ahicks

My Feedback: (2)

This is kinda what I've been saying for a while now. I know mine's back aways as well. Forget the specifics, but mine is back an maybe inch from suggested?

What I do know is that with the CG back like this, it's about as docile on short final and flare as a 40 size trainer? Landing gear abuse, once so frequent (due to high speed landings and stalling/dropping in from 3'), is a thought of the past any more.

UNLESS.... you're screwing around, horsing it up off the ground while taking off downwind..... and your engine suddenly gets much quieter than it's been.... at about 10' altitude with the nose pointing straight up. There's no way on God's earth you'll save yourself from stupidity like that. I sure didn't.

Yup, it landed right on it's beak! Surprising the little damage though. The prop didn't even break! The bottom of the cowl, engine, and Pitts exhaust likely took the brunt of it. Popped the cowl back out, not as pretty, but still servicable. Scrapped all the sod out of the cylinder and head fins, no damage there. Firewall pulled loose up at the top, in the very difficult to reinforce radiused area, but that wasn't that bad to repair, and that was it! No other damage! This is one sturdy bugger! I've had much worse happen on smaller airframes after such stupidity.....

There. I've confessed. Feel much better now.....
-Al

redbiscuits

My Feedback: (6)

5 11/16 back from the leading edge.
I think my wife needs some new x-mas theme oven mits. I got turkey juice all over the last ones.[sm=thumbup.gif]
Red.

capitalB

My Feedback: (36)

Nobody is even close on the C.G.....Check out these bad-boys,kinda match the covering on the plane!!!! Oh, and SBrian,electricity is for toasters and ignition systems...[sm=bananahead.gif]

ohnoucdat

My Feedback: (16)

You left out park Flyers, at least its not an electrified war bird

SBrian

You guys have electric issues![X(] The electric GSS has a climb rate 3000FPM, fly a 100MPH with a change of a prop and cook your toast!

Charlie P.

May be. I'm lookling back through recents posts in this thread and thinking: "Nice gasser. Nice gasser. Big park flyer. Nice gasser."

SBrian

But I look at it another way... Nice Unreliable Gasser, Nice Unreliable Gasser, Nice Reliable Electric, Nice Unreliable Gasser... If you look back through the forum my Super Sport had a Moki gasser on it, till I got tired of screwing with it![&:] I will miss the roar of the engine, but I can always add a sound processor and amp for that real Pratt & Whitty 12 cyliner sound under the hood.

And yes I can fly in a park, if it has enough space as well as fly on Sunday mornings.

I just go my new motor in today. It's a beast! send photo later.

capitalB

My Feedback: (36)

"Can't we all just get-a-long"I thinking of trying to fly mine with a 40' wound-up rubber-band.it has a big enough fuselage.I expect flight times of up to 10min.

ScottMcM

My Feedback: (66)

I installed a Skywriter smoke system on my GSS/G38 the other day. Can't wait to try it out

redbiscuits

My Feedback: (6)

I'm here because I like the plane, doesn't really matter to me what is hauling it around.
As for going electric, it's not for me. The cost of $100.00 for each battery and $100.00 for a speed controller and another $250.00 for a motor just doesn't appeal to me. Doesn't make it wrong, just not for me. Not to mention when I start reading about amps and watts and power draw it make my mind turn to mush![sm=spinnyeyes.gif]
I applaud you for going green though SBrian.[sm=thumbup.gif] Good Job!
Now everyone, a big group hug!
Red.

SBrian

Rubber Bands! Next time...

frenchie79

Now everyone, a big group hug!
Red.
[/quote]


I feel Icky-

ahicks

My Feedback: (2)

EEeeeewwwww!

Can I just go fly?

SBrian

I had some time to fly yesterday and test the new motor with a 20x15 prop. Wow! It does not take long to get from one end of the field to the other. The watt meter shows 3358 Watts which convert to 4.5hp as a reference.

Have a great weekend guys

Steve.

frenchie79

You missed a major benefit to electric-No Breakin before you poor the coals to the motor.

How fast do you think it was going.

SBrian

Not sure, because it has been fairly windy here in the North East, but a good guess probably puts the SS between 75 and 80 MPH. Vertical is unlimited and you can lose sight within very short period of time.

Weather is look pretty nice this weekend, looks I'll get a chance to ring out the SS and get some hard numbers.

Take care,

Charlie P.

Finally got a handful of flights in. Splendid sports plane. Still breaking in the engine so I didn't open her up but didn't have to. Does loops, level rolls and hammerheads on half-throttle and below just fine. Lands beautifully. Didn't need a single click of trim and flew straight and level hands-off. This is a keeper.

And there was a second one at the field, no less!

Glow engine - OS FS200 4-stroke. Also flew well but at about the same speed as mine at half-throttle.

SBrian

Nice Plane

ahicks

My Feedback: (2)

and on conventional gear no less.....

Congrats on the maiden Charlie! Should be fun comparing notes with the glow guy, and maybe a little pylon racing action? Just don't loose track of which one is yours!

Charlie P.

We discussed the gear and decided the only plus of losing the nice, wide stance was for the convenience of having the fuse sit on it's own with the wings dismounted . . . but you still needed a cradle or helper to attach them. If you are of the kind who uses wing sleeves for transport the gear would be better on the fuselage.

We did notice a danger in flying together as the only difference is I have "N" numbers and decals - but past 100 yards or so they're pretty indistinguishable. The sound helps: I could cut or juice the throttle and tell immediately which was mine. ;-) The rest of the time it's the 'ol warbird trick . . . "I'll take high and you stay low." I was also surprised how much difference that little bit of canopy tape makes in the overall looks on the ground.

SBrian

Nice job Charlie, glad to hear that the gremlins did not interfere with the maiden flight. BTW Where did your cg end up, and what was the reason for moving it back? I must of missed this in the forum...

Charlie P.

I'm balanced up right at the 5-1/4" the manual recommends. In fact, when I was far into a flight (without having refueled - oops - see what happens when you get talking to other pilots and have multiple planes at the field - I was alternating with my Saratoga 40) and I did a half-roll on a 45° upline and released the sticks and she nosed up. That is an indicator of a tail heavy C.G. point. Just after that the engine perked up in a level pass. I had been running a slobbery high/rich setting as I'm still breaking it in and I figured I was sucking air bubbles at that point and quickly landed - sure enough I was. Over 20 minutes on one tank at that point. Since I was almost dry by then it tells me I'm pretty close to where I want to be balance wise. She also slows nicely and sits with a lovely three-point with just a bit of float.

Until I get the engine broken in I'll probably leave the C.G. at that 5.25" point. I did not try a flat spin and only some half-hearted attempts at knife edge (she pulls to the wheels). I also settled on the high rates per the manual as "comfortable" and I have just a hair more aileron than they recommend. I was only working 20% exponential and it really doesn't need even that. She's just a big sweetheart of a sport flyer and that's exactly what I was hoping for. I'm going to start weaning her of the oil mix down to about 40:1 and then we'll see what the top-end is like.

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

Charlie,

Sounds like your maiden flight was a complete success!

As for the CG, I originally had mine at the 5 1/4" mark with the Fuji 34, along with about 5 oz. of lead under the tail. When I swapped out the Fuji and installed the DLE-30, I not only had to remove the lead in the tail, I also had to add about a pound of lead in the nose (even with the inverted Pitts-Style muffler). That Fuji sure was heavy, about 440 grams heavier than the DLE-30. But the DLE sure out-performs the Fuji!!

But even with this weight in the nose, my GSS balances right in-between the 5 1/4" and 6 1/4" CG locations, without fuel. That also seems to help with slowing down the landing approach speed a little, resulting in a little less float down the runway. She still does what I like to call "lazy-Sunday aerobatics," along with nice touch-and-goes. It's not too touchy on any of the controls.

frenchie79

A friend of mine was kind enough to let me breakin his Fuji 34 EI the last couple nights on my test bench. He knows I love engines and I wanted to see what this thing would do comparing it to my 32EI, and comments made on this forum.
I was nicely surprised that it fired up with just a touch of the starter. My goal was to run a 1/2 gal through it on the bench using 32 to1 Lawn Boy mineral based oil-rich the first 20 minutes, then set it for a slightly rich finish.
I finished with the 1/2 Gallon last night. Using a 18x8 Zinger I got 7200-7250 for RPM which is about 300 down from peak. This is not bad at all for a fresh engine especially a tight engine like this. Idle was perfect and could tick it over a 1500 but 1800-1900 is where it needs to be-Maybe even 2000. Transition great. I'm going to run it tonight with 40 to 1 Redline Synth. and set the needles about 200rpm or so rich of peak for the balance of inflight breakin. I'm guessing with the Redline oil I may get another 100 to 200 RPM. I'll also try a Zoar 18x10 which will be used for flight and hope to pull at least 7000. That would be good for this engine and perfect for the Sportster.
So much fun-I can't stand it-either can my Neighbors.

Charlie P.

I've getting 6,800 rpm with an 18 x 10 Xoar on my still sloppy-rich high needle setting and a 32:1 mix with my BT-34B. Should be able to get to 7,000 rpm eventually. I can idle long-term at 1,800 and have an low-down switch set on my tx for a 1,650 rpm point that's good for a minute. That should also improve a bit with the 1:40 I'll end up at once broken-in. The magneto models also have a bit of a flywheel effect that allows a temporary lower idle in my limited gas experience but not enough to compete with the electronic ignition/timing module.