Rubber powered

6 September 2024

Winding stooge

The most direct and easiest way to wind up the propeller is to hold the model in one hand, normally the left hand for a right hander, and twirl the propeller with the other hand's forefinger. The correct way though is to stretch wind the rubber motor, and then hook on to the propeller. This manner requires a 2nd person to hold the model and then a rubber winder.

How do solo flyers do it? They have their rubber winder to create stretch and multiply winds and they have a winding stooge to hold the model. I have seen photographs that shows the motor peg to be aluminium tubing to allow the insertion of a small wire and I have also seen stick motors where the plastic propeller is held stationary and the wound rubber is attached to the rear motor hook. One modeller, and I think he must have been an experienced one, wrote all he needed is to place hooks in his shoe laces, which will then keep the plastic propeller stationary.  This method offers a simple and portable solution, as it doesn't require any additional equipment beyond the hooks and the model itself. It's a testament to the ingenuity and adaptability of modelers who often find creative ways to overcome challenges. Wear shoes, shoes with shoelaces.

16 August 2024

Hand cranked rubber winder

Use 2 crown gears (or spur gears), one will be the input and the second will be the output. Use 2 sleeves for the bearing and 2 short length of wire for the crank handle and output hook.

A wire will be passed through a sleeve inside the output gear and bent to hook onto the gear, drilling is required on the output gear to accept the anchor. The sleeve functions as an anchorpoint to the cover plates of the winder. The free end of the wire is then formed into a hook shape to accept the rubber band. 

The input gear is similarly treated, except that the free end of the wire is cranked so that the gear may be turned by hand.