Mud Duck Aviation Forums

LAST WEEK I GOT TO TEAR THE STRUT OUT OF THE FUSELODGE...SO I CUT OPEN A TRIANGE HOLE AND DOVE IN FOR A LOOK.I MADE UP A TRIANGLE FROM 1/8 PLY AND PLACED IT ON THE INSIDE OF FAR SIDE STRUT AREA.. I COATED IT WITH GURRILLA GLUE AND USED LONGER SCREWS FROM THE OUTSIDE TO SQUEEZE IT TOGETHER.I ALREADY HAD A FLOOR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRIANGLE SO I MADE SOME STRINGERS THE LENGTH OF THE FLOOR AND BUTTED THEM UP AGAINST THE FAR SIDE AND THE SIDE I MADE A HOLE TO ACCESS THE AREA..SO TRIANGLE---STRINGERS----AND A NEW TRIANGLE FOR THE BROKEN SIDE. IN 15 MINUTES THE GURRILLA GLUE DOES ITS THING.NOW THE REPAIRED SIDE GETS ANOTHER LAYER OF POSTER BOARD TO HOLE I MADE AND THEN A NEW OUTSIDE TRIANGLE. TO HOLD THE HINGE FOR THE STRUT..AND A COUPLE OF DRY WALL SCREWS TO BUTTON UP THE WORKS...I LEVELED THE DUCK ON ITS BOTTOM AND PUT ON THE FAR SIDE WING AND MEASURED THE DIHEDERAL .. IT WAS 4 DEGREES."CLOSE ENOUGH  NOW THE OTHER WING GOES ON AND I SET IT ALSO TO 4 DEGREES AND ATTACHED THE STRUT AND SCREWED IN THE HINGE SO THE WING STAYED AT 4 DEGREES.EQUAL DIHEDERAL IS A MUST ..I CHECKED OUT MY TAIL FEATHERS AND THEY WERE ALSO OFF QUITE A BIT.AN EASY FIX --LOOSEN ALL THE SUPPORT RODS AND TIE A FISH LINE TO THE SPARK PLUG AND GET BOTH THE L.E.OF THE HORIZONTIAL THE SAME AND THEN SQUARE UP THE VERT FIN AND YOUR STRAIGHT..//// I TOOK FUDDLOW TO THE FIELD AND GOT LOTS OF HELP TO GIT ER UP. IT FLEW MUCH MORE FRIENDLY AND IT STILL HATES CROSS WINDS WITH A PASSION..IT DOES HAMMER HEADS NICELY.AND SUPEREME FLAT TURNS ( VERY TIGHT CIRCLE)...U CAN GET IN TROUBLE QUICKLY WITH A DOWN-WIND LEFT HAND TURN.IT WILL SKID WITH ONE WING POINTED DOWN AND STAY IN THAT WAY FROZEN AND HEADING TO THE GROUND FAST AS THE FORCE OF THE WIND PUSHES HARD ON THE TOPS OF THE WINGS.EVERYONE LOVED THAT MOVE "EXCEPT ME " IT PULLED OUT BUT WITH A LOT OF LOST GROUND.I WAS ASSURED THERE WAS PLENTY OF TOILET PAPER IN THE CRAPPER IF I NEED ANY...AND FOR A FINISH I POINTED THE NOSE TO THE GROUND AND CUT THE ENGINE TO IDLE. IT COMES DOWN LIKE IT HAD A PARASHOOT TIED TO IT.AND ALL OF 10 FT OF LANDING STRIP..(LOOKS FUNNY FOR A BIG PLANE).THE NEXT FLIGHT I TRIMMED OUT MOST OF THE DOWN AILERON. IT LIKES THAT.MAKES LANDINGS  EASYER ALSO..ITS ON YOU TUBE "MIGHTY MUDDUCK".ITS TONS OF FUN AND EASY TO REPAIR AND FLYS WAY WAY SLOW FOR A MONSTER SIZE PAPER AIRPLANE---19 POUNDS OF FUN..

I'm glad you are enjoying your Duck.  It's easy to misjudge your airspeed on the downwind legs untill you get more stick time with it.  It, like anyplane, will still stall with almost no airspeed, but it mostly just stalls the control surfaces if the actual airspeed drops below ~10mph.  The plane itself will keep traveling like a plastic bag in the wind.

Greg