DavidCYWPilot

Sweet! I think you're really gonna love it. Just make sure you check your wings for warping before you try any steep pull outs! I really, really, really, like mine! I've only got about 4 hours total flight time on it, so I'm not brave enough yet to try low altitude 3D yet, but by July 4th, definitely. There is only one other guy in our club that does any 3d flying and he is very good.

I checked out your model photos. That SkyMaster looks pretty cool. Send some video or photos of your new plane if you can. I need to upload some photos of the stickers I put on mine..."Get in, Sit Down, Shut up, Hang on!" and the Hawaiian girl.

jfeenin

This is excellent news as your outfit is nearly identical to mine but mines not quite finished yet, I was worried about weight. I think mine only differs in servo choices, no pilot, and all 2700MaH Li-Ion batts for Ignition and Rx. I can't wait to hear how she flies.

tkapfer

Here are some initial pictures.

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DavidCYWPilot

Nice, clean, well organized set up! Thanks for the pics. Make sure you range check your Spektrum with the engine running. I have not had any trouble with mine...so far. You might want to rethink the Spektrum installation though. [:'(] The manual says to mount the extra antennae 90 degrees (like on the fuselage side wall) at least 3 inches to the main receiver. I just don't want to see your next photos of a crash. Also, that big engine really shakes the plane so I wrapped my receiver totally in foam escept for the antennae.
Good luck, Thanks, David

tkapfer

I actually have 3 receivers mounted with this receiver. It will take up to 4.

1 by the receiver like in the picture, 1 on the side of the fuselage by the wing tube and 1 back in the tail section.
They are all pointed in different directions.

I also do have 1/2 inch foam underneath the receiver. I'll see how it initally does.

Thanks

tkapfer

My maiden flight was this morning. 2 GREAT flights. Only needed 1 click of aileron to trim out. The wind started to pick up today, so had to cut my 2nd flight a little short. The motor took some turns to start initially, but started on the 2nd flip on the 2nd flight.

Here are some more pictures:

DavidCYWPilot

Congrats on a great job! I really like your decals! And congrats on a successful first day of flying! I now have about 4 hours and 43 landings on mine. I dinged two props early on: first one I hit a rock or something on our rocky strip while doing a wheel landing and the second while dropping it in from a harrier landing. I won't be doing those two things again anytime soon. It does great 3 point landings though. I'm pulling a wooden 23 X 8 Mejzlik.

I only had trouble starting my DA50 that first day(until it got primed). Since then I choke it first flight or if it has sat for 45 minutes until it first fires(usually about 2-5 flips) then it usually runs on the second flip after that. Sounds like your off to a great start. Good flying! I would say, "keep the greasy side down," but it doesn't really have a greasy side, eh?

I put a T fitting on the end of my vent and stuck a screw in one end of it (I say it's to work like a pitot tube to pressurize the fuel tank). The real reason is so I can recapture any overfill into a line a stuck through the lid into a baby food jar. That way the gas doesn't kill the grass. I also need to redo my fuel dot. Last flight at our clubs open house, it came slack on the inside of the cowling and melted against the exhaust.

I am anxious to get home so I can finish the smoke system installation. I'll have to upload some photos someday.

Anyway, congrats again and great flying!
David

Spoiler

I added a c/f rod in the rudder. I took a 2mm rod and basically used it to make a hole for itself from the top of the rudder just back of the hinge line into the hinge post - just longer than the counterbalanced portion of the rudder in other words. I removed it, dribbled some slow CA in the hole and on the rod and stuck it back in. I havent done it on my second plane and instead made a hole in the covering at the counterbalance/hinge line junction and dribbled in some thin ca as others have recommended. Either solution seems to work.

GTworks

Im happy to see everyone is flying their extra 260s!!!Looks like IM the only one still trying to build this plane !
After reading thru the directions and trial fitting the motor ,gas tank ,servo locations ,numerous variations ,I have decided to throw out the manual.
A da 50r with a MTW td 75k is going in this plane .
Many others are flying this same set up but mine will be a little different .
I choose not to cut the length of the muffler instead I opted to mount the muffler as far back as the header pipe would allow .Also I plan to mount 2 servos ,throttle and choke via carbon fiber rods ,to the tray that would have supported the pull pull servo.Now this will leave me with the option of laying my fuel tank flat resting on the origanial servo tray for the throttle ,and also will set me up with more wieght on the tail.

tkapfer

Spoiler, so the carbon fiber rod you put in went vertical about where my picture shows???
Down to the block that actually holds the hinges?
Or did it go horizontal to give more support?


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Basically? Sorry for the bad picture.

tkapfer

I kind of laid a c/f rod along where I think you all have said to glue it into the rudder.
Let me know if that is close and if there are other parts to strengthen.

Spoiler

Thats about it! Mine was a little further back, i.e. towards the t/e of the ruddr by a few mm at the most. I think the most important part is getting the thing glued in without making the holes too big which is why I used thick CA. I never had a rudder break despite a lot of K/E passes so I suppose it probably did add some strength...

rcpilot_971

My Feedback: (50)

Im also building one of these can you put the rudder servo in the tail ?


Thanks

Gus155

there is a mounting in the tail for the rudder servo. if you using a gasser, better to have it in the tail.

rcpilot_971

My Feedback: (50)

Ok thanks

I have A brison 2.4 in it now but still need to hook everything up but I have never ran a gas motor before so I was thinking about putting a saito 220 in it the brison is 2.75 lds and the saito is 2.80 lbs but I wount need the the extra battery the ignition

Thanks Tim

tkapfer

I have 8 flights in on mine now and it flys GREAT.
The DA50 has plenty of power and 2 of my flights today started on the first flip.

I also have experienced the same thing EVERYONE seems to have (delaminated c/f landing gear).
I landing slightly hard with only one bounce and heard it crack.

Luckily I had the aluminum gear at home and just replaced it with that.
I wish they would update what is in the kit since everyone keeps having this problem.

Good luck in everyone else's birds, and I hope you have as much fun as I have been having.
I'm going to be running about 5-6 gallons of fuel through the engine for break-in as recommended.

I also put the 2mm c/f rod down through the rudder to make it stronger. I don't want that problem next.

Happy flying.

DLEVETT

My Feedback: (13)

I saw one of these flying at my club today. 15lb 10oz with a DA/canister setup. The pilot is an intermediate and had no trouble at all with this plane. Predictable glide when landing etc. It appers to be a very nice flying first gasser. It inspired me to go out and get a MVVS/Evolution 45MG for my 74" Ef Yak due to the similar size and wing loading etc.

Dave

tkapfer

This is my first gasser and I am soooooo happy so far.
Although I am learning many things over glow engines.
My flight tonight had the engine not running well about half way through the flight.
One of the instructors at the field helped me land just to make sure it got down ok.

After further investigation, we found out that the ignition battery had dropped below 5 volts and the engine was about to quit.
Thank the Lord that it did not.
We recharged the battery at the field and the next flight was great.
Also, the aluminum gear worked great tonight. It won't delaminate like the cf gear.

It's different from glow engines where they keep running with the glow plug.

I did check my battery before the flight and it appeared fine, but did not check it with the correct load as obviously the battery had dropped fairly quickly.

Lesson learned - always check your batteries with a load on them.
Also don't fly too many flights without recharging.

Good luck with everyone else's.


Anyone find any better tail wheel springs than the ones that come with the kit? Mine also broke tonight. It doesn't seem like the stock ones fit very well to begin with.

skip1320

Anybody have repairable cf gear they want to sell?

tkapfer

Not sure what they are worth, but I'm sure mine can be repaired with some CA.
It just delaminated on one side.

I have the aluminum on now and they seem to be working ok.

Here are some pictures:

Spoiler

Those are still quite useable in my opinion. Mine started looking like that after some landings in the rough and they only failed after a deadstick landing/crash that also broke the former in front of the l/g . These things don't just break, they "bend" but the c/f does not shatter or snap and if you use some CA you can repair them. This makes them far beter for your plane in a crash. I changed mine to the ali version and those things barely bent in a crash and ripped the fuse apart when they came out. My crashed c/f ones are usable in a pinch but I'd hesitate to use them as they should have been epoxied to retain some flexibility, rather than being hard glued with CA. I recently had to replace my plane and bought one that had been partially completed by a shop owner who had left it standing around for years. The wheels are oval but the c/f gear is fine so far and I'll be flying it as long as possible.

rcuser002

My Feedback: (12)

I just ordered this plane and it's on backorder till mid-June.

I have patiently read thru 37 pages of this thread and skipped ahead, hoping that the gear issue was resolved by this page.

Before that, I put a call into Horizon asked if the new batch has a "fix" for this ongoing problem. I'm awaiting a response and have my fingers crossed.

Meanwhile, can you tell me what the general consensus is as far as servo choice and is the previous recommendation of rudder reinforcement still necessary?

tkapfer

No, they have not fixed the landing gear issue. I just purchased my kit in late March early April and just had this problem with it delaminating after about 8 flights. I put the aluminum gear on and have not had any problems. Although it is a little more weight than the cf gear. My plane comes in just over 16 pounds anyway, but I'm not stressing it with all the 3D, so it should be fine. With the DA50 motor and the MTW 75K cannister muffler, it sounds way cool and is very quiet.

I reinforced my rudder with the c/f rod as you've seen previously. I did not have the problem before reinforcing the rudder, and have not had any problems since. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

I have JR DS8711 servos all the way around except for the throttle.
One of the really good flyers at our field said that those servos worked GREAT, very fast and responsive. He said it almost makes him want to go out and get one of these kits as well. Although using that size servo does force you to sand out each mounting hole to make room.

Have fun. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

jfeenin

Those with DA-50's what Tygon tubing size are you using? Neither the DA-50 manual nor the H9 manual say specifically. Will the small size work OK?

tkapfer

I'm using 1/8 Tygon. I also have tied off all the ends with the small wires you can buy in packs.
I also soldered ridges around the fittings on the brass tubes on the fuel tank and tied with wires so they will not slide off (inside and outside the tank).

So far everything has worked great with no leaks.