,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Hey guys,
I am wanting to get a couple of ARF kits, so I can get alot of flying in this season. Just seeing what everyones experience has been with the Brodak ARF kits. I saw a Vector 40 ARF fly a few weeks ago, that was a very impressive plane! Built up fuse and all, looked to be of great quality! Cant wait to get one ordered.... Whats your experience with Brodak ARF's.

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

I have had the Oriental and Smoothie. Flew well. But they are ARF's; don't expect them to last very long. I crashed the Oriental. The Smoothie is still flying after a year and a half, but without most of the trim film and some basic covering that have fallen off.

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

I've seen the covering issues on ones other people have.

On the Smoothie I've got, the leadout ends are just crimped. I plan on doing wrapped ends when I get around to slapping it together. The motor mounts aren't maple either look like some less dense species of mahogany. The covering job is full of bubbles which is common on a lot of ARF's.

Brodak should send the Chinese a shipment of real maple for the mounts and demand they use it.

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

My TopFlight Flight Streak ARF has a flawless covering job. Just lack some stregnth in the fuse by the motor mount. Looking to power it with a OS for sure, have alway ran Fox's over the years,but I am rearly impressed with the OS engines performance.

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Only when you smack it into the ground. [X(]
OS LA 25 is the powerplant of choice. Actually, the discontinued OS FP 20 is THE engine to get. Run in stock with an APC 9-4 prop and it can't be beat.

It's getting impossible to find in-stock fuel suitable to run an old iron piston/steel cylinder Fox engine these days. The 17% synthentic content RC fuels will kill a Fox. You need an all-castor (or at least a 50/50 castor/synthetic blend) with mininum 25% oil content.

The number 1 issue with the current offering of CL ARFs is the control system. ARF manufacturers simply crimp a rather rough stranded leadout cable directly into a soft aluminum bellcrank. If the leadout crimps don't fail (it not "if", it's "when") the bellcrank will surely fail.

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Yeah, you can reall tell a difference with the ARF's. I wish there was a easy way to get in the wing, to install a upgraded bell crank. That is a for sure must do. Thanks for the info on the OS motors, cant wait to get one ordered!

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

How about this? I use Wildcat Fuel for RC. I use 5%, 10% and 15% with the 80/20 synthetic=castor blend. 5% fuel is 16% oil. 10% is 18% oil.
20 oz. 5%nitro, 16% blended + 4oz. Castor + 8 oz. 10% with 18% blend will result in 32 oz. fuel-mix with about 5.6% nitro and 27% oil @ .49% castor.

My broken-in Foxes run fine on that mix. Both Brodak and Sig have good castor.

Makes life easier. :)

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

The LA 25 is a fine engine and is not a shaker like a Fox, so it will work well on a Flite Streak. Another fine choice is the Brodak 25. Very nice engine that works great and is very user friendly. The ARFs have fair control systems installed, while not perfect for the seasoned flier for the long term, they usually hold up plenty long enough for the retread flier looking to get some practice in. When you fly good enough to wear out these controls, you will be ready for a much better plane with all the goodies. All of the planes mentioned are great fliers and will allow you to get in the air with little trouble. The LA or Brodak engines work so well with available fuels, practically no break-in, and such east tuning, it's sometimes hard to go back to an old-style engine.

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

At full steam, I pancaked my OS .25fp powered flitestreak ARF into the ground yesterday. It was gusty and I was flying about a foot off the grass, suprisingly the plane was not damaged at all, only bent the gear up some. I refueled and back into the air it went. I don't think this plane is as flimsy as some make it out to be.

Mike

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

I have alway's wounderd how the Brodak's perform. I always assumed they would perform like a FOX. After flying with some guys a few week's ago, I was impressed on how the OS engines stayed in tune. I head that replacing the needle valve on a Fox 35 with a ThunderTiger needle valve helps out the Fox alot.

Glad to hear your Flight Streak survived unharmed RCdude. Looks like this bird maybe alittle tougher then people give credit.

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Replace a Fox N/V assembly with an OS/Enya N-V assembly. Place the feed hole to the back, just out-of-sight, using enough washers to assure the feed hole is centered. Makes a big difference in the engine run on a Fox.

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Cool, thanks for the info Hossfly will give that a shot

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

R8893 What motor are you using for your Smoothie?

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Ryan, my smoothie has an OS .40 FP. One of my flying buddies has one that flies well with an OS 35 S or FP, not sure which. I got the model used from a guy who had a Brodak 40 in it.

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Another source for excellent needle valves is RSM Distribution. They have three sizes, the smallest size will work on the small foxes, they are based on the old "fine thread" Super Tiger design. The middle size will work well on the Combat Specials and other larger frame engines.

Ralph

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Good info, thanks Ralph
I just bought a OS 25 for my TF Flight Streak. Got it broke in over the weekend on the test stand. It seems like it is really going to be consistant. Can wait to get it in the air!

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

the brodak cardinal arc series is one hell of a plane , i power it with a super tiger 51 with a three blade prop and it screams out the door . very well flying plane . it pulls hard u might love it .

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Hey Lonestar,
Funny you should say that. I decided lastweek that the Cardinal was going to be my next plane. I love the looks of it, and I am glad to hear it is a great flyer!

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Fuel for Fox engines

I am a collector - and user - of all kinds of vintage and antique engines including Fox, Veco, HP and HB, older K & B, etc. and I have never used castor oil based fuels in them. The metal in the pistons and cylinders and crankshafts just don't know what chemicals are in the fuel. Mostly all they need are good operating temperatures and a bit of slippiness, otherwise known as lubrication. Castor oil has large molecules and clump around even the slightest microscopic scratches, like lapping marks, and quickly burn. That familiar black gunge that forms is trying to tell us something and that is: please dont use stone-age vegetable oil in high speed engines!

All of my engines, even ones going back to the late 1940s are in spotless condition internally and externally with no rattling wear and tear. When tuning them I just feel the cylinder head frequently and if it is getting too hot to touch I open the needle a bit. Thats all you need to do. There may or may be a smoky exhaust trail if the needle setting is rich. That doesn't matter. Temperature is everything. There must be some validity in a fuel manufacturer spending a fortune in research and development in synthetic ingredients. It would be so much simpler to just use castor and extoll its qualities. I use Morgan Cool Power Green 5% for ALL my engines, vintage, plain and ball-raced, 2 and 4 stroke and have never had a problem. I have no connection with the firm and please guys, don't tell my engines as I am sure that they are glad not to be strangled then burnt by castor oil!

Harry Lime, Vienna.

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Welcome Harry Lime.
Before you condemn castor oil in its totality you may find some interesting reading in this thread. Especially in the link in the second post.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_46...tm.htm#4663269

Robert

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

Oil that burned off wasn't lubricating. Look up the specs of "stone age" castor oil before dissing it. Higher film strength, higher flash point, etc.

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

The ARF flight streak is actually just a hollow profile and the cg is TOTALLY wrong(ask me how I know).Please do this: put the cg 1.5 " aft of leading edge.Before installing the wing, dig out as far forward and aft in the wing cutout as far as you can and stuff as much scrap balsa sticks,etc. as you can get in there..then fil in with wood glue.Why the Chinese did not use solid balsa for the fuse is beyond me..they used some sort of "mystery" wood which is 90% hollow(quite a trick).For the price it's really a good ARF, but without the mod's, if you have one moderate dump,the thing will positively explode.I put my first one in a trash bag and mailed it back to Tower hobbies with a note and they sent me a free replacement..YEA!!

As far as the Brodak .25..wow what precision and close tolerances!! Please break it in slowly, carefully, and exactly what the manual tells you.If you hurry the procedure,you're gonna end up with a hard starting engine that won't hold a needle.A friend made that mistake and I went by the book..the difference between the two is like night and day.

The OSla.25 is a totally different beast.....I ran two tanks thru it rich and started flying it..wonderful results.

I'm by no means an expert on this stuff..just relating my personal experiences with the above.Hope this helps

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

I forgot one thing..I immediately replaced all the palstic remote needle and backplate crap with an OS needle and a metal backplate from Tower hobby.I felt that made a true difference.Now it tunes an runs like a Fox .35, but without the shakes and castor oil all over the place!!

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

The Topflite ARF flight-streak has other problems besides the fuse, leaking and too small a fuel tank, the landing gear is absolute poo! and don’t get me started on the covering [sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

RE: ,Brodak ARF Kits
 

I was going to mention all the other stuff as you did, but I also get very pi##ed off talking about it.I have a Brodak Bi-Slob that was of very good quality..went together without a problem.It's also an absolute ball to fly!