HELP DIRECTORY - 9-P
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NOTE : THE HELP TOPICS
The help topics consist of links and Help Topics accumulated over the years.
Many of them were from RCM Model magazine that is now defunct. 
Please review these help topics.
If we have a topic or LINK listed and you are the author and do not want this published in this E-book,
Just notify us and it will be promptly removed.
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  • Paint Tips

      ALTERNATE DOPE THINNER
    PPG 876 used on most race cars works very well.
    BRUSH CLEANING
    After doping, rinse the paint brush with thinner until clean, then wash the brush with warm, soapy water. Squeeze dry with a paper towel. Place the brush(s in a jar, handle down. Next time you use the brush, it will be soft and with no paint or thinner to harden the bristles
     Cheap paint brushes  Next time you go to the dollar store look for a package of cheep paint brushes, you can sometimes get a pack of 20 for, gee, well a dollar. They work super for mixing and spreading epoxy and even can be used for painting!
    EYE GLASSES
    Stretch a piece of Saran Wrap over the glasses using some Scoth tape to hold it in place when you are painting.
    When thru  you'll have glasses that you can actually see through.
     Getting that Great Looking Finish

  • MASKING TAPE
    You can remove masking tape with a lessened chance of pulling up the paint if you heat the tape with a heat gun as you pull the tape. Just a little heat is all that is needed; don't overdo it. Also, pull the tape back over itself when you are removing it to further reduce the risk of pulling paint up.
    MIXING CUPS
    The small Cups for your bathroom that are normally used for rinsing your mouth make excellant Mixing Cups for paintor resins
    PAINT MATCHING
    Take a swatch of covering to an Auto Body Paint shop.
    Some will scan get the paint code, and mix your paint for you.Some may put it in an Aerosal can for you.
    PAINT BRUSH
    Drill a small hole in the ferrule of your new paint brush and drop some CA in it. Now you won't lose nearly as many bristles on your work.
    Painting Foam Planes- Krylon makes aspraypaintcalled Krylon H2O that is not harmfull tofoam! This paint is great! This Webmaster has tried it with no hint of damaging the foam. Locally I found it at: Walmart, K-mart, some Ace Hardware stores, Although I found it is hard to get all the colors at one place. Here is the website to learn more about it. http://krylon.com/sprayyourway/h2oproducts/


  • RUST-O-LEUM
    Rust-O-Leum paint is available at most any hardware store at very reasonable prices in both bulk and spray cans. The paint is fuel proof and makes an excellent finishing material.
       THINNER
       Goop" or "PFM" is usually thick in application. To thin these miracle adhesives can be thinned by using Toulene or Xylene available at your local hardware store. It does not take much to thin these products.

    VARATHANE
    The solution to fuel proofing is a coat or two of clear "Diamond Finish" Flecto Verathane.
    This is also available in aerosol spray cans and comes in satin, semi-gloss and high gloss. Another advantage of using the Verathane as a fuel proofer is that it can be cleaned up with water.

     HobbyShed  
     Dudley, West Midlands, United Kingdom -     HobbyShed is all about building and painting model kits. Site features include modelling techniques, hints, tips, gallery and forum for all modelmaking skill levels. Come see what’s going on in the HobbyShed!
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  • Pin Tips
        Any yardage goods store sell a variety of straight and t-pins which serve very well for balsa construction. Check out the extra long ball-head pins as an especially handy item.
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  •  Better Plans Cover
    Waxed paper is the standard covering for plans when building an airplane on top of them I find that waxed paper does not come in large enough sheets and tends to  stick to the airplane. Last time I built I used some left over plastic that is used to cover windows. This stuff is made by 3M Scotch and comes in large 3X5 foot sheets this is just the size of the plans I was using. the covering will shrink if heated but this is not necessary as it lays very flat. CA and other glues will not stick to this stuff at all and it is crystal clear unlike waxed paper. There was even a roll of double stick tape in the box. The price on the box (Which was several years old) was $5 this is cheaper then the Great planes plan protector stuff but I don't think you get as much.


  •     Plastic Bolt Tips  

    I use plastic bolts to hold my landing gear on. Although extremely unlikely, if I should land a little hard, the bolts will break off and keep the gear from ripping the bottom out of the airplane. The hard part comes when you try to take the broken off bolts out the airplane. What I do is take a Xacto knife and cut a slit across the end of the bolt then I take a very small flat screwdriver no wider then the bolt and remove the screw. If the bolt is too tight you may only be able to remove the bolt a short way before your slot strips out. You can then try to cut another slot or try to remove it with a pair of needle nose plies. If you rub a little wax or soap on the new screws they will be a lot easier to remove should this unlikely event ever happen again.

    Another method I have tried with little success, but might work in some cases is to heat an old screw driver and then stick it into the plastic screw end until it melts into the screw. Let it cool until the plastic hardens then remove the screw. Sounds good, but most of the time it will not work right.

    To keep the screws from breaking on marginal landings try putting a thin (1/16") piece of rubber between the gear and the airplane. This will take up some of the shock and if the bolts break they tend to stick out a little from the hole.

    Plywood Tips
     Lite Ply Replacement ( Lite-Ply ) My favorite material is " doorskins " to use in place of Lite Ply. You can purchase these at your local Home Depot building supply for about 5 bucks. The
    sheets are 36 in. wide by 80 in. high and about 1/8 in. thick. I have used this in place of Lite Ply in fuselage sides, hatches, landing gear mounts, servo mounts, etc.
    and have never had a failure.
     Plywood on the cheap  ( Plywood ) Also along those lines, cabinet makers have birch and oak faced ply pieces in different sizes 1/4 in. thick, that they will sell you reasonable. I use these for firewalls, Gear mounts in bigger planes, and you can double them up to make firewalls for gas engines.

  • Propeller  Topics
      SAFETY
      Try this solution. Put a o-ring on the end of the engine crank shaft after you get everything secured. It may keep the prop nut from spinning all the way off next time your engine decides to be cantankerous.
    NOTE:Wooden propellers, compress after being subjected to tightening down of the prop nut. Check them often.

  • Below are some safety items that although seem elementary still need to be repeated regarding propellers and their use.

  •  Install the prop with the curved side of the blade facing forward and tighten the prop nut or bolt with the proper size wrench.

    •     

  •               Recheck the tightness of the nut or bolt often, especially on wood props which tend to compress and loosen more often.

    •     

  •               When starting the engine, keep spectators at least 20 feet clear of the model and out of the path of the propeller.

    •     

  •                     Keep hands away from the prop as much as possible. Use a chicken stick or and electic starter.

  •  Keep face and body out of prop arc as engine is started and run.
  •  Make all adjustments from behind the prop except on pusher prop installations.
  •  Never throw anything into the prop to stop the engine. Use a kill switch or pinch off the engine's fuel supply.
  •  Discard any prop with nicks, scratches, splits, cracks or any other sign of damage. Never attempt to repair, alter or bend a prop.
  • Don't run an engine in areas of loose gravel or sand for the prop can throw such material into your face and eyes. It's not a bad idea to wear eye protection.
  •  Keep loose clothing, shirt sleeves, and other such items away from the prop and avoid carrying objects that can fall into the prop such as pens, screwdrivers, etc.
  •  Be sure to keep the glow driver wire out of the prop path.
  •  If a spinner is used, be certain that it's edges are not in contact with the propeller blades.

             Prop detailing and tip painting:

    When finishing your latest pride and joy, or you just want to class up a plane already flying, most people forget about the prop. A prop with painted tips is safer in the fact that it aides you in see the prop arc as the prop is turning and a detailed prop just looks good. Listed here a few simple steps and ideas.

    The black plastic propellers (Master Airscrew as an example take a lot of punishment without breaking.It's a good idea to paint the tips of your propellers white or yellow. You can see the propeller arc easily this way.
    You can also use paint as an aid in balancing your propellers. It is not necessary to apply the paint to both sides

    1  Check the prop and balance if required.
    2  For larger props 1” and ¼” tape looks pretty good, and for smaller props 3/4” and 1/8” tape look pretty good. You can use masking tape or some type of vinyl tape (the vinyl tape gives a finer line.
    3  Start by cleaning the blade tips with rubbing alcohol or something that leaves the surface squeaky clean.
    4  Using the larger size tape, place in on the tip of the blade perpendicular to the end.
    5  Next, place the smaller tape right next to the larger width tape.
    6  Place another piece of smaller width right next to the one you just put in place.
    7  Next, place a piece of the wider tape next to that.
    8  Now, remove the wider width at the tip and the second piece of thinner tape.
    9  Lightly sand the 1” and ¼” exposed area with 400 grit or similar sanding paper.
    10  Do the same to the other prop tip.
    11  Mask off in between the areas to be sprayed.
    12  Using Krylon or similar fast drying paint, color of your choice (white, red or yellow show up well, spray a light coat on the exposed areas, when this coat is tacky, spray a final coat attaining a glossy wet look.
    13  Remove the tape that was left in place before the paint dries and set the prop aside to dry.
    14   Now, check the balance again and you are good to go.
    If you decide to go further and paint the entire prop, lightly sand the entire prop and then paint the face of the prop (the face of the prop is the side of the prop that the pilot sees when setting in the cockpit flat black. The airfoil side of the prop is usually dove gray, white or can be a color that matches your airplane. Once the entire prop is painted you can add prop manufacture decals and then paint the tips as listed above. To balance the prop, if required, spray flat black paint on the light side of the prop and then re-check balance
         3-Blade Props   3-blade propellers are useful when you have a scale plane that's modeled after a plane that uses them. However, since the engine has more mass to turn, the maximum RPM is lower. The general rule is to use a 3-bladed prop one inch smaller in diameter than the 2-blade you would normally use. This will allow close to the same maximum RPM as you would have with a 2-bladed prop. You may also increase the pitch by one inch, but experiment and see what works best with your engine and plane.
    Thrust Line (Prop Effect #5 - Thrust line effects.
    Sharp Props
    Most propellers have very sharp edges when new, especially at the trailing edge, which can cut your fingers. Always sand the edges smooth with fine sandpaper as soon as you buy them. Be extra careful when turning over someone else's motors by hand, because they might not have sanded the edges of their props.
          
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  •    Use these charts to help select the proper size propeller
    for your two or four stroke model airplane.

    Prop Chart For Two - Stroke Engines

Alternate Propellors Starting Prop Engine Size
5.25x4, 5.5x4, 6x3.5, 6x4, 7x3 6x3 .049
7x3,7x4.5,7x5 7x4 .09
8x5,8x6,9x4 8x4 .15
8x5,8x6,9x5 9x4 .19 - .25
9x7,9.5x6,10x5 9x6 .20 - .30
9x7,10x5,11x4 10x6 .35 - .36
9x8, 11x5 10x6 .40
10x6,11x5,11x6,12x4 10x7 .45
10x8,11x7,12x4,12x5 11x6 .50
11x7.5, 11x7.75, 11x8,12x6 11x7 .60 - .61
11x8,12x8,13x6,14x4 12x6 .70
12x8,14x4,14x5 13x6 .78 - .80
13x8,15x6,16x5 14x6 .90 - .91
15x8,18x5 16x6 1.08
16x10,18x5,18x6 16x8 1.20
18x8,20x6 18x6 1.50
18x10,20x6,20x8,22x6 18x8 1.80
18x10,20x6,20x10,22x6 20x8 2.00

Prop Chart For Four - Stroke Engines

Alternate Propellers Starting Prop Engine Size
9x5,10x5 9x6 .20 - .21
10x6,10x7,11x4,11x5.11x7,11x7.5,12x4,12x5 11x6 .40
10x6,10x7,10x8,11x7,11x7.5,12x4,12x5,12x6 11x6 .45 - .48
11x7.5,11x7.75,11x8,12x8,13x5,13x6,14x5,14x6 12x6 .60 - .65
12x8,13x8,14x4,14x6 13x6 .80
13x6,14x8,15x6,16x6 14x6 .90
14x8,15x6,15x8,16x8,17x6,18x5,18x6 16x6 1.20
15x6,15x8,16x8,18x6,18x8,20x6 18x6 1.60
18x12,20x8,20x10 18x10 2.40
18x10,18x12,20x10 20x8 2.70
18x12,20x10 20x10 3.00

 

  • Starting Propellor sizes are mid range pitch props that should fly just about any plane designed for that size engine. Use these first as in most cases they will be close to being the correct size. Then use trial and error to try and fine tune the maximum performance from your ship by trying the alternate props. If none work better stick with the recommended starting prop.
     Prop Effects -   The effects of a spinning prop on the plane:
    For all practical purposes, (excluding those prop effects) we can consider that the engines thrust acts along the centerline of the engines crankshaft. The plans for your plane show whether or not that coincides with the centerline of the plane itself - it may or may not, depending on the plane and how well the designer did his job.

    From the prop effects story, you know that all of our planes, to some degree, want to turn to the left when slow, at high power, and at a high angle of attack. This is not always a good thing; not all pilots have the experience to correct with just the right amount of right rudder at the right time. Let's face it - we'd rather the darn thing wanted to go straight ALL the time. And we can do that, by using some right thrust on the engine.

    By shifting the engine so it points a bit to the right, the engine will tend to pull the nose of the plane to the right, turning the plane. And that turning tendency will be proportional to the amount of power applied, as is the prop effect tendency for the plane to turn left. So by putting in a degree or two of right thrust, the prop effects may be pretty much cancelled out. The only down side to this procedure is that the right thrust will be left thrust when the plane is inverted, ADDING to the prop effect.

    The thrust line may also be shifted to help out with pitch (up and down) problems. Flat bottom wing trainers are notorious for wanting to go up with full power - we trim them for loping about at 1/2 power, and when we goose the engine, up goes the plane. To a large degree, this tendency can be cured with DOWN thrust; with the thrust line pointed down a bit, the more power we apply, the more the nose wants to go down, counteracting the tendency for the plane to go up at the higher speed. The plans for my Seniorita include 6 degrees of downthrust, which is a LOT - but that contributes to the fine flying qualities of that design.

    Shifting the thrust line is relatively simple - you can just stick a washer or two behind the engine mount, or you can buy plates with the angle manufactured in. Better yet, build it into the plane; the Goldberg Extra 300 kit has allowed for 3-4 degrees right thrust, shifting the rear of the engine mount to the left so that the spinner will line up properly.

    So how do we know if changing the thrust line will give us a better flying plane? If your plane has a vicious tendency to go left when its slow and you add full power, you would definitely be better off with some right thrust. The same applies if the nose always drops in left turns and comes up in right turns. Experimentation will tell you how much for the plane involved and the way you fly. And if your plane always wants to climb at full power, or if when you trim hands off at full power, then chop the throttle, the plane dives, some down thrust will help.
    The above techniques are a part of the trimming process. Don't be afraid to make changes if your plane doesn't fly the way it should; and thrust line changes are relatively easy to do, and can always be changed back if the results are not what you want.
     Bending a Reverse-S Prop Hook
    The Idiot's Guide to Prop Carving v2.02 From David Dodge
         Propellers
    Propellers, prop-balancing - by Tony van Roon
    Propulsion by Propellers
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  • Push Rod Tips
    Any Old Bikes Lying Around? A good thing to use for pushrods are bicycle spokes. You can find old used wheels for next to nothing andtake out the spokes.They are threaded and come in different sizes.
    CABLE PUSHRODS
    Cable pushrods for the throttle linkage has its advantages. It doesn't have to be an exact length. It can be cut long and still serve well. The cable will flex when pushed forward and not cause a bind at the servo.
    FASTENING TIP
         An easy way to secure Ny-rod or Golden-rod type push rods to the sides of the fuselage is to use small pieces of light fabric. Take a strip of the fabric and lay over the outer case of the push rod and press against the surface to which you wish to attach the push rod casing. Flow thin CA on to the fabric to bond the fabric to the surface. Try a piece of  Saran Wrap between your fingers and the fabric to keep yourself from being bonded with your model.
       Installing Pushrods One of the best ways to take some of the friction out of pushrod installation, especially where you have to make Some bends in the plastic tubing, is to shoot a little silicone spray into the plastic tube. When the metal pushrod is installed and worked back and forth a little (to spread the silicone), it becomes very easy to move through the plastic tube thus eliminating pressure off the servo. This works especially well for throtle installations.
    David Till

    PUSHROD LENGTHS
         An easy way to get the lengths exactly right is to tie a string to the control horn on the control surface. Drop the free end of the string through the fuselage. With the control surface in the neutral position, tie the other end of the string to the servo arm. Cut off the excess string at both tie points. Now, cut the string at both tie points and what you end up with a piece of string which is the exact length of the push rod you will need to fabricate.
            
    Alternate Sources for Pushrods  : A good thing to use for pushrods are bicycle spokes. You can find  old used wheels for next to nothing and take out the spokes.They are threaded and come in different sizes.
    Littlewing

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  • Putty Tips
    ALTERNATE FILLERS
    Sure Stick non-shrink spackling is an inexpensive filler putty. It's not gritty and sands easily.
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