steveg_oz

Hi all,

Does anyone out there have any experience with the GP Fundango park flyer. I'd appreciate hearing any comments about construction and performance.

What motor/battery pack have you found to be optimal.

Many thanks,

Sg

RC_Eflyer-RCU

I don't know a whole lot about it but from what I've heard

A) Don't use the recommended setup unless you want to fry your motor on the first flight.
B) Remove the landing gear and just belly land it.
C) Check www.rcgroups.com in their parkflyer and sportplane sections of electric flight.

--Paul

TailTwister

My Feedback: (1)

I had one and gave it away. I bought a Zagi, and it blows the wings off the Fundango. If I did another one, I'd try the following:
1. Use the lightest covering possible. Ultracote was too heavy.
2. Reduce the size of the vertical stab to about 75% of plans. WAY too much drag!
3. Get at least a cobalt, maybe even a brushless motor. Gear it no more than 3:1. Not 4:1 like recommended. and fly a 9x7E or the like. (call motor manufacturer to find out current draw with that prop to choose ESC)
4. Adapt servo mount to fit Cirrus CS-21 servos to save weight.
5. Try to find lighter batteries. Maybe even lithium. At a minimum smaller NiCads or Nickel Metals.

The plane was just too heavy. I used a 4:1 geared Graupner Speed 400 6v. Everything else was GP stuff. The only weight in the thing is really the covering and battery. It went together in a single building session. I'd have to guess frame time was only a few hours. The tail is laminated balsa (1/16) strips wrapped around a stick frame. It is very strong and light. The wing is as simple and light as can be. The fuse is a glass tube that needs only a touch of work to have ready. I would like to experiment with the heat shrink window film as a covering for this plane. It's not real tough, but it is light. Just an opinion.
Hope this helps.

Yucholian

My Feedback: (7)

I had one, minor damage due to radio interference. I'll get it fixed again. Used Super Monokote for covering, replaced the boom with a carbon graphite, much lighter, no landing gear, no down-thrust, 8 cell 600mAH pack, 3 to 1 ratio, 9x6 APC, 6V Speed 400 motor, lots of power. It was very fast. I'll definitely fix mine.

Cadet

The main comment I here about this aircraft is that GP chose an airfoil that was too thin (Fast) for the type of plane (Fun flyer). With this in mind we should look at making it light and using a power system with good pitch speed. My recommedation would be a speed 300 geared 3.75-1 on 8 cells 600 NiMH. This is also the prefered set-up used by Gary Wright designer of the E3D.
Cheers

splinter

My Feedback: (64)

Hi

Re: My friend and I are finishing up on a fundango (98% done), we used a 480 speed moter and a MJ gear box (3/5), we have also made the rudder operational. My question is how to hold the battery on the hooks and one or two rubber bands don't seem enough and am afraid the battery will slide on the covering and of course change the CD. Any help would be appreciated.

Bill (Splinter)

Tman

My Feedback: (3)

Hi there. I happen to run across this thread and by now you probably solved the battery hookup question you asked about.
I added a hook right behind the wing by drilling into the fibreglass tube but NOT through both sides of the tube as this will weaken it. I added a Z bend to the hook and expoied it in place. I then added a plywood plate to the bottom of the wing to hold the battery. it was easy enough to do. I took a quarter inch sq. balsa piece and went through the servo bay and glued it between the bottom portion of the ribs. I then made sure the covering was sealed to the new piece of wood and carefully cut it so that the film was still sticking to the new piece and the wing spar. I then expoxied a piece of 1/8 inch plywood. To this new platform I added a piece of velcro and mated the other piece of velcro to the battery pack.
In order to form the battery pack to the curve of the wing, I used a hair dryer to soften the outer plastic holding the batteries and formed it to the wing curve.
This sounds difficut but it took about 15 minutes to do and whatever time it took to cure the epoxy.
I am disappointed it the Fundango performance, I used a Speed 480 and 3:1 gearbox and it just doesn't seem to work. It flies OK but can't get the performance I expected.
Hope this helps

ddekel

I have switch the system to 480 speed bb motor+
1:3.3 planetary gear box, and now it's performance become
reasonable.

Landing gear should be taken off-
wheels creates lots of drag and some extra weight.

I have used transparent oracover which is very light.
I mounted the battery with a Scotch with some
single rubber to secure it to place-it's enough.

ddekel

one more thing,
the 700mah battery that
comes with the GD-400 system
gives a very short motor time.
any recommendation for a higher
capacity battery? (a light one)

bwillhite

My Feedback: (3)

I am using the Electric SP400 motor and 3:1 gearbox with the APC 10x7 slow-fly prop. I had VERY short flight times with the Hobbico 9.6v 600mah packs I bought for it. I went to Radio Shack and bought their 1600mah 9.6V NiMH pack ($25) and a good charger (GP Triton) and WOW! what a difference. I now can get well over 7 minutes of flight at full power.

I am rebuilding this kit with a carbon fiber arrow as the fuselage shaft, SoLite covering instead of MonoKote and with four servos (1 per aileron, rudder and elevator), it should really be fun with that setup!!!

The Fundango is now one of my favorite airplanes. It is easy and fun to fly.

Happy New Year