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Author Topic: Piper L-21B Walkaround  (Read 487 times)

Offline Hangtime

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« on: May 18, 2005, 03:54:59 PM »
Just flew it yesterday.. finished it Monday night. This one's a rebuild; totally destroyed it last fall. I salvaged the wing panels, repaired and recovered 'em, but everything else I rebuilt from scratch.

Piper Super Cub (L-21B) circa 1954; USAF Academy markings; sailplane tug for their soaring program. Schwizer 1-26B in matching USAF markings (10.6' wing) completing later this month.. I hope.

Specs, 106" span (close to 9') wingspan, weight 18.5 pounds.
Zenoah G-38 for power; has smoke, lights, sailplane tow release, 'ass-wipe' drop, RCAT telemetry and on-board video. (one of my buddies asked 'what.. no retracts?') Finished with solartex fabric covering, painted with Krylon and 5 coats matte clear. Graphics by Wildmann Graphics.

Flies very well; just as it's predecessor did... old one (Army Markings) made 4 seasons before being dumb-thumbed into sticks and bits; hope this one lasts a bit longer.









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Offline Chairboy

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2005, 03:59:51 PM »
aaaaarggh!!!!  THERE'S NO PILOT IN THAT LAST SHOT!

Run for your liv-


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.


.


oh, it's R/C.  Very nice!
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Offline SunTracker

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2005, 04:05:25 PM »
When you say onboard video, is it just for recording or for flying the aircraft similar to how UAVs fly?
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Offline Hangtime

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2005, 04:23:11 PM »
I'm using a small 'hand cam' 640x480 video recorder now, but a module expansion on the telemetry w/ a ccd camera will allow a live video downlink. The original was the 'test bed' for the RCAT telemetry units now available commercially, at that time we got live on a laptop just airspeed, rate of climb, altitude, engine RPM & temp, on board voltage and system current load.

Payload for this airframe is about 8 pounds.. telemetry gear weighs only 12oz. Adding a ccd camera and Tx video downlink and power for the ccd system would add about a pound to the all up weight.

Legal radio gear for the plane limits operating range to about 1.5 miles.. the plane is out of sight at about 1/2 mile. Telemetry readings were tested to beyond visual range.. I flew it well beyond normal visual range with the help of CB equipped chase car 'escorting' it with a back up Tx on the same frequency. Kinda scary. At that time no GPS module was availabe for the telemetry. I understand one is available comercially now.

The telemetry is kinda handy.. when doing sailplane towing having a live feed to the ground displaying altitude makes it easy for us to dump the sailplane off at exactly the same height every time... turns glider towing from a spectator sport into a contest venue.. 'how long can you stay up?". ;)

edit: link to Telemetry Review below.

RCAT Telemetry
« Last Edit: May 18, 2005, 04:28:55 PM by Hangtime »
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Offline NUKE

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2005, 04:24:49 PM »
very nice Hangtime. Looks like a nice field too.
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Offline LePaul

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2005, 05:11:35 PM »
Wow, from the first photo, I thought it was a *real* plane.  Not an R/C
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Offline ChickenHawk

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2005, 05:19:55 PM »
Nothin cooler than a video camera onboard R/C.

Love to see a video.
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Offline Tumor

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2005, 05:47:14 PM »
hehe... I was lookin at that first picture thinkin "man that grass looks weird!!"
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Offline Bear

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2005, 06:05:31 PM »
Pictures look real nice and clear.
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Offline SFRT - Frenchy

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2005, 06:37:11 PM »
:cool:  WTG
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Dat jugs bro.

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Offline midnight Target

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2005, 07:49:40 PM »
Wow.
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Offline steely07

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2005, 08:44:38 PM »
You do nice work Hang,,congrats Mate :)
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Offline ramzey

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Piper L-21B Walkaround
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2005, 11:25:42 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by LePaul
Wow, from the first photo, I thought it was a *real* plane.  Not an R/C


me too, wtg!
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