Mazeppa1

Wild,

Man, 14oz in the nose just does not sound right with a DLE 20 up there.
Please recheck your balance point and/or your balancing method.

I was able to balance my 540 @ 115mm from the LE using 61g servo's all around and a Moki 1.35 (29oz.) engine with a pitts style muffler without ANY added weight. Moki was mounted as far back as I could get it, don't have the firewall to motor dimension.
It flew beautifully, the only plane I've ever had that required no forward elevator stick to fly straight and level, inverted, @ about 1/3 throttle.
Total weight of 10lbs, 13oz. Bit of a porker, but what a flyer!

Google says your DLE 20 weighs 28.9oz and the Hitec 425's weigh 45.5g each.
Something is definitely out of whack here.

Boboeing

Maz......I'm thinking about using an engine in that weighs 20 oz. Were all your servos in the tail? If so I may be able to lighten the tail by 2 oz by moving the rudder servo up inside the fuselage to just behind the wing tube and setting up pull/pull on the rudder..... 2 oz out of the tail equals about 6 oz less needed in the nose. So if my set up is similar to yours, would only need 3 oz added to the nose to compensate for my lighter engine?????????

Mazeppa1

Servo's in stock locations, elevator & rudder servo's in the tail. Plus they are 16g heavier (each) than yours. You have 48g less servo weight in the tail than I did.
My battery weighs 155g and was mounted between the receiver try and the wing tube. Receiver on the receiver tray.
Oh yeah, I was running an APC prop with a Tru-Turn spinner.

Your engine weighs 20Oz, eh? 10oz less than my Moki, big difference. Did google tell me wrong about the DLE 20, or are you going with a different engine?
I understand the plane was designed for an OS 1.20, a 21oz engine so you should be in the sweet spot. Muffler weight being a thing here?
Moving the rudder servo would be a good move. You could spin a wood prop.
How far forward can you get your battery?

Hang in there and get it right, you just gotta do what you gotta do to get it balanced, or disappointment is sure to follow.

Wild Willy

My Feedback: (4)

Had mine balanced 4" aft of l.e. It flew great, just got to slow on final. dropped a wing and spun in. My new one is built a little different from the factory than the first. I think my first one came in around 12#

Boboeing

Maz......I think you have me confused with Wild Willy. I'm in the planning stage. From what I've read in this thread I will definitely have to move the rudder servo forward and set up pull/pull. I will be using an OS 95V four stroke that weighs 20 oz for sport flying. I can also use Tactic digital high torque mini servos on the elevators if need be.... 90oz/in torque and weigh only about an oz each. Total weight off the tail would be about 4 oz which translates to 12 oz less lead needed in the nose to compensate for my lighter engine vs your Moki.

Mazeppa1

Thank you for "unconfusing" me, and more importantly, anyone else trying to get the good info about this plane.

Sounds like you're on track, good luck with your Phoenix Edge, a very good flying airframe.
My only beef with it is the same one I have about most of my planes, weak landing gear support structure.

That may speak to my lack of skill at landings as much as anything else, though.

Boboeing

Weather you always set it down as smooth as silk or not, always reinforce firewalls and landing gear mounts. Maybe adds a few ounces to overall weight up front but I've found it to be well worth the extra weight and effort.

Mazeppa1

Amen.
I just could not figure out how to reinforce the landing structure on the Edge effectively without pulling the covering, which I was averse to.
Should have, and will do in the future.

Boboeing

FYI.....Working on mine now . Was a recent purchase and found one serious fault. The servo cutout on the left side of the fuselage for the elevator is much too low. If the servo is mounted as is and using the same length servo arm as on the other side, the angle of the push rod to the elevator horn differs greatly from that of the elevator hook up on the other side. This will result in having different amounts of throw of the elevator halves per same transmitter stick input. Not good!
My solution will be to make a servo cut out at same height as on other side of fuselage. Will require reversing one servo with radio using separate channels on the elevator servos or a reversing servo extension if using a y harness.
A little extra work but overall still a nice looking well built airplane.

Wild Willy

My Feedback: (4)

Left side use servo arm on top. Right side use servo arm on bottom. Should equal out that way. My first one was tail heavy. The second one I moved the servos under canopy and moved throttle servo up front. Used 1/4 scale nyrod. Using DLE20 for power,no control problems. Second one ended up 1# lighter. Good flyer.

Boboeing

Using long servo arms would equal out the angles but I like to use relatively short arms on the servos to increase leverage and control surface precision. Lightens servo work load and current draw.
One pound lighter is quite significant. I think that the most recent air frames from Phoenix have been lightened. Structure towards back of fuselage has been modified with many lightening holes here and there.
If I find that I need to lighten the tail I'll use mini digital servos on elevators. 90 oz inches of torque on each elevator half should be sufficient and will lighten tail by 2 oz. Also plan to move rudder servo up to behind the wing tube and go pull pull. Total weight off tail about 4 oz.

Wild Willy

My Feedback: (4)

With all servos in stock location, I had to add 16oz to the nose to balance. Good luck with the build, it is a good flyer but not a 3d plane.

fireynz

My Feedback: (2)

I am installing the DLE 20 RA in my phoenix.
Can someone give the dimensions from firewall to prop hub as I am going to use the Seaplanes aluminium plate and standoffs to mount engine.

Also I saw some cut-outs of the firewall to accommodate the carb.
Is this necessary?

Boboeing

5 and 3/4 inches from firewall to front of prop hub.

fireynz

My Feedback: (2)

fireynz

My Feedback: (2)

Sonny_T

Bought one of these over the winter before I realized its been out for several years. Its my first real aerobatic type plane. Been flying electric warbirds (FMS 1500mm P47, 1700mm FMS P51, several 1200mms, and various gliders for a few years now). Anyway, equipped it with a Rimfire 1.20, Xoar 15x10 prop, Hitec HS5645mg servos, 6s-5500mah packs. It flies pretty good and has nearly unlimited vertical, but Im not the best with a flat symmetrical wing type plane yet. I did have to add 8 ounces of lead to get it cg happy, but it still seems like it a hard plane to get to fly straight long enough to really get it trimmed out. I do use an Eagle Tree Guardian in it for those "oh ****" moments when Im not in self leveling mode. I dont suppose anyone has an extra set of carbon fiber landing gear they arent using that they would like to sell? My landings are ok with the Guardian (makes me look better than I actually am), but can tell the aluminum gear wont take too may rough landings.

bizjetplt

My Feedback: (14)

Just picked up one of these on a trade and am planning to go electric with an eFlite Power 160 on 10s, 4000 mah because I have all the equipment laying around. Anyone gone that big on this little bird?

jstern429

Did a similar setup on a older Hanger 9 Showtime 4D 90 and it had tons of power and flew great. The problem you are going to have is prop clearance. I put taller gear on the Showtime so I could get a 18-19" prop to get the power needed. With the DLE 20 setup in the Edge I am running a 17 prop and you wont get the power needed with that setup on that size prop.

Bad Tooth

My Feedback: (10)

Hey guys, I've been working on my plane and I'm wondering if any of you could post pictures of your pull-pull setup?

lvflyer20

Is anyone familiar with this plane and/or the NEWER, UPGRADED version of it?

Bad Tooth

My Feedback: (10)

I'm familiar with the plane, its one of my favorite to fly right now. I have had mine for about 3 years so I don't know anything about the upgraded version. I'm flying mine with a VVRC 26cc. What do you want to know about it?

michaelr1

May I ask where can I find some CF landing gear like what you used?