Great Planes Giant Citabria GP/EP ARF 85"
11-11-2014, 06:39 AM
#326
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: May 2011
Location: St. Petersburg,
FL
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The other day I sent a request to Graph Tech to make a CF LG for this Citabria and that I would send them my LG to make a mold. They responded right away and said it was good timing because they make molds during the months of November and December. So when I get home this weekend that is what I will do. So a CF landing gear will be coming.
Now it will be springy and light weight, but they do tend to break when hit hard. But none of us ever do that. I will also ask to purchase their first to come out and give a report on the details.
I have never painted CF, dont see a reason why not.
Now it will be springy and light weight, but they do tend to break when hit hard. But none of us ever do that. I will also ask to purchase their first to come out and give a report on the details.
I have never painted CF, dont see a reason why not.
11-13-2014, 07:20 PM
#331
Even living in the Bay Area I have been a member of SAMs but once up there I'm thinking Amos and SAMs. I like the WDA field but it's a bit of a drive and my understanding is that the club is not exactly IMAC friendly. We had a contest scheduled there this past season and it was canceled due to noise concerns. We had to scramble to get an alternate site.
11-13-2014, 09:18 PM
#332
Now that you mention it, yes, there has been some concern regarding noise, for IMAC flying AMOS is better suitable then SAMs, AMOS is closer to me but I can get to SAMs faster because of the open roads going there ( not to mention Starbucks and Costco are in the way there ) SAMs is perfect for me because I fly in the afternoons and there is no one there at that time of the day, I will rejoin for 2015.
11-14-2014, 03:26 PM
#333
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: May 2011
Location: St. Petersburg,
FL
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There was something that bothered me early on in this build, but never said anything. The way the wing struts are attached at the four points to the wing. The hard points are imbedded under the wing balsa sheeting. So when the struts are tightened they sink into the wing, like into a pillow. So tonight I tried something. removed one set of struts and used a brass tube with teeth cut into one end so I can drill out the balsa sounding the blind nut. Then when re attaching the struts I put two or three washers between that and the strut connections. Leaving the struts from sinking into the wing as if it were a pillow. Looks better and is solid without soft balsa pinched in-between.
Going to get some more flying in this weekend for sure. the last time I flew, a ten minute flight only used 185ma from my battery. Not much at all! And this twin 40cc only used 1/4 of a 500ml tank. but I only flew around 3/4 of the time at half throttle.
I got a pair of LG packed up and ready to send to Graph Tech RC for Monday. Hopefully by next month a CF set will be available.
Going to get some more flying in this weekend for sure. the last time I flew, a ten minute flight only used 185ma from my battery. Not much at all! And this twin 40cc only used 1/4 of a 500ml tank. but I only flew around 3/4 of the time at half throttle.
I got a pair of LG packed up and ready to send to Graph Tech RC for Monday. Hopefully by next month a CF set will be available.
11-17-2014, 11:20 AM
#338
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: May 2011
Location: St. Petersburg,
FL
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This weekend I was out flying the Citabra and another club member was there with his. This is a photo of how he solved his LG problem. 
I had to rebend my LG three times due to less than perfect landings.
I had to rebend my LG three times due to less than perfect landings.
11-17-2014, 03:28 PM
#339
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One necessary modification I did to my plane was to lengthen the jury strut bottom attachment by threading an additional nut on the threaded rod inside of where it attaches to the main strut (see pic). Many of the completed pictures I see online show a significant upwards bow (compression) of the main strut in the middle after it has been attached to the fuse. The function of the jury strut is to prevent the main struts from bending under compression loads - I believe the jury strut locations on my plane (and those I've seen) are too far inboard and/or the jury strut was manufactured about 1/4 inch too short. By lengthening the attachment point of the jury struts you can keep the main struts completely straight (using a metal ruler) and more importantly, lowers the inboard attachment end (increases the gap between struts), thus lowering the risk of fuselage punctures during assembly. I use the jury strut adjustment so the forward main strut rests on top of the fuse attachment bracket and the rear strut rests underneath the bracket.
11-18-2014, 12:06 AM
#340
Putting her back together.
Moved the throttle servo back and reworked the throttle push road to be able to kill the engine with the throttle kill switch, sprayed two coats of paint on the gear and now waiting overnight for the paint to dry out to put it back on, added wood nails to the firewall all around, fuel proof the firewall and the tank compartment with thinned 30 min.
Moved the throttle servo back and reworked the throttle push road to be able to kill the engine with the throttle kill switch, sprayed two coats of paint on the gear and now waiting overnight for the paint to dry out to put it back on, added wood nails to the firewall all around, fuel proof the firewall and the tank compartment with thinned 30 min.
11-18-2014, 12:23 PM
#341
My Feedback: (9)
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Belton , MO
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Do you guys think that the hardening process was worth the time? I bought another set of legs from Tower, but winter is here and they are on the bench... Prolly should have waited for TNT. They already have a couple of Decathlons in their inventory. Pilot RC and R/C Guys. I think both are larger scale.
11-18-2014, 04:14 PM
#342
I didn't do that because I wanted a solid solution even if I had to pay for it and that solution is here now, I have never return anything back to TH but I would try to do that then spend that money on a nice set of gears from TNT.
People are waiting for a stress report on my new TNT gear, the truths is that in my mind this gear is the solution and it will performe just fine, they have been in the bussiness of making metal gears for some time,, they know by now what they are doing.
People are waiting for a stress report on my new TNT gear, the truths is that in my mind this gear is the solution and it will performe just fine, they have been in the bussiness of making metal gears for some time,, they know by now what they are doing.
Last edited by CARS II; 11-18-2014 at 05:42 PM.
11-19-2014, 10:35 PM
#343
Flight report.
To put it in a few words, happy landings all of them.
Now the long story.
I had the opportunity to fly the Citabria in between light rain showers, I had a lot to accomplish in two hours, after putting the airplane together I had to start and run the engine for the first time ( new Bowman's ring ) to my surprise that took about 40 minutes to accomplish because the carburator was suffering from been dry after the mods were done, I finally got the engine to run, sure my arm was about to depart my shoulder from going flip, flip, flip for about 20 minutes but I got her running, what I did was to stand the airplane on its nose to pour fuel in the carburator and some in the cylinder after removing the spark plug ( yes, gasoline taste is awful )
So now the engine is running, tuning was not needed since the only thing I did was to change the ring and sand flat the Reed's valve cage and neighbor parts, I run the engine for about 1/4 of the tank, with the mods I was able to get it to idle at 1K steady, at the same time I did the range check on the new receiver, so far so good.
Ok , All together was one flight with four landings with rain in between, the engine run strong throughout the entire flight, didn't miss a beat ( I'm impressed with these DLE engines ) first landing, fast with a lot of energy, two wheel landing hard baunce then go around, second landing with two moderate bounces full stop, a rain shower came through, at the pits I did a gear check, all is looking good, the new gear is holding its original shape.
The rain stopped, the engine started right away, the TO was good, hard right climbing turn straight to the final approach, third landing, two wheel landing, full stop, taxy back, TO, again hard right climbing turn to final, fourth landing, a three pointer managing the throttle all the way down , all the landings were done with full flaps in a nearly no wind conditions.
At the pits I did another gear check, all looks fantastic.
Final thoughts.
Even though this new gear is much stronger and will do the job of carrying the Citabria to and from the runway I ask you to remember that it will have to put up with a heavy load during bad and hard landings for that reason I advice you to make the best you can to do good landings as much as possible.
Happy and safe landings
To put it in a few words, happy landings all of them.
Now the long story.
I had the opportunity to fly the Citabria in between light rain showers, I had a lot to accomplish in two hours, after putting the airplane together I had to start and run the engine for the first time ( new Bowman's ring ) to my surprise that took about 40 minutes to accomplish because the carburator was suffering from been dry after the mods were done, I finally got the engine to run, sure my arm was about to depart my shoulder from going flip, flip, flip for about 20 minutes but I got her running, what I did was to stand the airplane on its nose to pour fuel in the carburator and some in the cylinder after removing the spark plug ( yes, gasoline taste is awful )
So now the engine is running, tuning was not needed since the only thing I did was to change the ring and sand flat the Reed's valve cage and neighbor parts, I run the engine for about 1/4 of the tank, with the mods I was able to get it to idle at 1K steady, at the same time I did the range check on the new receiver, so far so good.
Ok , All together was one flight with four landings with rain in between, the engine run strong throughout the entire flight, didn't miss a beat ( I'm impressed with these DLE engines ) first landing, fast with a lot of energy, two wheel landing hard baunce then go around, second landing with two moderate bounces full stop, a rain shower came through, at the pits I did a gear check, all is looking good, the new gear is holding its original shape.
The rain stopped, the engine started right away, the TO was good, hard right climbing turn straight to the final approach, third landing, two wheel landing, full stop, taxy back, TO, again hard right climbing turn to final, fourth landing, a three pointer managing the throttle all the way down , all the landings were done with full flaps in a nearly no wind conditions.
At the pits I did another gear check, all looks fantastic.
Final thoughts.
Even though this new gear is much stronger and will do the job of carrying the Citabria to and from the runway I ask you to remember that it will have to put up with a heavy load during bad and hard landings for that reason I advice you to make the best you can to do good landings as much as possible.
Happy and safe landings
Last edited by CARS II; 11-19-2014 at 11:40 PM.
11-20-2014, 01:38 PM
#346
No wonder I was attracted to that spot, I felt the immense amount of good knowledge emanating from there 
it just feels right to take that spot every time I fly at SAMs, close to the starting spot for big arplanes with a restrain to use.
Does that means that we're going have to flip a coin for the that table if we ever get to fly the same day? LOL
it just feels right to take that spot every time I fly at SAMs, close to the starting spot for big arplanes with a restrain to use.Does that means that we're going have to flip a coin for the that table if we ever get to fly the same day? LOL
Last edited by CARS II; 11-20-2014 at 01:44 PM.
11-20-2014, 02:03 PM
#347
My Feedback: (9)
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Belton , MO
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
LOL. No matter what we do for a table, it is stolen. so if you want a stand You have to bring it. So the TNT gear is a fix? I bought the TNT gear for the old Great Planes Pitts. Worked Flawless. Thanks Cars . Job well done. And I also love the DLE engines.
Last edited by drdoom; 11-20-2014 at 02:05 PM.
11-20-2014, 03:00 PM
#349
Thank you drdoom.
On a club nearby ( Mather ) since it didn't have a fence the local kids had a thing with the toilet, they would show up at night and put a rope around it then take it for a ride around the field. LOL
On a club nearby ( Mather ) since it didn't have a fence the local kids had a thing with the toilet, they would show up at night and put a rope around it then take it for a ride around the field. LOL
Last edited by CARS II; 11-20-2014 at 03:06 PM.
11-22-2014, 08:21 AM
#350
[TABLE="class: tborder user-postbit-left-user, width: 100%, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="class: alt2_bottom, align: right"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: alt2"]When I was cleaning the Citabria today I was also given it a good check around in detail, I like to clean my airplanes at home so that at the same time I can give them a good look at everything ( looking for wrinkles under the monokote and loose wood joints or screws ) when I got to the tail wheel I moved it to feel it and it felt like it had dirt in it, when taking it a part I noticed the the carbon bracket only has a hole where the shaft of the tail wheel passes through, not been happy with that I decided to make a small change to reinforce the hole , I added two JR servo eyelets, they are the perfect size for the shaft, the tail bracket has to be drilled a bit, I cut one to about 3/32 in length so I have the longer one at the bottom and the short one at the top, I used CA, now the slack it had is gone and I think it will last longer this way,
The tail wires are next but that's a project for next week.
[h=1]Images[/h]View all Images in thread
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: user-postbit-bottom-user"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: alt2_bottom, align: right"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TR]
[TD="class: alt2_bottom, align: right"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: alt2"]When I was cleaning the Citabria today I was also given it a good check around in detail, I like to clean my airplanes at home so that at the same time I can give them a good look at everything ( looking for wrinkles under the monokote and loose wood joints or screws ) when I got to the tail wheel I moved it to feel it and it felt like it had dirt in it, when taking it a part I noticed the the carbon bracket only has a hole where the shaft of the tail wheel passes through, not been happy with that I decided to make a small change to reinforce the hole , I added two JR servo eyelets, they are the perfect size for the shaft, the tail bracket has to be drilled a bit, I cut one to about 3/32 in length so I have the longer one at the bottom and the short one at the top, I used CA, now the slack it had is gone and I think it will last longer this way,
The tail wires are next but that's a project for next week.
[h=1]Images[/h]View all Images in thread
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: user-postbit-bottom-user"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: alt2_bottom, align: right"]
Last edited by CARS II; Yesterday at 02:48 AM.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]