RE: Great Planes Seawind  
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RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/3/2007 4:14:51 AM   
HUNTERANDJEFF


 

Posts: 556
Joined: 7/25/2007
From: E. Wenatchee, WA, USA
Status: offline 		I really do not think humans could design a more elegant looking airplane that flies off of the water - it looks like a lear jet with a boat hull under it. It flies like one too. But it does not handle like any boat I've been in. If my boat handled that way, I would quickly BAIL!!!!! Heres some more picts.

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< Message edited by MinnFlyer -- 8/3/2007 3:01:57 PM >

_____________________________

JeffThe only yard sales I go to is when I pick up my plane from all over the runway!!!!
Revver bro #191

(in reply to HUNTERANDJEFF)
       Post #: 826

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/3/2007 6:11:48 AM   
HUNTERANDJEFF


 

Posts: 556
Joined: 7/25/2007
From: E. Wenatchee, WA, USA
Status: offline 		Sorry about the last picture on the last post. I tried to shrink it before I put it on RCU and it did just the opposite. Hopefully the people at RCU can fix it. I couln't get any closeups in the air that were focused. The cameraman was complaining that the Seawind was too fast and that the camera (MY CAMERA MINOLTA Z-5) would not focus. I said for him to fly the plane and I could take the photos and his reply was
'"ABSOLUTELY NOT !!!!!!!"

JEFF

_____________________________

JeffThe only yard sales I go to is when I pick up my plane from all over the runway!!!!
Revver bro #191

(in reply to HUNTERANDJEFF)
       Post #: 827

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/4/2007 8:49:48 PM   
Skyventures



Posts: 62
Joined: 11/8/2002
From: Fox Creek, AB, CANADA
Status: offline 		Hello HUNTERANDJEFF,
Glad to see someone else can fly one. I've had many enjoyable flights with mine and it is a real eye catcher.

(in reply to HUNTERANDJEFF)
       Post #: 828

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/5/2007 7:08:36 PM   
HUNTERANDJEFF


 

Posts: 556
Joined: 7/25/2007
From: E. Wenatchee, WA, USA
Status: offline 		I think that there are too many people that get sucked into the sexy lines of this beautiful ship. Great Planes and Tower Hobbies should advertise that this plane is for advanced and expert pilots only. But if everyone knew this they wouldn't sell as many. I have had to use all of my 20 + years of experience just to get this plane off and on the water but once in the air, it flies as good as my freind's Seamaster. Great Planes really rushed this plane into production. There are many, many things that need to be adressed on this plane. It needs to be re-designed to be stronger, and more waterproof. The servos need to be inside up front. The wings need to have a deeper cord and be made of sheeted foam. Get rid of that bailer too. Why did they put the bailer in it in the first place? Because they knew that there was a leaking problem!!!!!!! I have fried 4 cirrus mg mini servos because they got wet. The one improvement that I did was put 2 peices of 1 1/2" aileron stock width wise 4" behind the step. This caused almost all of the porpiseing to stop, I can run the plane around in the water at full throttle and have fun. I also replaced the 70 surpass with a new supertiger 90 two stroke. 13,000 rpms on a 11-7 three blade prop. Wow! this plane is fast. I haven't clocked it but I am sure that it flies at 90 - 100 mph. My plane is pretty much wore out now and stupid me - I'm considering purchasing a new one next spring. I wish that Great Planes would pull this plane from the market and re-design it. I would pay even more for it if I knew that it was better. KMP pulled their Beaver off of the market to make it better at a huge expense but by doing this their reputation is going to be even better than it was before. Alot of people are basing Great Planes entire reputation on this one plane. If I were Great Planes I would suck it in and re-design it.
Too all people considering buying this plane - ONLY DO SO IF YOU HAVE ALOT OF EXPERIENCE. If you don't have the experience your escapade with this plane will be really frustrating. You will spend more time on maintenence than acually flying.
I can say though that this is the prettiest plane in existence. Great Planes did an excellent job making the model look like the real thing.

Jeff

_____________________________

JeffThe only yard sales I go to is when I pick up my plane from all over the runway!!!!
Revver bro #191

(in reply to Skyventures)
       Post #: 829

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/5/2007 8:44:31 PM   
Bob93447


 

Posts: 54
Joined: 9/4/2004
From: Playa del Rey, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Jeff,

Can you post a picture of the aileron stock that you installed to stop the porpoising? Where is your CG for takeoff?

Thanks,

Bob

< Message edited by Bob93447 -- 8/5/2007 8:55:11 PM >

(in reply to HUNTERANDJEFF)
       Post #: 830

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/5/2007 9:14:35 PM   
HUNTERANDJEFF


 

Posts: 556
Joined: 7/25/2007
From: E. Wenatchee, WA, USA
Status: offline 		I sure can Ill go out to my shop and get a few quick photos of it. And post them it will take about 15 minutes.

_____________________________

JeffThe only yard sales I go to is when I pick up my plane from all over the runway!!!!
Revver bro #191

(in reply to Bob93447)
       Post #: 831

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/5/2007 9:51:19 PM   
HUNTERANDJEFF


 

Posts: 556
Joined: 7/25/2007
From: E. Wenatchee, WA, USA
Status: offline 		Here are the pics of the step on my Seawind. My plane is really trashed and it will soon be retired. It took alot of abuse for me to learn to take it off and land it. I also put seamaster floats on the wingtips so they would not dig into the water. I never crashed this plane over 2' abouve the water but it had at least 9 incidents out of 20 flights. Just remember that you have to land this plane really flat at a rather high rate of speed. The better you grease the landing the less failures you will have. Now I really know how to fly this plane but it is pretty much worn out. So I guess I'll buy a new one!
The picture of the weight is on the right wing. The left wing was that much heavier out of the factory!
Jeff

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< Message edited by MinnFlyer -- 8/6/2007 2:36:41 PM >

_____________________________

JeffThe only yard sales I go to is when I pick up my plane from all over the runway!!!!
Revver bro #191

(in reply to HUNTERANDJEFF)
       Post #: 832

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/5/2007 9:58:38 PM   
SON OF PALEFACE



Posts: 483
Joined: 7/12/2003
From: Yankalilla, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: I wish that Great Planes would pull this plane from the market and re-design it. I would pay even more for it if I knew that it was better. KMP pulled their Beaver off of the market to make it better at a huge expense but by doing this their reputation is going to be even better than it was before. Alot of people are basing Great Planes entire reputation on this one plane. If I were Great Planes I would suck it in and re-design it.
Too all people considering buying this plane - ONLY DO SO IF YOU HAVE ALOT OF EXPERIENCE. If you don't have the experience your escapade with this plane will be really frustrating. You will spend more time on maintenence than acually flying.
I can say though that this is the prettiest plane in existence. Great Planes did an excellent job making the model look like the real thing.

Jeff






There's an easy way to save yourself some pain...........Get a NITRO SEAWIND .........the step is back more.........the tip floats are better..............and its a LOT CHEAPER


_____________________________

We must have had a BIG earthquake...the ground rose up and HIT my plane , Honest.

(in reply to HUNTERANDJEFF)
       Post #: 833

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/5/2007 11:27:38 PM   
SON OF PALEFACE



Posts: 483
Joined: 7/12/2003
From: Yankalilla, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		Its interesting to note that the new G/Planes EP Seawind 38.5" has the step further back , but the CG still very forward at 1" back

_____________________________

We must have had a BIG earthquake...the ground rose up and HIT my plane , Honest.

(in reply to SON OF PALEFACE)
       Post #: 834

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/6/2007 4:29:54 AM   
Bob93447


 

Posts: 54
Joined: 9/4/2004
From: Playa del Rey, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Jeff,

Thanks for the picture; interesting solution. Are you using the supplied fuel tank full on takeoff? I have electrified my seawind and I'm trying to get the CG right for takeoff. Part of my problem appears that my CG may be way too far forward. The more I can move it to the rear, the better off I am. I will be moving the batteries lower and further to the rear -- it seems to help a lot with the problem of wing the tips digging in as mentioned by others in this thread. In the electric version the vertical center of rotation is much lower; the batteries are almost acting like the keel on a sailboat keeping the pylon upright.

Bob


(in reply to HUNTERANDJEFF)
       Post #: 835

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/6/2007 6:08:04 PM   
HUNTERANDJEFF


 

Posts: 556
Joined: 7/25/2007
From: E. Wenatchee, WA, USA
Status: offline 		Bob, when I was experimenting with different ways to solve the problem of the porpoising, I tried different c/g locations and flew it very tailheavy once. That was very interesting to say the least. I almost lost the entire plane. I then put on a peice of fiberglass covered foam right behind the step and got rid of the step entirely. The plane was awesome! It handled like a kitten. But when I run it up it would not leave the water. Too much suction. I then brought it in and cut off half of the step I put on. and this made the step 2" behind the original step. All of the porpoising returned. I was just about to give up and then I had the bright Idea to put on the aileron stock. You see, where the step is and being that it has a "V" hull the plane acts like a teeter totter in the water and once it begins it just keeps getting more violent untill you either abort takoff or crash. Putting the aileron stock on it stopped this teeter tottering effect.
and now it skips around on the water and is quite a joy to race around with. The supplied fuel tank is full on take off. I set the c/g with the fuel tank empty though and the c/g is set to the directions. I would not deviate from it. I saw a video on google of a person that electrified his Seawind and he was flying iit off of the snow. It seemed like it had alot of power and handeled well. How much does your Seawind weigh? mine weighs almost 15 lbs! but I am running a 90 supertiger and I had to put around 35 ounces in the nose. I think my plane was built on a friday or something because it never seemed to be quite right. As I posted earlier, the left wing was a couple of ounces heavier out of the factory - UNBELEIVABLE!!!!



_____________________________

JeffThe only yard sales I go to is when I pick up my plane from all over the runway!!!!
Revver bro #191

(in reply to Bob93447)
       Post #: 836

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/6/2007 6:31:16 PM   
RussWisc



Posts: 389
Joined: 8/6/2007
From: Minocqua, WI, USA
Status: offline 		hello from the northwoods of Wisc

I have been interested in the seawind for some time seeing i have 2300 lakes with in 30 miles of me. Also i found out my Balsa USA Northstar can not take a crash landing in water well ok the water was 3 feet thick called ice any ways one thing i see alot is how to connect the cover so its ez to open and stays on good. with my boats i started to use pins in the front of the covers and real earth Magnites to hold down the backs. they are very strong and the do not let go. some of my boats are going at 50-80 MPH with no covers blowing off. just a thought . will let you know if i order a seawind soon

Russ

_____________________________

AMA #149681 T-Rex 450se V2 / 600N-Pro / 500CF
Every landing is just a controled crash !!!!

(in reply to PaulG-RC)
       Post #: 837

RE: Great Planes Seawind - 8/6/2007 7:01:40 PM   
HUNTERANDJEFF


 

Posts: 556
Joined: 7/25/2007
From: E. Wenatchee, WA, USA
Status: offline 		To son of paleface
Have you flown youre Nitro Planes Seawind yet? I was reading the posts over at that nitro site and it seems that nobody has flown their plane yet except for Fay. And Fay never really said much about his flights. I have also heard that nitro's customer support really sucks. I heard that someone ordered a new canopy for his and after a year, he still didn't have it. I did call nitro models last month and it is very hard to get ahold of them. When I did get through (to order a catalog) the gal on the phone said that she sells at least 12 of those nitro Seawinds every day!!! where are they going?! I would like to hear more reports about them and see if the customers are happy