Shay Amar

Hello,

I am about to start building a Great Planes Dazzler kit.
Any suggestion on what to to or what not to do?
Any improvements?

Please share your thoughts

Scorpionjack

Shay;
None really the plane flies excellent right out of the box. I did however put cross braces on the Stab as I get pretty violent with some maneuvers. One other suggestion would be to install 1/2 in Triangle stock in the Fuel compartment and firewall with slow set Epoxy and coat the complete inside of it. I flew mine with and OS 46FX, GMS 47, and a ASP 65 4 Stroke. The Plane didn't care it had good performance regardless of motor.

I've heard people say that their's didn't knife-edge well I didn't see that problem as mine did on all 3 motors. So if you want to add a 1/2 to 1" more on the rudder it won't hurt the aircraft at all.

Hope this helps.

ramcharger

I just built my 2nd Dazzler. The first is 4 or 5 yrs old and still flying great with a OS 46FX. The 2nd has not flown yet. I did not cover the turtleback with balsa sheeting. I used 1/4 x 1/4 inch spars and covered with Monokote. The curvature was to much and the sheeting cracked even though it was wet. I used a DuBro rear wheel assembly. It is mounted on the fuselage. I never tapered the outside of the ailerons back. I did taper the inside per the plans. I installed balsa blocks on both sides of the fin to secure it tightly to the fuselage. My 2nd Dazzler will be powered by a OS 46SF or a GMS 47 or a Webra 40 Speed.

RCHero

My Feedback: (1)

I 2nd the tail wheel replacement! Throw away the stock tail wheel and replace it with a Klett or Du Bro. The stock configuration will only last through a couple of hard wheel landings. Also, if I build another one I will make the sheeting where the wing meets the fuse a little wider to give the covering a little more surface to "bite" to.


Richard

aharrin1

hey, i just built my second dazzler kit. one thing that made a HUGE difference in flight characteristics and tracking was making sure you TAKE YOUR TIME!!! i know that sometimes people can get excited about finishing the plane and getting it into the air, but the more time you take working on the details will ultimatly make it into a dream machine my first dazzler i took my time on but i rushed through final sanding and covering prep. I didn't get any wrinkles but you could see the roughness of the wood once it was covered. My second dazzler is perfect. I brought it to the flying field to "show it off" and i couldn't even get it off the ground because the guys were looking it over all day long. a couple of hints for you, don't use easy CA hinges they are HORRIBLE. buy hinges you can drill a hole through and stick a toothpick through them so that when you go and tear up the sky your control serfaces don't fly off. Second, if you aren't good at covering, find someone who is willing to either do your color scheme for you or at least help you. I am studying aerospace engineering at UMD and even the slightest wrinkles can create a significant increase in drag which means that one wing will stall at a greater speed than the other will which isn't very good when you want a nice slow 3pt landing. Good luck

atron

Dazzler pilots;

I just finished mine, and few great with an 46FX under 12.5 x 3.75 prop, but it is a brick to land.....

I may missed the CG as the plans show an range and the instructions call for 3 in. from LE.

Any ideas?

prgonzalez

atron,

I have a Dazzler with a 46FX. I am using an 11x5 prop and sometimes I use a 12x4 though. BTW, I did not like the 12.5x3.75, too slow and too high RPM for my preference.

The C.G. setup and relative aileron angle was a long experimentation process for me. First C.G., to save weight, I opened a hatch in the middle section of the tail and inserted the battery there. This saved me more than one ounce of lead at the tail. The 46FX is in the heavy side for this airplane. Experimenting with inverted flight and high bank turns at medium speed, I found that adding five sections of lead has been a good setup for my airplane. I believe every section of lead is 0.25Oz, so five sections is 1.25Oz. I have to tell you that the nose of my dazzler is heavier than specs because I modified the landing gear since construction. I am using a Hangar9 duraluminum LG, not the music wire that came with the kit. I like using this LG because it is not too flexible, yet not too rigid. With this setup, I do high bank angle turns without loosing altitude and with relative short stick movement. Inverted flight does not require much down elevator either. I do many complete circles inverted with ease. Turning inverted does not require full down either. I do a three point landing all the time. Nice approach slope with two clicks of throttle, then cut throttle at 2 feet, easy flare at 6-inches.

The aileron position, I have it in such a way that it flies level at half throttle. Below half throttle the airplane descends and above half throttle the airplane ascends.

I also added a bit of right trust that I am still considering to adjust or remove.

Overall, it is a great airplane for training aerobatics. I have learned a lot with it. At the field, everyone asks what plane is it because they say it performs very nice.

Does this help?

Pedro

atron

Pedro;

I just found that the original settings are far from the real thing.... CG has to get rearward up to 3 7/8 and tail movements duplicated. APC 12-4 narrow 2 blade prop.

I am now very happy with my new "toy"!!!

Alexis

prgonzalez

I see that you modified the wing tips. I like that. Mine is stock. You are right about the CG. I guess mine is also somewhere to the back. I haven't check it. I know I started with the recommended CG position, then I added weight as the flight characteristic was improving up to the point that was too much. At that point, I removed the last piece of lead 0.25 Oz.

How do you like your Dazzler? That small airplane is a great airplane. I have learned a lot with it.

Pedro

musltang

mine was an arf but now its a kit! what a dazzling fire aih!

prgonzalez

Uuuhhhh. That was nasty. What happend?

musltang

Uhhhhh, I was an idiot and tried to fly it in a very confined place. I de-winged it when it flew through an iron fence. that was all she wrote. it was a pretty rough plane anyways. easily over 300 flights and 2 motors. it was time to lay her to rest. the dazzler went out with his boots on. instead of rotting away in my garage!

paof

Hi i like the dazzler and try to buil one from plans someonearoundwill have it,they could be a copy or perhaps in digital format.
Thanks in advance.

PAOF