Firewalkerd1

My Feedback: (1)

Found one at my LHS. I thought I would try this for my second plane. Cheep enough if I don't get a brain F!@#. Any pros-cons would be appreciated. Sure is building fast. Don't really care for the MM screws planning on changing what I can. First plane I have seen that the tail feathers is held on with screws (and glue). Looks like the main Gear is a little straight down may need to be a little forward. How about a good engine size? Again need comments.

BobbyGee

My Feedback: (3)

I had one and loved it. Pranged it unfortunately. Dumb thumbs.

I flew mine with an Evolution 40 and it was a fun flying plane. Another fellow at the field flies one with a 46 and it really brings it more alive. Fast. Very fast.

Don't worry about angling the gear, it's fine. It's also weak but no need to fix it until it breaks, and it probably will. A rough landing or two will probably pop a mounting block. At that time go in and repair it and beef it up.

If you've got some flying experience, go with a 46. If it's your fist step up from a trainer, a 40 will be plenty to get you into sport flying without going too fast for comfort.

Be sure to balance it laterally, too. It's built light and I found that it wanted a couple of 1/4 oz. squares out on one wingtip to offset the weight of the muffler. Balance it laterally and at stall it just noses down with no tendency to drop a wing. I really enjoyed mine. It's a great second plane.

Hope you get lots of good, fun flights with yours.

Oh - also add some stripes to the underside of the wings. The plain white gets lost very easily against the sky. I added some yellow to the upper surface as well out around the wingtips and some red on the top of the fuselage. The gray basket weave blends in very nicely with the sky, too. The color scheme is the one thing I wish World Models would re-do.

Cheers!!!

BobbyG

will1836

I have been flying the Mach II for about 10 months now. The one I am flying now is my second one, the first one had so many flights on it I just wore it out. I am running a OS 46AX in it and it's plenty of power for this plane. I changed the landing gear from the wire ones that came with it to aluminum that are wider. The wire ones are too narrow for me. Also the covering is hard to see on cloudy days, so on the top of the wing I have 4 inch wide orange stripes at the wing tips. On the bottom of the wing I have black 4 inch strips at the wing tips and 4 inches in another 4 inch stripe. The plane is very easy to see now. One other thing I did is epoxy the tail feathers in. I hope this plane serves you as well as it has me.

Backwing

My Feedback: (3)

Yep, excellent plane. Had an OS 46 LA on mine, and found a 10x7 prop was a perfect match. Now I upgraded to an Evolution 46.
I totally re-did mine with a turtle deck, canopy, covering and new gear. I did use the screws but also added a little epoxy.
It is light, and doesn't like too much wind.
Have fun with it.

tIANci

Nice to fly and cheap too ... I did not like mine as it was way to light for me. As a second plane I will say YES ... but try the WM Mentor, its a lot more fun to fly, rather much more stable. If you think you are really good then go for the WM SS40. It comes in landing hot ONLY if you do not flare her.

2strokes

My Feedback: (1)

EASY to overpower this plane but it's a real good flyer when the CG and everything is dialed in. Running a O.S. 50 ringed on mine right now and it's SCARY FAST An O.S. FX .46 & 11/7 combo will hold it on the prop as long as the fuel holds out if that tells you anything .. this bird fly's like it's weightless.
The stock LG kinda stinks but greased landings are easy to get, unless you're on a rough grass field the LG should hold up o.k.
Have not had any problems associated with the mm screws or the tail feathers after 20 or so flights but I'm keeping a close watch on everything. The Mach II is a blast to fly, it's a true hot rod dressed in sheeps clothing and for the money ... hard to beat the FUN factor.
If this is truly your 2nd. plane I highly recommend powering it with a .40 unless you can use plenty of throttle control, it will still be faster than most low wings in it's class even with a .40
One of club members flys a Easy Sport 40 MKII with a AX .46 on it. It's fast and fly's great but .... the Mach II with a .40 will flat out run it in a straight line. Of course the Easy Sport weighs a tad bit more though.
Several of these birds are showing up at our club field lately and everyone seems to really enjoy them.
Enjoy... and fly it like you stole it.

LeeHop

I'm building a Mach II - about ready to fly.

How exactly do you beef up the landing gear on this plane?

Tnx - LeeH

2strokes

My Feedback: (1)

I used an aluminum GP set-up along with 3" dubro tires, just made a few measurements and drilled the holes. Had the extra parts on hand, worked out great.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXKJY4&P=7

BobbyGee

My Feedback: (3)

Fly it and don't mess with it until it gets dinged. It's fine until something bumps it and it pops. In my case it was brushing the top of 2 foot tall grass at the end of the runway on one approach. I noticed after it stopped that one wing was low. That encounter with the grass was enough to pop one of the mounting blocks for the wire gear and it was out of it's mount.

What I did was to get a piece of 3/8" basswood and replace some of the sheeting on the belly front of the wing with it. Use yellow carpenter's glue, a.k.a. TiteBond, generic name is aliphatic resin. I just find it works better than epoxy because it doesn't go brittle over time.

I got some bent aluminum landing gear and tossed the stock gear. I put blind nuts on the basswood and then used nylon bolts to screw the new gear on after the basswood was in place. Worked great.

BobbyG

Ed_Moorman

My Feedback: (1)

Lots of bang for the buck. There are several at my field, most with a TT .42GP, but a few with .46's. The .42 makes it a nice flying second airplane. With a .46 it's fast and will do anything. You'll enjoy this airplane.

I made a twin fuselage out of 2 kits and spent less than a single twin kit. I'm using 2 OS .46AX's and get tons of vertical. I did replace the gear with 3/16 wire since the twin is heavier and tends to bend 5/32 wire gear. No trouble with the mounts.

2strokes

My Feedback: (1)

Ed,
I read many a post about this bird you built. I would love to see this one fly in person, job well done to say the least
Do you have any video on it ?
Thanks
2strokes

LeeHop

Hi, all -

I just finisned balancing my Sky Raider II - it took 8.5 oz in front and 1/4 oz on the right wingtip. Total weight (digital bathroom scale - probably good to .5 lb) was 5.0 lb - that's what it's supposed to be.

No easy choices in moving the battery - forward of the batt is the fuel tank compartment. There might be room but I'd have to remove part of the compartment to try that. Too much trouble. I have an OS.40 on it now and an OS.46 in reserve if the .40's not enough. Taxi tests and a possible flight tomorrow if weather cooperates

-LeeH

BobbyGee

My Feedback: (3)

I have a feeling you're in for a really good time. My first flight with mine was an absolute treat!

Let us know how it goes.

BobbyG

jgraham10

My Feedback: (3)

Lee,
Go ahead and take off the 40 and put the 46 on it you will like the way it flies with the larger engine.
Plus you might be able to get rid of a little of that weight in front.
Another thing to look at is putting a solid spinner on the front of the engine shaft. Dubro makes them
and they way a ounce or two which being up in the very front might also help take off another couple of
oz's too.
John

LeeHop

Hi, guys - flew the Sky Raider today. Got it up, more-or-less trimmed and down in a crosswind without hurting it. Whew!

Had to add some trim to right aileron and down elevator but nothing extreme.

Couldn't taxi it without adding more rudder - I think the control throws in the manual are a little conservative. Will probably add more aileron as well - manual calls for only 6mm.

Didn't try anything acrobatic - too scared! Was running the OS.40 pretty rich - will lean it out and can always fall back on the .46.

Cheers - LeeH

valentrd

I have been flying this plane now for a few months. also put an OSmax 46.

The plane will go verticle like no ones business then land so smoothly. you can't go wrong with this plane.
One of the best cheaper ones on the market to really have fun with, especially in crosswinds like we have at Rcworld where I fly.

fmulder

Have flown both the Mach I and the II, the II is a bit less trainer ish. Flew both with an evo 46 and 10x6 and 10x7 props. Decent little planes, great price though. Will move fast when level, and it will do rolls and loops. The mach II is still alive and flying in New Mexico now. And it survived the usually dents and dings, wing scrapes, etc.. I have since bought a Hanger 9 Twister 40, yet to be flown.

P-51B

My Feedback: (5)

Well, I got to witness one shortfall...or in this cas long fall...

A member at one of my clubs was flying a mach II this weekend with an OS 46 FX on it. He initiated a high speed snap roll. Just as several of us made comments like "we don't need wings on our airplanes", he initiated another high speed snap...and you guessed it, the wing snapped in two. Half of it fluttered down on its own, while the rest stayed attached to the fuse in the lawn dart impersantion which followed.

Examination of the parts afterwards revealed that the joiner passes through the root rib into a short pocket which ends at the end of the joiner. Essentially, the joiner/spar does not even make it to the next rib which is about half a bay away, and the only spar is the joiner. The failure was in the wood that the joiner mounts into, as the joiner was not broken.

To be fair, he had done a number of snaps since owning this plane, but I don't know if the rest were high speed like these two.

Still, a fun plane for the bucks though

valentrd

Wow, thats good info to know, thanks

I am recovering my plane this week, I think i will go in to the wings and double check everything and if needed, reinforce or glue the joints

P-40LUVR

One of mine did the EXACT same thing..snap roll into a 25 knot wind though..bought another too,can't beat the plane for the price..just won't put the wings under so much stress.

Top Thumbs

Bend a new one from 5/32 piano wire, put a servo in each wing, and GAP Seal the alierons, glue each joint you can get to in the fuse with thin CA, and use 30 minute or longer epoxy on the wing and wing joiner..

E-Mo

My Feedback: (12)

if you run a .46 o.s. ax

get a tower 46 pipe for it

seal the hinge gaps

11x7 apc

and you will have the fastest low wing trainer at the field

Top Thumbs

Or you can do like I did, put a Jett .46 on it and run it stock out of the box..

There is nothing like cubic inches,, and turning 16300 rpm..

steinericj

I have had one for about a year now. Flys very well. I am running an old OS 40LA in it and have more than enough power. I installed large servo arms on it to get max throw on all control surfaces. Since the rudder is so small it doesn't like to knife edge. I am planning to enlarge the rudder this winter to improve knife edge. The plane is very light so it does get bounced around in the wind which can be expected. A few weeks ago I had a mid air with a helicopter rotor which destroyed the wing tip. The plane keep flying like nothing happened. It was an easy fix and is back flying again. The color scheme does tend to disappear in the sky especially on cloudy days. I see WM change the back end color scheme to help correct this problem. I added a red checker board to the bottom of the wing to increase visibility. I fly it off the snow in winter with Dubro skis. You can't beat this plane for the price. This would be a nice plane to convert to electric because it is so light weight.

Have fun.. ..

Firewalkerd1

My Feedback: (1)

Just finishes my Mach II this weekend. My plane turned out to be extremely tail heavy. I put a OS LA 46 on the front and didn't change anything but the hold down bolts to nylon. One of the T-nuts was hard to start. Didn't think in time to move the battery under the tank. Tank all ready installed. As light as the plane is I wouldn't have though it would turned out tail heavy. Any other builders had this problem with their plane. Need suggestions. I have added about 5oz. to the nose just to test. Seems to make it about neutral. Need help!!!