Hot-Rod Spicy Wings
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Grill up something special for a change! Learn how to transform
these tiny free-flight toys into sizzling R/C performers.
by Mike Taylor
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The Estes “Spicy Wings” are electric free-flight
planes currently available on retail shelves. With 13”
wingspans and weights just over one ounce, these babies make
great subjects for micro R/C conversion. |
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In fact, DWE sells kits to to make these conversions! I got
the complete “combo” package from DWE, which includes
the following:
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-
RFFS 3-channel radio
- 170 mAh Lithium Polymer battery
- KP-00 geared motor and propeller
- 2 lightweight magnetic actuators (for ailerons)
- 1 Bob Selman Designs actuator for elevator control
- wire for hookups
- A Spicy Wings airplane (I chose the high-wing version)
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The stock power systems in the Spicy Wings are pretty heavy.
The motor, NiCad battery, switch, and charging jack add
up to a total of 18 grams. The new power system, along with
the radio system and actuators, also weighs 18 grams. That’s
right - my little R/C conversion weighs the same as the
stock free-flight model did! Not only that, but the new
power system has six times the power &
duration of the original!
Let's get started on construction...
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Preparing
the Model
The stock wing has too much dihedral for effective
ailerons, so I started by removing the wing. Sliding a scalpel
between wing and fuselage easily cuts the white, rubbery glue.
Work slowly, switching from one side to the other until the
wing comes loose. Flex the hard plastic brace covering the wing
center-section, and it’ll pop right off the wing (discard
the brace, but save the canopy).
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wind up with two wing halves, since they aren’t glued
together. The low wing models have double-sided tape attaching
wing to fuse, which can be softened with lighter fluid wicked
in with a cotton swab.
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Next, split the fuselage
seams down both sides with a hobby knife or razor blade. Be
careful though, because those fuse walls are less than 1/8”
thick. The motor is glued to both halves of the fuse, so carefully
cut through as much of the glue as you can. If you take your
time the two halves will separate cleanly. Notice the down-thrust
built into the motor; we’ll duplicate that angle later.
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Continue
to cut away any visible glue and remove the motor completely.
Also remove the battery, switch and jack assembly. De-solder
the switch and save it for later use. Remove the steel ball
nose weight.
You now have a bottom pan to build the flight system on, a top
shell, two wings, and a stabilizer. Now it’s time to start
putting it back together!
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Fuselage
and Power System Assembly
This is a short-nosed, long-tailed model with a motor
up front that’s much lighter than the original. To preserve
the original balance point you’ll need to move everything
as far forward as possible. With these nose and tail moments,
every gram at the tail will need about 5 grams in the nose to
balance. You can remove the rudder, cut 3/4" off the tail
cone, extend the rudder slot by 3/4" and glue the rudder
back on. This will help to balance the finished plane.
Prepare the motor for mounting by cutting off the
screw mounting tabs. The motor will mount on its side, with
the bottom of the motor against the side of the fuse. A small
amount of foam must be cut away from the fuse bottom to create
a flat spot for the motor. If necessary, trim away some of
the foam “firewall” to make clearance for the
gears inside the cowling. The motor should sit flat against
the side and bottom, which will give proper down and right
thrust. Glue the motor in place with a little RC-56 and set
aside to dry.
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