Tee Bee

Flew her again yesterday. Several flights in gusty 10kt wind. This time I ran the stock Cox head with 1 head gasket and a 6x3 prop. Top end was adequate but still idles too fast for landing on concrete. Managed a couple of fast rolling touch n goes, though. The grass was able to arrest it to a stop with the engine running. Fun stuff.

One question though. She flies nice and stable at all times except for the handlaunch. It rocks back and forth after launching, sometimes cartwheeling on a wingtip. Standing starts, running starts, flat launches, and uphill launches usually result in this instability for a few seconds. I'm curious since none of my other planes do this.

gene6029

Finished up mine today. Re-installed the radio & woke up to rain & high wind, so no maiden. Looks like the same tomorrow. I'll try & get a weight on mine, but will have to carry it to work to use their scale. Back to wrk on my May Fly...Gene

buzzard bait

Tee Bee, I don't know what's causing the rocking, but the fact that it happens only on launch suggests you need a faster launch speed, doesn't it? You do have quite a bit of weight, and it makes a big difference with these little birds.

If the rocking is enough to sometimes send it into the weeds then it maybe it's dutch roll. Oddly enough, this can actually be fixed with a more forward CG, because then there is more side area aft of the CG and less side area ahead of the CG. I fixed a problem like this on an old Goldberg Skylark (original) by moving the CG forward, even though it really didn't need it for pitch stability. I had tried adding more rudder area, but it didn't solve the problem.

Both of you built really pretty airplanes!

Jim

Big Al-RCU

Gene that is really nice work on the Mambo. I like the color scheme.
I see that you are using the Ace Commander and (I presume) the double ended superhet receiver (with maybe an Adams actuator?).
My own Ace Commander has apparently died after sitting on the shelf for 30+ years.
Does anyone know of a repair service for these old Ace radios?
Thanks,
AL

Tee Bee

Thanks for the tip, buzzard bait. I've been thinking the same thing.

Nice airplane Gene! Congratulations.

Tee Bee

Thought I'd bump this one back to life. My Minnie Mambo is still alive and well. She's given me a lot of fun flights over the last year, especially once the initial trimming and tuning issues were resolved. I decided to stick with the throttled Surestart instead of caving in to the desire to install a larger engine. It's currently running a stock head and a 6x3 prop. Not a screamer but she gets around just fine. If you idle her down enough for a good landing approach, she often flames out depending on how well the needle is set. Basically, the setup is working well enough to provide lots of fun flying on very little fuel. I've learned to enjoy the plane as it is, a nice little piece of nostalgic model aviation with lots of character.

I flew it a handfull of times over the last two weekends and had a blast. I especially like to slowly nurse it up to altitude with .049 coughing and sputtering, then go to high rates, pull the stick full aft and left, and watch it try to wind itself into a knot as is spins rapidly toward the ground. After the death-defying low level recovery, she again begins the slow crawl upward to repeat the maneuver. Big, slow, barreling rudder rolls are also usually thrown into the mix.

Any other new Minnie Mambo stories out there? Gene?

gene6029

Hey Tee Bee, i have been thinking of installing an elevator on mine. Its just too hard for me to keep it over the field with the rudder only & it strays over the parking lot occasionaly! The guys at the field get a kick out of it when i take it to the field, but sooner or later i'll hear about it straying across the flight line. I'll probably put in 2 Hightec 55s one on the rudder & one on the elevator. Its going to get a tad bit heavier though. We'll see. I originally flew my Jr Falcon rudder only, but put an elevator on it too.....Gene

Tee Bee

I understand, Gene. We seem to have more boundaries in life in general since these models were first designed. Proportional rudder and elevator controls allow it to exist with today's club safety rules and still give a taste of yesteryear.

Glad to know your MM is still alive.

RandyD

My Feedback: (8)

Wow! Can't believe I'm actually reading a Mini Mambo post! My first R/C aircraft when I was 12 (1971) and living in Wiesbaden, Germany on WAFB. Had an Ace Standard radio of which at the end of it's life ended up in my Ace High glider.

Thanks for the memories

Steve Westphal

I remember assembling an original "Mambo" kit for my Dad back in the sixties. It was a sweet flying machine. He used "reed" gear to fly it.

GallopingGhostler

I've got mine near finished. Using a modern proportional radio system and Norvel .061 Big Mig with Norvel 1 oz (30 cc) RC tank mount. Just need to mount the rudder and complete the windows and trim. I'll be flying with just rudder and motor control. [8D]

alcarafa

Any of you guys have the plans for the minimambo in PDF or JPG ?
I'ld like to build one but here in my country those or many plans are not available.
Thanks in advance.

vauxhall

Here you go Rafa, thanks to Dave Fritzke, Gene Rockandtheirpals. I might build one also.
http://my.pclink.com/~dfritzke/Minni...o-GeneRock.pdf

alcarafa

Great thanks vauxhall &t all the guys involved, hope i'll post pic's ofmine soon.