Pros & Cons-Composite frame vs. wood airframe

[jaguar bone]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Flyfalcons
	If you have composite fever then you might as well buy a composite plane. I still have my 2.6 after four years of ownership and it is still a nice flying airplane. The secret to happiness in this hobby is getting something that you really want, and if you really want a composite then go for it.

Sound advice - and I wonder how much "Grand Pa look" does your 4 year old have?
Now if it was wood frame and chinacote?
My SD Models ROGUE EXTRA is almost two years old and after repeated ironings, well guess what - needs another damn ironing!

[Flyfalcons]

Plane still looks pretty good, though it needs to be cleaned just like any other airplane. It did take a little damage to the fuselage when I shipped it across the country - I repaired it structurally internally and covered the exterior with a sticker. Had it been a wood plane I probably could have repaired it a little more seamlessly. I bought my plane to fly though, those who want their to be a show piece would have had more work ahead of them to make it look like new. There are some parts on a composite plane that wear fairly quickly, then after that not a whole lot of maintenance is needed.

To me the vinyl trim scheme I cut looks fine and it doesn't bubble. Can't help you with the Chinakote - cheap material is cheap material; using a quality material to cover with will help the longevity of the color and shine. There are also some super secret methods you can use to keep the shine (Monokote Polish really does work), but a quality covering material applied properly will look good for a long time. The Carden I owned was purchased when it was three or four years old, and the covering still looked good.

Having owned good wood planes and a good composite plane, I'm pretty comfortable in saying that neither has any distinct advantage over the other in terms of overall flying and ownership satisfaction. I wouldn't be opposed to owning another composite plane, but there are wood designs that have my attention as well. If all goes well I'm hoping to be part of a design project this spring and summer for a wood design, and I'm looking forward to that as well.

[CSpaced]

Nice pics Ryan

[Flyfalcons]

I miss the Carden.

[phippsj]

	Quote: Originally Posted by madmax
	Comp planes are awesome. When I owned my first one, I ended up selling it just a few months later. They are very delicate, and are prone to hangar rash. As you may know, I have a problem with falling on planes. I also bounce them off the ground frequently. Wood repairs easy. That's why I fly wood.

I flew my 2.3M Comp-Arf through a tree and it came out the other side with a split prop and a 2" branch lodged in one wing. The branch sliced through the leading edge and stopped at the main spar. I landed with the engine running. Sure, a new wing was 1/4 the cost of a new ARF kit, but I got it in 5 days from the manufacturer and was flying the next weekend.

If I had done this with one of my balsa and plywood planes, it would have been a confetti shower.

It's my experience that composites can take a lot more beating than a conventional wood plane. Plus, I hate the covering wrinkles and bubbles.

Composites only make sense to me if they are larger than a 50cc size.

[Mithrandir]

	Quote: Originally Posted by jaguar bone
	.........I'm curious how one would conclude all composites are made equally - regarding the wall thicknesses? Have you compared a couple of different 50cc. or asked about the gauge of a particular crafts to draw this conclusion? .......

I have only seen a couple of the 50 cc Composite planes... both Comp-arfs. Both felt a little heavy compared to a similar sized wooden plane.
Neither had a lot of "Ding'age" on the skins which told me that the skins were as tuff... therefore as thick as the skins on my 40% SX.

When I removed the Hacker C50 from Chip Hydes Biplane a couple years ago, I did notice this airframe was indeed more of an "Egg Shell" then the 50CC planes... but these are special Purpose built Professional models... it is understood that they will be shipped and crated in special boxes and handled extremely carefully... the price they pay for a plane that is 2 meters by 2 meters and less then 11 pounds WITH BAtteries.

[crhammond]

My 2M Comp-ARf Integral is so fragile it scares me to have to work on it. It is 1 layer of light cloth on each side of 1/16 contest balsa. RIDICULOUSLY light, strong in the air, more fragile than china on the ground.

No need to make holes for mounting switches etc - just gently push the screw in and voilà LOL. That was a joke - but it is very easy for the bit to go through. I treat the plane VERY gently. It will never go in the trailer, is always bagged (the fuse too) and rides on foam inside the car.

I had an 87" Extreme composites plane. It was not overly heavy for its size but a wood plane would have weighed less. The skin was the same as my 35% but thinner than my 40%.

[catman3070]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Flyinhigh
	I have to ask if you know that Ray Labonte is the rep here in the US that deals with spare/replacement parts. He has been exceptionally helpful to me over the past year or so, and will take and return calls directly so you don't have to wait for e-mail replies (though he does those, also). If you aren't dealing with him already, give him a try - I bet he will change your perspective. (his number and contact info are on the Comp-ARF website).

I have to agree that Ray is an awesome guy to deal with. He has a hobby shop in Maine and takes 2 days off a week. I have called and left messages on his cell phone on the days he's off, I even indicated twas not important and call me at his convenience. To my surprise he usually returns my call within 1 hour. He will be able to answer all your questions and recommend the best set up for the plane you are purchasing. Best of all it can be one stop shopping since most everything you need to outfit the plane he stocks in his shop.

Best of all when your 5 year old leans on your canopy and pushes it in to the point of not being able to make it look acceptable. He will ship you one the same day so your plane doesn't look like sh*t at the IMAC Event. LOL

[as722]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Flyfalcons
	If you have composite fever then you might as well buy a composite plane. I still have my 2.6 after four years of ownership and it is still a nice flying airplane. I bought mine in all white and cut my own vinyl trim for another 20 dollars. Having said that, the plane flies well because of its design and not its construction methoed. There are many planes of wood and/or foam as well as composite construction that fly well. The secret to happiness in this hobby is getting something that you really want, and if you really want a composite then go for it.

I coudn't agree more.

Albert

[jaguar bone]

	Quote: Originally Posted by catman3070
	Once I flew my first composite I knew there was no other plane for me. Yes they are more expensive than the stick built planes, but IMO they fly better. Here are the 3 I have now, I sold the 2.6 to make room for the new project.

catman, We can all see why you are hooked!
Those look marvelous!!!

FastnLow - The plane in you avatar looks pure BAD@SS bro!

[selfportrait]

The way I go through Airplanes, I'm waiting for someone to come out with a 50cc Foamie!


www.RedAeroRC.com

[Tired Old Man]

Just hand cut a giant profile and use a Taurus 52 or Brillelli 46. They both have beam mounts on the engine case that can be used