carletto

Hello, i just start to build this kit, have anyone tips for me?
(engines, prop, CG ecc.ecc.) How fly?
Thanks

LuvBipes

My Feedback: (4)

This plane has a strong tendency to come out nose heavy, so use the lightest engine in its category. If you're going to use a 4-stroke 91, for example, stay away from the YS 91(26 ozs.) or the Thunder Tiger 91 (25 ozs.). The best bet would be the Saito 91 which is the lightest in its class at 19.5 ozs.

Make a hatch from the fuse bottom punchouts and build a compartment for the battery in the rear fuse - this will help with the nose-heavy condition.

If you fly from grass, plan on using 3" wheels and moving the landing gear location a full inch forward from the point indicated on the plans. The stock location is only suitable for flying off extremely smooth paved surfaces. On grass it noses-over and refuses to taxi worth a darn.

Make sure you're using the revised elevator control throws and perfom the test flight w/ rates set on LOW or it will be a very short test flight!

amcross

My Feedback: (2)

Please please PLEASE dont move the gear position. PLEASE. That gear position is set for structural loads and was VERY carefully designed/set.

DO, however, shim the trailing edge of the gear to push the wheels forward instead.

Enjoy this plane! She's my baby...mike designed her and he and i wrote the manual.

Sincerely,
Mrs. AnnMarie Cross
Senior Manager, Proprietary Services and Support
Great Planes Model Distributors
[email protected]
www.greatplanes.com
www.bestrc.com
NO AUTORESPONDER

Bryant330L

My Feedback: (126)

Sorry AnnMarie, but I have to dissagree with you on that one. I know that sounds crazy since you helped design the thing but mine would not even roll 10 feet on grass without nosing over with the gear in the stock location. I had the back of the gear shimmed about 1/8" or maybe a little more. To get it to taxi I had to move it forward about 1 1/4" and keep the shim in it. It still wanted to nose over every chance it got. I had 3" wheels and no wheel pants on it. Great plane except for that one thing.

LuvBipes

My Feedback: (4)

AnnMarie, It was relatively easy to reinforce the formers where the LG rails go by tracing them out and doubling the lower inch with 1/8" plywood. Thus modified, my Giles had about 25 trouble-free flights before I sold it.

You did an amazing job on the manual, by the way. I think it's the standard to which all assembly manuals should be held from now on.

Blackdog

My Feedback: (3)

I have to agree this is a wonderful plane. I love mine. The only other thing I would do is to add some trianglular blocks behind the former (the former behind the fuel tank) where it meets the wing saddle and wing saddle doubler. It's not to thick in that area and will break on harder than normal landings.

Have fun!

Blackdog

wgeffon

My Feedback: (4)

Mine has,


*normal size wheels
*stock gear location ( no shim )
*wheel pants

No problem flying off grass or taxiing.

Bryant330L

My Feedback: (126)

Hey, that is a great looking plane. I like your scheme. My giles would not roll 3 feet without nosing over with the stock gear setup. That was in short grass. Here is a picture of mine before a radio failure made it into another branch on a pine tree.......

carletto

i, LovemyEdge beautiful model, what engine use?prop, servos
anyone know mvvs 91?

Bryant330L

My Feedback: (126)

Thanks! I used a Thunder Tiger 91 4 stroke. A great engine for the money. I now have it in a Midwest Citabria and it still runs great. Took the Giles straight up with a 14 x 6. I had standard servos on all surfaces with good results until the signal interuption/ crash.

WarpedWing

My Feedback: (3)

built mine last year and am still flying it. I used an OS 91FS, with the rudder servo all the way in the back. I fly off a grass field, had to ditch the wheel pants and go to larger wheels. I also had to shim the gear forward to avoid noseover. I ended up moving the battery further back than the plans show to get the CG right. The long servo lead for the rudder servo initially produced RF. Had to re-wire and now its OK. I found this plane initially hard to set up and trim. I found the suggested low rates for elevator and aileron to be too conservative for my taste, but thought the high rates were uncomfortably aggressive. You'll just have to experiment for yourself----I absolutely think you should start off with the suggested throws and go from there. Elevator authority is BIG---seemingly small elevator movements translate into big changes in attitude. After about a dozen flights I got this plane dialed in and I really enjoy it. Feels like a much larger plane in the air. Rolls, spins, knife edges are all terrific. Landings take some practice---landing speeds are much quicker than an Extra or Laser. I think the engineering of this kit is absolutely superb---best parts fit I've ever seen. I'd build another one in a flash.

WarpedWing

My Feedback: (3)

thought I'd post a picture of my Giles---this was prior to maiden flight, before I figured out that the "stock" wheels and wheel pants wouldn't work on my grass field. I'm using an OS 91FS and a 14x6 prop. Couple of tips: 1. study the wing plan closely---I personally found the directions/plans a little hard to follow, but once I figured it out, the full span webs and overall kit/parts engineering here is excellent. 2. if you don't already own a GP Slot Machine, buy one. I used the old Xacto knife method of slotting my hinge pockets and it was hard, sloppy work. A Slot Machine will give outstanding results, with almost no effort. For $25, it can't be beat.



Edited Feb 21: Attached revised picture format

outssider

My Feedback: (23)

The biggest problem for me was the rear turtle deck.....If I did it again I would have used thin ply

hundreds of flights now...almost 2 years old

Blackdog

My Feedback: (3)

I'll second what outssider said. That rear turtle deck was a pain in the butt! :stupid:

Blackdog

Cabane

My Feedback: (2)

I found the building very enjoyable. I didn't like having to paint the canopy. I had no trouble with the rear deck. I fly from grass and built some offset in the gear plate as opposed to shimming. I had zero ground handling issues off grass. I used pants from a SE kit and they have held up well. I have a cowl from Stan's. I used a Saito 100 and 15x6 APC. Rear mounted rudder servo and the battery is pretty far aft.

MarkNovack

My Feedback: (3)

They both love them. Everything per plan (I do not customize kits unless I'm relieved of responsibility for the buyers desires) and they fly great. Unlimited with OS91 4-strokers. They took about 4 hours to frame up. In fact, they went together, covering and all, in less time than some ARFs I have seen. No nose overs that I have heard about.

Mark

maineflyer

My Feedback: (44)

I love the kit, I am actually thinking about getting another one and really building it light. Mine was stock until a heavy landing took the gear rails out. I beefed the area up and moved the gear about 3/4 of an inch forward, put blind nuts and nylon bolts in to shear off instear of taking the bottom out again. I also recommend shimming the aft of the landing gear. Try a 13-8 Symitar prop on your .91 4 stroke. I had a 14 -6 and the 13 - 8 makes that baby come ALIVE... good luck and enjoy

tlw427

Got any ideas on making it real light??? By the way kit and instructions I thought were top notch. I still think it would be great to make a real floater out of it.

Ann - the article you have about the elec. one - is that online were I can read it again?

Thanks

wagas

I have to say this is one of the easier airplanes I've built. The only thing I would have done different would be to use lite ply on the turlte deck as stated above. Still haven't flown mine yet as I end up getting rid of the engine that was in it. TT FS 91. The airplane seemed kinda heavy and made me a little nervous. I have a TT .46 pro I'd like to try but I don't know how well that would do.

Anybody flown one with a PRO .46? I'm just interested in sport flying and would like to know if that engine is enough to putt it around?

wagas

Bottom shot!

WarpedWing

My Feedback: (3)

kinda off topic, but last week I flew a buddy's GP Giles---the 120 size ARF. At our LHS, the price of this thing was really cheap----not much more than you'd pay for the .46 kit, covering, fuel tank, wheels, glue, hardware, etc, .... . He had his together in less than a week----took me 6 months to kit build my .46 kit. As much as I like the .46 kit (and I really do like mine), the 120 ARF flies better-----IMO, much better. He has a Saito 180 in his kit, and its flight performance is terrific. Slow speed flight envelope is markedly better than the .46 kit (IMO). I've toyed with buying another .46 kit, but I'm now leaning towards just buying the ARF. Have fun,.....Warped Wing

FUZZ

I recently built the GP Giles 202. The instructions were good with one major exception. I put an OS .61FX with a slimline pitts muffler. I also installed a Hangar 9 remote glow plug adapter and a great planes easy fueler valve. I used FMA high torque, high speed servos throughout. I mounted the rudder servo in the rear and with the battey a few inches back into the rear turtle deck it balanced perfectly. The model came out a lil heavier than some that I read reviews on. Mine weighed 7lbs5oz ready to fly. I also modified a few things such as I sheeted the inside cockpit area with thin balsa sheet to support a pilot easier. I also fiberglassed the center of the wing. So these things may explain teh lil extra weight. Since I just bought this kit a little over a month ago from tower hobbies I assumed that it had the new control throws,...WRONG. Luckily,... one of our clubs best pilots was doing the test flight for me. Upon take off,..."it wouldnt taxi at all on grass without tipping over, but thankfully we have a nice paved runway" the plane acted very squirley using the throws listed in the instructions. The plane stalled upon landing and twisted the gear up very badly and demolished the wheel pants. Notice I said twisted the gear. The plane didnt have a scratch on it. This plane has to have the toughest landing gear setup than on any plane I have ever seen, so hats off to Mike and Ann Marie Cross for that. I also tried something new when I built the plane I didnt use Epoxy on the gear plate I used Bob Smith IC200 black rubberized CA, and it held every bit as good or maybe better who knows. After the bad landing I couldnt figure out the problem so I went to Great Planes site and it was then I found out that my kit had the old control throws listed. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper but I emailed Great Planes and the rep offered me a new gear set to replace the damage. So All in all I'm very impresed with Great Planes. Also do to it raining almost every day that I plan to fly. I havent got to see how it flies with the new throws.

Johnny Millwood

daven

My Feedback: (1)

Since alot of others have posted pics, so will I. The plane was an absolute pleasure to build. I powered with an O.S. .91 Surpass II and my final weight was 6lbs 11 oz.

I don't share the unbelievable flight performance as most others. I thought it was an OK flying plane, nothing more, nothing less. I only got about 20 flights on it before a mid air with a trainer. The plane snapped far to easily in my opinion, elevator throw had to be set at a minimal or it would snap out of loops.

The plane is currently awaiting rebuild, its far from being destroyed, but due to the un-impressive flights I had with it, the rebuild has been shelved for the time being.

I will say, my voice in regards to this plane has been by far in the minority. Most others have absolutely loved this plane, I'm just not one of them. If I had to do it over, I would have put a .91 two stroke in this plane.

LuvBipes

My Feedback: (4)

Daven, I share your views. I sold mine after about 25 flights because I much preferred my OS 120 powered 64" GP Extra 300S. I was using the revised throws and a conservative CG, but despite all my attempts to sort it out, I just though it was squirrely airplane that didn't grove very well.

I guess it might be a matter of flying style, as another very experienced club member tried mine out and liked it, so go figure!

daven

My Feedback: (1)

I see my pic did not work. Lets see if it works this time...