Edgar Perez

My Feedback: (13)

I'm about to start on my Boomerang XL. I purchased the Springair package (402 XL) that they sell with the kit. Two questions:
1- Anybody had success with them? I friend of mine used wire gear and it was very wobbly. Bounced a lot on landing due to the spring effect. I did saw Alan flying it with wire gear on Lake Wales. No issues, however I think they were not Springair wires.

2- Seems to me that the setscrews protrude too much. It won't be a good fit in the 1/2 inch retract trunion. See attached image. what's wrong?

Will like to use the wire gear since I already have them, but may move to struts if it can't be made to work properly for the plane weight.

Thanks,
Edgar

avicom

My Feedback: (14)

Edgard, I filed two notches for the set screws. Yours are the same wires than mine. You know what happend to mines so forget about then. Go with robostruts instead. Going to fit my new Jet1A main legs, I will try to go tomorrow to the field. Give me a call if you go.

Rgds
Alejandro

3DHELINUT

My Feedback: (3)

Edgar, do not use the wire gear. it will not hold up under the weight of he plane......

I would strengthen up the gear mounts as they are weak and will break, also if possible do not use the spring-air gear and go with a set of robart 635 or similar gear with 1/2 inch Trailing Link Struts.




Alan

Tom Antlfinger

My Feedback: (24)

Edgar:

Currently we have 2 BXL's at our field....both are using SpringAir 402HD retracts with Robart 1/2" struts.....one is using a Robart forked strut on the nose and the other a Robart offset.......mains are 1/2" and nose is 7/8"......One is using BVM wheels and brakes and the other is using Intairco......

One of them tried wires on our smooth grass field, but got tired of re-bending them after every flight......nose wire bends back 45-60 degrees during takeoff.....no good.....probably O.K. on hard surface, but not grass.....

You must beef up the mounts if you are going to struts.....the wood and glue that the BXL comes with will not hold up to the rigid struts......

I am building an XL as well and have gone with the very nice Jet-1A from Sandor at Digitech....very nice retract, struts, and W/B in one package......he ships promptly with PayPal or wire transfer......

The way to beef up the gear is nicely outlined on the BXL thread on the www.rcjet.net/

Basically, get rid of those punk wood rails and install aircraft grade 5 -ply wood instead......a bit of a PITA to grind the old stuff out, but worth the time...Sandor ships 4 pre-cut 5 ply mounts with his gear, that are laminated into 2 new rails....I added an additional 3.0mm C/F plate sandwich between the 2 ply mounts.....I then picture frame the underside of the mounts with hardwood which is Aeropoxied to the adjacent plywood wing ribs.....I then tap the whole thing with 6-32 and get rid of any blind nuts that way...

We have done a similar fix to all of our Eurosports, Hotspots and Kangaroos the last several years and never had one pull out our go thru the top of the wings or fuse center section...

On the photos, I have not finished the picture framing all the way around the rails yet, so far, just adjacent to the plywood root rib....important to do this all the way around to spread out the load onto the adjacent plywood ribs and plywood root rib....

Tom

jroth

My Feedback: (60)

Edgar,

I bought the Robart struts, but have not installed them because the wire struts work from a paved runway. I have not had a bounce problem, or a steering problem. The legs are wobbly, but work fine. I did not like the way they were, that's why I bought the struts, but after using the wire I have decided that the wires are sufficient for the training period.

The set screws are not a problem if you cut flat spots on the wire, I had to ground the set screw heads a little to make them fit.

I bought the struts from Todd at Dreamworks, my plane weighs 29 pounds with 700 grams of ballast and an AMT 180 engine. The plane takes off from 100 feet of runway with 1/2 flaps.

John

Steve S

My Feedback: (54)

I too agree with what's being said here about the wire legs for the SA 402HD gear.Go with either the Robart or the Jet-1A struts as mentioned.I have a XL with 43 flights to date using the SA 402HD gear & Robart struts .The wire legs will not work well on this beast of a jet due to the very LARGE size & the weight.You will add very little weight as a whole by going with struts from the get go,the airframe will be happier & the landings will be much better too.My XL weighs 28 lbs dry with a Artes Super Eagle(30 lbs) and smoke on board also & flies extremely well.Love the jet the more & more I fly it[8D]

I also strongly agree as suggested by others to re-do the gear mounts in the mains.The wood used from the factory is of very poor quality & barely glued in on top of it.My main gear mounts broke out on the 2nd flight on a greaser of a landing!!My builder went in & cleaned all the old stuff out & hysoled in some aircraft grade strips.40 flights later she is holding up like champ!!


Steve

digitech

My Feedback: (10)

as far as i now is that the next gen of the Xl,s are equiped with new bearers
i just hope i dont have to redo all the gears again.......
The gear is very important for this beast
when i had the first xl it was clear to me it needed a nice gear
and all in all i think it was the right choice.
as you all now we had to redo the springs , personal for me they where fine
but i never expected my customers to load it with options and get over 30lbs.
but also that is solved now..
i have send out all new springs to all of you who have a gear from me
they should hold up to 40lbs , but then you never now....keep me informed how they work!

Edgar Perez

My Feedback: (13)

Thanks guys. Very helpful ideas here... will decide soon what to do..

Those who are using the Robart struts, did you have to cut them to size? (is [link=http://dreamworksrc.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=39&products_id=603]this[/link] the one?)

Thanks,
Edgar

Steve S

My Feedback: (54)

Edgar


Yes those are the ones! And no did not have to cut em at all [8D]


They are very nice & beefy for the low price they run


Steve

Tom Antlfinger

My Feedback: (24)

Edgar:

No cutting needed, but if you happen to be using wheels with 3/16" axles like most of the BVM W/B, you will have to shim the hole in the struts as they are 1/4"......but there are a couple of other W/B that will fit that have 1/4" axles.....

Good to hear from Sandor that maybe the new run of kits will have proper gear mounts.....cleaning mine was tedious as not only do you have to carefully cut the old bearers out, but then clean off all that goo.....I think it is Hot Glue and not expoxy, before you can get the fresh Aeropoxy to form a good bond......[>:]

Tom

avicom

My Feedback: (14)

Tom: What type of tubing you use to shim the hole in the struts? I have a new Jet1A struts but the axles are 1/4. Need the precise tube brand tho-I can fly this weekend. Before I order the new W/B. Trim have good 3"dia 1/4 axle W. But Where I can find 2 1/2" W with 1/4 axle? It looks that 2 1/2" wheels are for 3/16 axle only.

Alex

Molar mender

I put 10 flights on mine with the wire struts before I changed them out to the Jet-1A mains. The wire struts just would not hold up under side loads, especially while turning. I now have an additional 8 flights on the new gear and I couldn't be more pleased. I changed out the nose gear also by replacing the wire strut with a Robart 440 series strut that I had laying around. I put dual 2" wheels on it and it tracks absolutely straight, just like my previous MIG-29's.

Roy

Molar mender

More photos of my Big Boomer. I now have 18 flights and am going to the Maple Flag jet rally this weekend to burn a bunch of kero and smoke oil with the Canadians. There should be a couple of other Big Boomers to fly with. Should be a good weekend.

Preflight

Take off

Slow and smoke

Roy

vortex00

My Feedback: (22)

What's are you using for extensions? Anyone using Buffers because of the length?

I usually get mine from Andy at ElectroDynamics. All JR equipment.

Thanks,

Jack

Edgar Perez

My Feedback: (13)

I bough some 20 gauge from radical rc. I will also used a Powerbox 40/16

A friend of mine was able to get some 18 gauge ones. No Powerbox.

avicom

My Feedback: (14)

Hi I'm Edgar's friend. I'm get my 18g extensions from RCAccessories. I twisted the extensions in spiral tho don't have to use the noise ferrites. Range check the plane with turbine off / on with no radio problems at all. Now the bad news is that I don't think that RCAccessories still supplies this extensions. You can get 18g cables and make your own extensions. Also you can check with Todd, he can help you better than I.

Rgds
Alejandro

avicom

My Feedback: (14)

John, I dont know wich batch is mine. But my wire struts only last one landing on paved runway. They are so wobbly that I rip one brake line and damage the air fitting in that brake hub. Can you imaging having a great maiden fly and then scare the hell out in that first landing. After that I stop all flying, pick up everything and go home to install the new Legs I bougth from Todd.

Edgar; again <<you was the one who land my beast>>. It's up to you, but if was you, will go robart at least.

Rgds

vortex00

My Feedback: (22)

OK, thanks for the info

Jack

Don Perry

My Feedback: (51)

I have the behotec retracts brakes & wheels on mine. I only have approx 10 flights so far and have not beefed up my mounts. We see how long they go before I have to work on them.

Anyway just another gear/combo option to consider.

tothemax

Don,
Do you know the part number for your nose gear strut?
Thanks,Steve

Don Perry

My Feedback: (51)

Steve,

The nose gear P/N: Behotec NL175. The wheel was Rim 2.5 C3-1 with 2.5 solid rubber nose tire.
The Mains were NL165L with 3" wheels using the C36/2 Air up/down retracts.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

tothemax

Thanks Don