UTMC

Like a lot of you, I have a weak spot for anything with an engine. Well, the other day in my neighborood was large waste collection day and while walking my dog I happened upon a discarded weed wacker. So I picked it up and proceeded home, when lo and behold I came across another discard pile, this time with an R/C plan on top. Now the most experience I've had with R/C stuff is the 9.6v Tyco crap from Toys R Us, but this has a legit gas engine so naturally I tucked it under my arm and made it home with it and the wacker.
Upon closer inspection, it would appear that whatever actually controls the plane (the control module for lack of a better term) is missing as the rods controlling the rear airlerons (sp?) are not connected to anything, nor is there a fuel tank or really anything that would seem like a radio signal receiver. Of course the actual user interface control was nowhere to be found, and I didn't want to dig in the pile like a total scavenger because taking it off the top is legit you know.
My question is, who here knows more than dick about R/C engines? Pictures once I can get home and load 'em up. And it has obviously been wrecked but I don't care about that. Honestly I'd be happy if I could get the engine to fire and make vroom-vroom noises to terrify my dogs.

The control "things" you mention are servos. Sounds like it's been gutted and the parts are now in something else flying around. Weedwacker engine might be a bit overkill for a small plane. Usually an engine that size will wind up in a 1/4 scale model. That's starting to get into the big boy arena.

If it has high wings (like a Cessna 182) it's probably a trainer. Usually easier to fly for beginners.

I used to fly R/C airplanes until about 20 years ago. Had a P-51 model fly right into an outbuilding. A brick one. Nearly full speed. Nothing left. Haven't a flown a r/c plane since. Don't ever, ever, ever, ever go to a flying field and turn on your radio without verifying which frequencies are being used first. Shit goes bad really quickly when some asshole does that. Ask me how I know.

Post pics. Anxious to see this thing.

R/C airplanes have been on my to-do list since I was like, 10. I've built a few balsa models but never powered any of them.

I did go to an r/c field a couple years ago with my son when he was about 3. One guy had a ducted-fan model of an F-14 or something, and we got all excited. He launched it by hand. Wound the engines up all the way, held the plane like a spear in one hand, gave it a mighty heave and it went about fifteen feet before it buried itself in the ground and broke into a million pieces.

Shitty iPad camera.

I was just talking to my cousin about RC planes two nights ago. He has been into them for the past 30 years or so.

A lot of these guys will wreck a plane and then pull the electronics and motor and toss it. He has 4-5 that were given to him in said condition and he would fix them up.

The one interesting thing he told me was how to unfuck an engine:
toss it in a pot of antifreeze and cook it. Apparently this will clean the shit out of everything and unfreeze all the moving parts.

I was also astonished to find out there are 200cc RC plane engines out there!

I don't know anything about RC stuff, but a friend of mine said this thing is a great way to get started.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/arti ... icle_id=75

I dont know how big the motor is on the weedwacker, but the wingspan needed to accommodate that much weight is going to be a problem.

Unless you are going for something much more ballistic. In other words, strap the engine to the wings, bolt on a prop and hope for the best.

Vitiare wrote:I dont know how big the motor is on the weedwacker, but the wingspan needed to accommodate that much weight is going to be a problem.

Unless you are going for something much more ballistic. In other words, strap the engine to the wings, bolt on a prop and hope for the best.

Huh? No no, the weed wacker will be used to wack weeds, the airplane engine will be used to make vroom vroom noises.

LOL. From your original post I was thinking you were going to make a hybrid r/c plane.

Had my imagination going there!