Dean Bird

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I had never heard who won the 2013 World Aerobatic Championships that were held last fall in Texas. I looked today. The winner was Francois Le Vot from France flying his French Scheme Extra 330SC!!

http://wac2013.com/championship-journal

The Extra 330SC is the top of the line from Extra and is currently the best flying plane in the world. It's no surprise our model of the Extra 330SC shares its world class flight capabilities.

Here's a great video of the number "05" plane in the French Scheme.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/K3rgx8ecaEA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Dean Bird

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Here's an incredible video of some sequence work with another French Scheme Extra 330SC. The video even shows the sequence he's going to fly. The pilot and airplane are amazing. The precision in his flying is like a computer simulator is flying it.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/F7cV3mse0TM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I really like the lines of the Extra 330SC!!

Dean Bird

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We had awesome weather at the 2014 Cactus Classic today!!

I had only gotten in four flights before this weekend since the January contest. I was leading after the 1st round!! I knew it wouldn't last because the better pilots had all gotten a zero in one of their 1st round sequences. It was only going to be up for a couple hours, so I had to take a picture.



It was blowing about 10 - 15 mph straight down the runway during the 2nd round. I was having fun with the wind, so I just parked my airplane at the spin entry. It just sat there. I waited about 3 seconds with the wind holding it in one place. I decided I better go ahead and enter the spin before the judges decided I wasn't flying a spin any more. I did that both flights and had a fun time showing how rock solid the plane is.

I took 2nd place in the Unknown round this morning and ended up 3rd for the contest out of a six pilot Advanced class.



I was very happy with that finish with only four flights in the last two months before this weekend.

This plane is SO much fun to fly!!

Dean Bird

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We had an absolute blast at the Yuma IMAC this weekend. Calm winds and low 80's on Saturday. They have a North/South runway so we flew from the East side in the morning and the West side in the afternoon. Since the sun was behind us we flew all three Known rounds on Saturday.

After the three Known rounds on Saturday I was leading by the value of ONE HALF of one maneuver. The Sunday morning Unknown would be the last flight of the contest and flight #100 on the plane. The winner of the Unknown round would win the contest. It was a breezy morning and the plane handled these "contest conditions" very well. I won the Unknown round and the contest.



I'm having a blast at the contests and the plane is flying awesome!!

Dean Bird

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My DA 200 didn't have the current crankshaft and it twisted on Friday while I was in Bakersfield practicing for the contest this weekend.

I was really looking forward to flying with a bunch of the NorCal guys that I hadn't flown with since the Bakersfield IMAC back in 2005. I went out to the field on Saturday morning to say "Hello" to everyone, then drove back home yesterday.

I am enjoying watching the final round of the Masters today!! This build started last year on Masters weekend.

Dean Bird

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I wanted to review a couple things people mentioned to keep an eye on, things that have needed attention, the results of the first 100 flights, my impressions so far, and plans for the next 100 flights.

Things I was keeping an eye on:

1. Nylon wing nuts - there was a comment from someone that they can come loose. For the 1st 100 flights they have always been tight when I disassemble at the end of the day.
2. Fuel tank tray - there was a suggestion that it wasn't sufficiently strong for a 64 ounce tank. I haven't seen any issues. The carbon reinforced pieces are very light and very strong. The mounting tabs are very secure on the fuselage side. A pilot at my field even has a tray for the receiver hanging off the back of the fuel tank tray.
3. Leading edge seam at wing root - there was a suggestion to add a little Hysol on the inside of that seam to keep it from splitting. I looked and the factory has already put in that bead of Hysol. I'm keeping an eye on it anyway and haven't seen any issues.
4. 2300 mAh ignition battery - I was told that it wouldn't be big enough for the two ignitions. I normally fly four flights and put back in around 1600 mAh. No issues there.

Things that have needed attention:

1. After the day of the maiden flight, I had to wire wrap the fuel line fittings to keep from air being sucked into the fuel line at full throttle on the uplines.
2. After flight 42 the carbon tailwheel assembly delaminated. It was replaced by the manufacturer and has been working well since.
3. During flight 61 the prop bolts sheared. I replaced the carbon spinner backplate with a Dave Brown lightened aluminum backplate (saving 2/10ths of an ounce) and haven't had any loose prop bolts since then.
4. I always check all the screws and bolts once in a while to make sure nothing has vibrated loose. On one of those regular checks I discovered one of the four fuel tank tray bolts was gone. It was replaced.

Results from the first 100 flights:

1. I absolutely love going out to fly this plane!!
2. The first competitive sequence with the plane was a 994. The following five contests resulted in three 1st place finishes and two 3rd place finishes. Six contests in the 1st 100 flights means I'm not practicing much and going to the contests just for fun. I am having a blast!!





My impressions so far:

The airframe has lived up to my expectations. The CARF-Models 122" Extra 330SC has the world class flight capabilities I was hoping for. The snaps stop the instant I get the sticks back to center. The upline performance is great even at a mile high contest near Denver, Colorado. It tracks like a pattern plane. You can visibly see it lock on the line at the end of a radius. It holds that line until you mess it up.

The composite airframe has delivered the advantages mentioned by the top U.S. pilots I interviewed before selecting this airframe.

- They have a great finish and are quick to assemble
- The composite planes always look brand new!
- Fit together better in the long run
- Easier to build
- Stronger
- Ailerons are stiffer
- Don’t have to deal with covering
- Handle climate and weather better
- Exact same plane every time
- Easier to fit canisters inside (lots of room inside)
- Basically maintenance free

There hasn't been a single bubble or wrinkle in the finish.

The few small items that needed attention during my 1st 100 flights had nothing to do with the airframe. The airframe has been maintenance free.

Plans for the next 100 flights:

1. I only had a handful of flights to work on the setup before I started flying contests. I'm going to try a further forward CG and see if the spin entries improve. That's the one part of my sequence where I don't feel in total control.
2. Mount the battery charging jacks instead of having the connectors attached to the fuselage side with Velcro. That will make charging a little more convenient.
3. Fly some more contests and have more fun flying days!!!!

Dean Bird

My Feedback: (39)

I got my 200 back yesterday.

Thanks DA!! They turned it around in 9 days including the shipping both directions.

Dean Bird

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I just wanted to mention that I was able to remove and reinstall the lower half of the cowl with the baffles still attached as long as I had the air scoop removed. That made it a simple task to remove and reinstall the cowl.

Dean Bird

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My DA 200 was repaired and I reinstalled it a few weeks ago. I had 5 practice flights and headed up to the Fresno IMAC contest last weekend so I could fly with the NorCal guys. I drove up on Friday and arrived at 4:00 PM. Their runway is probably a runway 11 and 29, so the sun isn't really too bad in the evening. I got in 3 practice flights at their field on Friday evening.

We had four pilots in the Advanced class. Just like the Yuma contest in April, I was leading by the value of one half of ONE maneuver after the Known rounds on Saturday. Again, it would all rest on the Unknown on Sunday morning. I think all 4 pilots got through the Unknown with no zeroes. Great stuff, guys!!

I ended up winning the Unknown round because the plane flies and snaps so true. There were six snaps in the Unknown and I hit them all.



It was great to meet a bunch of guys I had never flown with before. I'm glad I made the trip.

speedracerntrixie

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Nice going Dean, I'm hoping to come back on a limited scale starting with the Woodland contest in mid August. Loved the build thread and used a couple of your ideas.

Shawn

Dean Bird

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Excellent!!

I see that CARF-Models Extra with an awesome scheme in your avatar.

Dean Bird

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I met another pilot, David White, and his wife Jeannie (sp?). We got a couple pictures of our planes before his next flight. David ended up 2nd place in a 7 pilot Intermediate class. He only finished behind the youngster Matt Morrell. Very smooth flying!!

Dean Bird

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I spent a cool weekend in San Diego last weekend flying the Miramar IMAC contest.


I hadn't flown since the Fresno contest the first week of June. My field chose to implement a 400 foot ceiling while they get permission from a local airport following the FAA clarifications on the UAS regulations.


I joined another club the weekend before this contest and got in 2 practice flights just to make sure the clunk line wasn't stiff.


There were four pilots in the Advanced class. At the end of the day Saturday I was leading by 7 points (out of 3,000 possible). Me and another pilot had both won 2 Known rounds.


I didn't get any zeroes in the Unknown Sunday morning but it was sloppy. The other pilot won the Unknown round and the contest. He was the better pilot. And he was flying a 9 year old CARF-Models 3.0m Extra 260.


I was very happy to place 2nd in this group of 4 pilots. We had a great weekend of close competition. That's always a lot of fun.

Dean Bird

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We had a very windy contest last weekend at the Tucson Shootout field (TIMPA). I hadn't flown since the Miramar contest so I got my usual couple flights the weekend before the contest to make sure everything was running.


The flying part of this contest wasn't a whole lot of fun. Flying in a 15 - 20 mph crosswind for 2 days is really a matter of survival. I had this guying saying a little prayer for safe flights at the beginning of the 2nd day.





Catching up with everyone and talking about planes for 2 days was the fun part. The highlight of the contest for me was having Mike Marcellin (Tucson Shootout CD for many years) flying in a contest. He hadn't flown in a decade so this was a real special deal. You could see the huge smile on his face all weekend.


We had a 3 pilot Advanced class and I won (survived) the contest.





This plane is set up for competition and really performs well in contest conditions. Love it!!

speedracerntrixie

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Great Job Dean, sounds like you had a great season! As we both know, once a quality airplane is set up well it's just a pure joy to fly. Of course a pair of talented thumbs does not hurt either.

Dean Bird

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Thanks speedracer.

"had a great season"? Heck, we've still got the Vegas contest the last weekend in October and an Arizona contest the middle of November.

Dean Bird

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If you haven't been to the Tucson Shootout field (TIMPA), it's fairly common to land out in the desert coming straight into the wind. It's always a little dicey because you don't know what gopher hole you might be unlucky enough to hit.

My Saturday afternoon landing rolled very rudely into a rut. The tail went up and I was lucky it was going slow enough it didn't tip over. The landing gear plate stayed secure. Both wheel pants were damaged.

Dean Bird

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I cleaned them up, put the broken part as close to the original spot as possible, and used a little thick CA and some 2 ounce fiberglass cloth on the inside to secure it.

I used a Dremel drum sander to enlarge the wheel opening and make the repaired area a little smaller. I finished it off with a little black Sharpie. It's on the inside bottom of the wheel pant so the area will never be seen.

Dean Bird

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At the Tucson contest I was watching another pilot fly his Extra 330SC with the same engine/canister setup and really liked how quiet it was. He was running the Falcon 30 x 14 propeller. I asked him about it. He said it didn't have the same thrust as the Mejzlik 30 x 13 but thought it has slightly better downline braking. I'm running my full throttle ATV at 85% so I'm not worried about losing a little thrust.

Our next contest is in Las Vegas at the TOC field. It is very close to an apartment complex and I was interested in having my plane quieter. I ordered a Falcon 30 x 14 to try it.

The drilled Mejzlik 30 x 13 EvoLF weighs 7.6 ounces.



The drilled Falcon 30 x 14 weighs 9.6 ounces.



I tried it yesterday. It wasn't any quieter.

Come to find out that pilot only uses a little over half throttle on his uplines. Way better throttle management than me. I guess the placement of that left stick has a big impact on the noise.

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

Dean, while on the subject of props. Back in the day with a muffled 150 the 32x10 was pretty much the standard. What are guys using with a 150 on cans? Right now I am running a Bolly CF 30X12. Poor vertical and lots of noise. I'm thinking about trying a Falcon 30x13, your thoughts?

Dean Bird

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"Back in the day" (2005 & 2006) I ran a 3-blade on my DA 150 and MTW canisters. It had enough vertical to win the Tucson Shootout in 2005 and 2006.

When I started flying again in 2011 I had a DA 170 on MTW RE3 pipes and also used 3-blade propellers. I don't know what guys are running on their 150's with canisters these days. Sorry I can't be any more help.

Dean Bird

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I think you can get this plane for 15% off right now. Their website shows a "Warehouse Clearance Sale" on everything in stock in the U.S.


http://www.carf-models.com/public_ca...mon/start.html


The Yellow Chequer Scheme and Black/Magenta Skydancer Scheme show "in stock" at the moment.


http://www.carf-models.com/public_ca...658&proId=2658

Dean Bird

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Tough weekend at the Viva Las Vegas IMAC...


I hadn't flown since the Tucson contest and got my usual 2 practice flights the weekend before the contest.


The winds were tough all weekend. The 1st round really messed with my mind. I couldn't feel any wind on the ground but I watched the plane getting blown further out each pass.


My blood sugar was so low for my 2nd round that I don't even remember the flight. Another pilot told me he saw my plane heading for the ground and wondered what was happening. I don't remember who called for me, taking off, flying, or landing. I'm told it was a good landing in the wind conditions. I vaguely remember walking around in circles trying to figure out how to tear down my plane. That's when I realized my blood sugar was low and started taking in calories.


Sunday started nice...





The Unknown had a 1/2 snap on the very first 45 upline. I'm not a good enough pilot to get a snap started and then get the sticks back to center quick enough. I've zeroed the 1/2 snap every time it's in an Unknown. At least they could put it as the 7th or 8th maneuver so I have a little fun before the zero.


The final round on Sunday was the only round I enjoyed flying. I skipped my insulin injection after eating lunch and this time I knew the wind was blowing. It was fun to fly and I was glad I didn't pack up after the Unknown.


I only felt good about one round, so I was very happy to finish 3rd out of a 6 pilot Advanced class.





While the flying in those conditions wasn't a whole lot of fun, it was great to see some pilots from Vegas that I hadn't seen in a decade. And I always enjoy some close competition with great friends.

Dean Bird

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The winner in the 7 pilot Sportsman class at the Viva Las Vegas IMAC was flying the CARF-Models 122" Extra 330SC.


I got to judge his Sunday afternoon round. It was awesome!! It had the same visible lock onto the line after each radius. I think that looks so cool.

Dean Bird

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During flights 129 - 136 I was noticing that the flights were only pulling from one of the receiver batteries. Another pilot mentioned that happened to them. They tested the receiver batteries and one had higher resistance. The receiver pulls from whichever battery has lower resistance. The solution was to get a new set of batteries.

I ordered two new 2500 mAh A123 batteries. They are mounted high and right in the motor dome to get a higher vertical CG and to help offset the engine weight to achieve the correct lateral balance.



They are secured to the motor dome with velcro straps and 1/2" foam underneath. I stand the fuselage up in my "workshop" and you can see the velcro straps on the motor dome.



I was told 2300 mAh wouldn't be enough for the dual ignition. I had a 2500 mAh battery for the DA 200 dual ignition to replace the 2300 mAh I was using. I've had the 2500 mAh battery since I got the plane but had never installed it. I swapped it out while I was replacing the ignition batteries. The ignition battery is also installed high and on the right side of the plane.

Here is the picture looking down into the plane as it sits on the nose. The arrows point to the three batteries.