Nothrottle

What's good for the goose ain't necessarily good for the gander. Anxious for spring to give birth, to say goodbye to the cold winds and the ice and snow. That don't happen in the NW until mid March. Goodnight, snuggles with a bag of blind nuts....

box car

I don't like nylon bolts in airplanes and that is just me, I am sure they are fine to use. What I use and this is some real over kill but make me feel good is 1/4-20 aluminum bolts with a screw driver slotin the head and aplywood mount, I don't use blind nuts in this area.
Ken

Auburn02

My Feedback: (1)

You lost me. You said earlier you had a wing depart where 1/4" nylon bolts were installed using threaded ply, but this anecdote entails a different setup with blind nuts (and yet the bolts failed, not the retention method).

I will say the one thing I prefer not to use is nylon bolts into metal blind nuts. It's either nylon to wood or metal to metal for me.

Nothrottle

I am so sorry you were lost as I was referring to the U Can Do. That did happen several years ago and lead to the blind nut affiliation. I might try the aluminum bolts attached to steel blind buts. That might be a ruse for some conversation also. Radio interference perhaps?

jjoos99

My Feedback: (12)

I am finally at the covering stage of my build and I am going with white and red. Are most of these covered with the upper half in red and the bottem in white? Are the elevators the same way?
thanks
Jeff

SticknRudder

My Feedback: (2)

Many thanks to all who contributed to the discussion on the wing bolts/blind nuts - good stuff. jjoos99 not trying to cut your conversation short, but Ihave another subject (actually 2)that I'd like to get some comments on and one involves covering so here goes.

I'm using Robart super (3/16)hinge points, got the mating surfaces drilled on center of the thickness - plan on notching the control surface.....but a little concerned about how the covering will look in the notches. They are not installed yet.........tending to lean toward flat hinges. Ailerons are not built yet. Any suggestions or recommendations?

Second, I've got a newly broken-in Homey 26cc I'd like to power this af with. Will keep the flywheel as-is and ignition, trash the stock muffler for my own design. Tell me if this is an option given all the previous discussion on weight and CG.......you guys are the experts so let me hear it.

Thanks, SnR

do335a

Have changed from flat hinges to the Robart point type exclusively several years ago as a personal preference since I find them easier to install, neater in appearance and of better operation. They also very easily allow me to make removable rudders - very handy when you want to make everything take less space for storage or shipping.

Covering is not a problem. Works the same on a pre-covered ARF or your own build.

Tthe installation location for the Robart hinge is a hole. Cover tight over it along with the rest of the LE or TWE of the sirface you ae working on. Then simply fire up your electric soldering iron with a round, pointed tip. When it's hot, stick it into the hole for the hinge. It will make a perfectly shaped and fused opening. The covering will stick around the hole and that's that. You may get a bit of excess from the melt. Than can be very easily trrimmed away.

You'll wind up with a very neat, perfectly formed opening which will not be any problem.

Auburn02

My Feedback: (1)

What he said. Also, I covered with Solartex which seems to stretch and shrink much easier than the typical plastic coverings, so when it came to filling in the notches for the hinge points I just cut a couple of slits around the radius and rolled the covering iron down in there. I painted the entire plane after covering with white Solartex, so any tiny spots of exposed wood left in the notches just got the paint treatment.

Can't help much with the engine options. I'm using a G38 (magneto) and with that and a B&B smoke pump in the nose and my battery just behind the servo tray in the tail it balances perfectly.

jjoos, the traditional Decathlon scheme would have a base color (in your case red) that is solid on the bottom of the tail, and goes from the leading edge back maybe 20% of the way on the bottom of the wing. For example:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Ameri...AB-180/1555199
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Ameri...AB-180/1261251

That's not to say you have to though, here's one with solid red on the underside of the wing:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untit...AB-180/1483550

SticknRudder

My Feedback: (2)

Howdy,
Ispent way too much time trying to make the 26cc Homey fit in the cowl so Ibought a DLE -30 from Tower - $295 with free shipping was hard to beat - I'll post some pics after Iget it mounted.
SnR

flyrcboy

SticknRudder

I am anxious to see this application. I have one of these kits and have not built it. I purchased a O.S. 120 Four Stroke for it, however I am concerned if it will be enough power for doing aerobatics. I have been contiplating purchasing a DLE 30 myself. So any insights you have and pictures you can share will be great.

do335a

flyrcboy.

IMO, go with the DL 30.

In mine, I had a Super Tigre 3000 - same displacement as the DL - and used a 20" prop. No way was it overpowered. With my ST2500, I felt like the plane could have used a bit more power.

A while back, I stopped at the LHS and checked the size of the DL 30 compared to my ST3000, which was completely enclosed in the cowl You can see it a few posts back. It's the plane done up to look like a Scout. With the DL, which is virtually the same height and length as the ST3000, except for the rear carb, the worst you'd get is the plug protruding at the bottom. Should be a very clean installation.

mooseflyer

I plan on using the DLE 30 in mine. The power to weight ratio is difficult to beat; especially for the price. The 30 is right in the middle of the recommended engine range, and will give good performance, as well as nice scale flight.

flyrcboy

Has any one flown this plane with a O.S. 120 four stroke? If so, what were the characteristics? One of the prototypes was built with this engine. At least, that is what the instructions and the plans demonstrate.

Nothrottle

I hope not. The O.S. 120 4-stroke would be border-line. Seriously,the O.S. FS 200 would provide substantial power to get the Decath off the ground safely if you are an O.S. fan. My own is powered with a Magnum 180 that was aging in the box. I gave it a home and it has sufficient power to avoid stalls unless the pilot is totally incompetent. This bird can easily handle 35cc gas! More power!

flyrcboy

Nothrottle,

I have a Supertigre 2000 I've contemplated using instead of the O.S. 120 Four Stroke. In your opinion, how would this engine perform in this bird?

SticknRudder

My Feedback: (2)

DLE-30 arrived today - will try to get it mounted this weekend. I just had back surgery - that might slow me down a little but I'll post pics of whatever I get done. Would prefer Fiberglass Specialties for cowl and pants but thinking about attempting the one provided with the kit. I'll probably wind up not using it - might as well call Craig now.

Nothrottle

The OS 120 4S is rated max HP of 2.1 and The Super Tiger 2300 is 3.7 HP. Cannot find the HP specs on the 2000 so the 2000 should be over 3 HP. More power!

do335a

You guys don't get it with the Big Cats.

A few posts back I mentioned that the plane was certainly not overpowered - needed more power (read thrust) when using my ST2500 ("In mine, I had a Super Tigre 3000 - same displacement as the DL - and used a 20" prop. No way was it overpowered. With my ST2500, I felt like the plane could have used a bit more power.")
The ST2000, 2500 and 3000 were designed to be high torque engines at what at the time was conisdered to be low RPM.

With that in mind, the 2000 is rated at 2.8hp @ 13,000 RPM, the 2500 is rated at 2.8hp @ 10,000 RPM and the 3000 is rated at 3hp at 7900 RPM.

You are also being misled down the horsepower fallacy path. What you need is thrust to fly this plane. You get that from torque, not horsepower. Horespower is simply torque x RPM. You can see that with the numbers Super Tigre published for their large engines. You increas displacemnt and get more torque at lower RPM. Horsepower is relatively constant.

They rate these engines at 196 Kgf. mm @8200 RPM, 240 Kgf. mm @7900 RPM and 280 KGF. mm @5000 RPM respectively.

Your ST2000 may put out about as much power and torque as the OS 120 four stroke - certainly more than the non-surpass original version. However, if you are anywhere near the weight of my plane, which was roughly 17lbs., I predict is will have similar sluggish performance. Mind you, you might find it to be more than satisfactory. But spritly, responsive flight is not the what it was. Sluggish is more like it. Of course, wing loading is another factor. It still won't feel feather light no matter what the engine size. Oink, oink. [:'(]

Nothrottle

Duh, Duh. You are correct in pig philosophy.

flyrcboy

Thanks, Guys for your input. I will probably purchase a DLE 30 for it.

nitro wing

My Feedback: (1)

HP # in 2 stroke and 4 stroke nitro are not comparable at all to gasoline HP in similar displacement.
EDIT nitro motors especially cannot be compared to HP to each other. So many make this ridicilous assumption.
A 1.2 2 stroke vs a 1.2 4 stroke has radical HP difference but the 4 stroke swings a bigger prop with a much different usable power curve

Nitro motors will always produce better HP per CID, where gasoline can usually out torque and out prop in the same size while showing less HP.

Horsepower# are confusing and misleading for most.

jjoos99

My Feedback: (12)

I am ready to start installing my servos and linkages. What is everyone using for the linkages. Looking at the fiberglass rods with heavy duty horns. Any suggestions are appreciated. Also what size of fuel tank has everyone been installing? I have a mvvs .25 gas engine that I will be using.
thanks
jeff

beepee

jeff,

I used f/g rods with 4-40 rods successfully. I would not put anything bigger than a 12 oz tank with that engine. It will run forever on it. Plenty of room, as I think the space is designed for 16-20 oz.

Have fun!

Bedford

CapnGil

My Feedback: (3)

Joining the Decathlon Team....... Dynaflite Decathlon being shipped.....

Plans are as follows:

Long term application: FPV platform with pan/tilt camera mounted inside

Power:
150Saito, looking for three bladed prop for clearance

Custom planned Mods:
One rib longer Alerons, one rib shorter wing, pull/pull ruder, fiber rod connected elevators with internal hidden horn and servo, servos mounted up front for weight distribution, fuel tank mounted at CG to control CG as fuel is consumed, two part wing as noted in post 592, Top hatch with clear top, Oval scale looking wing struts per thread long ago, reinforced landing gear, covered with solartex and clear coated for protection. Targeted weight 16.5 lbs.

Pending Ideas:
Tail gear, color scheme, servos, glass or factory cowl,

box car

You have a good plan have fun. Does this plane realy need wing struts, I made mine into a bush plane, the complete plane is sheeted
running a 32cc gas, has 6 inch tires, has full flaps that work up and down.
Ken