Conference vmszoo::rc

    Just design your own. It's not too hard if you've seen a few at the
    field, both original creations and store-bought brands. There's not
    much too it - measure your fuel can, radio (don't forget room for the
    sticks and antenna - I have a hole in the top of the transitter section
    of my box for the antenna to stick through!), battery, etc. Leave room
    for some foam padding around the transmitter. Add a simple drawer or
    two, some 1/4" plywood and a couple pieces of pine for the end panels.
    I couldn't bring myself to pay $25-50 for a glorified pine box. 
    
    Dave

    Marc,
    
    The biggest drawback to a flight-box such as you describe is the
    weight.  I just (2-weeks before the Masters Tournament) completed
    rigging a Custom Woodcraft flight-box to do all the things you 
    mention: it contains my electric starter, 12-volt motorcycle
    battery and power panel in a slide-out flight-line caddy; gallon
    can of fuel and electric fuel pump and several drawers of tools,
    spare parts and support equipment, e.g ESV meter, VOM, 12-volt 
    soldering iron, etc.  The box has folding legs, fuselage and wing
    racks and is a real beauty *BUT* it is HEAVVVY!!  Takes 2-men and
    a pot-bellied boy to lug it from the car to the pit area.
    
    If I had it to do over again, I'd seriously consider buying one
    of those new Space-Cases I've just seen advertised in recent issues
    of Model Airplane News and/or Model Aviation.  It is similar in
    external dimensions to the Custom Woodcraft box but is molded from
    space age plastics so it has more internal room and weighs a fraction
    of the all wood box I have. The Space-Case has all the best features
    of the Custom Woodcraft box, i.e. legs, fuse rack, etc. but should
    be even more durable and weather-proof, owing to the plastic con-
    struction.  Give it some thought. 
    
    So far as I know, plans for a flight-box are not commonly available
    unless you happen to find someone who designed his own and has drawings
    of it he's willing to share.

	I bought the Carl Goldberg Easy Tote...(perhaps they call it a Handy
	Tote, but regardless...) and I was really pleased withit. If you
	figure the cost of a sheet of 1/4 in ply-wood, and the time designing
	 and cutting the materials, unless your time is worth 'bout .25/hour... 
	and you have the wood kicking 'round, spring for the $25 big ones and
	save yourself the hassle.  Personally,  I'd rather be building a bird
	than a box!!  
	
	If you really feel compelled to do your own thing(sounds just like my
	father) follow the kind advice from the Dave, and go for it!

	Good luck!

	/Brian

re. .1	GOSH AL!!!!  Have ya got an oscilloscope in there too??
        ... sound like your sport'n an EE lab there!! :-)
    
	/Brian 
	

>    I am considering building a flight box... one which will have room
>    for 1 gallon of fuel, radio, battery, power starter, etc.... Does
>    anyone have any plans for such a box.  Or, would I be better of
>    buying a kit?

There is this guy in the 495th that brought his flight box in to a show
and tell meeting.  He was talking about possibly kitting it and promised
to publish the plans in the next 495th news letter.  I have an ongoing
love hate relationship with my flight box so I was looking forward to 
his article - it hasn't happened and it's been several months.  Sooooooo
if anybody knows this guy please get him to publish or if anyone has his
plans send me one and I'll make a zillion copies and send to all interested
DEC folks.  Anyway his design went something like this.  It starts with
a Kmart luggage cart.  They look like the two wheel carts used by furniture
types but they are down sized and light and fold up.  Then he had two
flight sized boxes.  One would be optional and on the bottom.  The real
flight box clipped on the bottom one and they both could optionally go
on the cart.  Sizes were for easy assembly of sides and drawers.  He used
1/2 gallon oil jugs for fuel.  The funny kind that include the funnel as
a kind of handle.  The transmitters were stored on the outside ends of the
box with sticks out.  With both boxes there was room for 4 transmitters.
The bottom box was primarily for long days and snacks or multiple fuel
or transmitters when you really bring a lot of inventory to the field.
The wing/fuz racks were pivoted on the side and made of thick wire with
large fuel like covering for protection.  It was great and the couple
of times that I saw him at the field it always drew as much of a crowd
as any of the planes (At least amongst the fellow modelers).

I know my description is bad but if you saw it you would like it. 

              _!_      
Bye        ----O----   
Kay R. Fisher / \     

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    Brian,
    
    I do have a tendancy to carry everything except the Dremel disc-sander
    but I've found that every solitary item I carry has been used to
    save a flying day one or more times over the years. Besides the
    weight, the biggest disadvantage I've found with carrying a "complete"
    flight support kit is that I'm always the guy who has "just" what
    some other guy needs to save "his" flying day and I have to be careful
    to keep track of all my paraphernalia or it has a tendancy to sorta'
    "grow legs and walk away."
    
    Actually, the flight-box is not "all" I carry to the field.  To
    keep it to a "reasonable" weight, I've put together a second kit
    in an old metal tackle box I used to use for my U-Control flight
    box as a kid and this contains less frequently needed stuff like
    miscellaneous hardware, horns, clevices, fuel tubing, tape, fuel
    syringe, spare prop/spinner mounting hardware, 12-volt soldering
    iron and solder (I lied before, the iron lives in the back-up box),
    a spare wheel or two, wheel collars, etc., etc.  This box stays
    in the 3rd-seat well in the back of the station wagon at all times
    and never comes out, but it's always there if I need anything out
    of it.                                            
    
    BTW, for those of you noters who have station wagons, suburbans
    or even pickup trucks with camper shells, yer' missing a bet if
    yer' not using wing racks to transport yer' wings up, out of the
    way, making maximum use of available floor space.  I simply use
    two of those clothes hanger rods intended to suspend between the
    two clothing hooks found in most all cars.  I bought two pieces
    of that sponge tubing used to insulate air-conditioning pipes and
    slipped a piece over each rod, then used simple "s-hooks" to suspend
    the padded rods from the metal head-liner trim moldings just above
    the window line.  This allows you to carry yer' wings safely out
    of the way of tool-boxes and other paraphernalia which can tip over
    or, in other ways, damage this most fragile part of yer' model.
    Try it...I guarantee you'll like it.
    
    Adios,	Al

    One advantage of building your own box is that you can customize
    it to fit your equipment needs and the space in your vehicle.  I
    made mine narrow enough to fit behind the driver's seat in my
    waggon.  I don't like the idea of a big bulky flight box because
    I carry mine from my basement to my car so often.  I only carry
    the minimum stuff I need to fly plus some light tools and repar
    parts.  I also don't carry a 12V battery to save weight.  If
    you don't have to lug it around too much, then the bulk is not
    as much of a disadvantage.  If you mostly fly smaller planes,
    you also can save weight by getting a smaller container for fuel.
    I have seen nice flat 2-qt containers that are available mailorder
    that save 4 lbs over a gallon container as well as saving space.
    Unless you have a van or a large station waggon, the large flight
    boxes with wheels are going to leave you with no room for your
    birds.
    
    Charlie
    

>    way, making maximum use of available floor space.  I simply use
>    two of those clothes hanger rods intended to suspend between the
>    two clothing hooks found in most all cars.  I bought two pieces
>    of that sponge tubing used to insulate air-conditioning pipes and
>    slipped a piece over each rod, then used simple "s-hooks" to suspend
>    the padded rods from the metal head-liner trim moldings just above
>    the window line. 

	Those spring loaded type of shower curtain rods also work well
	covered with the same foam stuff.  They sit against the window
	glass and rest on top of the weather strip that holds the window
	in the frame.  They can be adjusted to just about any width/tension
	by "screwing" the inside tube in or out.  I think that the clothes
	poles might even be better since it would get the wing up towards
	the roof of the car and even more out of the way.  

	ron

>    Congratulations on yer' new flight box.  Hope you enjoy it as much
>    as I do mine.  Did you get the extra drawer-set for it or are you
>    not interested in the extra drawer space?

Yes - I got it on your advice.  That Custom Woodcraft box sure is a 
piece of art.  You probably don't remember this but when were were out
with your Yellar Peril I was showing my wife your flight box and telling
her that I wanted one for Christmas.  Hmmmm - maybe I'll bring it to the
next DECRCM meeting for show and tell.
    
>    I mounted my Sonic electric fuel pump directly to the narrow side
>    of my 1-gallon fuel can and installed the phone plug to the pump

How did you fasten the plastic pump to the tin can - epoxy?
Did you fasten it to the side or the top?
Opposite the cap?

I have been toying with the idea of creating a fuel cell that fits in the
right side of the Caddy and removing the one drawer just above the caddy so
that I would have room to put the starter on the left side of the Caddy.
Problem is finding the proper size container for fuel.  What do you think
of that?

My jell cell battery did not fit in the left side of the Caddy without me
cutting away about 1/4 inch of the top part.  What else do you keep in
the Caddy - props?

Bye          --+--
Kay R. Fisher  |
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Re: .-1, Kay,
    
>Yes - I got it on your advice.  That Custom Woodcraft box sure is a 
>piece of art.  You probably don't remember this but when were were out
>with your Yellar Peril I was showing my wife your flight box and telling
>her that I wanted one for Christmas.  Hmmmm - maybe I'll bring it to the
>next DECRCM meeting for show and tell.

*  Yeah, I _do_ remember...glad it worked out. ;P^)
    
>How did you fasten the plastic pump to the tin can - epoxy?
>Did you fasten it to the side or the top?
>Opposite the cap?

*  I used a combination of double-sided foam tape (like servo mounting tape) 
and RTV.  I used tape around the perimeter of the back of the pump and a healthy
glob of RTV inside the tape.  It sticks fine but _can_ be removed with a little
effort without damaging the pump.  I fastened the pump to the narrow side oppo-
site the cap for a reason that escapes my memory at present.  Note that if you
locate the pump on top of the can, the can won't fit into the box.  In fact,
a 1-gallon can _just_barely_ fits as it is; you need to get a can like a K&B
500 can with the swivel carrying handle as opposed to the more common can with 
a metal strap-type handle soldered to the top as this latter type won't fit in 
the box.  With the fuel pickup tubes attached into the cap, the can must be
angled 45-degrees or so to clear the top edge of the door opening but, once 
clear, the can fits fine with plenty of room.

>I have been toying with the idea of creating a fuel cell that fits in the
>right side of the Caddy and removing the one drawer just above the caddy so
>that I would have room to put the starter on the left side of the Caddy.
>Problem is finding the proper size container for fuel.  What do you think
>of that?

*  I think that, with a fuel cell on the right side of the caddy and a starter
on the left, you won't have anyplace to put the 12vdc battery in the caddy and
the purpose and beauty of the caddy is lost as an umbilical back to the box or
to yer' car becomes necessary...there goes yer' portability.  I place the box 
somewhere nearby but not on the flightline; I just carry the caddy to the line
and am not burdened by any other clutter at the flightline.

>My jell cell battery did not fit in the left side of the Caddy without me
>cutting away about 1/4 inch of the top part.  What else do you keep in
>the Caddy - props?

* I took the caddy to a nearby auto parts store and got the largest 12vdc motor-
cycle battery that would fit in the left side without extending higher than the
caddy handle.  This provided a more than adequate battery power source.  (I 
don't care for Gel-Cells as they don't last worth a damn; I went through a new 
one every 14-18 months for a total of 4-batteries before I finally wised up and
went back to the lead-acid type.)  Lead-acid has more torque, longer use cycles
between charges, will tolerate more charge cycles, etc., etc., ad infinitum.

I carry only a Fox 4-way plug/prop wrench (which holds up to 4 new glo-plugs),
a screwdriver, icepick or whatever's required to change a prop, a spare prop 
and that's about it.  In fact, except in competition, I don't carry a prop as 
the main box's close by enough to go fetch a prop on the rare ;P^) occasion when
I break one.  The only other thing I need is the fuel can which remains back in 
the pits with the main box...I fuel up there and only take plane and caddy to 
the line when I'm ready to fly.

Hope this helps!

Not to carry this on forever but rambling is rambling...

>*  I think that, with a fuel cell on the right side of the caddy and a starter
>on the left, you won't have anyplace to put the 12vdc battery in the caddy and

I already have the Gel-Cell in and there is room (just) to put the starter 
above it.  Seems as tho I'm fighting an up hill battle and may go the
conventional route yet

>caddy handle.  This provided a more than adequate battery power source.  (I 
>don't care for Gel-Cells as they don't last worth a damn; I went through a new 
>one every 14-18 months for a total of 4-batteries before I finally wised up and
>went back to the lead-acid type.)  Lead-acid has more torque, longer use cycles
>between charges, will tolerate more charge cycles, etc., etc., ad infinitum.

Can't defend the Gel-Cell too much as I have only had mine for about 2 years
but as I have stated before somewhere in this notes file.  I added a resistor
in series with my 12 volt trickle charger and I charge my 12 Volt battery
24 hours a day - 7 days a week.  When I bring my flight box home it goes
on charge till it leaves again.  

Didn't know about those K&B fuel cans with swivel handles.  I have a standard
K&B can with the strap handle.  I managed to get it in the flight box after
staring at it for 5 minutes last night and trying every which way possible.
Don't see how I could do it with it full of fuel without making a mess tho.

Hey - how about a real rambling story - got any about Christmas flying?

Bye          --+--
Kay R. Fisher  |
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