CougarRules

Hi all i am putting together skymax 40, that i got of a friend but it dosen't have no instruction manual or control rods, Can anyone tell me where the CG should be and how best to make the rods or use snakes? Any experience of the model anyone??

Thanks in advance Lee.

P.S I'm gonna put a ST45 in it that i have spare i think this will be a good combo

P.S.S Whats the best throws to start of with?

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

I don't konw what your level is, nor what the SkyMax 40 is. But, I am familiar with 'snake' controls, such as the Sullivan rods. I use them either exclusively or in a mix with rods in my planes. I recently built a Midwest Aerobat. The rudder control rod had a bind no matter what I tried to do to remove it. The main reason for that was where the exit hole was in the fuselage and where the rudder control horn was located... both were very close to each other so there was not a lot of room for moving the control out or in on the control horn (for mechanical throw adjustments). I opted for using the Sullivan rod for the rudder but was able to keep the stock rods for the elevator.

The only issue with using these sort of rods (Sullivans) is that you must secure the outter casing in several locations to keep them from bending from the torque. If you do that, they perform, and perform very well, with the added plus that they are "slippery" inside the casing allowing for you to go around obstructions and still have them move as though they were totally free and straight.

Sullivan makes several types including a carbon fiber version which is very strong.

DS.

CougarRules

Cheers Dick, i would class myself as quite an experienced flyer but useless at building with next to no experience. I would think it would be quite hard to secure the snake outers because the fuselage is already built and covered as it's an artf. The model is classed as an low wing trainer and i brought it as a nice relaxing flyer that i can chuck around a bit . Heres a pic of the model it is on the www.ripmax.com website aswell.

Cheers Lee.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

My Tiger 60 fuse is somewhat square (not round that is) and is built up with plywood. It has large 'holes' in the bottom and sides as part of the fuse framing. It is flat along the bottom so I was able to remove the covering along the bottom, then do the work with the Sullivans then recover. Fortunately, Goldberg told me that the covering was an Ultracoat color that was available at my local hobby store so the recovering job looked like it had been done as part of the ARF, ie.. it did not show. Besides, I did it on the bottom so it would not be viewed normally by people looking at the plane while it was sitting on the ground, so an exact match would make no real difference except that I knew it was done (you know what I mean, I'm sure).

This all works if the bottom is constructed that way and if it is all one color. If not all one color then it will be harder to match up the covering as if it were original.

Best of luck with however you decide to do your control rod installation.

On a slightly different note, I bought a Ripmax Rapier a few years ago. I was at the Wings and Wheels Extravanza at the North Wield airport near Harlow (north of London). It was a two day event. Ripmax had several Rapiers (like about 20 of them), all set up on different frequencies. They flew 8 of them in formation on the Saturday of the event then all 20 of them on the Sunday of the event. What a show that was.

Anyway, I bought one, put in an OS50AX and it flys just wonderfully! I was shocked at the ease of flight for this real pretty looking aircraft. We clocked it using a police radar unit.. did 121.5 miles per hour. One of the guys said, "I'm sure we can get it up to about 140 if we change the prop". Well, 121.5 was fast enough for me!!! ha..

While over in the UK a couple summers ago, I had a Prangster with an Evo 40 and flew it with the club at Harlow.

Just wanted to relate that to you because you are flying a Ripmax aircraft, by the way, that one you are flying is a nice looking airplane!

DS

CougarRules

Thanks Dick,

I will have a better look when i get home from work and see what i can do as a last resort if i get stuck ill take it around my old instructors house and see what he suggests.

The wings and wheels days are good days out especially if the weather is nice cant always be guaranted over here though

If no one has this model i know there is a way to work out where the CG should be can anyone remind me of the formula.

Thanks Lee.

CougarRules

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