Topic: Farmhand 90

Hi All,

Well the story goes like this, I was getting on well with my revamp of the P47 when Lado-Tec stopped supplying the retracts that i had decided on  . It seems that the situation may soon be resolved but only time will tell.

Last year i had been debating about going over to the dark side and getting a petrol/gas engine !. I was at the british nationals when a CMP maraton 24 caught my eye and as i'd seen a CRRC PRO gf26i-v2 and the blerb on the box siad upto 25cc gas and the cost of both was less than i'd been willing to pay for another aircraft the deal was done !.




So here i was stuck on the P47 and a new shiny aicraft and engine waiting to be played with , long story short it flys and doesn't scare me (to much).

With new found confidence i decided that a good alround aircraft that could handle the british weather and wind was required and could be used as a testbed for larger engines for the bigger warbirds that i fancy. Enter the Farmhand 90, this is a fairly new semi-kit from TRAPLET publications designed by Steve Holland and available as a lazer cut kit
   Traplet Publications Ltd - Online Shop
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This was just what the doctor had ordered  power required was from a 30cc to 62cc wingspan just short of 90" and massive flaps to play with, most of the parts reqired to finnish the kit will be in your scrap box or may come in usefull box .

The order was placed and three days later the box arrived, First of there is NO PLAN but one is not really required. You can however purchase a build cd 2hours 10mins that is very good and remove's some of those head scratch moment.

Hi All,

So what do you get for your hard earned dosh, well the answer is a fantastic set of laser cut parts and a very enjoyable build dvd. All through the dvd you are told that everything is self jigging and just slots together, and there in lies the first problem . after watching the dvd several times a start was made.



Fantastic lazer cutting with just a few tabs to be removed, I can see now why so many others love to start with a laser cut kit.

Hi All,

So whats the problem !

Well they are right and everything does fit and jig its self, the trouble is you start to move on so fast that you don't stop and think . While so much of the hard work is taken care of for you it still pays to slow down just a little and start to pre-think some of the things that are left to you to decide. Just where am i going to place the reciver, the batteries, the throttle servo and all the other things that make our aircraft easy to use. It would be very easy and tempying to carry on with the airframe only to find you can no longer place things where you would like them because you have no access.

There is one other problem with a build that can move this fast  CREDIT CRUNCH i sat and made a list of the bits i would need to keep moving and then burnt a long strip off my credit card , and to make matters worse i think i'm going to out build my purchases.

So if you don't owen a model store better get used to making daily internet orders .





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Subscribed to this.

Since I saw it in the magazine, I have been toying with the idea.

Was looking at putting a CRRC 40 in it as it is in the middle of the required power range.

Please keep us informed and post lots of pictures as I am a tight wad and would not be paying for the extra DVD.

Can you expand on your choice for servo`s etc.

Thanks

Kev

Hi Kev,

Happy to have you on board for this build.
Not a 100% sure i'd like to tackle it WITHOUT the DVD  , but i'm used to building from kits and it's been awhile since i scratch built anything.
As to the question of outfitting the aircraft :-

Power........ DLE55
Radio........  Futaba 2.4
Servos........Savox sc0252 (10.5kg)
Batteries.... LiFe 2300mah (6.6v)
Ign cut........BatttleSwitch    wired up by a fellow club member (i'm dangerous with a 13amp plug)

The demo aircraft is being flown with a Z38 and has enough power, so if the CrrC40 is as good as the 26 i have in the Marathon then you should be more than happy.

demo aircraft is being flown with a Z38 and has enough power, so if the CrrC40 is as good as the 26 i have in the Marathon then you should be more than happy.

steve holland's model has a zenoah 62 in it

A friend of mine is building this and asked me about servos.  Does it come with any advice about how much servo power is advised?

have just spent the last two hrs watching the dvd. i suspect it did mention servos but i cant remember. personally i suspect 6 or 7 kg+ servo would be fine

Hi There,

Nickr  Steve's own Farmhand may well have the 62, but the one he builds and demo's in the DVD is fitted out with a 38. Just goes to show that he's right when he say's you can use a large selection of engines 

MPX   H/duty servos are not a requirement as each surface has it's own servo to drive it, it is also not an aircraft to be flown at high speed. I just happen to think that if i'm going to get new servos i may as well get servos that will be usefull in other aplications 

He was going to fit Futaba 3003 all round, they are 4.5kgcm torque, I have suggested 3010 of 6.5gkcm for the flaps and rudder.  Does that sound okay for it?

Might get one for the winter. Probably get a Crrc 50 for it.

Hi all,

Ok with most of the front end built onto one side of the airframe it was time to add the other side. Once again everything just clicked into place and self jigged, and after a good long try to find somthing out of square i gave up and admitted that a good quality laser cut kit can make even my building look good. The back end can now be drawn together and with each former in place and spot glued with thin ca by the time the last former is placed you have a really smooth and equal transition from front to rear.



I then went back over the whole assembly with aliphatic glue, until this point most of the framework had only been spot glued with ca.

In the picture above you can see that i had started to make up the skins for the tail, once again i used the aliphatic glue with the tape hinge method and found that when the excess had been wiped from the glue line it was possible to start building on the skin within 30mins of making the joint

Hi All

I have two Farmhand 90's, the original red and yellow one with a 62 in it and the proof of design one we built for the video with a 38 in it. I also built  a few part built kits so the video could be shot in three days, it was a bit like Blue Peter's Tracy Island studio in my workshop for a few days.

The yellow one has 7kg servos and the blue one has 3001 servos. My advice would be to go for the best quality you can afford around 7kg.

Most of the Farmhands I've test flown have had 38 Zenoahs, one has a CCRC 45 and one has a DLE 55, all flew well.

With the lighter engines it will be wise to keep the weight down, Zenoahs are like me an older design that carry a few extra grams!


Good luck with the build, Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for looking in and if you see me about to make a Boo Boo ! please step in  , In fact feel free to to comment on anything as pointers are always welcome.

Hi All,

Ok i have watched the DVD and i swear to god Steve made the tail in about 15mins  .

So not to be outdone i joined two sheets together as the bottom skin and layed out all the required parts for the stab, then i armed myself with medium Ca and took the first picture.

The quality and the fit of the parts is exceptional and without any undue rush i preceded to add and jig parts taking time to make sure that each piece was firmly fixed.

All right so i didn't have the help of a film crew, and yes i only built the stab, but that was such fun i carried on past the time i had set myself and built the rest before SWMBO even noticed i'd sneacked into the workshop  .




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Back Again,

The elivators, even quicker 



Now back to getting some more built 

i like the stash of embassy in the corner   

Hi Nickr,

Funny you should mention them  i have got that used to mixing epoxy on them that i can tell how much to lay out by useing different runs across the pkt for the amount required 

maybe not the most healthy option 

Hi Kcman,

Good luck with the build, I'm hoping to get the maiden flight in on mine this weekend. Mine has a CrrcPro 45 and Spektrum DS821 servos. I have a tow release on mine but have not gone for the toffee bombing hatch. If you have any questions I may be able to help if Steve is not available. 

RogerK

Hi Rodgerk,

Thanks for the offer, will require a blow by blow of how she fly's 

Hi Everybody,
My Farmhand kit arrived last week. Most impressed with the contents.Have watched the dvd a few times now, so construction will begin soon, (just need to clear the bench).Have a Chinese copy of a Zenoah (43cc) waiting to do something.Servos ordered from The Huge Haddock.
Subscribed to thread

Chris   

Ruddy `ell, It`s like turning up at a good restaurant and you know what to order as it smells sooo good!
Waiter!! I`ll have a farmhand if you please, and I have a CRRC 50i waiting for it.
Enjoying this build as well

chaz@2b

  Didn't manage to test fly the Farmhand this weekend... Rain and wind ! I'll keep you updated when it happens though.

RogerK

Hi All,

With the tail group sorted just more of the same as above, it's time to move onto the wings. With the risk of sounding like a broken record i just love laser cutting .

There is not a lot of direction given on the drawing for the wing and while a quite straight  forward construction it is worth the time to watch the relevant section on the DVD to give a clear sequence to follow. It call's for you to use Cyparis as the spars and these were set out and glued in place useing the ribs as a guide. Then it is once again time to follow the self jigging constuction as you move outwards fron the first servo mounting cradle.

The only frustrating part about this construction is that it takes longer for the glue to dry than it does to put the first basics together  .





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HI All,
 
Back at it again, time to add the sheeting on the bottom for the flaps and aileron. The sheet req is just wide enough at 4" so after scarfing a joint to make it long enough ( to tight to buy 48" ) i was ready to add the sheet. First though i decided to fit Rib doubler's at the end positions of both the flap and aileron to give the sheeting something to hold onto and make the ends of the surfaces a little more robust. I spaced these out with some scrap 1/16" to give me room to separate the flight surface and to give a guide for my razor saw.



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Hi Kcman,

I fitted 1/4" doublers as you have done, I also fitted fairly large lite-ply plates inside the aileron and flap to screw the horns to, it looks neater than having the plate on the outside of the surface.

RogerK

Hi Guy's

Don't forget that if you Y-lead the flaps you need to take the drive from the same side of the servo. If you don't you will have two extra ailerons.

On the red and yellow Farmhand I have fitted an extension to the rear of the rudder. This helps hold prolonged knife edge and when the bigger gliders start to wander around on the tow. The extension is 1/2 inch at the top and 1 inch at the bottom.

Cheers Steve

P.S. we are thinking of having a Farmhand day somewhen this year here in the farmyard. If we do is anyone interested as there are quite a few kits out there now.

P.P.S. I will be at Long Marsdon this weekend with one at the Airshow, Traplet have requested one on the stand so you can get a close up look as well.

Hi Again,

Rogerk , I was intending to do the same and was waiting to cut back the flying surfaces to get the correct depth position. Thanks for the nudge though as it is just this sort of thing that gets forgoten in the rush to build the airframe, It would not be the first time I've had to reinvent a build sequence 

Steve, and thank you  all to easy to have two very large aileron's  Not that I've ever done something like that before 
I would be very interested in a farmhand fly in 

Steve,

Any chance of a photo or two of how you attach your ' Glider Tow Line '
A Farmhand Flyin would be fun.

Many Thanks

Chris

I'm will upload tow attachment photos in the next couple of days, Steve

Hi All,

OK jumping around a bit as i hate to waste time while glue drys 
So i decided to get one of those little jobs out of the way, the tail wheel is to be mounted on a ply plate and i prefer that the plate is firmly attached so i made up three pieces of ply so i would get a good firm seat and lock to the assembly.




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Glad you have time to build, I'm outside Nick Clegg's house hoping he may find somebody to play Prime Minister with! Only around another three hours to wait.

Keep the tail end light if you intend to fit anything other than a Zenoah!

Cheers Steve

Hi All,

Glue dry on the last parts so it's time to sheet the top of the wing. Once again a complete top sheet was made up to go from the rear spar forwards. I find it easier to put the top sheet on a section at a time so the first area to be glued up was from the rear spar to the front spar.
I used aliphatic glue for 95% of the area but spotted Ca at every other rib station to give an instant grip along the spars, as the sheet floats on the aliphatic you have time to line every thing up before applying pressure to the areas with Ca to get the grip required. Then the addition of weight and leave for the slower aliphatic to go off.


When the glue has had time to set I weighed the front spar flat and ran more aliphatic to the front of the ribs, then worked my way along pulling the sheeting down and spot gluing with Ca to hold in place.
After trimming the front of the sheet i used my long sanding bar to make sure that the leading edge was smooth and even read for the leading edge itself.



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Hi All,

Still in the spirit of jumping around on this build  I decided it was time to fit the engine, the power as stated earlier in the thread is to be a DLE55 and something of a beast it is 

I got the mounting layout from a thread on here, not sure of where but if you need it i could find it again. This proved to be most helpfull and i would have been lost without it.

As i sat looking at the engine in position i decided that some local reinforcement was called for so i added triangular stock as i thought necessary.


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Glad to see you are still at it. DLE is an ideal power source but do locktight all the fixings as they can undo themselves!

The triangular stock isn't needed but if it makes you feel happy please carry on as the extra weight is in front of the c.g.

I gave the red and yellow one a good test recently when I caught the towline on a fence. Damage was limited to the wing bolt plate, wing tip and spinner as it stopped dead in the air at about 10 feet and fell to earth.

Why do wing bolts not shear in a crash? One did but it still damaged the wing bolt plate and fuz side.

Cheers for now, Steve

Hi All,

Nice to see that the airframe can take a sudden stop  are you sure you haven't seen my flying as you have anticipated my normal landing style 

Not had time for much so just fitted the top skin to the rear of the wing, making sure to leave room to cut the flying surfaces free afterwards. I am a great believer in never having to many clamps 


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Does anyone know if there is a two piece wing option for this model. As the one piece wing will not fit my car and changing my car is not an option

Hi All,

There is nothing mentioned about a two piece wing in any of the instructions, but i did consider it myself for a short while and another bloke at our club was asking about the possibility.

Considering the strength built into the wing as standard it would be quite a simple matter. A metal strip let into the skin bolted/screwed to the wing spars and overlapped at the centre with a bolt dropped through would allow you to use the existing dihedral brace to set the angle and be Strong enough to hold things together. I would have extended the metal strip out by a bay and a half and as you would have strips top and bottom front and rear the load would be well spread out,
along with some local reinforcement it is a workable yet simple solution. after all the same method was used to hold the front and rear of the large skyraider together.

I wish i could put a drawing of what I'm trying to explain on here but have only just mastered pictures 

Maybe a quick word with Steve would be in order 

Hi All

There have been a few requests for a two piece wing on this forum and from other sources.

One Farmhand is flying with a two piece wing already.

The guys first attempt failed and the wing became two piece again. luck was on his side and it happened on landing.

The Mk2 version is OK but requires extra work by the builder as you have to mod two ribs and get some 6.5mm thick carbon.

For the inner two bays you fit doublers in front and behind the spars and remove the small section of R2 that runs between the spars. You should now have a tunnel between the spars to slide the dihedral brace into, don't use the supplied one but use it as a pattern and cut one from 6.5 carbon sheet. This brace should be twice as long as its going to span 4 rib bays. Do the same at the rear.

The triangular wing tongue can be cut in half and glued into each panel. When the wings are slid together the tongue slides in as normal into the fuz and the wing bolts stop it sliding appart.

Would have supplied pictures but the owner of the plane is overseas working for the next four months.
I will try and mod the design with Traplet to supply precut ribs  ready for joining tubes. This won't be for a few weeks due to work commitments and lead times on the laser cutter.

Cheers Steve

Thanks Steve,

I saw you flying the Farmhand at Castle Kennedy last year and again at Long Marston this year. It is very much on my list of wants but for the wing issue. I guess that using Aluminium sheet (easier for me to get hold of) would also be an option for the two piece wing. I too would be using a DLE 55 or an SPE 43 which I have sitting idle.

Phil