Cessna 180. Swappable with plans. VIDEO & BUILD

by Timmy P | May 11, 2015 | (54) Posted in How To

 

     Check it out!  Cessna 180 Skywagon showing some style.. Cessna made some gorgeous planes back in the day, and I wanted to make my own cessna skywagon because I see them buzzing the skys all day in my city.  Well it looked awesome and flew so well that I wanted to make plans and share it with the Flite Test community!     

     So about how the plane flies: It is very sporty!  It shreds for a mellow looking plane. Its very responsive and can do some cool tricks. It will fly inverted well, with plenty left to pull ya out.  Roll rate is snappy and I made the tail surfaces oversized so you can tune it the way you want it.  This Cessna also floats wicked slow with the flaps down. Honestly the majority of my flight is done slow and scale. I just put around saving battery .. Trying to challenge people to slow laps haha.......   So thats how it will fly.. But when its not flying .... Im crashing it.. And man is it a durable plane. My first beta has lawndarted from high stall spins multiple times (Tests and whatnot lol) and only broken props and rubber bands. I've never taken a glue gun to it. The fuselage is beast! The beta will still fly for a while before shes gutted of sevos. Anybody else have 40+ 9gram sevos?lol  

    This is my first time making plans but I'm confident that it will go together as easy as any FT kit. I used many of their common build tricks and methods. If you've ever built from FT plans you will know exactly what needs done.  As far as electronics I'm using my first motor ever. It was in my Spitfire last year,  and is a Turnigy 2822/14  1450kv  with a Turnigy 18amp Plush ESC.   The little motor flies this thing nicely. You can always go bigger! a NTM2826 1200kv would be about the sweet spot I think (need to fix mine). And use any battery you want in this.. (with a large 2200kv motor) I ran a Traxxas 4000mah 2 Cell lol and Ive used a 850mah 3 cell, just stick it near to front half the of poer pod and you should be good.  Im using Turning TG9e 9 gram servos.  4 servos without flaps, 6 servos with flaps. and wheels are 3 inch light foamies.


Plans. Cessna 180 Swappable.
Small motor that works well..  9x3.8sf  prop
My favorite ESCs.    Nice to get a tuning card....

     Ok so the build process is not to difficult at all. It takes 3 sheets of foamboard and a half sheet of posterboard.And the landing gear is 1/8 inch rod for the axle and slightly smaller rod for the supports.  The color key will tell you what needs cut or score cut or just a reference line.   So once you got everything cut out we can go to the first step.  


 

First step, on the side pieces of the fuselage you want to remove the paper on the inside surfaces. And have the top fuselage piece ready.


Then glue halfway down one side at a time to make things easy. Use a square to keep things............square lol      Its nice to have the sides lean out a bit, Its better to squeze the sides to the bottom than to try and wedge the bottom between the side pieces.  

 

Should be looking something like this.  You don't need a ton of glue. 


Glue your power pod sleeve together with a B fold. (beside fold)

 

Lookin good.. Time for the gear pan side supports. 

Line the side supports up with the back of the pod sleeve. And step them down 4mm so the belly pan will fit inside the bottom of the fuselage.
 

Now line up the axle reference line with the center line of the landing gear. This is just to reinforce the fuselage for those hard landings..  But remember belly pan fits down inside the fuselage so the bottom sits flush against it.


Now that the reinforcement is done for the landing gear you can put the bottom of the fusealage on.  You want to peel the inside layer of the paper. You can start it flush with the back. I keep the air flow hole at the tail in durring this step to keep anything from crinkling or gettin all wonky.  You can glue the bottom on in halves like you did the top. When you take the paper of the foam board it has a natural curve that almost matches the fuse so its not tough.

 

Now get formers and also the former supports. 3s and 4s are glued together, doubled up to support the wing.
and the supports are paired up and glued doubled up for the bbq skewers.

 Add  your formers into the holes and add the former supports like in the picture. The bbq skewers that hold the wing on go though the supports. Then get the tail pieces. I bevel the tail surface rather than the control surface.  Then glue the horizontal and vertical stabilizer together then onto the fuselage. Its all keyed for perfect mounting location. Just keep it level with the table as your gluing.. Then add the "tail shims" between the bottom of the horizontal stabilizer and the top of the fuselage. They should slide almost all the way in.. Stiffens everything up.  There are also reference dots on the vertical and horizontal stabilizer to run bbq skewers if you want extra crash protection.. I've folded my horizontal stab in a cartwheel incident and figured I would throw that optional reference marks..

Now glue your #6 formers on. Glue them on that blue line in the center of the tail mounting hole.  Then enjoy a beverage..   And look at your half battleship half plane looking workbench masterpeice.  


 

Now get the windshield. I add a dab of glue to the center at the top of former 3 and 2. just to line up the windshield straight and just a tiny bit above former 3. Then wrap each side around the formers and glue it down.

 

Now make a mark on the center line of former 2. This mark is where you want to line up the hood. 

 

Then do the same with the hood, as you did with the windshield. Glue the center of 1 and 2 then work each side down glueing and also scotch tape just as you would a FT plane. 


Then hack like a honey badger at the backside of the windshield.........It was a test lol ..  But yes trim the windshield back flush with former 3 so the top wraps around nice. 

 

Then time to mount the turtle deck.. The plans have to cut lines for the rear turtle deck.  One is left long if you want to get detailed with it? Or just cut it at the first lines and slap it on...  You will want to pre-contour the posterboard or this step will be difficult. roll it. creace it, rub it. whatever. Just so its something like this angry duck looking thing.

Then glue it down the center again.. I slice the turtle deck at the center of the doubled up former 4. Makes it easier to do front and rear sections separate....   I also cut the posterboard hood flush with the rest of the fuselage..

 

Then she comes out looking something like this.  yay!  


Not included in the plans but you can add slices of posterboard to the nose of the fuselage to fill the gap of the powerpod sleeve.  Makes it look nice and I bet it adds to the already impresive sturdiness.


Then take a straight edge and draw out a hole between formers 3 and 4. This is where I pass my aileron/ flap wires and keep my Rx

 

Chop another hole to pass wires to your power pod.


Time for bbq..        Add your skewers into the former supports that are now beneath the posterboard. Use the photo for reference?   
 

 Here you can see the skewers in the Power Pod..  One in front goes under the pod. The rear skewer goes through the pod..


 Better view of the under side to see the skewer supporting the underside of the power pod.. This is a trick I do with all my powerpods.  The 2 though the top of the motor plate didnt hold up to my rowdy flying style. I crash from time to time.. Try it out.    Also The powerpod depth all depends on your motor setup.. I keep the prop about 3/4" from the fuselage.  



Got wings? good.  do what you would do with FT planes. Double bevel. run skewers down score cuts. Test fold it to get things smooshed right.

 

Cut holes for servo wires.  Typical stuff...... Add your wing spar, then the wing shims about a 1/4 inch from the edge. Then glue it together like you would a spitfire wing for example. Front half then back half.  Easy peasy.

 

Glue the seam on the leading edge of the wing

 

Then get out your dihedral gauge.... Tape roll..  I didnt use any math here. haha

 

Then add your servos and servo horns..     If your wickedbad builder status you wont use Ez adjusters on your pushrods ;)        Like Josh Bixler.... Im cheap.   6 adjusters is worth more than the airframe itself lol.     
 

 

Tail servos go in like this here...        (because of constant improvments, actual product may vary slightly from photo)    :)


Bend some steel into the landing gear. The prints show you the shape of these. Get some grips, and a torch and this becomes stupid easy to do.  Or use what you got.  Got a crack in your garage floor? Vice!   be creative.

So here you can see how things go down.pun ..  3 lines. center axle and 2 lines for the axle supports. Basic but super effective 

 

Another angle to see how to put it all together..  The Zip-ties loop through each other and aroud the side supports.  If you need to see it I learned the method in the Storch video. works good.  When you crash you just tweak it a bit and break a zip tie. Nothing that I couldn't fix bare handed, and with a zip-tie or two.. Whats pictured here is a gear thats on its 3rd plane. Rugged.

 

Close up to see how the 2 halves line up during the build.. Smear the glue nice and thick, over laping everything. Keeps its strong as nails.


And then bam.....  You got your self a Cessna.        The CG of this airframe is the wing spar.  Being slightly nose heavy is never a bad thing..    
 

Some Beauty shots...

 

Well thats the build..   I hope lots of people are interested in builing this plane. Its been a fun learning process.  It was a goal of mine to make this available to all because I know thousands of people are proud owners, and even more have taken their first flights in a high wing Cessna just like this one. After all it is the most produced plane EVER! I know if I go outside right now I can either hear one or see one. Night or day.   I would love to see how other people outfit their planes.. I aim to paint this one used in the build, like an old Army serveillance aircraft.  I'm thinking I should get this in the forums also. Probably the best way to get feedback and see other builds.    Hope to see some at Flite Fest 15!     See ya there........


         Also if you would like to make a small donation for all my efforts you could meet me at Flight Fest 2015, at the Fury Cafe' and buy me a few of Ms. Fury's phenomenal pulled chicken sandwiches!!   Bomb.      








Dont ya hate when people put crucial info at the end.? hahahaha  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

COMMENTS

g01d10x on May 18, 2015
Looks very sharp :)
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Papo_60 on May 24, 2015
Tim, great job with this plane!! I was also wondering how you generated the graphics for your plane? I have been creating n printing mine out on the computer n then using clear packing tape to apply them to the plane. But always looking for new n better ways to do the graphics.. Thanks.
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Timmy P on May 24, 2015
I bought myself a cheap vinyl plotter. It will cut or draw. My method is goes.. draw on my graphics. take a picture with my phone and outline it in photoshop. then send it to my plotter. Cake work with the right tools.. Thanks for the complements!
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PeterGregory on May 25, 2015
Really great share Timmy. It is super where people are taking these foamies, like you have. That is a great way to fly - no worries since it is "only" foam, and pretty rugged from what you describe. Good share on the electronics, too. Plush's are my go-to esc's and I have learned to go +1 on the amperage selection - good insurance for little difference in cost and weight. I might try using my foam cutting technique for the turtle decks, wing seat, and cowling - I have an article on the Ripslinger I did that way, turned out nice and much more durable than poster board. Poster board is fast, though, have to admit. You have more substantial volume of turtle decks so I would hollow out the EPO foam.
Cheers,
Poughkeepsie Pete
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Timmy P on May 28, 2015
Thank you for the complement. Crashing Foamboard planes is more fun than flying them.. I got into rc flight last summer only because of foamboard and Flite Test. I dont like spending money on something I'm going to try to crash lol.. As far as the turtle decks.. My beta plane still lives, as long as you get the medium thick poster board and bend it with the grain it will hold up. Not a bad wrinkle or crease in the beta crash plane. also I have this thing balanced so well you can put any size battery and still hit CG. from 850mah 3 cell to a 4000mah 2cell out of my race truck. So if you add that much foam to the back you may be limited to larger batteries to get nose heavy. Just throwing that info out there.. Its a big fat plane.The rear deck is huge. Good luck buddy.
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usarmyfl on May 28, 2015
Great plane! I am curious to size and number of pages for a home printer. These plans say around 50-60 pages, when I select "poster" and "cut marks". Just seems like a lot compared to most flite test planes which seem to be around 20-25 pages. Thanks
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Timmy P on May 28, 2015
Yes it is right around 49-50ish pages. Its a 50 inch span and its also a full fuselage so its a large plane. Its a fatty. Like a mini van with wings lol.

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Desert Wings on May 18, 2015
This is a good looking DTFB build. Great job with the build and article. I would love to see some of your slow flight video posted in the article as well as some of the stall characteristics.
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Timmy P on May 19, 2015
Its coming soon! Its been windy and rainy past few days.. Spring time is over soon
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Timmy P on May 24, 2015
The flight video has been added.
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Garreta234 on May 18, 2015
Hey, that looks very scale.

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Stingray Aviation on May 25, 2015
What software did you use to make the plans? I have been using Autodesk Inventor for mine, but full-size plans that you can trace and cut are impossible with that program.
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Timmy P on May 28, 2015
I use Photo Shop CS5. I used a long un-needed drawn out process to build this thing. It was a leaning experience for sure.. So to do it the easy way Nerdnic Nick Lechner youtube has a great Tutorial to follow..(but I recommend using the pen tool vs line tool.) Wish I had seen his videos before I was more than 90% done. lol
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alibopo on May 18, 2015
Hi, what a great-looking model. I particularly like your solution for achieving both a curve on top of the rear fuselage section and a raised mount for the wing. Weight saving, and improved looks - excellent! Also that's a great tip regards supporting the front of the power pod. I can't wait to see the plane fly. Cheers, alibopo.
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Timmy P on May 19, 2015
Thankyou for noticing the details.. Wait tell you build it.. I think I had a few ideas that made things look nice.. Leading edge of the wings dont poke out at the folds.. stuff like that. Video is coming soon.....
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Timmy P on May 24, 2015
The video is now available. Check it out..
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Mir Naheen on May 30, 2015
Can u pls make a built vedio...??!
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Amdaylight on May 19, 2015
WOW What a nice looking build of one of my favorite aircraft. Thanks for the great job and if I lived closer I would buy you one of those pulled chicken sandwiches, they sound great.

Andre
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#3 on May 19, 2015
Five stars plus the workmanship is great,I wish someone would design a piper Cherokee 140 of this quality ,Scottie built one but no plans 75percent of all full scale pilots got their training on the Cessna you built and the Cherokee,again five stars.
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Timmy P on May 19, 2015
Thats actually a plane I want to tackle.. It was next in line, but I want to build a B-25 before Flite Fest. Stay Tuned!
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jpettit on May 22, 2015
Tim, this plane is beautiful! My first airplane was a 172 and it took me all over the place....great memories.

I am relatively new to Flitetest and am scratch building my first plane now. But I am sure going to build your 180 next! Can you please tell me where you got those amazing graphics? Thanks! And thank you again for sharing your great design.
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Spiku on May 28, 2015
I have a large format plotter at work... What size should these pages be printed out as to get the correct scale?
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Timmy P on May 28, 2015
Well...........I dont know. I would think 100% scale. I do know you can measure things inside the plotters software so scale it to my measurement scale included on all my pdf files.
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Paddy on June 5, 2015
Spiku,
if you print it in full scale the paper size is 33.1 x 46.8 in or A0 in metric.
Just printed mine yesterday and started to cut out the pieces. Can't wait for the foram board to arrive.
Thanks Timmy P for a nice design!

Paddy
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techie85 on June 12, 2015
paddy how did you manage it? to print it to that size
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darneto on May 24, 2015
Looks great on camera ! lol, I just finished trying this build, Plans lack a lot of cut lines and also the lack of intructions. after trying to build this I went back and looked at your picutres and seen the same problems I was fighting, This can be a great build just needs some tweaking.

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Timmy P on May 24, 2015
Well darn I thought I had the plans perfect.... Are you on the forums? Lets talk about it lol.. I would like an outside perspective so I know what is lacking.. I never see much info in peoples pdf plans so I just followed what I see. I hoped people would find the plans inside the Build article that I created.. So help me help you :)
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dominoeffect on May 19, 2015
I am not sure about gluing the leading edge together it might be better to have a four section wing then glue it up

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Timmy P on May 19, 2015
I had doubts but it came out great. Its not creating any drag and you cant really see it.. It wasn't worth the extra work, or having a big glue glob seam down the center of each wing.. I like things to be clean. But hey build it how you want. If you think it comes out better your way show me so I can check it out.
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planebouncer on June 20, 2015
Nice design and build Timmy P :D
I adapted your design and went one step further and changed the pattern to make it look like a Cessna 152 changing the shape of the wing (not symmetrically tapered but with straight leading edge) and using the classic Cessna tail fin plus the dorsal fin that runs all the way to the rear window. I lowered the turtledeck back using the same curled cardboard technique and introduced a rear windshield constructed like the front one. My dilemma now is how to mount the front wheel (it should be a tricycle) and that I have to re-invent the nose part of the construction for a sturdy wheel mount and for the motor. Wish me luck! I wish I could post the picture here; I'm trying the facebook photo url instead: https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/t31.0-8/11393671_1151493114868155_757419988951142257_o.jpg
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Timmy P on June 20, 2015
This is exactly why I made plans for a high wing Cessna.. You can tweak what I made to create over a dozen variations. And you took advantage of that fully. Even your version could be tweaked a bit to become a 0-1 Bird Dog. As far as a nose gear that kinda why I went with the 180 lol.. Tail draggers are easy to build..I had Ideas but didnt want to add a servo for nose steering. I guess it could steer just as well as a tail dragger with no steerable wheel. It might not need to steer at all. I dont know.. Thanks for sharing your photo.. Are you on the FT forum?
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planebouncer on June 21, 2015
Yes I am now, just registered now as you remind me. I have built two FT-3Ds the second to replace the battered first. I installed my first flight controller on the first one, inspired by my one flight with a borrowed Apprentice that so impressed me. I built this Cessna intending to master my pattern flying and landings assisted by the flight controller; this hugely influenced by my flight-sim enjoyment since 1998. I see you're interested in military planes, the Bird Dog. I have built 3 OV-10s with plans gleaned from rcgroups but I drifted away from those complex twins opting for larger, lightly loaded, slower designs. I try to limit my planes to one of each kind of: aerobatic (not 3D), pattern, experimental (like the X-47B). I see myself sticking with the C152 for gyro assisted pattern.
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anurdha on June 19, 2015
hello timmy p please give me a cessna 180 plane GC?
how find it? & electronic parts list please reply soon
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Timmy P on June 20, 2015
The CG is at the wing spar.. A bit nose heavy is not a bad thing.. And you can use motors from 2822 all the way up to a 2836 or bigger. In the article I have a link for the motor I use in the flight video..
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carelgrundlingh on June 2, 2015
Great write up Timmy P! I am only getting into building my own planes....so this is exactly what I need. We have different products/brand other than you guys here in South Africa i.e. no DTFB etc. I do believe I have got something similar. I just want to find out your sizes for my reference:
What is a standard sheet size of you board?
What is the thickness of the foamboard, as well as the posterboard?
Thank you...once again....great write up!!
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Paddy on June 5, 2015
How did you manage to make the nice paintings Timmy. Doesn't masking tape stick to the poster board?

Paddy
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Strange82 on September 3, 2015
Nice looking plane!
The Skywagons are one of the best looking aircrafts as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully I'll get to build you creation at some point.
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Strange82 on September 3, 2015
Just noticed to Moxie! Best soda ever too as far as I'm concerned!
" All the girls will think you're foxy if ya chug-a-lug your Moxie and never show the pain" a jingle I remember from when I was a kid. Lol
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crashbangwallop on August 2, 2015
Hi guys,
just found a problem with most of the swappable builds including, this one, here the uk.
the most readily available foam board is from an outlet called Hobbycraft. this is 5mm with paper either side but it's foam is a lot more dense. This means a lot more weight = need bigger motor I have just finished this build and the aircraft on full flap just lifts after a 20 metre run only to stall 2 ft of the ground. disappointing as it run dead straight and lifted gracefully... only to stall at full throttle, checking its weight it comes in at 1.1 kilo and the recommended turnigy D2822/14 Brushless Out runner 1450kv motor I am going to try this motor, a NTM Prop Drive Series 2836 1200kv, with a 10 x 6 prop.
I hope any uk guys find this helpful, also this is a nice aircraft Timmy P well done.

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Stevesteve on November 22, 2017
I've noticed the board I'm using seems to be stronger than that I see in the flit test videos too, do you have difficulty with cavities? I've found a way around it but my foam won't just pull out like you see it done in ft build videos!
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kroner on September 30, 2015
Great write up and step by step photos!! The plane looks amazing. I noticed too that you had a couple of Pinball machines in the background. That's awesome too.

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pintokitkat on September 23, 2015
My build is nearly finished, but I have some questions.
Do you remove the location tabs from a standard power pod so it fits higher in the fuze?
There doesn't seem to be room for the pod and a 3s battery stuck underneath it. Do you use very thin 3s batteries?
The pod is a very tight fit, so it's very difficult to make sure the pod and the hole in the fuze are lined up before poking the skewers through. Should it be really tight and if so, is the placement of the back skewer a case of poke it through and that where it fits?

I think it's a great looking plane. Can't wait until the wind drops a bit and I can crash it.
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neyxan on August 17, 2016
por favor vcs sao caprixosos e detalhado faz um video na coonstrucao desse cessna 180
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DarkFire on September 13, 2016
Would you know if the electronics are closer to the C Pack or the B Pack?
Great work on a cool plane

Thanks,
Dark
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Schraggy on July 19, 2016
I am trying to print the PDF out to make my templates. The problem is that when I print it only prints a section of the first page???
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bluebird1 on August 28, 2016
Hi ya Tim
Greetings from Eastern Canada and a new foam board builder (I hope!)
This is exactly what I am looking for all in one package - a high-wing trainer, an easy build and a plane that looks like a plane.
From the flight video, it looks like it flies slow which to me is absolutely a must. Slower flight and a mistake or two in altitude may let me hold on to this for some (hopefully) good flights.
Your opinion on something concerning the tailfeathers; in particular the vertical stab. What in your opinion would be the result of shaping this surface with more slant on the LE and TE - like the real McCoy?
Thanks for the plans and great instructions.
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Timmy P on August 28, 2016
Hi Canana! Welcome to dirt cheap flight. While building this bird isn't really difficult, I don't think I would call it easy. But with some patients and just follow my build you will be on your way. I do quite a bit of acrobatics with this plane .But I mostly just skim the grass flying as slow as I can possibly get it, using lots of rudder so not to drop a wing tip in the turns lol.. Its my favorite plane to fly.

When you say "real McCoy" are you asking why the tail doesn't slant back like a modern day 182? Well thats because its a vintage 180 replica. You can honestly reshape the rear templates to try to get the Cessna your looking for.. Thats why this airframe is great. subtle changes make lots of different Cessna models. Good luck.
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bluebird1 on September 7, 2016
Ok Timmy boy..sorry, sir, somehow I missed the word vintage. So, not to change this good build, I will surely leave it as you designed it.
Once I get underway, I will upload some of mt first attempt images. Now have the board so just need to get the plans done up and start the carving.

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Mychri on February 14, 2017
Hi Timmy.
Thanks for the plans and the great build walkthrough. I build my own pitchblack Vintage 182 from matblack foamboards. Great plane. Had a great time building it.

-Michael
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shafiuropu on March 7, 2017
I am beginner.can u give e the titled PDF plan of this plan?plz?what is the fuse length ?I can"t calculate.so can u give the the whole page plan?my email is shafiuropu@gmail.com.
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SGFlyer on June 8, 2017
Great Job however I encounted some trouble with the PDF plans the 2 wings were not the same hence I had to use my computer to measure the distances of the score cuts. Also the wings didn't line up with the fuselage formers not sure why this occured.
Would love to work on your existing design and make it better, preferably with tiled plans and proper "Mathematics".
Great build anyways haven't flown it yet and even if it doesn't fly it would still make a good model in my hangar!
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Timmy P on June 14, 2017
You may have had an issue with your printer, these plans are perfect. The wings are duplicated on a computer.I know over over 15 people that have built this plane, not having the issues you are....
"proper Mathematics" what does that mean?
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Stevesteve on November 20, 2017
He's right, when printed the top wing in the plans comes out longer than the bottom one!
it's something to do with how adobe reader splits the plans into individual sheets for printing.
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Stevesteve on November 20, 2017
I've seen this myself, one wing (St fuselage end) prints a page too long, I just lined up everything else before trimming and sticking that page and it all worked out
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Stevesteve on November 20, 2017
A heads up to anyone about to build this, to save having to print it all out again from making a mistake.
this prints out in a wonky manner on each page, lay the whole set out before trimming and plan your trims from there, you need to trim each page at an angle to line things up.

So far I have found no issues with the plans themselves, they are nice and clear and can't wait to finish making my card templates and start cutting the foam pieces, this plane is maybe a touch under twice the size of the simple cub from what I've seen from the printed plans, looking forward to building it.
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Hart Man Flyer on August 23, 2017
Failed to mention, I used nearly the same power set-up but different brands. So it has a lot of power given it was printed and built at 80% scale.
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Stevesteve on November 21, 2017
As far as I know, the cg is determined by the wing and frame design, making it smaller or bigger shouldn't alter the cg, only modified design should affect its position, I.e different wing shape, depth ect but you have merely altered the size of everything but kept the same design.
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Esteve on September 17, 2017
Hola timmy

Gracias por poner los planos del cessna 180 lo voy a construir

Es posible obtener los planos del cessna 337 skymaster ???

Saludos desde españa
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Stevesteve on November 22, 2017
Well so far so good, I'm at about 85% built, only got to finish the posterboard sections and install electrics. The fuselage of this plane is very strong! As your putting this together there's a couple of moments where you think "why is it done that way?" And "this is never gonna be strong enough" but once you have finished the further steps it all makes sense and everything is nice and strong.

On motors, he recommended a 2822 motor, I've looked at some and the dys 2822 1300kv on a 9x5 prop actually pulls less g's than the racerstar 2212 1400kv on a 8x4 prop! The racerstar weighs a lit less also, obviously we need the nose to have weight in it for balance but the lighter more powerful motor that pulls the exact same amps bit more g's (pulls just under 1 kg) will allow for a bigger battery up front and longer flying times.

I fly the simple cub on that motor, a 8x4 prop and with a 2700mah 3s inside the power pod but all the way up front and it balanced just right and flys very well and for a very long time before I have to land.
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Hart Man Flyer on August 23, 2017
Has anyone built this plane at 80% scale?
I did and with a 2200, 3 cell battery it was too tight to fit into the scaled down power pod. So... I placed the battery under the wing in the cabin area with the receiver. The c/g was reported to be at the centre of the wing spare, however while I balanced out there exactly with just very slightly nose heavy, it does not fly well at all.
Very tail heavy. Five heavy nose-ins after dragging it's tail in the air for 30 seconds. Five attempts in all, over different days playing with battery position and rechecking C/G.
I do have the servos in the original tail section as I missed the one comment in the comment sections.

Question: at 80% scale, would the CG move?

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JoeCarpino on February 2, 2019
Looks very nice, definitely gonna try to build that. Great job
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saif ullah khalid on June 22, 2019
I have a question, at the end in the last completed picture of the plane you have done a tweak on the elevator on both sides a small cut and you pushed down a bit, can i have a closer look at it how many inches you have pushed down and what is it for thankyou.
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Thartea on December 31, 2019
Hi, Timmy P. First of all a very happy new year. Thanks for sharing this plan. I really loved and enjoyed building it.


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Jose@ndrew on October 1, 2021
Disculpa no puedo entrar a los planos ..?

Me puedes echar la mano en eso mi correo electrónico es : trujilloandrew643@gmail.com
Te lo agradecería gracias
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Bvernon54@gmail.com on July 7, 2023
Hi, is the plan still available for the Cessna, if so where do I find it.

Thx
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Doolou on June 4, 2024
I am also searching for these plans. The link in the build article is no longer working. I also don't see it in Sponz Index. Where can I find?
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Cessna 180. Swappable with plans. VIDEO & BUILD