NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
04-27-2013, 06:07 AM
#1528
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
Maidened my P-40 the other day already. The plane is fun to fly. No tendency to nose over during take off is a plus for me. As usual, lots of right rudder to keep it straight before pulling up slightly. Tracking is straight especially down the runway at full throttle and it does not pitch up like the TF Giant P-51 and Corsair during those passes too. Landings are a breeze as well. The first landing, I noticed that the flaps were too much (although it looked better) that it would keep the plane above the runway longer than needed. I reduced it a little so it just settled nicely on the mains. No trim was needed although I was prepared for both up and down elevator trim (via switch) when flaps where deployed.
Overall, a very nice plane to add in the hangar.
Overall, a very nice plane to add in the hangar.
04-27-2013, 10:19 AM
#1529
My Feedback: (34)
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
Man what a bad day, I don't know whats to think.
I only got 8 flights on my new P-40, and yesterday I had to belly land it in as my New Robart Retracts would not come down.
I don't get it, I made I high speed pass, pulled up and one of the retracts came down a little on its own, so I decied I would land, slowed down, put on the flaps then hit the retracts and nothing, the a tail retract pop down, but the othere did not, and the one that was already down just hung there in the wind.
I tried everthing, doing a hammer head, flying upside down, loops, flipping the retracts which on and off.
This happened on flight 6 also but they locked down when I slowed down.
Im useing the standard robart retract vale and got the air pressure to lower the retarcts down as strong as I can get it.
What is going on,
I only got 8 flights on my new P-40, and yesterday I had to belly land it in as my New Robart Retracts would not come down.
I don't get it, I made I high speed pass, pulled up and one of the retracts came down a little on its own, so I decied I would land, slowed down, put on the flaps then hit the retracts and nothing, the a tail retract pop down, but the othere did not, and the one that was already down just hung there in the wind.
I tried everthing, doing a hammer head, flying upside down, loops, flipping the retracts which on and off.
This happened on flight 6 also but they locked down when I slowed down.
Im useing the standard robart retract vale and got the air pressure to lower the retarcts down as strong as I can get it.
What is going on,
04-27-2013, 11:31 AM
#1530
My Feedback: (13)
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
ORIGINAL: mikes68charger
Man what a bad day, I don't know whats to think.
I only got 8 flights on my new P-40, and yesterday I had to belly land it in as my New Robart Retracts would not come down.
I don't get it, I made I high speed pass, pulled up and one of the retracts came down a little on its own, so I decied I would land, slowed down, put on the flaps then hit the retracts and nothing, the a tail retract pop down, but the othere did not, and the one that was already down just hung there in the wind.
I tried everthing, doing a hammer head, flying upside down, loops, flipping the retracts which on and off.
This happened on flight 6 also but they locked down when I slowed down.
Im useing the standard robart retract vale and got the air pressure to lower the retarcts down as strong as I can get it.
What is going on,
Man what a bad day, I don't know whats to think.
I only got 8 flights on my new P-40, and yesterday I had to belly land it in as my New Robart Retracts would not come down.
I don't get it, I made I high speed pass, pulled up and one of the retracts came down a little on its own, so I decied I would land, slowed down, put on the flaps then hit the retracts and nothing, the a tail retract pop down, but the othere did not, and the one that was already down just hung there in the wind.
I tried everthing, doing a hammer head, flying upside down, loops, flipping the retracts which on and off.
This happened on flight 6 also but they locked down when I slowed down.
Im useing the standard robart retract vale and got the air pressure to lower the retarcts down as strong as I can get it.
What is going on,
05-16-2013, 03:58 PM
#1531
My Feedback: (7)
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
I had the same problem, after two belly landings I changed out the robart tailwheel and put the stock non retracting one. What is happening is the tailwheel is getting hung up and leaking all the air out, that why it was down. You got to buy some small springs to keep it straight going up so it doesn't catch on anything leaking all the air out. Not worth chancing bellylandings and scraping your cowel and breaking a prop!
05-17-2013, 02:18 AM
#1532
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
My air leak was caused by the airline getting pinched when the main gears was attached. There is little or no clearance for the tubing at the rear of the mains. I cured it by using a moto-tool and a ball-end mill fitting to open up a small hole so the tubing could make a gradual turn.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
05-17-2013, 05:01 AM
#1533
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RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
Hello P-40 guys,
Just received mine this week, have a DLE 55 for it. Thanks for all the tips and insights logged on this thread, I am making my way through it and I am sure it will help me. My second arf was a World Models P-40, and I loved it! It's been gutted but still hangs in my garage. Can't bring myself to tear it down for scrap, even though it's no longer flight rated, it's just too pretty.
Sounds like the mufflers will be trouble, and mounting the engine will be challenging. Not sure I'm up to drilling holes through the stand-offs and keeping centered.
I had similar muffler trouble with a Moki 210 that all started when I had to change a prop after rough landing. I mistakenly thought I had balanced the new prop before putting it in my field box, but no. Flew that way for a few months and had major problems with the muffler staying on, threads wearing out, mufflers falling off. Finally checked the balance of the prop, it was way off. Balanced it and never had any more problems. At least those kind of problems
.
The spinner on the P-40 is the biggest one I've ever planned on using. I am going to check it out on my prop balancer and see what happens. Not sure how to balance a spinner, but if it's wobbly that would explain a few things.
Don
Just received mine this week, have a DLE 55 for it. Thanks for all the tips and insights logged on this thread, I am making my way through it and I am sure it will help me. My second arf was a World Models P-40, and I loved it! It's been gutted but still hangs in my garage. Can't bring myself to tear it down for scrap, even though it's no longer flight rated, it's just too pretty.
Sounds like the mufflers will be trouble, and mounting the engine will be challenging. Not sure I'm up to drilling holes through the stand-offs and keeping centered.
I had similar muffler trouble with a Moki 210 that all started when I had to change a prop after rough landing. I mistakenly thought I had balanced the new prop before putting it in my field box, but no. Flew that way for a few months and had major problems with the muffler staying on, threads wearing out, mufflers falling off. Finally checked the balance of the prop, it was way off. Balanced it and never had any more problems. At least those kind of problems
.The spinner on the P-40 is the biggest one I've ever planned on using. I am going to check it out on my prop balancer and see what happens. Not sure how to balance a spinner, but if it's wobbly that would explain a few things.
Don
05-17-2013, 10:15 AM
#1534
My Feedback: (7)
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
If you are flying and see your tail wheel down and the mains up its belly landing time. The robart tail wheel needs air to hold up and air to hold down. I might put a servo to operate my tail this time around. I lost my p-40 due to the aileron wire pulled out!
05-27-2013, 12:58 PM
#1535
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
My method for strengthening the fiberglass bellypan. 1/4x1/2 spruce, bull-nosed at the front, glued on with a liberal application of medium c/a followed by epoxy fillets. Strong enough to support the weight of the completed airframe. Not yet tested with a belly landing (yet) but a heck of a lot stronger that the stock piece.
05-27-2013, 06:49 PM
#1536
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
That looks like a better mod to the bellypan. I just sprayed some expanding foam in mine, a bit messy the next few hours though (as was suggested a few posts back). Today was a great flying day in MD. Here are some of my buddies. Another P-51 joined the formation later in the day.
Guys watch out for the exhaust stack. Mine just popped off during flight. Just reinforce it with more glue or screw it to the cowl.
Guys watch out for the exhaust stack. Mine just popped off during flight. Just reinforce it with more glue or screw it to the cowl.
05-28-2013, 09:32 AM
#1538
My Feedback: (13)
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
ORIGINAL: donddsms
Hello P-40 guys,
Just received mine this week, have a DLE 55 for it. Thanks for all the tips and insights logged on this thread, I am making my way through it and I am sure it will help me. My second arf was a World Models P-40, and I loved it! It's been gutted but still hangs in my garage. Can't bring myself to tear it down for scrap, even though it's no longer flight rated, it's just too pretty.
Sounds like the mufflers will be trouble, and mounting the engine will be challenging. Not sure I'm up to drilling holes through the stand-offs and keeping centered.
I had similar muffler trouble with a Moki 210 that all started when I had to change a prop after rough landing. I mistakenly thought I had balanced the new prop before putting it in my field box, but no. Flew that way for a few months and had major problems with the muffler staying on, threads wearing out, mufflers falling off. Finally checked the balance of the prop, it was way off. Balanced it and never had any more problems. At least those kind of problems.
The spinner on the P-40 is the biggest one I've ever planned on using. I am going to check it out on my prop balancer and see what happens. Not sure how to balance a spinner, but if it's wobbly that would explain a few things.
Don
Hello P-40 guys,
Just received mine this week, have a DLE 55 for it. Thanks for all the tips and insights logged on this thread, I am making my way through it and I am sure it will help me. My second arf was a World Models P-40, and I loved it! It's been gutted but still hangs in my garage. Can't bring myself to tear it down for scrap, even though it's no longer flight rated, it's just too pretty.
Sounds like the mufflers will be trouble, and mounting the engine will be challenging. Not sure I'm up to drilling holes through the stand-offs and keeping centered.
I had similar muffler trouble with a Moki 210 that all started when I had to change a prop after rough landing. I mistakenly thought I had balanced the new prop before putting it in my field box, but no. Flew that way for a few months and had major problems with the muffler staying on, threads wearing out, mufflers falling off. Finally checked the balance of the prop, it was way off. Balanced it and never had any more problems. At least those kind of problems
.The spinner on the P-40 is the biggest one I've ever planned on using. I am going to check it out on my prop balancer and see what happens. Not sure how to balance a spinner, but if it's wobbly that would explain a few things.
Don
05-28-2013, 03:37 PM
#1539
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
Speaking of those Robarts I have them on my TF Corsair and noticed the clearance for the air lines between the cylinder and the frame is tight. Also the frames are not properly deburred after stamping. Since the hoses run along the frame from the forward nipple, the down circuit, I made sure the fame edges are smooth and the tubes have slack to move with the cylinder.
Im using the largest Robart air tank but I also added a smaller one to increase the volume. My system runs fine so far for 9 flights and has enough for two cycles in flight. The down side is I do notice it consumes a lot of air and I may have a slow leak I have not found yet or the use of restrictors is allowing a lot of bleed air to be used. The tail retract holds air for days on the bench. I have quick release sealing connectors to the wings. On the bench the main lines hold air for hours but all together in use the system uses a lot of air, as much as 75psi. In flight the mains go up one at a time slowly due to inline restrictors and then the tail goes up last. I'll have to try it without the restrictors just to see if the air consumption goes down but I hate the gear to slap in or out.
Compared to my buddies TF FW with the Robart Electrics I like the air system a little better.
Im using the largest Robart air tank but I also added a smaller one to increase the volume. My system runs fine so far for 9 flights and has enough for two cycles in flight. The down side is I do notice it consumes a lot of air and I may have a slow leak I have not found yet or the use of restrictors is allowing a lot of bleed air to be used. The tail retract holds air for days on the bench. I have quick release sealing connectors to the wings. On the bench the main lines hold air for hours but all together in use the system uses a lot of air, as much as 75psi. In flight the mains go up one at a time slowly due to inline restrictors and then the tail goes up last. I'll have to try it without the restrictors just to see if the air consumption goes down but I hate the gear to slap in or out.
Compared to my buddies TF FW with the Robart Electrics I like the air system a little better.
05-29-2013, 02:32 AM
#1540
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
My air system, with the restrictors, uses about 10 p.s.i. per cycle. Of the 2 GS P=40's, one has had a problem with a slow leak in the retracted position. I suspect one of the cylinder seals is a little dry, but after a few cycles on the ground, the leak stops. I want to find a way to inject a lube into the assembled system. Any ideas?
05-30-2013, 08:26 AM
#1543
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RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
I have used AIR TOOL OIL and put a few drops into my quick disconnects and seems to get to the acuators when connected and air put to them.
06-08-2013, 07:00 PM
#1545
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RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
I'm in the middle of my P-40 build. Everything went together great until today. The elevator control rods are about a 1/2 inch too low to intersect the servo arms without binding. Has anyone had this problem? The other issue is that if you follow the directions you end up soldering the elevator clevis inside the fuselage. My plan is to put the soldered clevises at the elevator horn end. This way the entire control rod can be removed if needed.
I mortgaged the house and purchased the Robart Electric retracts - very nice! I didn't buy the retractable tail wheel, but after seeing how well the mains work I think I'm in for that too.
Any help on the elevator linkage would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
David
I mortgaged the house and purchased the Robart Electric retracts - very nice! I didn't buy the retractable tail wheel, but after seeing how well the mains work I think I'm in for that too.
Any help on the elevator linkage would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
David
06-09-2013, 06:28 AM
#1546
My Feedback: (59)
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
I had the same problems with the elevator pushrods. Just bend the rod up to meet the servo arms, you may have to cut the pushrod guide tube closer to the support so you have room for the bend.
Good luck with the electric Robarts, the failure rate has been very high on them.
Good luck with the electric Robarts, the failure rate has been very high on them.
06-09-2013, 12:58 PM
#1547
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RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
I cut back the tubes close to the former, but binding still may be a problem. I'm thinking of making 3/8 inch risers (Z bend) out of 4-40 rod, threaded at each end and making a threaded coupling out of a piece of aluminum rod. It's a quick and easy fix to try. This alignment problem is too bad, since everything else in this ARF went together so well.
I searched the forums for problems with the Robart electric retracts and didn't come up with anything. What are you hearing about them?
Thanks for the feedback.
David
I searched the forums for problems with the Robart electric retracts and didn't come up with anything. What are you hearing about them?
Thanks for the feedback.
David
06-09-2013, 02:06 PM
#1548
My Feedback: (59)
RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
I had a set of the Robarts and E-flites and had to send them both back. They were very intermittent. They worked fine on the bench, but when I flew, one might work and I might have to throw the switch 2-3 times for both to come down. Every time you turn your radio on, the jackscrew will turn a little bit. If you turn your radio on very many times with the retract switch in the same position, they will eventually bind. The protection circuit is VERY sensitive. I have talked to several people that have given up on them. Mine worked fine for 3 months. I also know of several that have had 0 problems. I have the TF giant F4U, P40, and P47 and all have Robart pneumatics. I think the electrics are the way to go (eventually). I just don't think they are perfected yet.
07-09-2013, 01:58 PM
#1549
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RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
I am done with my P 40.
Was always hard to land for me!
Was flying formation with a club menmber P51 and was having fun.
Time to land and landed a little off the runway and I knew I had some room back behind the pits (I knew nobody was pitted there) but just the night before I test flew a guys Ziroli Hellcat and he put in some temp PVC Airplane pipe restaints into the ground and he did not remove, I taxied (Waiting for tail wheel to drop) into then and ripped my wing off and a pretty good gash in wing.
I know I should not have been back that far, but still would have plane if pipes not sticking out of ground.
Hope retracts will fit H9 Corsair, MIGHT be getting that and transfer all equipment ovet to that BIRD.
Will See.
Roger
Was always hard to land for me!
Was flying formation with a club menmber P51 and was having fun.
Time to land and landed a little off the runway and I knew I had some room back behind the pits (I knew nobody was pitted there) but just the night before I test flew a guys Ziroli Hellcat and he put in some temp PVC Airplane pipe restaints into the ground and he did not remove, I taxied (Waiting for tail wheel to drop) into then and ripped my wing off and a pretty good gash in wing.
I know I should not have been back that far, but still would have plane if pipes not sticking out of ground.
Hope retracts will fit H9 Corsair, MIGHT be getting that and transfer all equipment ovet to that BIRD.
Will See.
Roger
07-09-2013, 02:42 PM
#1550
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RE: NEW Top Flight P-40??? 1/5 scale
ORIGINAL: bushong572
I had a set of the Robarts and E-flites and had to send them both back. They were very intermittent. They worked fine on the bench, but when I flew, one might work and I might have to throw the switch 2-3 times for both to come down. Every time you turn your radio on, the jackscrew will turn a little bit. If you turn your radio on very many times with the retract switch in the same position, they will eventually bind. The protection circuit is VERY sensitive. I have talked to several people that have given up on them. Mine worked fine for 3 months. I also know of several that have had 0 problems. I have the TF giant F4U, P40, and P47 and all have Robart pneumatics. I think the electrics are the way to go (eventually). I just don't think they are perfected yet.
I had a set of the Robarts and E-flites and had to send them both back. They were very intermittent. They worked fine on the bench, but when I flew, one might work and I might have to throw the switch 2-3 times for both to come down. Every time you turn your radio on, the jackscrew will turn a little bit. If you turn your radio on very many times with the retract switch in the same position, they will eventually bind. The protection circuit is VERY sensitive. I have talked to several people that have given up on them. Mine worked fine for 3 months. I also know of several that have had 0 problems. I have the TF giant F4U, P40, and P47 and all have Robart pneumatics. I think the electrics are the way to go (eventually). I just don't think they are perfected yet.
Thanks
David