mbrennan1

I just ordered my first Bipe. After much research, I chose the Sundancer 50 ARF. A little costly, but I hope it will be worth it. My next job is to pick out the proper engine. Anyone have some suggestion?? My research shows a large variety of engines used, OS 46 all the way to Saito 91. I am looking for sufficient power, but at a descent price. All my current planes(all 8) are powered by OS and Saito with no disappointments. Also, any building tips or known problems?

ILIKETODOITRIGHT

CustomPC

If you like 2-strokes, then the OS .55AX would be my pick.

If you like 4 Strokes, then the Saito .82 would be hard to beat.

Although OS just released a new .81 4-stroke that i would probably buy for curiousity's sake. It's in the shops here in Australia already but i believe it hasn't landed in the US yet.

ghost-RCU

My Feedback: (10)

I have an OS 70 Surpass on mine. Its plenty of power for this plane & balanced perfectly without adding any weight. Bend the tail wheel towards the fuse a bit, helps the nosing over tendency. You still need to hold up elevator when taxing though. I don't know what type of covering they use on this plane but I've had to use the iron on it several times because the covering keeps coming loose. Its a very nice flying plane with no bad habits. Get the red/orange version Its easier to see on a cloudy day.

mbrennan1

Thanks guys!!!! My only concen is verticle climb ability and hovering. Will the OS 70 or the OS 55 have enough power for this?? They are both great engines. I have them in 2 of my other planes. What size prop would you recomend? I did not know about OS's new 81 engine. I will have to look for it. And yes, I ordered the yellow and orange version.
Just looked at the Tower Hobbies Web site. They discontinued the OS 70 Surpass! I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY.
One more thought, is there enough room in the cowling for the Saito 82 without a lot of cutting??

ghost-RCU

My Feedback: (10)

Saito 82 is a nice running powerhouse & will fit fine in the cowl. I don't know about hovering this plane never tried to but it feels quite heavy to me.

Kruzer

This one won't finish until in the new year but I thought I'd share what I have done so far. It will get a screaming 2C, best way to make a bipe "seem" fast. Thinking about .55 AX but not decided yet. Anyone looking for a small bipe.. this is your ticket, great looking little ARF.
Sorry pics waaay too big! Have to net size them first. will try again.

mbrennan1

I think that I will use the Saito 82. I have one in my pattern plane and I love it. Once I broke her in and set low end, I have never had to touch it. I have a OS 55ax in my FourStar. It is a great engine, but doesn't come close to the Saito 82, but the Saito does cost about 100 bucks more!!

NorfolkSouthern

I have a 55 AX, I was attracted to its appearance. The trouble is, I really don't have anything to put it in, except for perhaps my Slow Poke. The question is: Will this engine swing a big prop, at low RPMs with enough torque to pull a barge like the one I'm thinking about mounting it on? My Slow Poke has a short takeoff roll, but requires at least 50% throttle to stay up with the 46 AX it currently uses. It's comfortable at 60%. I'm just afraid that a smaller engine won't bail it out of trouble in a stall (and it WILL stall, without enough airspeed). A 12" prop will still give plenty of ground clearance, from the observations I've had with the current Master Airscrew 10-6. I'd like a Sundancer, but the price is slightly out of my range for now.

NorfolkSouthern

mbrennan1

I had a 46ax with an 11x6 apc, in a Sig FourStar. It flew the plane nice, but really struggled on climbs and power maneuvers. I then installed a 55ax, with a 12x7 apc, and could not believe the difference!!!! Not endless, but great vertical climbs, and can handle almost anything. Handles great in the wind. The 55ax is a great engine.

CustomPC

If you don't mind ordering from Japan, Enya have a .61 that's the same physical size and weight as most .46 size two strokes. It's designed for torque and spins larger props around the 10-11k mark.

Kruzer

Still trying to decide which engine..... Hmmm.. a .61..... (NAUGHTY THOUGHTS)[>:] LOLOL That would really make my Sundancer rock! I've started dressing it up a bit. Here are a couple pics. Question is just how much engine can this cutie-pie take?

mbrennan1

Looks Great!!!!! It's amazing what a little extra work can produce. I ended up buying a Saito 82 for this project. The 82 is about 6.5 ounces lighter. Tell me more about what you did with the dress-up.

mbrennan1

Lighter than the .61

Kruzer

Thanks MBRENNAN1. Tried this before and it worked well if you treat the ends with a little touch of epoxy and the surface is squeaky clean. What looks like black in the picture is really 1/4" chrome all compliments Auto Zone heheheh. I have a Saito .82 but I want to use it on a pattern plane I just ordered. I also think I want to hear a 2 stroke screaming when this baby blows by. So... a .61 or a .55... can't decide yet. I have a K & B .65 Sportster brand new but I dunno if that is the motor for this plane. Maybe even a pipe? Not decided yet. You know?.... even a .75 AX is posssible here! The .55AX is not much more powerful than the .46AX but it is 3 ounces lighter.

octanehuffer

I built a Sundancer for a friend with a YS 63. The covering is terrible, but manageable. It was nice to have the instructions include a template for the cowl cut outs. All I had to do was trace them on the cowl and cut. Throw away the spinner that comes with the kit and buy a quality 3-D cut one. The last two Sig kits I put together had these spinners in them and have failed. The back plate on the Sundancer came apart and chewed up the fiber glass pretty bad. Dry weight on the plane was 5.875 lbs.
Adam

jrknox

You guys may be interested to know that the Sundancer 50 does just as well with electric power. I use an AXI 4120/18 motor rated at about 1000 watts (more than a horsepower) with a lithium polymer battery (TP4500 5s1p) which weighs 20 oz. Total AUW is about 6 lbs. A 14 x 6 prop gives very good speed and maneuvers.

Kruzer

JRKNOX..sorry buddy, not knocking it, I fly electrics too, but nothing and I mean nothing beats that burnt fuel/castor smell!! It's a fix I just gotta have. LMBO
Here's where the Sundancer's at. I used 2 3/4" wheels. They barely clear the pants by about 1mm to roll freely and will definitely be an improvement on the grass. I ordered the .55 AX today with a side mounted Pitts muffler.

Kruzer

A little progress. The fuel tank is the same shape as my Mayhem but it is rotated 90 degrees... I don't know what Sig was thinking. The curve should be down so you get the last of the fuel centered in the tank for as long a flight as possible, go figure. Anyway I made my own little retainer for the tank and here it is. The engine mounting holes have been drilled using a 46AX as a template for the 55.

Kruzer

Merry Christmas everybody!
Very quiet in here. With the OS 55AX side mounted I have a problem with my tank height.

Kruzer

Looks like this thread has gone to sleep, I'll post the finish anyway.
Weight-6 lbs. CG was on the mark, no weight added using OS 55AX with a 12x6 prop to start. Had to do some markings on the bottom for easy differentiation. We'll see how the maiden goes.
Not as difficult a build as you would think. Wing alignment was a breeze thank God.
The covering material quality is below Sig standard, I've put the iron on it twice already for loose corners and edges.
I think she's Georgeous! "Muy Caliente" !!

Kruzer

A buddy took some really nice photos of the maiden and posted them here.
http://rcpix.fotopic.net/c1460910.html
Because of the tank height I will need a pump but all else went very well.


Fly a lot[8D]

NorfolkSouthern

Glad to see that it worked out, Kruzer. From the photos, it looks like you're handling it very well. Which means, I may consider one of these. Meanwhile, I decided on a Hangar-9 Tango to mount the 55 AX on. I'm hoping it'll get me used to planes with high responsiveness, and then perhaps I can transition to a bipe when I build enough confidence.

NorfolkSouthern

Kruzer

Norfolk Southern,
Thanks buddy. It was also well received at the field. A fellow modeler actually kissed the cowl, he liked it so much- LOL
The plane handled reasonable well. I will have to make a few trim adjustments and an aileron rudder mix seems necessary but for a bipe the maiden went well.

I liked the look of the Tango but saw a couple negative reviews. I also just finished a Showtime .50 and was disappointed with the quality of the covering job. I think H9 quality has taken a bit of a dive. They're building cross-breed E/glow airframes and I am not sure I like that. I prefer one or the other. While this S-time felt fairly nimble with a Saito .82 it bounced around a little whereas a slightly heavier plane (Venus .40) was a lot more stable in the same conditions. Just my 2 cents worth. If you're looking for a 40 or 60 sized 3D plane check out the thread on the Mayhem .40 and Mayhem 3D. I'd say Sig has it down pat.

ABORH

After a year of just looking at the Sundancer after building it, I got the courage to fly it. I fly off of a grass field and it is a bit bumpy. The plane wants to nose over unless one uses the elevator on high rates to keep the tail firmly planted. On the first take off attempt I let the elevator stick spring to neutral after leaving terra firma only it was trimmed with a bit too much down ... and the plane came down fast on its belly. All that happened was to bend the landing gear (almost flat)! Nothing broken! I re-trimmed it on the ground and put some expo in. The next flight went like a breeze .... except one of the screws came loose that holds the landing gear on and the landing gear was askew. So after flying for about 15 minutes, I landed in soy beans. Again no damage. The next day I flew the plane and really like it. It is very stabile, easy to land (except for nosing over) and it does great general aerobatics. I found no restrictions climbing straight up either. It just seemed to go. The YS 63 turns 12,000 rpm with a 13 x 4 W prop which helps the plane slow down too. I have had NO problems with this engine and run it on 15% with castor. If you like biplanes and have the room to transport it assembled, this is great plane!

WMB

My Feedback: (1)

Remove the 12x7 and put an 11x5 apc on, then hang on. It will be fast, go up untill out of sight or radio range, and go up fast!

I put the 55 on my 4*40. Started with the 11x5, tried a 12x5 zinger. Plane had noticably less verticle performance and slightly less speed. Let that baby spin up into its power band!

No highjack intended. We will now join our regularly planned broadcasting.

This does look like a fun plane!