Bob
Welcome aboard
Im pleased to meet you
For UM Aircraft these sites are the best
http://www.aerofred.com/index.php
http://smallflyingarts.com/
Take care
Hank

[JetPlaneFlyer]

• Peanut scale in limited to 13" span
• Wallnut scale is 18" span
• Dime scale is 16" span but this is also a vintage class based on the old 'dime' kits produced before 1950

Hope this helps...

[Bob McSmith]

So if we look at Dumas kits for example- are we looking at their walnut kits, the 24" line or the 30" line?

[JetPlaneFlyer]

Originally Posted by Bob McSmith

So if we look at Dumas kits for example- are we looking at their walnut kits, the 24" line or the 30" line?

My previous post had an error.. Wallnut is maximum 18" span not 17.5"

As for what kits you want to look at.. that depends on what you want, all are capable of flying well but generally bigger fly better and are less critical when it comes to weight control. All the kits are of similar balsa 'stick and tissue' type construction.
All of the smaller Dumas kits are designed for freeflight with rubber power so some work would be needed to convert to electric R/C.

Steve

[pd1]

A lot of today's kits are not that much different from the kits of old.
Here is a thread with a lot of plans posted.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1265873

You can download the plans and get an idea of what you might like to build.

There are all sizes. Most are stick and tissue.
So far there's around 400 listed, scale and non scale alike.

[Bob McSmith]

Thanks for that thread- most helpful. But I still don't know what size of plane the stock flight system will fly. Any max weight, wing loading guidelines? For instance if I was to say I want to build the 51" span P-51, undoubtably the reply would be that it is too large of a plane to fly with that power system. Onthe other end, I want to build a 1/72 scale Corsair- too small. Can you give me a range of parameters that a stock eflite system will fly?

[JetPlaneFlyer]

Sorry, I didn't read your original post properly.. if you want to use the stock PZ micro T-28 power train then you need something that will build to about the same weight as the T-28.. that's 38g. I think you would be best with an 18" span walnut scale model. You might get away with something larger if you built very light.

[dcwwcp]

I make 16" wingspan (dimescale) WWI planes from foam and power them with UM mustang motors and PZ/e flite brick receivers.

the PZ mustang itself is "dimescale".

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you could make a 20" wingspan 3 channel, or 5 channel if using ailerons (you'll need to use to aileron servos at that size I'm sure) and run it with a brick, but the mustang motor only produces about 40g of thrust max so a small brushless would be better for the motor. unless you can build really, really light and want scale speed/power.

[JetPlaneFlyer]

Originally Posted by dcwwcp

the PZ mustang itself is "dimescale".

Only in wingspan Dimescale is officially for models made from pre 1950 kits or built from plans copied from those kits. These kits were originally sold for a dime, hence the name of the model class.

There are also some dime reproduction ('pseudo dime scale') models allowed but they must be constructed out of simple balsa stick and tissue in the style of the pre 1950 dime kits. No foam is allowed (didn't exist in 1950), even moulded canopies are not allowed.

Steve

[Yak 52]

Originally Posted by JetPlaneFlyer

...even moulded canopies are not allowed.

They are now!

Steve, since your post the FAC have changed the rules for 2011. The updated rules are on the FAC website.

Jon