Senior Falcon to live again as SUPER FALCON
#28
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#29
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Sr. Falcon reborn as SUPER FALCON
Making progress.....this is my only build/repair going on, so it will undergo covering and final assembly soon. Covering will be Monokote in traditional CG Senior Falcon colors and design.
More pics to demo current status attached.
More pics to demo current status attached.
#31
Excellent work!!!!! Nice to see it's finally coming along. Looking forward to seeing it in the air.
#33
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Final Countdown for Super Falcon
The engine, (OS 120 4 stroke) has been run in on a test stand, aircraft has been covered, is now getting Falcon trim.
Buckle up control surfaces, taxi test, and GO FLY. Won't be long now.........
Attached pics bring viewers up to date.
Happy New Year ! !
Buckle up control surfaces, taxi test, and GO FLY. Won't be long now.........
Attached pics bring viewers up to date.
Happy New Year ! !
Last edited by R Verbael; 01-03-2018 at 07:21 AM. Reason: Correct Typo
#35
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Super Falcon to the flight line next week
Well here it is, ready to go. I haven't flown but a short few moments in a year, so I intend to get one of our experts to back me up for the first couple of hops. Pics tell the story.
Our Arizona weather is absolutely fabulous......so that will not work against us.
Our Arizona weather is absolutely fabulous......so that will not work against us.
#36
Good luck with her - I'm actually expecting great things.
#38
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The good news is that the aircraft is still intact...Bad news is that out on the flight line, our best flyers all pronounced the aircraft as not flight-worthy...(Aft CG issue).
So I brought it back home and after disassembly, am planning a bold rearrangement of components..moving engine forward, servos forward, and perhaps even cutting lightening holes in the rear portion of the fuse and recovering. I guess I got too frisky with the "lumber" that went together to make the plane. But this is why we stay hooked on the hobby.
Pictures of the disassembled fuse, etc are attached. At lease I do not have to wait on weather.
Russ
So I brought it back home and after disassembly, am planning a bold rearrangement of components..moving engine forward, servos forward, and perhaps even cutting lightening holes in the rear portion of the fuse and recovering. I guess I got too frisky with the "lumber" that went together to make the plane. But this is why we stay hooked on the hobby.
Pictures of the disassembled fuse, etc are attached. At lease I do not have to wait on weather.
Russ
Last edited by R Verbael; 01-27-2018 at 05:58 PM. Reason: Add detail and pictures
#39
Careful and stead is the word of the day. This is definitely for the best.
#40
Glad to hear it is back on the bench and coming together! Love to see remakes of classics like this. BTW, where was the CG that the folks thought was too aft?
Last edited by thailazer; 01-28-2018 at 12:11 PM.
#41
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Super Falcon CG Problem
The aircraft balanced nearly 2 Inches aft of the Max Chord point. I think it would fly like that, but not well and especially on the maiden flight of a scratch build. I hate to add weight to create proper balance...will slide components forward and recheck.
Last edited by R Verbael; 01-28-2018 at 01:20 PM. Reason: accuracy
#42
That does sound quite far aft. Good plan on moving stuff forward and I hate adding weight as well
#43
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Super Falcon on weight control
Poor Super Falcon...it was subjected to relocating the OS 120 engine 1" forward, (2) servos relocated 8" forward, receiver located 3" forward and then recheck CG.
This time is better, but I lost patience and cut a bunch of fat out of the aft fuse, vert stab and rudder. Another check: STILL TAIL HEAVY. Next step is to add weight.
Pics tell the current status.
This time is better, but I lost patience and cut a bunch of fat out of the aft fuse, vert stab and rudder. Another check: STILL TAIL HEAVY. Next step is to add weight.
Pics tell the current status.
#44
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SUPER FALCON Saga, ( Continued )
This is a continuation of the massive, continuing 10 year effort I have made to get this airplane in the air. Last month, following dramatic alterations to the aft fuselage and tail group as well as remounting the engine forward, I recovered the bird and then built a CG Machine that I could use to accurately determine CG details. Long story short, I was forced to make up a 1/4" plate that bolted into the back side of the firewall to finally get the CG right.
By now, it is February....almost time for our annual (huge) airshow here in Yuma. Out to the driveway with the reassembled fuselage to verify the health of the OS-120 engine. I was bummed to find that it was only turning about 6K at the top end and I felt that I needed all the power I could get. (Airplane weighs nearly 15 lbs !) So anyway, I decided to switch engines. I mounted a YS-120 into the bird, tested it, and back out to the flight line.
With a week to go before our airshow, I put the airplane into the air. It flew amazingly well for being heavy....no trim changes, roll and pitch rates were very familiar. WHAT A RELIEF. First flight details.....the aircraft flew like it was one that is fully dialed in and had no issues. Atter about 3 or 4 gentle passes up and down the field, I noticed a pronounced flutter of the vertical stab and rudder. IMMEDIATE DRY MOUTH. I cut the throttle and the engine died.....(this is on the first flight)....and I was unable to get back to the runway. Made a landing out on the desert with no damage.
Attached pic shows the aircraft sitting, unharmed, after it's landing on the desert. I immediately installed flying wires to stabilize the tail group and re-flew. Final test flights were made just a couple of days prior to our Fly Yuma airshow; the Super Falcon was well received by our huge crowd of spectators and fellow flyers alike.
So this ends my struggle to create an oversize Senior Falcon.......Would I do it again?.......Probably NOT. A great challenge, but once is enough!
By now, it is February....almost time for our annual (huge) airshow here in Yuma. Out to the driveway with the reassembled fuselage to verify the health of the OS-120 engine. I was bummed to find that it was only turning about 6K at the top end and I felt that I needed all the power I could get. (Airplane weighs nearly 15 lbs !) So anyway, I decided to switch engines. I mounted a YS-120 into the bird, tested it, and back out to the flight line.
With a week to go before our airshow, I put the airplane into the air. It flew amazingly well for being heavy....no trim changes, roll and pitch rates were very familiar. WHAT A RELIEF. First flight details.....the aircraft flew like it was one that is fully dialed in and had no issues. Atter about 3 or 4 gentle passes up and down the field, I noticed a pronounced flutter of the vertical stab and rudder. IMMEDIATE DRY MOUTH. I cut the throttle and the engine died.....(this is on the first flight)....and I was unable to get back to the runway. Made a landing out on the desert with no damage.
Attached pic shows the aircraft sitting, unharmed, after it's landing on the desert. I immediately installed flying wires to stabilize the tail group and re-flew. Final test flights were made just a couple of days prior to our Fly Yuma airshow; the Super Falcon was well received by our huge crowd of spectators and fellow flyers alike.
So this ends my struggle to create an oversize Senior Falcon.......Would I do it again?.......Probably NOT. A great challenge, but once is enough!
Last edited by R Verbael; 03-13-2018 at 07:37 AM. Reason: Accuracy
#46
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Hi Bob...
Do you still have the plans for the Master Falcon??
If so, I would appreciate receiving a copy?
If you have wing and stabilizer rib templates, that would be nice bonus..
Many thanks...Jim Godsman/ Essex, CT
Do you still have the plans for the Master Falcon??
If so, I would appreciate receiving a copy?
If you have wing and stabilizer rib templates, that would be nice bonus..
Many thanks...Jim Godsman/ Essex, CT
#49
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Great news..It will save me a lot of scaling-up time.
My contact info: Jim Godsman, 11 West Ave, Essex , Ct, 06426...Tel: 860-767-5052.....E: [email protected]
#50
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I have had a number of Goldberg Falcons.All have been great and reliable planes to fly..All of my planes use outrunners and all are tail-draggers( The field where I do the bulk of my flying is a State Park..Tri-cycle gear just get hung up on the grass unless it has just been cut)
I am definitely going to build a " Super" or " Master" Falcon.next.
Would really appreciate your sending plans.,templates, and pictures you can spare..
If you have a link, I certainly can download from there.
My contact information: Jim Godsman, 11 West Ave, Essex, CT, 06426....Tel: 860-767-5052.....E:[email protected]
Should be fun project!!!...Jim