FBaity

My Feedback: (2)

reyn, thanks for posting the pic. I have 15 flights on the Ultimate so far and find it a excellent flyer. I had my CG at the recommended point and found the aircraft wouldn't stall and spin to my liking. I added weight to the tail wheel bracket into the danger zone without much improvement. But the weather has been so poor I haven't been able to accomplish much more testing.

Frank Baity
AMA 38026

reyn3545

Great looking plane! So far, your plane has lasted 10 flights longer than mine!

I still can't decide whether to rebuild the motor box and replace the cowl, or just scrap it and get something else. I've had a lot of biplanes and love to fly them, Aeorworks makes some great ones... I'm just a little leary about scabbing a motor box on the old frame, getting the alignment and thrust angle just right, etc.. I'll take a few more weeks to think about it.

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

Ummm.... There is an easier way....

If you hit say the "reply" button to a question, the box that opens up has two hyperlinks at the bottom of where you type in your question/answer. If you just click on "Click here to upload images and files!" it will load them on the RCU server and show up right in the entry you made.

Hope that helps.

maukaonyx

Frank, that is one SEXY looking Ultimate! That is the color scheme I wanted first, but the other one has grown on me too. What you say about CG makes me feel better about not stressing out to make the plane balance at the recommended CG. Probably Goose feels better too. Mine is close to it, just a little behind. Your pic shows a nice, large, flat field...great for flying!

reyn, your damage looks pretty easy to repair from where I am sitting, lol. Don't give up on that airframe! I would build the engine box per the diagram for the original dimensions, and put some long ply doublers inside to the box. The doublers would be the full box height, and run from about 1" inside the box, to perhaps 3" inside the fuselage. I'd add some triangular stock outside the box where it meets the firewall on the fuselage. I don't think the rebuild would add much weight. After reading about your damage, I looked at my plane, and that is a weak link in the AW plane. I'm going to add triangular stock. I find it kinda hard to believe AW left that out, after hearing only great things about AW. Not bashing them, but they are not perfect.

zeeb, thanks for teaching me something new today! Jon

reyn3545

I think it's just one of those things that you don't feel comfortable about until you start making sawdust. As soon as you start, things come together pretty quickly.

There's plenty of framing behind the firewall to scab some ply doublers to, and I think the removable panel under the plane will give me the access I need to put doublers on both sides of the joints. Like you said, some triangular stock on both sides of the firewall and an ample supply of West Systems Epoxy should get this plane looking a lot more like Frank's.

It might put a little more weight in the nose, but that's not a problem.

reyn3545

OK.... I took some more measuresments and ordered some plywood. I'll be in Las Vegas next week, so by the time I get back, there should be some wood waiting for me.... time to make some sawdust.

maukaonyx

Frank, I am going to Y harness the two right halves of the wings together, and the two left halves together, and slave the right to the left on the radio. That maintains the ability to adjust for differential, etc. I noticed you have a Y for each wing? Jon

FBaity

My Feedback: (2)

Jon,

The way you are using the Ys in better than my way. Thge ailerons need defferential and as I am wired up I can't correct. That being said I also have imposible to solve problems on rigging all four ailerons at zero degrees, output arms at nintey degrees to servo case. In discussion with a fellow club member this week end I came to understand that using the Ys the way you are is the solution to my rigging issues.

The airplane really flies great but could use some differential.

maukaonyx

Thanks, Frank, I was hoping I was taking the right path. I think you can redo yours fairly painlessly? Jon

maukaonyx

Almost done! I am doing final install of the radio, so I assembled the plane to see if I need to move the batteries around. CG is just slightly tail down with LiFe batteries on the same tray as the rudder servo. Ignition battery is on the side of the engine box per the instructions suggestion. I'm happy with the balance. Decided to mock it up with the decals for a pic at the same time. The decals are just taped temporarily in place...I think I like em where they are. Jon


I put all the switches on one side where I can reach them all with one fell swoop, and see them all at once. Maybe they don't look so hot, but the OTHER side is pretty!

FBaity

My Feedback: (2)

Jon,

Looks good.........I see you still have that helmet head pilot in there. I have about 25 flights on mine and have had a few issues. In order to get all four airlerons rigged right I had to install two Smart Fly "Equalizer IIs" on the aircraft. This component allow me to have all four servo arms at 90 degrees to the servo case with no trim or sub trim and give the exact same degrees deflection (to a tenth of a degree) on all four airlerons at any transmitter stick position.

Furthermore, being that I fly from grass, short grass minde you, I found the Ultimate wanted to tip over on it's nose easly and when taxing in a brisk cross wind, tail wheel control was lacking causing the aircraft to weather vane into the wind. After talking to Aeroworks about this issue I was advised that the aft sweep of the provided landing gear was the problem and the recommended corrective action was to install a after market gear with no sweep angle. I have removed the gear and it is now in the hands of a fellow club member who has the equiptment to fabricate the proper gear. Sort of sux, weather is nice but at least I have my trusty Aeroworks Extra 260. Wish Aeroworks would offer a replacement gear or have provided the ARF with a useable landind gear system. The gear provided in the ARF looks really cool but with the CG at the proper location tail wheel authority is lacking at low speed.

Frank Baity
AMA 38026

lear31A

My Feedback: (123)

Anyone have these in stock???

reyn3545

If you're going to use Y connectors and still want to be able to modify end points (which should bring everything else pretty well in line... you can always add a JR Matchbox to one side of the Y. Set one aileron up with the radio and one side of the Y, and the other side gets set up really with just the matchbox.

I have plenty of channels, so I have each aileron on a separate channel, but that kind of makes for a birds nest of wiring coming up to the receiver too!

reyn3545

For the tip-over thing... once your plane slows down enough on a landing, just go to high rates and full elevator.... that will keep the tail wheel hugged right to the grass.

How are you guys on the standard CG? I don't remember if it was 1 inch back on the top wing or what. I've just about got mine ready to fly again, need to make sure I didn't put too much weight in the nose.

maukaonyx

I was thinking the same thing, use high rates for taxi. I have a P-47 with retracts and you know how those warbirds really have a propensity to nose over. I fly off grass too, and full up (no high rates setup on this one) always held the tail down, but it was indeed light on the tail wheel. I figure full up on high rates on the Ultimate ought to work. I'll see for myself.

So reyn, let's see pics of the repair!

Goose, where the heck are you?

reyn3545

I'll get some pictures tonight... I've been on an overnight caving trip with our Boy Scout troop... now I'm so sore that I can't move!

FBaity

My Feedback: (2)

I have been using 3D elevator rate to taxi with 2 oz. of weight on tail wheel bracket and I say again in a cross wind you can't control the aircraft and it is tippie. How many flights do you guys have on your Aeroworks 50 cc Ultimates? I put on the 30th flight today and this aircraft isn't my first rodeo. The information I quoted from Aeroworks about the sweeped gear issue came from Mark the developmental test pilot for the 50 cc Ultimate.

Frank Baity
AMA 38026

reyn3545

I've only had half a dozen or so flights, and most of the landings were much more of a challenge getting it to the ground than getting it to stay on its wheels. I did find a little elevator problem while checking everything over a few days ago... one was probably moving 10 degrees more in both directions than the other elevator...I guess I never did both sides of the elevator setup when I built the plane. Anyway, as little elevator as I have on low rates, that shouldn't create the kind of problems I was experiencing. I hope it flies better this time, or I will strip this thing down and buy an EF Yak. I love Aeroworks planes, and this would be my third 50cc bipe from them... they've all been great..... I hope I just had a flaky receiver or something.

FlyNick

To keep my tail planted after the plane has landed I have programmed one of the transmitter switches using a program mix to through full elevator without having to worry about the flying modes, dual rates etc.

The only drawback to this setup is to remember NOT to hit that switch during flight!

FBaity

My Feedback: (2)

FlyNick, are you flying a Aeroworks 50 cc Ultimate?

Frank Baity
AMA 38026

FlyNick

Hi Frank

Not yet!

I put an order with Aeroworks for a Ultimate 50.

FBaity

My Feedback: (2)

OIC

Frank Baity
AMA 38026

reyn3545

OK.... here's a few cellphone pictures of the finished repair. I was a little concerned about doing the entire repair without having a cowl to measure with, but as it turned out, things came back together very closely to what they should have. The top of the cowl was fitting VERY tight, it must have puffed up a little during the crash and subsequent repair. I wound up having to split the bottom of the cowl, use some epoxy and carbon fiber cloth to expand the size of it by 1/4 inch or so, then put a piece of the color matching ultracote over the patch... thanks for including the covering material, Aeroworks!

Once that was done, I did need to expand the six mounting holes just a little bit to get the cowl to fit closely, but it's about as close to a perfect fit as you could ask for. the motor box itself looks pretty basic. I wound up leaving off the 1 inch or so wide angled pieces at the top of the box... it made ti a lot easier to get to the motor mount bolts, and this motor box is build with stronger plywood, more bracing, carbon fiber support in the corners, and steel pins through the firewall. If it crashes again, I think the motor box will be the last thing to break!

Here's the pics of the finished rebuild.....

maukaonyx

reyn, it looks good as new, so land the plane upright and with the engine running from now on, lol. Very good repair job. Jon

reyn3545

that's the plan, we'll see how it goes!