highhorse

My Feedback: (2)

LMAO !!

John, that backwards gear is hilarious! And best of all it makes me feel better about my own late night build sessions. Been there for sure. I all too often spot stuff later and wonder what the eff was I thinking when I did that?

Sorry, I can't stop laughing. But I am SO laughing with you dude, definitely not AT you.

Thanks for the smile on my face right now, Don.

Square Nozzle

My Feedback: (1)

Latest poop on the idiot that put the gear on backwards. He looked at the situation and reversed the gear so it's now correct. Since it's on the bottom of the wing, I just put the clearance cuts for coils on the rear side of the strut slot and touched up the cut with paint. It looks fine now. Richard, thanks for pointing this out to me. I would have really felt like a jerk had it been noted at a rally.

Square Nozzle

My Feedback: (1)

Another subject - I need a break. I noticed on the ARF version of the R54 that there is a heat shield about 180+ degrees around the engine. Do you guys with ducted engines have heat shields that extend above and around the sides of the engine? My heat shield is only above the engine.

causeitflies

Just some aluminum tape on the sides on mine... no problem with a P-60. The P-70 will be a little closer but tape should work.

racer8297

My Feedback: (13)

Ok guys. My Reaction is finally done! What a great kit. I have to tip my hat to ya Bruce. It will be a couple of weeks until I can maiden it, Easter, work, family, weather. I can't wait!!!

Here it is. Excuse the mess in my basement.



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TommyWatson

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Racer,
Looks like you copied my old reaction colours. Looks good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Regards

racer8297

My Feedback: (13)

Hi Tom,

Yup! I copied yours exactly! Loved the colors and layout. Simple but elegant. Used PPG automotive paint matched from a picture of yours that I printed. Hi gloss clear over the top. This is my first glassed/painted project. Lots of small flaws. But at 3 feet distance it looks great! Lets hope that it flies!

Jim

littlepiston

My Feedback: (12)

i like your saw horse?! were can i get plans for that NICE!!

TommyWatson

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Jim,

Did you do the big checkers on the bottom of the wing?.

I did my Blue and Yellow Reaction with Monokote. I am not a big fan of Monokote because I am not very good at applying it and it always seems to get tatty over time.
The red and white R54 was done with Auto paint. Solid colours with a clear overcoat. I found that the painted model was a bit more than 1 pound heavier than the monkote model. I sold the Blue and yellow R54 and now I only have the Red one. I am building a smaller R44 and I intend to glass and paint the fuse and wingtips and monokote the straight sections of the wing. I think most of the weight on the painted model was on the wings.

This was my first Turbine model and the first flight could not have been easier. You will love it.

Regards

Eddie P

My Feedback: (4)

Great work, guys, on these new reactions!! John, I am very happy for ya bud - Get that thing flying and you will soon see and feel the fruits of your labor.

Causeitflies is right on the aluminum tape. Keep it simple. The only place I have the heavy duty heat shield applied is directly above and behind the engine. But please, to keep your paint from bubbling aft of that P-70, use a start pipe for all starts. The P-60's and 70's have been known to thow a little afterburner on start, in cool weather, when using Powermax (if the Powermax does not completely atomize in the initial start sequence the rest goes out the back still burning, sometimes you can barely see it). It's not damaging to the engine but if you have film covered aft areas the film can burn, and on fiberglass and paint jets, the paint can slightly bubble in the line of exhaust without the pipe over the course of several of these starts of this type.

How do I know this? It happened to me, even with my start pipe by my side, but you have to use the start pipe for it to help!! And I wasn't [:@] The end result was a couple very small paint bubbles. Nothing a little 400 grit wet and touch up paint couldn't fix but save yourself the time and possibility of worse [:'(]

Bruce, thanks, I'll ask around elsewhere on the valve question.

racer8297

My Feedback: (13)

littlepiston, I got that stand many years ago from someone online, I can't remember who. It is made of PVC, you can make one up easy and cheap.

Tommy, yes, I have the checkers on the bottom very much like yours. Mine is PPG auto paint with a high gloss clear. If course, glassed underneath. I have a P70 mounted and 1.25 pounds of nose weight. I am not sure of the AUW at this time.

Eddie P, I have my start pipe ready to go. I have seen what a hot start can do! I certainly don't want it to go up in flames before it ever leaves the ground!

Jim

TommyWatson

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Jim,

My glassed and painted R54 has a lot of lead in the nose. I enlarged the hole in the nose block as far as I could and filled it with lead shot and epoxy. I also have a 2000 mah 6 cell starter battery and two 4000 mah lith ion batterys for my Weatronic receiver. The extra weight does not make any difference to the way it flies.

Regards

Square Nozzle

My Feedback: (1)

Eddie, thanks for the warning. I plan to do just what you suggested regarding the tail pipe and the aluminum tape that you and Mark P have suggested. Is the tail pipe typically mounted on a heavy base so it doesn't blow away?

Tommy, I did the nose weight thing similar to you. I opened the nose block interior as much as I dared and then made a wood form with the same size hole as the nose block. The hole was soaked with water and I melted a lead bar into the form. The resulting lead slug was roughed up on the OD with a rasp and then epoxied into the nose block. Another slab of lead is epoxied to the floor in the nose and a 7.2 volt, 3600 mah Nimh starter battery, a 4.8 V, 2400 Nimh and a 4.8V, 700 Nicad receiver set completes the weight package

TommyWatson

My Feedback: (1)

Hi John,

My Pipe is a piece of Galvanised Downpipe (100mm). The stands are alluminium pop riveted to the pipe. It has never moved. I move it away before I go to full throttle.

Regards

maxvertical

Hey, you know on mine I purge the gas valve before start each time after refilling the onboard propane and that seems to really keep the flames under control during start. I get liquid in the lines after filling and testing the gas valve bleeds this off so it's just gas going into the engine. Starts are stable too. Bob Brusa will get mad at me if I admit I'm not using a pipe for each of my starts, so guess I'll have to start using one. LOL
I love that Swiss Paint! A few posts back.. Awesome

MaxV

Forgot to add... I'm using the P-70 with onboard propane

Molar mender

It only takes ONCE!!! without the pipe.

Roy

bob1393

My Feedback: (10)

Chris (maxvertical)

You can use my pipe when we fly together so I won't get mad!!! Ha! Ha!

Bob Brusa

maxvertical

Thanks Bob, you're a real pal!
Yes, it only takes once. Looks like it will be in paint in another two weeks, so guess it's time to build the tube.. LOL Besides, I'm supposed to lead by good example, and we have a bunch of new guys going to turbines here in Oregon, so guess I need to get my act together.

Molar mender

I had some 3/4" shelf wood (none of the particle board stuff) laying around and cut out the three pieces so they would interlock when I screwed them together. I did do a little extra sanding on the handle so I wouldn't get any slivers when I picked it up. Turned out quite nicely.

Roy

maxvertical

That's pretty nice unit. Guess it doesn't have to be complicated to keep the tail from burning off.


Bruce,
Where do you think the upper wt limit is on the R54. I know mine handles wonderful where it is now, but it's time to get some real color on my bird and am fearful or where the weight could go. I suppose if it's done right, a nice PPG paint job shouldn't add that much. guess I'm worried about gaining another pound or two, but so far the airplane hasn't shown any tendancy that it's unhappy where it is right now weight wise. My guess is as large of wing area we have, it would take a lot more to make it nasty.
Chris

BruceTharpe

My Feedback: (1)

The heaviest I can recall hearing about was 28 lb. or so. Apparently flew fine. Like you said, the wing design can handle a lot of weight. Where the extra weight will rear its ugly head is vertical performance. You're bound to lose a little when you add a pound or two, but you had power to spare with a P70. Paint it!

Eddie P

My Feedback: (4)

One idea is to use lacquer paint. One part, super light weight as long as you don't go for a multi layer show gloss finish. You'd gain very, very little weight. My guess is less than six ounces. Watch heavy paints - you'll gain all the weight behind the GC with the wing, stabs, and aft fuse, then have to re-balance with a lot of lead. You could also sand some more primer off and save the weight of the paint alone. Usually right before I paint the primer looks like it only lies in the low spots - it's mottled and mostly gone, certainly not uniformly grey.

racer8297

My Feedback: (13)

I am most likely going to maiden mine this weekend, weather permitting. What kind of expo, if any, are you guys running? Also, the maximum up elevator I can get is what Bruce has listed in the instructions. I usually like to have a little extra on the high rate switch for a maiden but unless I change the linkage I can't get any more throw. I'm sure that what Bruce has listed is fine but I just want to hear it again!

Thanks,
Jim

TommyWatson

My Feedback: (1)

I did my maiden with the throws Bruce shows in the instructions. I havn't changed things since. It is a pusscat to fly. Slows down a lot with full (60 degrees) flap, just keep the power up until you make the field.

Regards

BruceTharpe

My Feedback: (1)

Hey Jim, best wishes for your maiden flight! Your R54 looks great - Tommy's color scheme is fantastic for visibility. The elevator throw should be fine; it's surprisingly effective, borderline sensitive. Expo is a good idea. I never used expo until I experimented with the R54. Now I have about 25% in the elevator and ailerons. Make sure it balances in the front half of the balance range shown on the plans, even if it means a lot of lead. Let us know how it goes!