meaden

Excellent!

I ran the engine again this afternoon and got it to run the full throttle range. About 2k maybe a little less on the low end and about 8k on the high end. It seemed fine as far as temperature.

It was shaking pretty good on the low end. I need to re-adjust the throttle linkage on the low end though. I had no lower to go.

Change the linkage and lean the low end and I'm pretty sure the shake will go away. The transition was a bit slow like it was rich on the low end.

The kill switch works! LOL! I didn't have enough in the transmitter to kill it.

I think I have it tuned well enough to take back out to the field and get the peanut gallery to help me fine tune it.

I blocked in the lower wing servo bay today too but a photo of epoxy drying is not very exciting so I'll post that when I get it mounted.

Jburry

Sounds like the day is nearing! I've been reading this thread for weeks now, and I can't wait to see Ronny fly again!

1 lung Gassers are shakers at idle, it's the way it is. If you're running the engine on the plane without wings, it'll torque alot at idle. Best with the wings on, their mass and length dampens the vibes alot.

Good luck! Blue Skies!

J

meaden

Thanks! Jburry!

I was running it with the wings off. I'll run it a few more times and tune it assembled before I fly to see if anything shakes loose. I can see why Grandpa built it solid though.

I'm shooting for April to fly it. Thats usually when we start getting warm-ish calm days down here. But this winter has been strange.

New tires today! I need to go find some sports "authority" to get a pump to put some air in them. Funny part is..same brand, same size, that was on there but they are narrower.

LOL, It looked like the valves blew on the old ones and Grandpa filled them with spray foam.

Jburry

Yup, weird winter here too. Well to the north of you, on the Bay of Fundy. I've got a gasser to maiden come april myself, though it may well be early may before things calm enough!

Just so you know, if the wings aren't on an IC powered plane (gas or glow), the vibration in the airframe can be bad enough to damage radio equipment. If I were you, I'd mount the lower wing just to help damp it out when test running. You'll be really surprised how much smoother things get with it on!

New wheels look great! Spray foam, LOL!

J

meaden

Some more progress...

I got the aileron servo for the lower wing mounted and the pushrods replaced. There was just a bit to much rust on the old pushrods for me to trust them. I kept Grandpa's setup but I added some heat shrink tubing on the soldered end and some nuts on the threaded end. I'm pretty happy with it. It's got the same geometry so the throws should be close but I didn't take the time to tweak the centering. I'll do that all round in the final setup.

meaden

I opened up the top wing this morning. The bell cranks look fine but I'm not sure about the main pushrods from the center going out to the ailerons. I'm not sure how I would replace those short of taking the covering off the wing.

I think getting a new servo in there is going to take some creative construction too. It all looks solid though.

Jburry

Lookin' good!

I think I'd leave the existing rods in place, and install a new servo. Then hold the surface while running the servo thru it's motion. if the rods don't buckle under full servo load, keep'em!

J

meaden

Slow progress...

With some blocking I got the servo mounted in the tray for the top wing. It looks like a jigsaw puzzle but it's solid. The tray fits in the top wing very tight so I may need to get creative routing the servo lead or changing the way the tray mounts on the left side. The old Kraft servos had the lead coming out of the top of the case so Grandpa just cut a channel in the top of the mount and a neat hole out of the cover.

I paid some attention to the cowling too and found one big crack on the bottom (in the second photo) that I fiberglassed back together. It's hard to see in the photo but it's at that step toward the bottom where the cowl gets thicker.

There were some smaller cracks that I tried to fill with epoxy filler but a few I'll need to go back and hit with fiberglass patches. Then a quick coat of paint.

Knowing Grandpa's thriftiness and the way the paint sanded I was guessing rust-oleum...a test patch matched perfectly. Sunburst Yellow.

I'm going to fiddle with the throttle throw tonight and try to give the engine another run this week. With the wing on!

meaden

WOW! That was fun!

I ran a tank through the engine today with the lower wing on this time. It poped on the first turn! Slow and low...Bub..bub..bub...it was awesome!

I got 1.7K on the low end and around 7.5 - 8 k on the top end. My tach is not very accurate. From the sound and the transition I think it's a bit lean but I am very close...and it wasn't overheating.

WooHoo!

The radio hit the mark too. I didn't see any glitches or funky stuff going on.

I smell like gas

Jburry

That day is getting closer!

When you're finished this, you'll have a plane with history that you can be proud to fly! Betcha Grandpa's proud!

meaden

I got the cowl sanded and painted today. A few spots to touch up but I'm happy with it.

GreaTOne_65

Don't worry about the oil content, it's just fine. Setting the needles should get it running better. I have always set the High speed needle with the engine running, but it can be scary, but in my opinion it' s the best way. the Idle needle can be set at 2 turns to start with.

BTW; the pictures of your grandpa are terrific!! Thanks for posting them!!

Dale

meaden

Well, some progress and set backs today.

The first set back was my computer bit the dust last night. So I spent the morning getting back online and moving my files around. UGH!

The bit of progress...it wasn't as hard as I thought to get the aileron servo in the top wing. The connector is snaked around but there is enough slack that I don't think it will bind or rub on anything. You can't see it in the photo but I need to replace the mount underneath the servo on the left side where the screw attaches, the wood split.

The second and third set back...I got a pump setup with the fittings and tried to put some air in the tires. Well, I didn't put that much air in and the valves started working their way out of the tires. I pulled the valves out and put some "Loctite Xtreme Repair" on them and reinserted them. I've had really good luck with it sealing and attaching mufflers, it's a high temperature silicone adhesive. Good stuff. I'll see how they do after the glue cures.

While putting air in the tires I noticed that the axel hole on one of the tires is not drilled straight so the tire wobbles slightly. The axel is not bent. I put the other tire on it and it was straight as an arrow. So I guess I need to redrill the holes on the wheels and install larger axels or get another tire. I'm not sure how much a problem a wobbly tire would be beyond the tire wearing out quicker. An I think it might be a bigger problem to put new axels in (and get them straight) with the arrangmet of the landing gear.

Well, I'm gonna go touch up the paint on the cowl so I can call today a wash...maybe go fly tomorrow.

meaden

No flying today. Skys were blue but it was to windy.

I ran two more tanks through the engine out in the back yard this afternoon and I feel very comfortable that the engine won't let me down.

After priming it on the first start it poped on the first turn again. Then it poped first time after that...starting and stopping fiddling with the needles. More to the point I feel comfortable starting it now!

It settled in at 1.7K at idle and 6.8k with a MAS 20x10. After taching it multiple times. I'm thinking a 20X8 will get a few more revs out of it but it's a strong engine. I think I'll fly it with the 20x10 and see how it feels.

No excuses now. Time to button this puppy up and fly it.

karolh

Well you said it, because we are all here waiting, waiting, waiting.

Karol

sscherin

My Feedback: (1)

Make some brass bushing for the wheels.
Get some brass tubing that will slip over the existing axle.. drill the wheels to fit the tubing
Cut to length..

The hard part is re-drilling the wheels straight.. the bit will want to follow the existing hole.

meaden

sscherin,

That's kinda what I was thinking. I have a drill press so straight shouldn't be that much of a problem.

karolh,

That's not a very Jamaican attitude


April my friends...Grandpa's plane will fly in April.

I want to make sure everything's right. I have a fan club (peanut gallery) at my field asking me when I'm gonna fly it too.

karolh

Can't understand why you can't fly the darn plane, as we do here all year round. Now that's Jamaica for you, anyway April ain't that far away

Karol

Jburry

Meaden, if that wheel wobbles just a little bit, don't worry about it. It'll only be a problem if it's rubbing the strut, causing it to bind.

Sounds like you're about ready! I'm in a similar boat to you, I've got my first gasser sittin' in the basement, all ready for it's maiden. Nothing sentimentally special like Ronny there, but I'm itching none the less. Calling for 4" of snow tonight. Well, ice pellets, really, not cold enough for snow here now... I haven't flown since the fall time change, except the blimp at our local hockey games.... Not quite the same.

Your patience is gonna pay off! Can't wait myself!

J

meaden

Jburry,

Sounds like I've gotten a few more flying days in this year than you have! It's warming up nicely here but the winds are the deal breaker. The runway at our field runs North-South and the prevaling winds run West-East. Cross-wind is kind of a joke at our field. When isn't there a cross-wind?

The wheel isn't binding or rubbing just wobbles when it turns. I'm not sure if it's worth the trouble to make it right. I know it's not gonna keep the plane from flying. An I'm sure it will ground handle much better than my 4*40

All things can't be perfect and at some point ya gotta shut up and fly.

meaden

Another mixed bag today. I took Grandpa's plane out to the field to run the engine and do some taxi test. Again the engine popped first turn after priming it. I still think it's on the lean side or maybe it needs a little less prop. Like a 20X8. I didn't notice any problems with the wobbly wheel it seemed to track pretty well but the rudder did seem a little sensitive as I got the speed up close to flying. I just ran it around the runway with the lower wing on so I wouldn't be tempted.

After running the engine a second time in the pits with the whole peanut galley taking tach readings I noticed the muffler had worked loose. No problem...it's a little hard to get to but I can also find out for sure if it's a Quadra 40 or a 42.

Then, putting her to bed in my small work room...I punched a hole in the covering of one of the elevator halfs on a prop from one of my other planes. UGH!

I'll scalp some covering from the other bipe my Grandpa gave me. The one I mentioned that's not in great shape. It's an easy fix just frustrating.

All-in-all a pretty good spring day at the field

meaden

I pulled the tank and the engine today to get at the muffler. I cut a new gasket for it and secured it well with more of the Loctite Xtreme. It gave me a chance to clean the engine up a bit more and inspect the starter spring. All looks good and greasy.

I thought two rings on the piston was a 42 but that's not what the parts drawing on B&B Specialties indicates. It turns a 20 size prop easily though. it's gotta be a 42.

meaden

I got the tank and the engine back in and finished off the cowl. Since I have plenty of paint left over I'm hitting the wing struts with a coat too.

I got the servo mounted in the top wing and routed the wiring with an extension down one of the center struts. Grandpa was using duct tape to hold a similar arrangement in place. I'm thinking the velcro and the connection keeper should work fine and be easier to connect and remove.

Grandpa also had a "Y" setup from the aileron channel to both wings. I the put the top wing on channel 5 and mixed it in the transmitter.

I got a MAS 20x8 prop to try too.

All I can think left to do is patch the hole I put in the elevator [:@] and tweek the control surfaces! I'm feeling good about flying it. I think it will go great.

Jburry

Sounds great! Our field is still snowed in, be another couple weeks before we can get to it.... Gettin' ansy.

When I was building my aquastar 2 years ago, the last thing was to re-attach the aileron control horns after cutting the screws down to length. Screwdriver slipped and poked thru the wing. It's still the only patch on'er (knocks on wood)... I know how you feel!

Could you post some overall photos, so we can see how much better Ronny looks than the photos at the start of the thread?

Keep us posted!

J

meaden

Jburry

LOL! You just reminded me of a time when Grandpa was patching a hole in one of his other planes and being a smart ass I said "What did you do that for?" He said "What? Full scale planes have patches too."

We should have a sunny WINDY day here in Georgia tomorrow. Wednesday looks like the next best flying day. But I don't think I'll have it ready.

I was thinking of shooting some more photos out in the yard tomorrow of the bipe and the Laser 200 I mentioned earlier in the thread. If all goes well with the bipe I think that will be the next project. I've caught the gasser bug