Kregg

My Feedback: (45)

The big brown truck just dropped off 4 VERY large boxes at my home. The wife called me at work to tell me about the delivery and she asked if I was changing hobbies to the full scale aircraft that we can all ride in. He He He.... I guess the boxes are pretty large.

I'm a experienced giant scale builder, but this will be my first Carden. I'm really looking forward to the build. From what I have read and seen, it should be a pretty straight forward build. All of the sheeted foam construction makes a nice firm finish and I like that. My 35% Pitts 12 is very fragile and a pain to pick-up because of all the stringers and open bay areas.

Is anyone interested in following along with me on a RCU build thread that would just hit the highlights of my build? I would benefit from experienced Carden builders checking in on me every now and again. I'm sure I will need some pointers and the thread will motivate me to keep the process going. Others that have never built a Carden could also look in and see that it is not as hard to build a Carden as everyone thinks. Personally, I appreciate my aircraft much more when I have actually built it. I own a large Composite-Arf Extra that I love, but there is something missing for me since I did not build it. I'm not slamming ARFs (I love my CA). There is just that feeling of pride that is missing for me.

If a few of you are game, I will go home and take some pictures showing what you get in this high quality kit.

v-snap

My Feedback: (18)

Picture away, build away, I am sure there will be many of compliments and suggestions (not all good) along the way. I for one will follow just for the fun of it. As of now, I won't be building a Carden for some time.

wgeffon

My Feedback: (4)

Yeah. I'd like to see a build thread.
Post away.

The 260 is a great flying plane. I am sure you will love it.

jsm77777

My Feedback: (4)

I agree with you Kregg. I have a Comp-Arf SuperExtra 3.1, and I love it, but I still prefer to build. My new 40% Yak should show up next week. I will frame it up, and also finish up my 42% Edge 540 to give me 2 new planes for next year. I can't wait to start building either. Scott

v-snap

My Feedback: (18)

JSM77777 which Yak are you building?

jsm77777

My Feedback: (4)

AeroTechs 40% Yak 54. The 42% Edge 540 I'm building is from John also. I also have his 42% Velox kit. He makes nice kits. My Yak kit was supposed to ship today. I waited until John could send me the complete kit, without having to wait for items. I have a fellow club member building his Yak also. He got one sooner, but had to wait for his cowl and canopy. Now John seems to be getting his supplies from better vendors. Scott

as722

My Feedback: (1)

Kregg, I just got my Carden 260 a week ago and I can't wait to start building it. I'm currently building a Carden 40% 330 for a friend and will start on the 260 after that. I've built a lot of cardens so if you have any questions feel free.

Albert Santiago

vatechguy3

My Feedback: (11)

i would love to see a detailed build too!!

tony

T. Bob

My Feedback: (9)

Kregg
Build away you can never have to may building threads.
Now if someone could do one with a Aeroworks 39% Extra, I'm going to need help.
Good luck with the build and take lots of pics.

jmiracle

My Feedback: (9)

go for it! I always enjoy a good build thread on a nice kit. The ARF build threads are good....but nothing beats a good kit build IMO.

Supermod56

My Feedback: (36)

I like building Carden's also, just hate the covering part!! So I get my Buddy to do it!! A build thread would be cool. Not that hard, just a lotta work. They fly great, and Dennis and Caroline are good folks to deal with. You better stock up on sandpaper!!!!

Tom

Kregg

My Feedback: (45)

Excellent! I'm glad there is some interest. Like I said before, getting a few special Carden pointers along the way will be nice. I also have a good friend that lives just down the street with lots of Carden building experience. This is going to be a long thread that takes some time to complete. My only time table is to have her completed and flying before next years Joe Nall event. That sounds like a lot of time right now, but I'm sure it will slip away. The budget will also be a challenge, but do able as long as my Virtual Cockpits continue to sell.

I already have a DA 150, CF spinner and 3 blade prop, but I still need to purchase the tuned pipes. I think I want to go tuned over the KS cans. Any thoughts on that? I will need to make that decision soon, so I can start building the fuse. I also have a Powerbox that is being phased out in my slightly smaller 330L and some brand new Duralite 4000's just for this project. The rest will come with the build and the cash flow.

Last evening I cam home to my 4 year old son standing on one of the boxes! He might be even more excited about this project than me. I can honestly say, that due to the excellent packing job Dennis and Caroline do, I do not have any damaged parts. The following pix show the big boxes and the quality packing. I have already noticed several nice touches, that I'm not accustom to getting. The glass cowl is very nice quality with a precise built in lip for the split and it does not even need any major trimming to fit together. The canopy has a nice black marker outline for the general cutting area. No guess work there. Oh yea and lots of big foam! The size of the vertical stab alone is amazing.

PJFaller

Have fun with the build. There is no other kit on the market with the quality of Carden's kits. Wait until you lay the sheeting up. No sanding no gaps no nothing. Excellent quality wood, just be very careful about what you use and where you use it. There is no extra wood in that kit! Dennis is excellent source for build tips, and Ive built about 6 six of his kits if I can be of any help let me know. Enjoy the build, and take your time, you get it right and NOTHING in my opinion flies as well. Good Luck!!

Pete

Matt Merciez

My Feedback: (34)

Kregg,

Good luck on your build. If you need any dimensions or photographs of the finished plane, let me know and I will do as much as possible to help.

I am running the tunned pipes on my Carden 260. I am quite happy with how the plane turned out with the pipes but there are some obvious advantages and disadvantages to the tunned pipes.

Advantages:
Greater power than the cans
Sound great.

Disadvantages:
Cost significantly more than the cans
Weight is greater with the tunned pipes
Will force you to run your rudder servos on a pull-pull for CG concerns
Greater difficulty in building the fuse to support the tunned pipes

Supermod56

My Feedback: (36)

Most of the Carden's I have done had a pull-pull set up with a 150 with cans or pipes. Pipes are great power, great sound, but they usually don't have provisions for smoke (which you gotta have) But in my experience the Cans don't smoke that good anyway, they don't get hot enough. You can wrap them with race car header tape to hold the heat in. They are real quiet, and help the motor a little in the midrange usually. One thing I really like to use when sheeting the wings and tails is Polyurethane Glue, that is the best stuff for sheeting I have used yet. You should use contact cement on the rest of the sheeting to keep the weight down, I use Dave Brown's Sorghum or 3M Super 77 spray. Lotta foam there, isn't there?? Now that I am reading this, I might just have to build another one!!!!

Tom

Kregg

My Feedback: (45)

Thanks for everyones support and offers to follow along. The pipes or cans are still my biggest choice right now. Most Cardens I have seen use pull/pull for the rudder as well. That was my plan from the start, so that negative listed about the pipes is not a problem for me. The extra cash part can be overcome if the benefit is strong enough. I will not be doing smoke either. I will leave the smoke for the real show pilots and keep mine clean. I do not like the additional weight of the tuned pipes, but since I'm not doing smoke, it could be a wash. The building mods to the fuse I would like to understand better. The tuned pipes look longer. Do they extend deeper into the fuse than the cans? I just looked at the plans and if they are longer, they will extend through the engine box back plate. That sound structural.

Matt, I would love to see close up pix of yours showing the tuned pipe installation. Shoot it from every angle that there is something to see. That would be most appreciated and very helpful.

I just started building one of the fuse sides last evening. No problems there, just started feeling like my extra large work bench is getting very small. I'm putting off the sheeting for the glue selection. I will edge glue the sheeting with Titebond and sand both sides. Epoxy or poly? I was planning on going with the polyurethane, but will still edge glue the balsa. Supermods56, had a suggestion of using 3M Super 77 for all the sheeting except the wings and tail surfaces. That leaves all of the fuse foam pieces for the aggressive spray glue. I really like this idea, but would like to be reassured that this is a safe practice. Would this really save much weight?


Thx,
Kregg

Aerotech

Hello,

Just a suggestion. The 3M77 is a low Tack glue. In any sort of heat I have seen it delaminate off the foam. I would advise using a probond glue or 1 to 1 laminating epoxy you can get from and fiberglass supplier. You dont want you new plane to have possible problems.

Thanks

John

www.aerotech-rcmodels.com

Matt Merciez

My Feedback: (34)

Here you go Kregg. The box for the tuned pipes goes back to where the turtledeck starts.

Kregg

My Feedback: (45)

Thanks for the great pix Matt. Any chance I can see the exit holes on the bottom? Did your builder make the pipes removable? Perhaps they can simply slide out from the front fire wall? I wish we could look inside that box.

sTACY LLOYD

hello my name is stacy i have a carden 260 but i need a new canopy because my monokote stuck to it no way to get it off?
my is comeing along ok trying to keep it light im going to try for 36 1/2 pounds try to keep it simpile covering takes a long time for me no time
Iv hade this thing since april[>:] i have mtw cans for mine any in-put would greatly be apreasheated[img][/img]

sTACY LLOYD

trying to upload pic

Matt Merciez

My Feedback: (34)

Kregg,

The tuned pipes are easily removed by disconnecting the header from the motor. The header and tuned pipe simply slide out of the fuse.

vatechguy3

My Feedback: (11)

matt
looks like someone needs to clean their pipe exits after they fly!!!

by the way, if you're so concerned about nose weight, why not move the emcotec and receiver back and the rudder servo tray forward to the back of the motorbox???

tony

Kregg

My Feedback: (45)

Thanks for those pix Matt. Those are just what I needed.

Do you think your painted prop will hold up after extended usage? I have always wanted to paint one of mine. I'm sure its a Mejzlick or 3W. I guess the carbon fiber props don't flex very much, so maybe the painting will be fine. yous look great.

bzrogers

My Feedback: (7)

Matt Merciez

Could you post a few more pictures of your pipe tunnel? I have a set of full pipes on the way from DA and plan on mounting them the same way you did. Some more pictures showing better detail would help a bunch. Mainly of how you have the "mount with the rubber supports" mounted into the fuselage.

Thanks
Bret