Yup, I went back and re-read the thread to find how to go about this. I found some carbon rods at PrecisionAerobatics website. BUT. They have the rods in 5mm, and i believe thats the diameter of the hole as well. Thats the closest source of carbon stuff for my location... Gonna be a tight fit...
folks, how's the landing gear holding on your Katanas? Although i've epoxied the landing gear as per the manual instructions...i find the tube starts rolling around inside the epoxy after a couple of take offs and landings, basically both the landing gear wheels can then turn 360 degrees and also move up and down a little...Anybody encountered this? I'm thinking of switching to conventional type landing gear attached to the bottom of the fuse.
Posts: 18
Joined: 12/25/2005 From: winchester,
VA, USA Status: offline
Im going to build one and go to conventional fiber glass landing gear right from the start.There are alot of helpful ways to do this on the Giles 202 thread. It looks like a great bird other than this problem
Posts: 777
Joined: 10/15/2003 From: , MA, USA Status: offline
quote:
ORIGINAL: Drkilljoy ...i find the tube starts rolling around inside the epoxy after a couple of take offs and landings, basically both the landing gear wheels can then turn 360 degrees and also move up and down a little...Anybody encountered this?...
In two Giles 202's and one Katana, I have not encountered a loosening of the carbon outer landing gear tubes where they are epoxied to the plywood fuselage structure. However, in the Giles, I have experienced a loosening of the wheel axles in the carbon inner tubes and the axles could be turned but the tubes never turned. To fix the problem I just twisted the axles out by hand, cleaned them, filed some grooves in them and reinstalled them with some real glue (epoxy). They never came loose again.
ORIGINAL: Drkilljoy ...i find the tube starts rolling around inside the epoxy after a couple of take offs and landings, basically both the landing gear wheels can then turn 360 degrees and also move up and down a little...Anybody encountered this?...
In two Giles 202's and one Katana, I have not encountered a loosening of the carbon outer landing gear tubes where they are epoxied to the plywood fuselage structure. However, in the Giles, I have experienced a loosening of the wheel axles in the carbon inner tubes and the axles could be turned but the tubes never turned. To fix the problem I just twisted the axles out by hand, cleaned them, filed some grooves in them and reinstalled them with some real glue (epoxy). They never came loose again.
Rocketman, which type of epoxy did you use for the outer tube, 5 min or 30 min? my problem is the outer tube lets go of the epoxy (or the epoxy lets go). I sanded the tube surface and then applied epoxy again last night and today after the second flight one tube was loose. Any special method to do this?
Posts: 570
Joined: 6/20/2006 From: WEST VALLEY,
UT, USA Status: offline
quote:
ORIGINAL: Drkilljoy
quote:
ORIGINAL: Rocketman_
quote:
ORIGINAL: Drkilljoy ...i find the tube starts rolling around inside the epoxy after a couple of take offs and landings, basically both the landing gear wheels can then turn 360 degrees and also move up and down a little...Anybody encountered this?...
In two Giles 202's and one Katana, I have not encountered a loosening of the carbon outer landing gear tubes where they are epoxied to the plywood fuselage structure. However, in the Giles, I have experienced a loosening of the wheel axles in the carbon inner tubes and the axles could be turned but the tubes never turned. To fix the problem I just twisted the axles out by hand, cleaned them, filed some grooves in them and reinstalled them with some real glue (epoxy). They never came loose again.
Rocketman, which type of epoxy did you use for the outer tube, 5 min or 30 min? my problem is the outer tube lets go of the epoxy (or the epoxy lets go). I sanded the tube surface and then applied epoxy again last night and today after the second flight one tube was loose. Any special method to do this?
Well, I decided to do something a little bit different on my Katana, I made a set of SFG's (side force genrators) for it. I had a Funtana X50 which was a good flying airplane after I modified the LE until it had an unfortunate encounter with a Twist right wing to right wing head on.
Anyway I really liked the way the X50 flew with the SFG's that came with it, they really helped with knife edge flight and they helped to stabilise the harrier A LOT. The way my Katana is currently set up is with an OS 1.60fx, P-30, and Slimline pitts. It weighs 10lbs on the nose without the SFG's (they weigh 4.4 onces for the pair) and fly's inverted with just a breath of down elevator. To be honest I have only flown it once, but I wrung it out pretty well. Of course it flew well, but it does tuck a bit to the belly in knife edge without any roll coupling, and I was a bit suprised at the amount of wing rock at high alpha even though another guy at my field has a Katana with a Brison 2.4 and he does not think that mine rocks like his does from observing the flight. His does weight 12lbs though. I have a GP Reactor that has a LOT less wing rocking.
So seeing as how I personally realy liked the way my Funtana flew with the SFG's I decided to make a pair for the Katana. On my Funtana I could do the most beautiful slow rolls that stretched from horizon to horizon, the SFG's kept the alpha down on KE flight making the transition from upright or inverted to KE very, very easy. And like I said earlier the upright harrier on the Funtana was so much better and rock free with the SFG's installed. They also looked cool!
I just made a template of the wingtip on each side and went from there on paper. There is really no scientific engineering behind their design, I just used the TLAR method (that looks about right) to draw up the plans. They are loosely based off of the ones that were on the funtana. The construction is mainly 3/8" sq and 3/8"x1/2" balsa sticks and the tip plates are cut out from 1/4" ply with blind nut counter sunk in. I simply pulled the covering off of the tips and epoxyed the ply tips on then covered.
I have yet to fly it with the SFG's as it seems that everything that could conspire to keep me from flying yesturday did, and today was raining and in the 30's, but I will post on my results after I try them.
Posts: 488
Joined: 6/24/2003 From: park city,
KY, USA Status: offline
Just won one of these on the auction site.. What gas setup do you guys think I could use on this And still keep it close to the reccomended weight?? I was thinking a brillelli 36gt or a bcma spe40.. I have been flying and 3-d'ing the wings off a funtana x100 for the last year and a half..Hope this flies close to the same as I love the nauces of the katana design.. I want to make this a gasser as I have a 33%er and a 38%er on gas but still fly these size birds on glow and am tired of the mess.. Have only had the h-9 funtana like I said 1.5 years and the airframe is already weak from oil. Also I have read some mods on the gear. Is there any way to put like a standard cf type landing gear on this plane?? I like to do harrier landings and don't know if it will hold up..Look forward to getting it. Thanks, chad.
Posts: 777
Joined: 10/15/2003 From: , MA, USA Status: offline
Drkilljoy,
I use J-B Weld on my Giles and Katana carbon landing gear tubes. This is a slow curing epoxy so you'll have to be patient and let it cure overnight. You can find info on their web site at http://jbweld.net/products/jbweld.php . The company claims may sound a little optimistic for this product but it seems to work for various applications and is used by many people who post here in the RCU forums. They also make J-B Kwik for those folks who are in a hurry but I cannot personally vouch for it's strength or tenacity.
The picture shows the Giles landing gear outer tubes glued to the fuselage structural members with J-B Weld.
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> 3D Flying! >> RE: KATANA XL - new release 
RE: KATANA XL - new release - 
Gonna be a tight fit...
