Ken F.

Well I put two more flights on the Reaction today (no rain), it's a relaxing and smooth plane to fly. I have attached some photos of the mode I did to install a P80 JetCat turbine. I used the P70 motor mount from Bruce and moved the engine as far forward as possible.To keep from adding a lot of weight in the nose I used a 5 cell sub C battery for the receiver . If anyone wants more info about the mode just give me a PM and I will get back to you. Throttle management is very important while flying with the P80 as with any turbine, remember the fuel tank is only 50oz so your flight is going to be shorter than with a 54 turbine. So far I have use 50-75 percent power with this set-up and it has plenti of power.

Regards,

Ken F................

Ken F.

Here are a couple more photos for the P80 mode!

Ken..........

rcguy!

My Feedback: (69)

"OH YEAH!"

No diving to hit 163MPH!

Nice job!

Dave Rigotti

causeitflies

I was trying to wait for pics of my maiden but needless to say all went pretty much as expected... until the nose wheel rolled off, along with the brake disk. I didn't find the disk till the end of the day. I don't know how the wheel came off as I was only going about 2mph!! at touchdown. Also I think the skidding and jarring on the wheeless nose brake killed my Rx battery which was crammed tightly in the nose with the ECU battery. When it stopped all power to the Rx shut off. Took a reading and it had gone from 6.8V down to 4.5V like it lost one of the five cells or something. Plus I scratched up our new runway, but I wasn't the first to do that But the plane flew well with a little down trim and very little aileron trim.

I think the Wren SS or P-70 would be perfect for the 54 but I couldn't wait any longer and the P-60 does fine. I especially like the kero start.

S_Ciambra

Hi Ken,
how you have installed the P80 turbine? What turbine mount have you used?
Could you post some image?
Thanks in advance.
Best Regards

causeitflies

Some maiden pics:

rcguy!

My Feedback: (69)

Mark,
Well Done!

Welcome to the R54 club!

Dave Rigotti

causeitflies

Thanks Dave. You guys should come down and fly with us some time.

rcguy!

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Mark,
Great idea!

PM with details. It will have to be after Heart of Ohio as my schedule is full!

Dave Rigotti

wooden shoes

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Hi Bruce
You would have been pleased to have come to Liberty Bell this past weekend
There were 4 R 54's
Some pictures attached
Ed Reints

Jetkopter

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Eddie , do you Bruce, Jim and Ron have a name for your squadron ?

BruceTharpe

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Now that is a beautiful sight! I mean the four R54s, of course. The guys - not so much

Should we call them the "Reactionaries?"

Mark P - Very cool pics of the maiden flight! It's really amazing how many of these models are making their debut this year. Just heard from another builder. Got one of the earliest kits about a year and a half ago. Built it in Holland, moved back to the states, and just put the maiden on her this weekend. Not sure if he reads this thread or not, but congrats to Keith in GA!

BalsaBob

My Feedback: (24)

'When you get a few more flights under your belt, let us know what you think of the performance with the P-70. '
_____________________________

www.btemodels.com

Hi Bruce, Have a bunch of flights on the R54 now, with the P70. I had to use 11 oz. of nose weight, and, being all fiberglassed (with 3/4 oz cloth), and then painted, its probably one of the heavier R54's. I am also using the Jet-Tech 74 oz Kevlar tank. Since I knew I would need some weight up front, I am using the new (small) EVO 40/16 Powerbox. I know that some will think that this is overkill, but I am using it primarily for its dual power feeds (2 independant batteries), and, its interference protection from long servo leads. Though the fiberglassing has added some weight, it has also added some strength to the structure that may (or may not) be needed for the P70. Most of the time I am flying at half throttle. Though it is a heavy R54 ..... it leaps off the ground on takeoff, and lands slower than most 60 size ships. What a great design ! Bob

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

Hi Ken,

Beatiful work AS USUAL! Builders like you are a rare breed now, I guess you know that.

Can I ask a question? What kind of landing gear did you use? Struts or wire?

And as you know, if a P-80 will fit, so will a P-120!!

I think I have a way to get a lot more fuel in it, but it takes a lot of mods.

Anyway, great work.

Ken F.

Hi Matt,

Thanks......... I used SpringAir retracts with Robart struts. They are the ones I had in the Trim F86 I lost last September. The wheels and brakes are made by Trim.
I would like to put smoke in it but room is a problem. Let me know where you would put more fuel.
A P120 nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck and say hi to Bob for me,

Regards,
Ken.................

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

Well, better late than never. Finally got the maiden flight in today(thanks Bob K). Like most others experiences, a smooth easy to fly jet. One click of down elevator was all she needed. Can't seem to wipe the grin off my face.Here are a few pics and a link to the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrY-JDVUMcc


I would like to put some better brakes on the plane. Can anyone suggest a good setup that's a fairly easy install? Thanks.

Marty

BruceTharpe

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Very cool flight shots, Marty! Glad to hear everything went okay. Looks like a great flying site - I'm very jealous

Love that bold red, white, and blue color scheme. Hope Bob K gave you some stick time...

siclick33

I second that. The model looks great.

rhklenke

My Feedback: (24)

Yea, Marty got plenty of stick time. In fact, with this jet, he's ready for the waiver signoff - as soon as we can get the paperwork (notary) straightened out...

The plane flew very well and looked good in the air. As soon as he gets a bigger fuel tank and some better brakes, he'll have a real winner.

We just discovered the flying site - its a well kept secret. 2000' of concrete taxiway in great shape on a joint civilian/Army airfield that sees maybe 5 flights a day. A perfect jet field!

Bob

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

Thanks for the compliments guys.

Yes, that field is fantastic. It was actually hard to leave at the end of the day and me and a different Bob just stood there for a minute to take in the space available before we left. Can't wait to get back there.

Gotta thank Bob again for his help and support.


Marty

booker-RCU

My Feedback: (43)

Here's a link to the brakes and tires I use. They are excellent. It's possible a person might could go one tire size larger but it would be a real tight fit.
http://s43500.sites99.storefront-hos...ail.aspx?ID=87

Here's a link to the struts. They'll need cutting off and and the spring will need to be cut off at one coil to reduce the stiffness of the strut.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXES94&P=7

This setup has worked great for me and I don't have any problems with the strut rotating. Be sure and change out the tightening screw on the retracts as Bruce recommends.

Galen

BalsaBob

My Feedback: (24)

Marty, I am using the stock wire struts with Trim wheels/brakes. I silver soldered an 'L' piece of metal onto the wire to keep the brake hub from rotating/moving. Bob

DP01

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Here's another solution for the Trim wheels/brakes as provided by Great Northern Models.

Dennis

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

Thanks guys.
I just emailed GNM with a few questions and your pictures helped me understand what needs to be added. Are you using the standard valve and happy with it or do I need to upgrade. Also, are you running off the retract tank? I've seen a lot of arguments for and against that and it would certainly be easier than trying to get another tank in there.

Marty

BalsaBob

My Feedback: (24)

Marty, I use a seperate air tank (a small one). I also use the Jet-Tronics brake valve. It is small and plugs directly into the reciever (no servo is required). Bob