RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

forgot about the Canopy... i'm doing a weight an Balance Friday when i pack my gear in there.... I put a Sachs Brison in the nose that Ralph C customized for me so i hope that is enough weight with Batteries.... using 6vlt for this one.... the Cowl was a problem in that the recomomended Standoffs in the magazine give me about 3/8" gap between spinner and Cowl...."i know Ugly" but what to do... Cowl was mishaped and had to do some sanding on the back edge. not enough resin either so i had to put a coat around the edges with Micro glass (ground fibre glass) to strengthen... I tried not to turn it into a bomb but i build to last as #1 with Resevations on light....

anyway... back to work for a bit... thanks man...

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Any test flight yet ? mine is up and flying for 12 flights so far. DL going stronger but realised a nasty snap so beware....

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Took it up on Saturday for the first time. flew around with my butt puckered.... I'm not usually like that... went to do one loop and it was like a cork screw. geometry on the elevator slightly off. brought it in hot so it didn't snap on landing.... Just precautionary... too windy 25 mph with gusts.... so i went back to look at the W/B and find that i was right the first time and moved one battery back up front.... so it is the true 137mm from leading edge with slight nose down....

it's funky alright.... will make a good hanger queen if it makes it past the next flight... i've got a Brison 3.2 in it and it is plenty of power. can imagine the left over you have with the DL....

what are you using for Balance point from leading edge?

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Hey TTom, just charged and today would be the 13th flight :-) I will reduce the throws on the elevator a bit and already re-leveled them. CG is stock 137mm and exact, landing are very stable so no worries.
I will squeeze the envelope today and would update you, some snap rolls & Knife edges. Hovering last time was steady.....and my recommendation is to fly the hell out of it and then move to a Krill or Airwild or Aeroworks, Dietrich etc......not sure if she is worth to be called a queen or to deserve a parking space in your Hangar.....good luck

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

I have stuck with the Katana and have it trimmed pretty good now to the point of being able to fly the IMAC sportsman and Kiwi advanced pattern sequences.

Mine is probably the one described in the FlyRC article (didn't to get a copy) with the adjustable slot for the main wing spar and a glued in stab and setup with a DL50 with a large volume jtec pitts muffler. Also had to make my own canopy and cowl as the last kitt available didn't have these and no instructions either. Good price though.

Would have liked to have seen the model stronger in the fuse, in the area between main wing fixing, landing and engine plate but it is holding together OK on a grass strip and doing snap rolls without the need for strengthening. This shows what is possible to get a light wing loaded plane.

The C of G needed to be is about 27%MAC with the 2 degrees side thrust and some up thrust. Upthrust straightened out the rolls nicely. The only thing I have noticed is a tendancy for the model to roll over in horrible cross winds over a sand dune, probably due to the lightness of the model and taper of the main wing, other wise it is stable as.

Have noticed on other models that the elevator halves not being level has the largest effect on wings not remaining level in a loop. This can be tested by putting the model in dive and pulling out with elevator only and seeing what happens.

This model is proving to be a fun model to fly. Just need the cheek now, to turn up at an IMAC meet with this half priced plane. It certainly is a step from my WM extra330 60 with a 120 OSAX up front.

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Any videos ?

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Guys, i flew my Katana for the second time yesterday in 5 knot wind... My first knee jerk diagnosis of the strong right Roll when elevator was applied turns out to be the right stab being off by about 2 deg. Unlike the gentleman above i thought i was ordering the katana with the adjustable wing but it was not.. Nitro professed that there has only been one version but is untrue. Anyway back to the drawing board with the incidence meter to straighten out the right stab.... it did do some good knife edge passes and point rolls.... now that i know i don't have a CG problem (and not tendency to Snap) i feel better but still frustrated with the quality of the model. not to slam Nitro but i'm not happy to be argued with on the fact that there are two versions out there and i bought mine after the article claiming great success.... I broke pro-zinger on landing as i slowed it down not thinking of a flare to cause a right wing dip because of the Crooked Stab.... i should have been quiceker but really should have drove it in and wheeled it on like i did the first time when i thought the CG was off....

Too bad nitro doesn't read these things and try to make their product right but that's the difference in the big boys and the C Charlies....

TT

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Good news and good luck, make sure that the Stab tube is screwed to at least 1 stab. Landings should be a breathe only remember to keep controlledthrottle with a Harrier landing. Snap Rolls were sustainable for the structure. Post some Videos when you can.

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

will do... a Harrier land at this point would produce a slow roll... and it's not off very much so the flying surface is very effective.. I put a match box and 7985s on the elevator..

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Well, I took the final flight of My Katana which i've spent more time trying to make right and Zero out on the surfaces and dial in...  I've flown and built for years and I have been unsuccessfull in trying to make this model right.  I voiced my opinion to Nitro that the  model i was sent was not the one that was described in the Sept or Oct Fly RC Mag.  they call me a liar by saying that they only made one version.  I have a version with no slot to adjust the wing (if this would have made a difference anyway....</p>

One of my objectives in tweeking this airplane was to at least make it to where it wouldn't break up and ruin my gear.  Anyway yestereday i flew it on the third test flight to see if my adjustments would keep it from cork screwing out of a loop which was very Severe.  Wings and Stabs were Zero and it still cork screwed in a loop and at low airspeed when up Elevator is applied...  Short and long of it is on landing i was driving it in for landing so that it didn't take too much elevator and it did it's right wing roll and instead of making it worse by adding power i set it down where it was and it knocked the Gear mount out and skinned up my Brison...  I'm through with it now....  I would like Nitro to respond to this and somehow make this right if they are really wanting to serve their customers....  I know Hanger 9 will and that's why they say "Fly First Class".  </p>

I also put this on the Nitro forum but i'm not expecting a response from them... My 260 H9 came in yesterday so i'm ready to put it together... It appears that i didn't bend the shaft of the Brison but did break some fins and plug wire and Cap...  that's what i didn't want to do....  What a POS this Airplane was.  a buddy of mine and a couple of others are my witness and think i did a good thorough job on trying to make it work..  and spent money installing the right equipment and installing it correctly..  Oh well...  I'm out about $350 for the airplane and extra linkages and hours and hours of Care and doating  over what to do....  I've put together Warbirds that haven't been as challenging to make right....</p>

thanks for the help and encouragement...</p>

Tommy....</p>

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

I was trying to put one of these together but I think mine was an even more exceptionally tail heavy airframe, I mounted a three and half pound 45cc on it, with standoffs that brought the engine past the front of the cowl, and mounted my batteries on the firewall.

CG was still two inches back and it will take another 2.5lbs on the firewall to touch the recommended CG. I think this plane might get retired before it ever gets into the air.

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Mine was way tail heavy as well, installed DL50 in the front as well as 4 NICD Batts (4th is for smoke pump which I also installedin the nose). Firewall was very weak so I also enforced with Ply all around and used cutom standoffs and had also to change the DL50 muffler to a DA50 muffler (40 gr difference) and still ended up adding around 200gr of nose weight.....After all the headache and wasted time on this plane it is flying well but would surely prefer a much betterARF from the box (Airwild, Aeroworks, Krill etc)

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Mine Balanced right on with the Sonic Smoke pump and two Rx batts, 1 ign batt, and one Smoke batt. W/B was spot on 137 mm from Leading edge which be the eye looked right...

Mine ended up a Splatana.

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

I'm glad that I'm not the only one with issues with this plane. A few pages back I described my crash. At least it went out with a big bang! Lost complete control after one of those weird tip stall things high up and couldn't get it out of the spin that followed. Straight down into the ground. Complete write off. At this point the CRRC Pro engine is the only cheap piece of giant scale equipment that I love to 100%. The engine survived the crash and all of my equipment went straight into an Aeroworks Extra 260 50cc. It's such a big friggin' difference. No lead to be added on this one. Moving the batteries around allows you to balance the plane. The only good thing about Nitroplanes.com in my experience are the brushless motors and the ESCs. I've had only good experience with those. The planes suck. I recently converted my friend's way tailheavy 46 size CMPro (ordered on nitromodels.com) Yak 54 "3D" plane to electric (he wanted to through it in the garbage because it flew so bad and crashed on 2 out of 3 flights because of wing tip stall) and by the time I added enough weight in the front to balance it right, it flew so badly that it snapped out of any loop (no matter how wide and how fast) that I abandoned it after 4 flights (no crash, though!). Only brand planes for me. Hangar 9, Aeroworks, Great Planes, Extreme Flight, etc. Those planes just fly well, hands down.

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Me too Lupe... My Hanger 9 27% 260 showed up just in time. No more thinking i can make this work when fooling with this much Dough invested in the Mechanics, Radio and Etc...

T

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Seems we all learned the hard way, even mine is still flying...I immediately ordered 1 Airwild 50cc Extra and 1 GP Performance Edge 27%......Waiting for the cheap thing to meet its destiny to move the gear and while waiting I already ordered a DA50 all JR8511 &amp; 8911 servos and seems would have a new scale RTF anytime soon :-)
Till then I will fly the hell out of it

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

I've got this katana about a year ago, and will be building it next. Do you guys think a heavier Peak65 will do anything for its tail heavy condition? Or should I just stick with the DLE55. Did anyone ever figure out the snap tendency?

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

By all means, yes! I had a CRRC Pro 50CC in it and had to add a few pounds of weight in the front. If you have a heavier and stronger engine (as you seem to do with your 65CC) then definitely, absolutely put that one in. It's not going to be too much. You'll still have to add weight in the front, but not as much. And you'll have a stronger engine to pull that extra weight.

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Go with the heavier engine for sure, my DL50 needed extra weight in the nose. At least you will have functional weight. No snap tendencies here, stable as a rock

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Mine is almost complete. The fuselage has been lightened/strengthened. All hard ware has been replaced with HD Dubro products, and balancing at 137mm. It has a DLE55 w stock muffler, 7950 on pull/pull rudder, 7985's on surfaces, and a 625 on throttle. 2 7.4v 2600 Li-Ions on reciever, and 1 on ignition, all mounted in or on the motor box.

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Good luck, seems you have a winning combination. Update us on the maiden, you can check some photos and videos on mine www.amazrc.com pilot Hady Tanissa album

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Successful Maiden yesterday.
I had only one of the reciever batteries installed, and it may stay that way for weights sake. The fuse was lightened/strengthened, and here was no dead weight added anywhere to balance, and it's nose heavy at 137mm! Not by much though, I will move one or both of the batteries from the motor box closer to the spar before its next flight. It has a slight snap during a full deflection elevator pull at stall on the top of a vertical line, but I believe it's related to the elevator halves not being perfectly aligned at full up. DLE55 has plenty of power, prob more as it gets broken in. 3rd landing had a really hard hit on the mains, but did not break any wood, just popped some glue joints (even after we titebonded the entire structure. The worst of it all was during its 3rd flight the canopy blew off and cracked a little when it landed. I'll have to increase the size of the forward tab a bit.

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Mine snapped at about 2/3-3/4 Elevator as well. went back and made sure the level of the elevator travel and it never cured it. don't get your Servo arm or elevator throw more than 1". I blew the aleron on one side and made a damaging emergency landing. it's repairable but haven't had the heart yet. the instructions were little of nothing so i didn't have the since to use throw instructions from a similar size AP. It's pretty on the ground but it was a snapping Bear in the air. I bought mine right after the article came out last year in the magazine. the Version i got did not have the ability to slide the wing forward and aft during set up and i asked Nitro about that and they said there was only one version made. that was not true... go back to beginning of this year or second quarter and you'll see my comments.... I want to know how you cure your ills and maybe i can make the same mods when i repair mine....

Good luck
Tommy

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

Well my maiden long time ago was not smooth as well, had this snap tendency but was totally corrected by re-leveling the Elevator halves. Lots of power with the DL50, already burnt 4 Gallons of Gas. It is a nice ship to fly and good on the money but surely not one of the best in the 50cc class. Move to an Aeroworks, Airwild, Dietrich, Precision Aerobatics, Krill (the best KAtana ever designed) or Wild Hare later on and you would discover how much you are missing.

RE: Nitromodels Katana 50cc build thread
 

I am flying a H9 just now but will probably go to a Dietrich... the H9 260 is good but i should have lightened it up at first. I think it will fly better under 15# because of the wing area/Loading... needs to be lighter... my 3.2 brison and 23A Vess is a good combo... the brison is not a reed engine but still good mid range response....