Punkin II

[Thomas B.]

I have started to build the Punkin II.It wont be my first scratch built model but it will be the smallest one I ever built.I was wondering if anybody could give me any tips on building this plane.Thank You

Thomas Baughman

[pease1]

If you're using the equipment that Dave reccomends then his article is pretty much all the advice you need. Build light, select light wood.

If you're plannin on using other equipment then it would help if you describe your plans and we can go from there.

Al

[Thomas B.]

I plan to use a 3 cell batt. a GWS pico reciever esc and servos.The motor will be a low volt Mabuchi N20.The gear drive will be like the gear drive which came with the road kill sreries from Dj Aerotech with the given prop.With all the GWS equipment I will strip away all I can from the servos esc. and reciever.I will have my mom solder smaller and lighter wires to the equipment I plan to use.I am going to cover the model with seran wrap and I dont plan on puting plastic windows in.I have completed the fuse so far and have been stingy on the ca.If anybody thinks the equipment I plan to use will be too heavey please tell me and I will buy some Hitech 50 servos or something like that.I will also try to post some pictures so anybody interested can see my progress.Thanks for any on comeing help.
Thomas Baughman

[gjohnson]

See the thread I started when I built my Punkin http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63846

I think you will find even the HS50's too heavy and that 3 cells will be too few.

Regards, Gordon

[pease1]

If you want to use the GWS receiver, esc and servos then you'll have to enlarge the plan. You'll also really want to put the GWS gear on a diet. See this thread on how I turned the equipment you're planning on using into a 20g 'brick':

http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67580

Also, I put that brick in a 125% PunkinII and I'm having good results flying it indoors on the GWS IPS direct drive with 3x2 prop and the Rayovac 9-volt NiMh battery. I tried a 6:1 dual KP-00 on 4 cells, and the DJ-Aerotech on a Rayovac 9-volt. Both were insufficent.

My 125% with the equipment listed above weighs in at a portly 3.7 oz, but I could easilly have saved another .5 oz by using RA Microlite and building much lighter. Still my wing loading is right around 4oz/square foot and it slows down quite nicely indoors.

For more info on a PunkinII on GWS gear feel free to surf on over to my 125% PunkinII Page (http://pease1.sr.unh.edu/aew/rc/PunkinII/). You'll find more photos and movies there.

I hope this helps. It's a fun plane to build and fly, as long as you build so you keep your wing loading in the proper range and the power appropriate to your planes drag, size and weight.

Al

[Thomas B.]

My Punkin is done.It is ready to fly.It wieghs less than 2.5 oz.I used all GWS equipment except the batt. motor and geardrive.I used a 4 cell batt. and a Mabuchi N20 low volt motor and a Djaerotech gear drive.The size of the Punkin is 125%.:D
Thomas Baughman

[pease1]

Wow that's light, my 125% PunkinII is 3.7 oz with GWS direct drive and 9-volt battery. If yours has enough thrust to handle the extra drag, it will be a real slow floater! Let us know how the flights go!

[Thomas B.]

My mom and dad says I cant fly it yet because it is part of our schools science fair.They dont want me to break it.After march 22 I can fly it.But if we get first place we go on to the state science fair so I may not get to fly it till spring.Sorry I cant tell you how its going to fly yet and it is really windy in ohio.

[Thomas B.]

What made my Punkin so light for the rc gear I used was I took all the caseing on the servo, rx ,esc.The battery came out of the e chargers intruder.It is a really small batt.You cant charge it for mmore than 3 min.The punkin should fly for about 2, 2 and a half min.My mom soldered all the servos and esc to the pins of the rx.She shortened the wires of the radio gear.I kept the batt. clip on so it would be easy to hook and unhook the batt.The intruder batt wieghs at about .5 oz.Icould have used another 4 cell batt. that wieghs one oz.It came out of a cox zooper.If anyone wants to make a Punkin useing GWS pico gear you have to be very strict on wieght.It didnt take too long for mom to solder the rc gear.We saved .5 oz from shorting the wires and getting rid of all the clips on the servos and esc.
Thomas Baughman:D

[Dave Robelen]

HelloThomas,
I hope you are very nice to your mom. She sounds pretty special to get so involved in your model.
Regards, Dave Robelen

[genebond]

Thomas:

Sounds like a plane to be proud of. Good luck in the Science Fair... We're pulling for you!

Hopefully, you'll do well, and won't get a chance to crash the plane until spring! I'm sure it's killing you not to try it.

Have fun!

[Thomas B.]

Yeah my mom is a great person.She helps me out a lot.Yeah I cant wait to fly the Punkin.
Thomas Baughman

[Thomas B.]

The science fair is this friday.So if we dont get first I can fly the Punkin.Ill post how it flys.I would also post some pictures but I dont know how.
Thomas Baughman