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Great Planes Giant Citabria GP/EP ARF 85"

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Great Planes Giant Citabria GP/EP ARF 85"

Old 09-12-2014, 12:30 PM
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got home and checked out the contents. One of the things I checked was the width of the cowl. It is not 10 inches, only 8. So my twin wont fit like I though it would. I will have to make holes for the plugs and wires. On the bright side, there is just enough room for the motor cylinders. I will check further for clearance of the twin mufflers. I really don't see a problem with that.
Taking the whole box to the club meet tomorrow for show and tell.
Old 09-12-2014, 04:21 PM
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What twin were you thinking of using?
Old 09-12-2014, 04:31 PM
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The VVRC 40cc
Old 09-12-2014, 04:34 PM
  #54  
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Yep, I went back and saw it in your post and was watching some of them on youtube. Looks like a fine engine.
Old 09-12-2014, 04:37 PM
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I have yet to run it, but I have heard nothing but good about this motor. They run every motor before shipping. So new, they front even have a propped box for it.
Old 09-12-2014, 04:38 PM
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Sorry for the bad text, using my phone
Old 09-12-2014, 05:48 PM
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Been their... yep y fingers are too big for the Iphone keypad.
Old 09-14-2014, 07:13 PM
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Got a lot done already. The twin does fit, but not like I thought it would. In the process of cutting for the plugs. One thing I did not think of was that with the twin you cant get at the top cowl ring bolts. So the holes for the plug have to be large enough to pull the plugs and access the cowl ring.
Everything else is going just fine. No time left for this week, should get back at it next week. Here are some photo's.
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Old 09-14-2014, 07:24 PM
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Can you turn that top cowl bolts around and put them in from the inside. Move the t nuts to the cowl ring? Or move then above or below cylinders.
Old 09-15-2014, 03:24 PM
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By now there should be about 4 of us with this in their hands. I spent hours this weekend working on it. the quality is top, I can not say anything negitive about the workmanship. I also see a lot of great planing and designing here. Another thing, PLYWOOD! There is a lot of it here. I cant confirm it, but it looks like all the wing ribbs are ply. and a lot all around in the fuse. Now I know that also means weight, but really, for a model like this, I really dont think it is a big concern. I am not doing 3D with this so I am happy to trade a little weight for strength here. also, I am overpowering this so vertical performance is not a problem. Now the wing loading is light, so adding weight will also give stability in the wind, really when landing. so I am really not concerned with this aircraft coming in at 16 or 17 Lbs.
Now to list the negitives. the windshield was not protected very well and had scuff marks. Nothing I cant polish out. And I am concerned about how well the stab and fin is secured to the tail. I was expecting the fin at the leading edge to have something more to glue to there. But the guy wires may add a little to it, otherwise I would be a little more concerned. so far that is the only weakness I have found. but I am only half way through the build.
Now one more very minor detail, and this shows just how spoiled i have become. The wing servo trays mount blocks are not outlined as they have been in the past like in the Revolver.
Old 09-15-2014, 03:36 PM
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some quick shots of the motor mounting
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Old 09-16-2014, 07:39 PM
  #62  
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So I ordered the plane, dle 35 along with 7 Futaba S3305 servos for the control surfaces along with two S3003 standards for the throttle and choke. I also plan on installing the DLE kill switch. So if I do the math right, that's 9 servos and one kill switch, so ten channels total. Again, I have been out of the hobby for three years so there is a lot of new stuff out there. I was thinking of going with a Futaba 10J radio with the S.bus system. I like the telemetry idea so you can see your rx voltage!

The 10J does not come with a 10 channel rx, so I will have to use the S.bus to set this up. My question is, using analog servos (the s.bus servos are WAY too expensive for me) and a decoder in the S.bus, can I set this aircraft up with this radio without Y-harness' on the flaps and ailerons? I was reading through the 10J manual and it did not seem, like I could. I'm just a little confused on the setup. There are S.bus, hubs, transformers and decoder's so I'm a little confused on what all I need to purchase for this plane. I guess the end goal would be to not have to plug in 4 leads from the wing every time I set it up at the field.

I also got out of the hobby using NiCd rx packs. Now there are NiMh and LiFi packs. I'm not sure what to get or what size. The S3305 servo manual says do not use NiMh batteries.

I was was also wondering what battery I should get for the ignition?

thanks for the help!

-Matt

Last edited by Flyboywbl; 09-17-2014 at 08:50 AM.
Old 09-17-2014, 03:02 AM
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Everyone does things a little different, and that's OK. I would not bother with the SBUS for this plane. It is cheaper to just get the 8 or 14 ch receiver's. they are both high voltage and will give your servos higher speeds. 8 is enough for this, you can plug in the batt in the SBUS ch. Also, I prefer the Life batteries. A 3200ma Life goes for about $50 and can handle everything. Also I use a BIEC (batteries ignition elimination circuit) They are about $35, they plug into your receiver on the ch you choose as a kill. It regulates the voltage by choosing a jumper SW.
Here is how I am setting it up: CH 1&6 for ailr, 2 elev, 3 throttle, 4 rudder, 5 flaps, 7 choke, 8 kill. Power SBUS. (you can always use a manule choke and split the elev on two ch's) You can use two splitters for the two elev and flap servos. You might have to use a split reversing for the flaps.
The 8 ch rec is $130, the 14 is about $170, less with discounts. I dont use Futaba servos, I like to use Hitec. I am using the Hitec 5645's they are digital, metal gear, high tourqe, high speed for about $40 each. i think about using them in something different later down the road. A little overkill for this application maybe.
You will also need a fuel dot and install it at a level near the top of the tank. Not like some people do, lower down. The fuel will flow out before caping off.
Old 09-17-2014, 05:27 PM
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That is a IBEC. I am stopping by Graves RC in Orlando tomorrow and pick one up. Might just get the receiver also. I have plenty if 7 ch receivers I don't need.
Old 09-18-2014, 08:08 AM
  #65  
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Ok so I figured out my setup. I ordered a 10J tx and one S.bus decoder. I also got a 3200mAh LiFe rx pack and a 2000 mAh NiMh pack for the ignition. On the decoder through the S.bus I will have the choke and kill switch (ch 9/10) and one flap servo (slave to ch 6). Using the Flap wing setting in the 10J I will have ch 1/7 for the aileron servos. Ch 6 will be for the other flap servo. Then with the Ailvator function Ch 2/8 will be for the elevator servos. Ch 3 and 4 will be the standard throttle and rudder. The the ch 5 port will be for the rx battery switch.

I will still have to plug in the 4 wing servos every time I set the plane up but that's not that big of a deal and it saves a TON of money over s.bus servos, hubs and transformers! I'll run two leads on one side of the cockpit and two leads up the other side. A simple masking tape label will keep it simple to remember which one goes where.

This way there are no y harnesses or servo reversers to fail and every servo has their own channel.

Quick question though regarding the ignition and RX batteries. Looking at the cockpit floor on this model, it's a rather permanent installation I.e. I don't want to be unscrewing it every time to take the batteries out. I know LiPo's you do not want to charge in the model, but could I charge the NiMh and LiFe batteries in the model?

My plan was to cut out a a small hole in the cockpit floor to allow access to the Deans and balanced charge leads for charging the RX battery and simply use a charge port on the side of the aircraft to charge the NiMh ignition battery. Again I have no experience with LiFe batteries.

Thanks for the help!

-Matt
Old 09-18-2014, 08:25 AM
  #66  
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There is no risk in charging the LIFE batteries within the model. You might consider LIFE for the ignition as well. Check the input voltage for your ignition and see if 6.6 volts is acceptable.
Old 09-18-2014, 08:50 AM
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[h=1]Tech-Aero Designs Ultra Ignition Battery Eliminator Circuit (U-IBEC)[/h]
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BPIBEC Tech-Aero Designs Ultra Ignition Battery Eliminator Circuit (U-IBEC)

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Old 09-18-2014, 08:53 AM
  #68  
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Rather than use a seperate battery, this is the way to go for me. And the Life batteries are not risk free, but less dangerous than the Lipo. Just always monitor while charging, it only takes a few minutes. Oh yes, you will need a propper charger, one that will do at least 5 amps.
Old 09-18-2014, 10:45 AM
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I have a triton charger
Old 09-18-2014, 11:21 AM
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You will need to be able to set your voltage at 3.3 volts per cell. If it has that capability, the charger will work.
Old 09-18-2014, 03:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Lifer
You will need to be able to set your voltage at 3.3 volts per cell. If it has that capability, the charger will work.

Yup, it says it can do 3.3 cell LiFi packs
Old 09-18-2014, 03:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Lifer
There is no risk in charging the LIFE batteries within the model. You might consider LIFE for the ignition as well. Check the input voltage for your ignition and see if 6.6 volts is acceptable.
It says in the manual that you need a regulator for that high voltage.
Old 09-18-2014, 04:08 PM
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Which manual? But as long as your receiver and servos are HV then you are OK. Now there is 4.8V, 6V and HV which is I think around 8.4V. But when soneone refers to HV, they are really reffering to 6V. Most servos are rated at 4.8V / 6V for tourqe and speed. Always, higher voltage will give you more tourqe and speen on your servos.
There are regulators out there and I have a couple, but I dont use them. I just run the 6V rec, servos, and batt. The only regulator I use is the IBEC that acts like a regulator for the ignition module and kill SW, with a LED for on indcator. The Life battery is the most stable voltage source out there. In fact I think it is somewhat of a downfall. Because when it first starts out at about 6.8 or so it will drop to 6.6 fairly soon and stay there until about ready to die! and then it will fall off very quickly. some meters will tell you how much is left in %. But a standard volt meter will not tell you really where you stand. You have to charge the battery back up to see how much you used to really get a picture. But, I have used Life batteries in most of my gassers and after 4 or 5 flights I normally only use about 500ma for my day of flying. Not really even close to having to recharge.
Anyway, I picked up the IBEC at GravesRC today. Last one they had. There are a lot of choices out there and I tend to stay with what I have used and proven to work. Been flying my giant Revolver for two years now without a failure. And it looks great still. Had to replace the tires, worn out tread. It's my go to flyer with hundreds of flights and it is set up just like im setting up this Citabria.
Old 09-18-2014, 05:10 PM
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Originally Posted by [email protected]
Which manual? But as long as your receiver and servos are HV then you are OK. Now there is 4.8V, 6V and HV which is I think around 8.4V. But when soneone refers to HV, they are really reffering to 6V. Most servos are rated at 4.8V / 6V for tourqe and speed. Always, higher voltage will give you more tourqe and speen on your servos.
There are regulators out there and I have a couple, but I dont use them. I just run the 6V rec, servos, and batt. The only regulator I use is the IBEC that acts like a regulator for the ignition module and kill SW, with a LED for on indcator. The Life battery is the most stable voltage source out there. In fact I think it is somewhat of a downfall. Because when it first starts out at about 6.8 or so it will drop to 6.6 fairly soon and stay there until about ready to die! and then it will fall off very quickly. some meters will tell you how much is left in %. But a standard volt meter will not tell you really where you stand. You have to charge the battery back up to see how much you used to really get a picture. But, I have used Life batteries in most of my gassers and after 4 or 5 flights I normally only use about 500ma for my day of flying. Not really even close to having to recharge.
Anyway, I picked up the IBEC at GravesRC today. Last one they had. There are a lot of choices out there and I tend to stay with what I have used and proven to work. Been flying my giant Revolver for two years now without a failure. And it looks great still. Had to replace the tires, worn out tread. It's my go to flyer with hundreds of flights and it is set up just like im setting up this Citabria.

Ok I must have read something wrong because I thought the DLE manual said you needed a regulator with a voltage over 6V. I looked into the IBEC and ordered an IBEC from Tech Aero Designs. I read some reviews on them and they seem to be a decent product. I canceled the back order on my DLE kill switch and I'll have to return the 2000 mAh NiMh/switch harness. I like the idea of one battery.

So that leaves me one 6.6 V 3200 LiFe pack running both the RX and ignition. I think that should be sufficient. I'm sort of a lazy touch and go, loops and roll type of flyer. Nothing to extreme to wear the battery down quick.

I'll have too look into a LiFe battery checker. I like the peace of mind knowing the percentage of battery between each flight.

I cant ant wait to get started on this bad boy!

-Matt

oh by the way, there is a cool video review of this model on tower hobbies via YouTube
Old 09-19-2014, 03:59 AM
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Cool

You will love the tech-aero piece works great
Also i run 2600 2 cell lipos with hv servos and get at least 5 10 minute flight before charging

Last edited by bjackson1206; 09-19-2014 at 04:01 AM.

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