Free Flight Basics #4 - Thrust Plates & Nose Blocks

[@maxfliart]

Thx for the feedback, I appreciate the comments. I love being part of the world-wide free-flight community and want to wish all of you the very best throughout the holidays, and hope u are fortunate to spend time with family and friends. Cheers!

[@duane4516]

I think I can speak for every one on this thread that we sincerely hope you can think of and continue to produce this type of content. Absolutely the best free flight and model aircraft channel on KZbin. Happy Thanksgiving and the best to you and your family through the holidays.

[@jambari4Ever]

With the help of your videos I've been able to design and build my very first model plane! It is an Extra 300 16" wing! I could not for the life of me figure out how to adjust the thrust, until you released this video! Oh well, guys that means I need to make a new project with the lessons learned! 😅 Thank you so much, your a big inspiration!

[@GuzziIan]

Tom, Once again many thanks for sharing your techniques. I have been modelling for over 50 years and within the last few months you have changed the way I will be doing things on my next models. Greatly appreciated! I'm looking forward to seeing the improvements on my next models. This series of model making videos are truly inspirational!

[@muzaffergecim1933]

Thank you Mr. Hallman. What I would like to hear from you is your insights/comments about the the wing washin-washout issues.

[@maxfliart]

This has always been a confusing issue for me until I learned about gurney flaps, short lengths of thin balsa, usually attached to the trailing edge. They act like mild ailerons, and can be moved about on the TE to either give more or less of an impact. Thickness and length of the gurneys become a factor too. You'll often hear me talking about them on my Anatomy of a Trim Session films. You'll also see these sticks on many of my models, without notation. I am hoping to do a film on this subject, taking a perfectly trimmed model, then adding gurney flaps here and there, to quickly show their impact. Stay tuned. Thx for the comments.

[@johnroberts3723]

Thanks again for sharing your skill and knowledge that eliminates much tryle and error.

[@MrStoney61]

I think your Basics videos are the best thing since the demise of FLYING MODELS magazine. Please continue this wonderful series..

[@rodrigotalavera1346]

Kudos to Maxfliart!! Ive been watching your videos for the past two or three years, and I can say you are truly an artist, building and flying free flight models, and producing such soothing content videos from them! Happy Thanksgiving

[@wbj2064]

What a wonderful explanation of how to adjust the thrust line! I've always wondered how one could do that. I really appreciate your how-to videos, and am looking forward eagerly to more of them. Thank you so much, and have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

[@nightnav]

Excellent! Thank you for taking the time to make and post these video, they are very helpful.

[@davidquerry8869]

I cannot put into words my appreciation of you doing this video. THANK YOU. Please do more.

[@e-rj8984]

Precision at high level! I'm very impressed how much work You are doing in EVERY detail 👍🇺🇸

[@garthbarrett6067]

Masterful. After watching his skilled application I feel able to attempt it. Wow.

[@chrism703]

Making reliable thrust adjustments is something I’ve struggled with, so I’m really excited to try this. Thanks for posting these tutorials - they’re incredibly helpful!

[@MrMartinRose]

Awesome! It’s a great pleasure to see you working on these fine models. I never tried to build a small model, I’m not sure how to start with.

[@Wingzofelzorro]

I wish aeromodellers like you had platforms like youtube whn I was a little kid trying sooo hard to make flying model planes.Went after aeromodellers for years hoping they would help me,just to come home in disapointment and back then(early to mid 2000s) in Sri lanka we didnt have magazines or anything to learn from.Even internet was not a widely used thing amongst kids.I figured stuff out somehow(mostly recreating through memory and trial and error) and ended up learning the craft .Thanks so much for your work.The future generation now have a clearer path to keep this craft alive thanks to ppl like you.kudos!!😊💙

[@shop970]

Wow! Such skills & craftsmanship for a wonderful example. Lots to learn in this hobby. Excellent!

[@FCUK284]

Great content👍. Your choice of music made me nostalgic of my childhood days with a small simple paper plane.

[@rickhall4318]

Outstandingly video once again! Now I have to decide, Thanksgiving dinner or continue using the dinner table as my workspace? Hmm? The wife won this time, but rest assured I will begin building again in ernest on the morrow! Tom, you are a gem! I have learned so much from you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@sanpol4399]

Very, very, very nice! Thank you so much. These" how to " videos are amazing. The edition is also great. I particularly like to listen the parts where you also let the original sound together, for example when you was sanding.06:28 🙂

[@willgraves5288]

Ooh, a Thanksgiving present! Thanks Tom!

[@davidholmgren659]

Absolutely fabulous. I had no idea how technical this could be. But it all makes good sense. Thanks for a wonderful video.

[@stevedrake1861]

These "Free Flight Basics" videos are great. They answered many of my questions. Thanks for taking the time to make them.

[@angrylinuxuser]

Another fantastic video. Thank You!

[@SCIGS30]

Nice video. Do you have more pictures or video of the nice little military Piper Cub that is shown in parts of the video?

[@fabiohaddad2531]

Yeah! I got it! Adjustable thrust plate is far more practical than use shims. Needless to say the video is great, thank you very much.

[@flemminglundh7424]

Thank you for your effort with sharing your knowledge! I am beginner in free flight and have just made the structure for Hawker Hurricane 30" from Dumas Products, However, the drawing described 2 degrees downthrust in the structure against the thrust block. I followed the drawing before I saw your informative Basics #4. But I suppose it so little that I just can follow your description. Anyway thanks so much for your videos!

[@maxfliart]

Thx, and I'm glad to hear ur trying FF. Many times we build in thrust with the nose block plate, especially if there's a spinner on the model. It makes for a cleaner look. But it's good to have the thrust plate too, since now you will have all of the control, should u need more down thrust or right thrust etc.

[@fepatton]

This is so helpful! I never knew about this sort of structure, but once you see it, it’s genius in its simplicity. Will definitely try this on my next build. Thank you for the detail and care you put into these videos. Happy Thanksgiving!

[@eyesquish485]

I just smile when I see you post a new vid. thank you

[@STEVENSALLEE]

I guess you see new comments on old posts, not sure how all that works. First off thank you for all these great videos. I’am brand new the rubber power and have learned quite a lot through your videos alone. If i make make one comment. On the videos like the free flight basics, it would be cool with all audio. Then i can do my work and listen at the same time. Great content, thanks again. Steve

[@maxfliart]

Thx, Steve. Welcome to FF rubber. I opted early on to keep the basics non-audio because of the limited time I had available to make the films, and the added complexity of editing the audio dialogue, feeling it was best to say what I wanted with the photos, films, and specific text. Glad ur enjoying the series.

[@yorrs001]

I always wanted to know how it was done to give the correct angles to the propeller shaft. Thank you for de video. Greetings.

[@robertrussellmd]

This exactly what I needed to know but until now, I did not know. Many thanks.

[@SomeGuyInSandy]

Excellent! Thank you, have a great Thanksgiving!

[@rickwallace2776]

Can't wait for the movie...

[@roberttaylor2239]

Regarding the aluminium plates,my woodwork teacher at school many years ago told us to keep the work piece as big as possible for as long as possible for ease of handling. I think the sloting would be so much easier before cutting the plates into individual parts. Great and informative video thanks

[@peterbrown7130]

Just tried the adjustable noseblock on a peanut Embraer Ipanema, works great thanks. Wasn’t sure where to get the brass with spikes then John Koptonak told me about studs for leather jackets, all I had to do was drill them. Thanks again

[@jessyeaviation9201]

Great videos with so many tricks to enter the Free Flight building world... I 've two Guillow models and a Senator to build for a long time... your videos help to cut my teeth in this Art. Thank you !

[@jasoncortez8306]

Thank you for the tips on the adjustable thrust noseblock setup. I am building two easy built baby hornet planes for my two boys. I was just about ready to cover until I saw this and decided to convert them to this setup. FYI, just came back from Hobby Lobby and they have the buttons in the sewing section. The brand is sewology. I got a package of 6mm black 60 count buttons for 50% off ($1.14)!

[@Teacher32.12]

Hi, you are very good at this job. Please see what effect the movement of the shaft on the 4 sides inside the block has on the flight of the model

[@glennreach6930]

Another video I would dearly love to see is on dethermalizers. I have never seen one in person. I just watched your newest video and saw your dethermalizer in action and it reminded me. Anyways....I'm begining to sound like one of those gimme, gimme, gimme kids! LOL Thanks for all you do for this hobby.

[@peterbrown7130]

Hello Tom, are you planning a masterclass in propeller making, about time I got away from plastic ones for my Peanut an Walnut scale jobs? Thank you

[@GuzziIan]

Tom, I've mentioned it before that your FF basic videos are so very helpful, even after 50+, years of modelling. I frequently go back and review procedures when building a new model now. Thanks! One question though: could you make a video about making propellors?

[@mrratskins]

The video production quality plus the genius of the techniques make an unbeatable combo! Now, I just want to know how you made the non-winding hook. That looks different than what I've seen before.

[@scttrchln]

For an approximately 24" wingspan sized plane what size of four prong nailhead button would you recommend?

[@profProsky]

Masterfully made and presented sir. Gonna skip a gizmo g. on my next model for this method. Thanks sooo much.

[@maxfliart]

Hi Stefan. I've never used a GG but this plate has performed well these past 35 years, ever since Jerry Paisley showed me his at a Pax River or Comsat event. So simple & effective...and high on the cheap thrills meter.

[@harryspeakup8452]

This is most helpful, and I shall incorporate the design into my next rubber-powered effort. Thank you, and have a good Thanksgiving

[@HD-su9sq]

Thank you again! I’m learning so much here.

[@Yosemite-George-61]

Happy Hollidays 2022! Can you tell us how you transfer the part shape from the plan to the balsa? Specially on the smaller models. Thanks!!

[@maxfliart]

Thx. I make copies of the various plan parts, cut them out with scissors, then attach the pieces to a sheet balsa with a glue stick.

[@Yosemite-George-61]

@@maxfliart Thanks, I was thinking about that...

[@maxfliart]

I've updated the Rubber Turns Calculator for any newcomers to FF rubber. With the way rubber can change throughout the years, this chart will give you a good place to start. Use it only as a general guide. hallmanstudio.com/rubber_turns_calculator.pdf

[@kenkingsflyingmachines2382]

Trying this technique now for the first time, so I'm revisiting the instructions. The noseblock is essentially the plane's engine, so more precision will have to yield better results. I'm DONE with ugly shims that fall out. The amazing thing about this system is that it all can be done by eye with no perfectly aligned drill press or perfectly square workpiece. I think I'll substitute .047 wire for the shaft. The gravity is pretty strong where I live and .032 wire bends too easily. Thanks for providing this invaluable reference.

[@maxfliart]

Thx for the feedback, Ken. Ur observation is exactly what I felt after I first tried this 30+ years ago. It's very adaptable to any size model, and yes, eyeballing it all works well. My kind of building & adjustment! The dia. of the prop shaft will surely change, depending on the size of the model. I've used a .062" on my Gollywock, that would still easily bend via the leverage of that large prop on a typical smooth landing. Frustrating. But after I cut a wedge out of the top of the block, which helps the prop & block flex outward upon landing, the leverage on the shaft is lessened significantly, leading to zero issues with the Golly's shaft. Cheap thrills...

[@kenkingsflyingmachines2382]

@@maxfliart I should have specified that I'm building a Carl Goldberg Shoestring from the all-sheet Jig Time series with about a 19" wingspan. I built a couple of other reproduction sheet models from the internet and the front ends as designed are disastrous. But the better I made the noseblocks, the better they flew. This one should be the ultimate expression of noseblock art (lol), but I note it's not as "squeaky tight" as I tried for. Happy Thanksgiving!

[@maxfliart]

@@kenkingsflyingmachines2382 The Shoestring should be fun to see in the air. I've built a few racers from that era and they definitely look great in the blue. BTW, I've often added small bits of bond paper or card stock to the nose block, then soaked with CA, as a way to firm up the fit. U can always sand a bit away if needed for that perfect fit. Good luck with her.

[@richosvideos911]

Thanks very much for your Videos on Basics! I find these very helpful. I'm new to FF and have built 2x A1 gliders and 1 Diesel cabin model. Really enjoying it, Will build a rubber powered model next!

[@maxfliart]

Thx for the comments. I'm glad the Basics series is helpful to you.

[@TAT660X]

What an excellent idea 😎

[@iancox7874]

OK. My burning question; how do you calculate the surface area and pitch of the propeller for the craft size and rubber used to get the flight time per wind that you achieve? Also, I keep thinking we could use a different ratio of rubber or gears to resize props, with as much work as you put into that front end, I’m surprised you haven’t done that already. These videos are great! Thank you so much. This really helps with my own builds.

[@iancox7874]

Wow.. I’ve been setting the “A” former to angle the thrust during build. No adjustments available 😬

[@haroldbrown1998]

A tip for control line flying. Make your elevator have more UP than DOWN.

[@MORCOPOLO0817]

What if the wieght to power ratio is such that the model does not require down thrust and you can just use a gurney flap and rudder flap to change direction?

[@maxfliart]

Yes, I'm sure that could work for some models, but most require some degree of thrust adjustment...and u won't know the amount until u first fly it, so I build them in for each model.

[@MORCOPOLO0817]

Doesn't the metal on metal wear out the prop shaft and thrust plate?

[@maxfliart]

No. At the rpm's we're flying, the wear and tear is minimal. I have models with the same plate for over 20 years without any concern for replacement. You could also use brass plate.

[@edgarluisfernandespinto9962]

Thank you!

[@andrewnielsen3178]

Is that the gizmo geezer?

[@maxfliart]

no. it's a homemade thrust plate.

[@bowbender5095]

Where do you get the brass buttons?

[@maxfliart]

google search link is posted in the description. I found them on Amazon.

[@mattluszczak8095]

Thankyou sir!

[@laramiemoreau429]

& just when I thought I knew it all I stumbled on these videos! I guess this "old dog" can learn some new tricks! Ain't the internet grand? Laramie.

[@maxfliart]

Haha. Thx for the kind words, Laramie. Glad the films are helpful.

[@janogomo9899]

Gracias por compartir y alimentar nuestra pasión.. Excelente como siempre!!

[@maxfliart]

Gracias.

[@vancegilbert1958]

IT IS MAKE FIT! Important it is say from video maxfliart. Nothing move of plate hold make wire. Thrusting of directing in plane not zoomed, dive, bring crash! they will sad. Adjust make fly to the up, in for hero MAXFLIART huzzah!!

[@maxfliart]

well said, VG....

[@nunu4159]

I want to make an aeroplane

[@jmaclaren4147]

Sgoinneil!

[@maxfliart]

Thx.

[@claudio743]

You are a genious,I've learned so much from You.