airborneSGT

My Feedback: (15)

Man I am going to have to post some weight data before I sell mine now. With the Saito 180 I know I am under 13.5lbs.

I used all HS5945's sep for throttle which is a 5245 mini digi. The motor mount is a non issue people - just use longer bolts with some nylon locking nuts. Its what I have done on all the larger planes with no problems. I had leaks with the stock tank so switched to a BVM stopper and a FunKey 24oz tank I had from a while ago. No problems and easily get 10min flights of serious 3D.

This plane seems to be the most fun on a glow setup. Ill save the DA 50 for a plane with more squares IMHO.

flyerr31

Here she is ready for maiden on saturday litle worried about snapping on landing. boy that DA purrs right out of the box.

DA 50R
Hitec 5645 ailerons
Hitec 5645 elevators
Hitec 5945 Rudder
SWB 1.25 servo arms
2 JR 2300 nimh,s ignition & RX
649 JR RX
9303 radio
22x8 Mej prop
3 1/4 tru turn spinner

Spoiler

I am going to replace the bolts and nuts - problem in a metric country, you cant just go out and buy the right bolts, has to be nuts too. Will probably glue the tail on - its not that big and I doubt the retaining system is that good anyway. I hate the way the cowl bolts on my F90 work loose so the more of the suckers I can eliminate, the better.

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Don't be. As long as you keep the CG at, or forward of, the recommended location, she'll land like a trainer.

Mine has a BME 50 and weighs 15.6 pounds dry. According to "3D wisdom", the airplane should be an absolute pig at that weight. Somebody forgot to tell the plane. Of course, I fly it like an airplane, as opposed to a helicopter...... but it is very forgiving and smooth, and does wonderful "normal" aerobatics.

My engine was acting up, and I just plugged her back in the airframe last night after she took a trip to BME. Keith said the resisitor and plug cap were bad. So I'm looking forward to tomorrow, which is forecast for near-perfection.

Good luck with your maiden. Keep an eye on that gear; some have had good luck with it, but most of us have suffered cracks and/or delamination. And DEFINITELY glue the stabs in after making sure they're true.

JAkridge

I've been fly'in the snot out of mine with the Saito 180. No complaints at all. I love this plane. I guess my only ***** was the muffler coming loose, nothing bad to say with the plane.

Have fun..........I sure am.

airborneSGT

My Feedback: (15)

Same here! Man its easy to fly two gallons on a full day of flying. Lighter this thing flies very well. The DA will find a home somewhere else. For what it is and how cheap it is - its great.

On the stab issue: I used some CA glue to glue the tube into one half of the stab plus drilled and tapped both sides. I used some clear monokote to secure it to the fuse sides better on the bottom and on top I used canopy glue. It dries clear, has flexibility and can come off should you need to replace stabs. Took all the play out of the stabs. I think this is a downside as other brands like Wild Hare on my larger 260 have a much more solid stab mounting setup with no play at all.

Its a hobby so there is no wrong or right. I just think its too small a plane for the setup that most people run. I myself love gas, but it makes more sense to use a gas engine when you have the squares to work with. Something to be said when I can pull full up elevator at about any flight speed and not snap. Perhaps the only downside of being lightly wing loaded with any plane is getting bumped around by the wind,.

airstik2003

she is a bute

38

airborneSGT

My Feedback: (15)

Use this stuff from permatex: http://www.midwayautosupply.com/deta...ption.asp?2371

I also use it on my gas engines where things might otherwise shake loose.

Wowbagger

I'm fitting a Moki 1.80 too with Bisson Pitts muffler. I made a backplate mount and stand off's for the motor. If this doesn't have enough go I have a tuned pipe that could maybe go inside the fuz. It's a fixed disc type, more for torque than revs (I hope!).

I just got a Cline regulator for it. I've never used one before and they're pretty rare in the UK so any advice or things I should look out for using it? Thanks in advance.

FBaity

My Feedback: (2)

I have a Cline regulator on a Moki 210 and it's great. Keep the distance between carb and regulator to one inch or less. Otherwise no worries.

Frank Baity
AMA 38026

camss69

My Feedback: (46)

Steve Campbell,

Are you using the stock fuel tank or have you gone with a smaller tank? It seems that for a 50cc gas engine that the larger tank is un-nessesary and I'm thinking of going to something a little smaller.. like half the stock size.

Also did you glue your stabs in? I have some front to back play in mine, it's not bad, but I definately don't stand over the tail while running up the engine, it feels like they might just break off. Did you guys just cut the covering off the ends and off the fuse and epoxy them on, I was thinking of using gorilla glue due to ease of use, but I've seen some not so favorable reviews of it for stuff other than hinges lately. Also my wing tube is pretty loose already, what did you all do to tighten the fit up?

I've got 8 flights on mine, and so far no cracked gear, this is replacement gear because my first gear was so tweaked out of the box that horizon sent me a replacement set.

As far as landing this is definately the easiest landing plane I have ever flown.

The quality of the plane definately leaves something to be desired, but the flight characteristics are sweet, for an overloaded pig like I have.

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

I have a 24 ounce tank on the CG, under the wing tube. I could probably get away with a much smaller one, but don't see the need to change this one.

DEFINITELY glue those stabs in place. I exposed some wood and applied epoxy to the stab/fuse joint, as well as epoxying the tube in both the stabs and fuse socket.

Yeah, my wing tube has definitely gotten looser in the fuse socket; but its not yet what I would call sloppy. The wing pins are still snug in their receptacles, so I'm not worried about it.

Got two flights in last week-end; engine is definitely better but still needs a bit of fine-tuning. There was 20-25 mph winds, and I was getting some MAJOR tail wagging. I don't think its the servo, and the cables are plenty snug; but it has been one thing after another with this airplane; mainly powerplant problems, but now this wagging. I have seen a bit of wag coming out of high-speed turns (and Frank Baity said he stopped his from doing that by sheeting the rudder), but that always damped right away. This was some serious wagging in straight and level flight.

I'll try it again tomorrow; but I'm about ready to stand this one in the corner and go back to my glow birds...[&o]

camss69

My Feedback: (46)

Yeah I was a little worried about how light this plane is built, I had a funtana before and it seemed like I was afraid to pick the thing up for fear of breaking a stringer somewhere. This bird is much the same, and the rudder is very flexy... I figure I'll fly this bird for a season or so, and then sell it at the local hobby shop swap meet. Then I plan on going to more of a true 50cc bird, I don't really like flying below 1/2 throttle the whole time anyway. I don't think your problem is with the gas setup as much as it is with a poor quality plane. Gas is the way to go, I love not having to haul all the support equipment to the field for a glow plane, and I can get fuel on sunday's when the hobby shop is closed, oh yeah and I don't have to wipe the oil off the plane, just the bugs.... I could go on and on but I guess I'll stop now...

Tor

camss69, I used a fuel tank from a Funtana 90 and changed the stopper and lines. The advantage i you will have room for two of those besides each other if you want smoke too. They are 500ml and that will give me 20-25 mins of running time with my Evolution 45, or comfortable 15 min flying - which is about it for my concentration anyway.

I made a floor for the fuel and smoke tank, beacuse I use a can (smoke not installed at the moment):




I didn't glue my stabs, but I definately didn't want to fly the "stock loose" at all. Instead I made this solution:




Watch out for that gear! I though I got a better gear or those with problems was just lousy at touching gently, however after all good landings mine cracked too after about 10 flights or so. It's really not a big deal though - just crack it even more open and poor in some thin CA and you are good to go again.


So true. I really am in two minds about this model. One when repairing / fixing stuff that should have been good out the box and one when I fly it


More pics in my thead in giant scale: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_41...tm.htm#4118837

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Well, the engine problems were/are definitely NOT due to the plane; but I'm beginning to wonder about the airframe itself.

From the little bit of experience I've gathered with these larger planes, this one seems to be overall as good as any I've seen. If you'll pardon me getting a bit philosophical here for a moment, I think a major issue is this; the designers/fabricators are very concerned with weight. They are building these things as lightly as they can, and along with desired (by some) features such as removeable stabs, this makes for a somewhat flimsy model. I'm not talking about just H9; the WildHare planes I've examined are the same, and I can only assume that other brands are similar. The one QQ Yak I looked at was the same; light, thin wood, aft fuse stringers, etc.

In comparison, the GP 40 size CAP 580 is a little tank. Of all the ARFs (over 30) that I've assembled in my time in the hobby, this one is, without doubt, the most substantial... "solid", if you will. Yes, it is heavy. But it flies wonderfully. Yes, I realize I'm comparing apples to oranges... or AM I???

Agree with it or not, the US market is dominated by 3D flyers who demand ultra-light weight, so that's what the smart vendors are going to offer. To me, that's a double-edged sword. Lightly-built means less durability. The removeable stab feature is a prime example. I have a ShowTime too, and there is no lack of posts regarding complaints on the stabs on this one and the H9 Extra 260. IOW, a good idea that is, IMO, poorly executed on these particular models. That's why mine are glued in place...

But the ShowTime is holding up better than my Extra. By that, I mean the airframe still feels "solid"... the Extra is showing a lot of wear and looseness after less than fifty flights. The reason, I believe, is because the ST doesn't have a grossly too big engine on it that is slowly but surely deteriorating the airframe integrity.

Sorry for these rambling thoughts. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if we want a big, light, high-performance airplane, we'll have to accept the reduced longevity that CAN occur. For instance, my Goldberg Ultimate ARF is "built" no better than this Extra; but after almost 300 flights, it is still "solid".

And, I agree that gas is less overall hassle than glow. But I am forced to use white gas, because I keep my models in the house and regular gasoline WILL stink the place up, no matter what precautions are taken. Again, I dunno if the white gas is contributing to my balky BME 50. I'm still on the rookie's learning curve with gas engines. I'm not ready to File 13 the idea yet; but I'm close...[]

mudpuppy

flyerr31,

What servo arm did you use on your Hitec servos?

camss69

My Feedback: (46)

Steve I couldn't agree with you more, and in fact that's why I only plan on keeping the 260 for a season of flying. The 50 is way overkill on this plane, and the fact that it's built so light I can't see it standing up to that much vibration for much more than a season. I usually get a TON of flying out of my planes, my chapman cap I have well over 250 flights on it, and it's as solid as the first day I flew it. If your already seeing excessive wear on the airframe after 50 flights,... well that just aint going to cut it. I was debating in fact last night on just going ahead an pre-ordering the aeroworks 50cc yak, (for the next shipment) I could take everything out of the 260 and just swap it all over, but the $100 shipping is kinda a downer. I'm one of those guys that doesn't like to tinker with the plane all the time, I go to the field to fly not work on the plane. I'm afraid the extra is going to continuously require maintenance, just because of the light build and the big engine. I don't really see it as the planes fault, but it's not a 50cc plane in my opinion. Yes it flys great with it and can handle the weight, but for how long... I think it is just marketed wrong... although I have noticed there are a few other planes with the same wing area that are also "50cc class" planes.

lockjaw-express

My Feedback: (36)

Camss69,

Yes, I agree as well that the 260 is too small/light for the DA50, however the BME 55 would be the perfect engine for the plane. The BME 55 only weighs 2.1 pounds and my YS 160 DZ weighs about the same as the BME 55. My plane is the PERFECT wing loading for the H9 Extra 260. In addition, because my engine is only about 2 lbs I have to run a 5 cell 3800mah NiMh battery pack on a pod/boom for a counter balance. My plane actually floats down on landings!

Having the BME 55 would allow me to use a smaller battery pack because I would counter the big battery with an Ignition module/battery. So the plane will come out at about the same weight.

This is only my opinion, though. I will definely buy another H9 260 for my BME 55 that I have on order.

BR, Mark

PS: Check out my pics on page 97 thru 99

flyerr31

Mudpuppy:

Those are SWB 1.25 aluminum servo arms for hitec servo's you could get away with 1.00's

FBaity

My Feedback: (2)

Steve,

Re: the fish tailing in flight. I found two issues with my rudder.

1. The aero counter ballance on top of the rudder flexes a lot....hold the rudder training edge and twist the top and you will see what I mean. I found in high power outside loops and such the tail would oscilate especualy in cross wing conditions.

2. The rudder trailing edge is two narrow which causes some of the wagging problems.

Solution: I took a Central Hobbies small graphite puch rod, cut a piece the length of the rudder trailing edge, with care useing the Dremel tool I cut a slot on one side the entire length wide enough to slip over rudder trailing edge. I then glued the graphite rod to the rudder trailing edge with clear RTV. This fix does two things, it makes the rudder much stiffer and less likely to deform to twisting motion from the aero counter ballance and the wider rudder trailing edge stops the fish tailing thing. A unexpected side benefit to this mod is that when you jam your rudder trailing edge into something while handleing it there is NO damage to the rudder TE.

Frank Baity
AMA 38026

bmoranx

All - please state your opinion...

My I just bought a Saito 220 from a club member new in box for $380.00. I am thinking of putting this in the H9 Extra 260. I was planning on going gas but may now re-think this idea as the engine was a good price. Do you think this will be a good combo or should I still go with a gas setup. Fuel costs are not really an issue as I fly 90 size helicopters w/30% fuel so I am used to "gulping fuel." Hell, I usually order a couple cases at a time anyway...


thanx/Bruce

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Thanks, Frank. I'll probably have to try that; this isn't going to get better all by itself. Did you use the cables, or do you have your servo in the tail with a short pushrod? I'm thinking of doing that too. Got plenty of weight up front, so that's not an issue.

But first I'm going to see if I can get the engine right. Lacking that, everything else is moot... maybe today. Didn't get to fly it yesterday.

camss69,

A HUNDRED bucks shipping???? Where is it coming from; Mars?

My plan all along was to get a 30% plane, when I retire and get a larger ride. Right now, this H9 Extra is the absolute biggest that will fit under my S-10 bed-liner and in the bed itself. It is supposed to be my "trainer" for gas engines/larger planes. While I have indeed learned a lot, mainly its been an exercise in frustration. Still, maybe I'll get it sorted out to my satisfaction. I certainly hope so; I've got quite a bit of scratch tied up in this package. If I can get it "right", we'll then find out more about its longevity, as I'll be flying it until it dies, or I'm in a position to replace it with a 30 per center. I was going to retire in April of next year, but I just found out that staying a while longer will raise my monthly benefit enough to make it worth my while. I've stayed this long; seems a bit foolish not to take advantage of this deal.

But if I do eventually "move up" to a 30% plane, you can bet the grocery money I won't pay an additional quarter of the kit price just to get it to me. That's insane...

lockjaw-express

My Feedback: (36)

Steve,

I have a new BME 50 in my GP Christian Eagle, and I first tried Coleman Camper Fuel "white Gas", and I can tell you that going to 89 Octane Pump Gas gave me a LOT more power! Like you I did not like the smell of Gas, but I plugged the breather tube, and there is no gas smell. When you first bring the plane inside you can smell a little, but it disapates very quickly.

Also, the BME 50 is just as strong as my DA 50's.

BR, Mark

FBaity

My Feedback: (2)

Steve,

I used the pull-pull set up with cables and a JR 8411 D servo.

Frank

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Mark,

Power isn't the problem. The engine runs like a scalded dog above half throttle. Its the low end that's giving me fits; it wouldn't idle worth a crap.

Today, after a bit of tuning, it seemed a lot better. But I didn't get a chance to find out for sure.

See next post for why.