99GrandTouring

well I'm getting back into flying and I've had this kit setting around for about 8 years now.
Everything is still good in it and I'm gonna start building it soon..

I've read in previous post to beef up the gear but I"m unsure of this
The gear mounting bracket makes an L shape sorta should I put the ply on the back side of it? on the bottom of the L? or on the sides?

Also I want to make it with flaps (I had them on a knighthawk and loved em!)
so what 2 jr servos would you reccomend that aren't quite as big as the standard servo? Should I mount them side by side near the center of the wing and use the factory setup for the ailerons? Or should I mount them out in the wing??

And lastly I want to put an os .46fx in it but I'm wondering if it will fit with the remote needle and all?

Thanks guys and if you have any help or tips let me know!

KCFlyBoy

My Feedback: (12)

I have a OS46fx with remote needle on mine and OR works fine. Beefing up the landing gear is probably a good idea since you have not flown for a while. I am a Futaba guy cant help on the JR servo situation. If you are going to have standard flaps I would mount them in the center and the Aileron in the wings. You could also setup flaperons and use only two servos.

99GrandTouring

I was gonna do the flaperon setup because I have a jr 5 ch I can use for that.
I was just wondering if it would be best to have two servos mounted side by side where the factory single servo should be?

or mount the two servos outboard on the wing...??

any tips on building it?
this thing looks a bit harder to build than my old PT40 I built 8 years ago.

KCFlyBoy

My Feedback: (12)

I just went down to look at mine. There is room for three servos side by side in the fuse you will have to open up the servo space and reinforce the area. I would put them side by side close to gether with the horns toward the front and to the outside this should allow clearance for the other three servos and allow you to use the standard aileron push rods. Now I am thinking about modifying mine.

99GrandTouring

well also I was thinking by doing this I wouldn't be cutting into the center spar/dihedral brace so it might make the wing stronger..
although when I build it I was thinking of setting the servos apart and having the horns towards each other to where they almost touch in the middle.......

One thing, I've had flap on a high wing and whenver engaged the model pointed its nose sky high..
with a low wing would the plane nose dive with flap?

99GrandTouring

BTW do you have any pics of yours?

KCFlyBoy

My Feedback: (12)

I will post some tomorrow. The center will be stronger. It should work well. I will pitch down you will want to mix in some elevator after you see how much it pitches. Test it with plenty of altitude and be ready to drop th flaps.

funfly8

My Feedback: (20)

The landing gear is not the best on these and it is easy for the wheel pant to pop up into the wing and rip the covering(gear is that springy) Put a piece of 1/4" ply in front of the wing wide enough to support an aluminum landing gear instead of the wires. The Sig 4*40 gear works great and the price is less than the one you find in the LHS even if you have them order it for you. Sig figures you bent one up and gives you a break on the replacement price I guess. That is what I used on my SS40 and it saves a lot on the wing. Just remember to reinforce the light ply with some triangle stock.

Funfly 8

99GrandTouring

I've been thinking...
you all make it seem that even with the plywood reinforcing the gear will sitll have enough "spring" to come back and hit the covering.....

What if I glue a hardwood block or plate near the trailing edge of the wing between the two spars where the gear are and when the model is covered run a metal wire from the block down to the base of the gear??

Preventing it from flexing back to much?? Make it to where it has some spring but not to much travel??

Would this solve it? I really dont' want to do the gear on fuselage setup...

KCFlyBoy

My Feedback: (12)

I would not go to far to beef up the gear area. Keep the weight down. If you have a hard landing and they do come back line them up with the space between ribs so they only damage the covering.

GarySS

My Feedback: (13)

I have found that you need to spread apart the elevator halves enough to allow your rudder to get more throw. If you don't you won't have much rudder authority.

I would not mess with functioning flaperons on this small an aircraft, they just add weight.
Have fun, they are smooth flying airplanes.

TRP

My Feedback: (1)

I built a SS40 last winter and have been enjoying flying it this summer.

I use a OS 46fx in mine. It's like a dart - a very quick dart. You point it where you want it to go.. and zzzzzziiiiiiiipp - it's there!

I beefed up the gear blocks with epoxy and some lite ply. I have yet to mount the wheel pants because I am still learning how to land the plane and couldn't see wrecking the covering and the pants. I have had a few.. less than ideal landings and everything checks out so far.

I have a few photos of my plane I will attach a few of them to this thread.

You will really enjoy building and flying this kit.

Be sure to pay attention to the root rib alignment and invest in a block plane.

For the flaps: (It sounds difficult.. but it's NOT!)

Use the stock aileron servo location for your flap servo. Use the stock metal aileron 'arms' (the pre-bent metal arms that come up out of the wing and the other end goes into the aileron) to actuate your flaps. Solder a 'Y' out of some dubro rod. Attach the tail end of the Y to the servo and attach clevises to the other two ends and the clevises will now attach the two rods that come up out of the wing (the old aileron control rods.) You can use the same hardware that you would have used for the ailerons to attach the Y to the rods. Cut your flap length off each of the stock ailerons - these pieces become your flaps. The rest becomes your ailerons.

Relocate one aileron servo out into each wing half. You can build pockets in the wing and then mount the servo to the pocket hatch - or build a standard wing servo mount. One way or the other - it's basic. The entire process would take 5 or 6 hours.. tops.

All in all - it would not be difficult to do.
The most difficult part is building sufficient servo mounts out in the wing ribs.


I am kind of mad that I didn't think about it while I was building mine! I can still go back and do it. I would just have to remove the covering on the bottom side of each wing half and build the servo mounts.

Good Luck

Ted

TRP

My Feedback: (1)

Here is another one that shows the remote needle valve.

I liked the ARF scheme so much I copied it ..sort of.

I used Orange, Red, and Purple - instead of the Orange, Red, and Blue on the ARF.
I decided to have the colors start at the leading edge - instead of going almost clear out the the firewall.

again - enjoy your MKII.

Ted

rdcracer

My Feedback: (2)

Take some serious thought to adding aluminum gear to the fuse in front of the wing. I built one for my son and am constantly fixing the monokote behind the pants. A friend modified his this way and it also eliminates nose overs. I have another kit I am building for floats. This plane is awesome on G P 40 size floats which can be removed easily for land takeoffs.

flianbrian

Flaps, on a high or low wing, produce LIFT, so yes the plane will want to climb. This is NORMAL. Use down elevator or trim to maintain level flight.

LK