FreedomFlier

My Feedback: (8)

Extra Special is coming along. I used Tamia paint on the canopy ("smoke"). Plan to use a B&B smoke pump and putting the 8611 rudder servo in the tail to offset the nose wieght.

FreedomFlier

My Feedback: (8)

Well, I am read for the maiden flight. Suppose to be 4 mph wind tomorrow here in KC!

I may try a 22X8 Semitar on this 3.2. I think the 22X10 Zinger is too much. Tag on my 3.2 said "7400 RPM with 22X8 Zinger". Not sure what conditions they were testing it in.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

Let us know how it flies!

BalsaOvercast

My Feedback: (16)

Joe,

Make sure you get a few inflight pics for the newsletter, or at least for show & tell at the meeting. It really looks good!

ezflyr

My Feedback: (32)

Hey Joe,

Don't you think you should be cutting that grass instead of goofing off and flying your model airplanes . Have fun, that's a pretty bird!!

John

FreedomFlier

My Feedback: (8)

Well, I was tickled to death! This is the smoothest plane I have ever flown. And the sink rate.... FOREVER! I could not believe how this thing floats! Dennis told me about it. I have read about it, but man…. All smiles!

I would say I might have been on the aft side of the CG. Inverted flight required minimal if any input to the elevator. After the smoke pump comes next week, that will change.

I grounded after the first flight. We heard some buzzing in the air and after inspection on the ground, we noticed my Cowl was vibrating on my muffler and back plate. I fixed it tonight, so weather permitting I will fly it again tomorrow before the KCRC meeting.

I do believe I am running to much prop. A 22X8 would be much better. Charlie will be bringing me a 22X8 Sim-E-Tar to the field tomorrow.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

Yea, I flew mine for 600 feet deadstick, 15 feet off the ground, waiting for the thing to land. Next time I will fly it into the ground!

rctom

No, don't do that! Egads!

If you have too much airspeed wiggle the rudder a little (try this first at altitude, a little means A LITTLE) back and forth to scrub off airspeed.

TF

Fixed Wing

Something I do to bleed off speed and keep from floating is to raise my spoilerons during the landing approach. You'll have to hold your elevator as you do this or program in some as a slave to the spoilers. I have the spoilerons set up on my left slide switch (Futaba 9C) and can raise them in a variable fashion. The more they are raised the more the loss of lift and the resulting sink rate. As the wheels touch the ground I raise them even further which eliminates any balloning back into the air. This is a timing manuever so be careful when doing this because if you raise your spoilers fully too soon before touching down you'll slam the plane into a hard landing. Once you get the feel for this you'll greese every landing in a perfect fashing no matter what the wind conditions are. Good luck.

AeroDave

I found myself coming in too fast. I'm used to Extras that you carry power longer, fly to the ground and wheel land. The extra Special would just keep flying.........Then I got it too slow a couple of times with a low idle, etc. All it did was bounce a bit, though. Once I figured it out it was really cool, landing a giant IMAC plane that lands as easily as a sport plane! Love the pics!

psk560

My Feedback: (12)

Freedom,

Can you give us more information on the paint you used? I want to start mine soon and yours looks oohhhh ssoooooo goooood.

Craig

FreedomFlier

My Feedback: (8)

Not a problem,

I used RC Car Paint for lexan car bodies from Tamia. (Spelling?) The name of the color is "smoke".

I used the whole can, but it was small. Use very light coats, and be get your canopy super clean. After I was happy the over all shape of the canopy, test fitted and so on, I masked off the inside of the canopy with a 1/4" strip all along the inside. I used trim tape. (This cave me a clean area later for glue) Then I covered the outside of the canopy with plastic sur-ran wrap. (spelling? again) Masked the edge of the plastic to the inside trip tape. Now you’re read to paint.

As always, test your paint FIRST! I had my canopy in my right hand and the can in my left hand, and was ready to shoot the inside of the canopy… I thought to myself… Maybe I should check it first.. Shot it in the air and OT WAS PINK! BRIGHT FLORECENT PINK! Needless to say, I went and exchange it at the LHS. It was totally mislabeled [:@]

After getting the right Paint, I shot very light-thin-even coats on the inside. Took a heat gun and an on “low temp� setting, dried out that coat. Continued this process until the can was gone.

Now, carefully remove all of you mask. Use alcohol to clean off tape gunk. (Beer doesn’t work well, use rubbing alcohol ). Then I used clear household silicone glue for the canopy (indoor outdoor bathroom stuff). Of course, you can use whatever you want. I applied a very thin (~1/8th�) bead along my predefined contact boundary, inside the canopy. I then carefully placed the canopy on the installed hatch on the fuselage. Verified alignment and fit again. Taped the canopy down with low-tack tape (blue stuff). Clean excess silicone off with alcohol and fine cotton rag. Let dry for at least 12 hours.

Now, cut one ~½X�30� strip and 3/16� X24� matching Ultracoat. Cover the canopy on the back first with the 3/16� piece. Then Do the side-front-side in with the wider piece (This is tricky, and mine doesn’t look perfect). The covering does two things here. 1. It seals the canopy to the hatch, so now air can get in, a major cause for in-flight canopy loss. 2. It cosmetically covers up the clear/smoke boundary you mask off on the inside.

Hope this helps.

John Murdoch

My Feedback: (11)

Excellent explaination. You may think that there's a problem with your spelling but I got it right away. As for the alcohol removal process, would VO or Jack Daniels work? That beer stuff is pretty low octane stuff.

krayzc-RCU

My Feedback: (31)

i am enjoying mine

John Murdoch

My Feedback: (11)

Beautiful, just freek'n beautiful......

splais

My Feedback: (25)

Freedom. I did almost the exact same thing you did from beginning to end. Came out beautiful. Only difference, I used Testors. Worked perfectly. they actually have a bunch of smoke and transparent colors to try.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

Never heard of that little bit of information. I will have to try it but hopefully, I will not have another dead stick. I guess I am accustomed to flying bricks and not planes that WANT to fly forever.
Thanks Tom

phamil1

I have been watching and reading. I just finished my Extra 300 Special a few weeks ago. What a great kit. It went together real nice. The CG came out right on and I ended up at 17lbs even. I have four flights on it now and like you say it flys sooooo nice. I have to get used to the thing floating though. I've had some really long landings. My last flight was actually several short flights. Many take-offs and landings and I just couldn't get it to land. I know my idle was a little fast, so I think I can slow that down a bit, but even then it's going to float. I'm sure I am also just a little nervous that I am going to stall it out - I just need to get used to it.

krayzc-RCU

My Feedback: (31)

yeah this baby floats u must have that idle low for the appraoch and work the left stick for the disired effect

FreedomFlier

My Feedback: (8)

Another pose.

It was a little cloudy that day. Waiting for blue sky to take better smoke pics.
It's rained every night this week it seems.