jaybranch

Hi all,

Just a very quick question about the ABX... I'm sure you guys can help me out!

I've bought one from E-Bay and true to what the ad stated, it isn't in the best condition. I'm not saying it's not flyable, it's just required a bit of a clean up to be honest. I've had it a week and everything has been cleaned/repaired where needed but I have noticed one thing!

At the very end of the boom, where the antenna pops out, there is a 'V' into which the tail is placed. (Well, the tail is screwed into it!). This has been snapped! So, imagine a V cut in half.... that's what it looks like. So, the tail, although it is still possible to screw it in using the tail screws, doesn't sit true as it only sits against the one half of the V and angles VERY slightly compared to the fuselage.

Now, I know the plane will just flunk off to the right or left when it's flown, so I hven't bothered flying it yet. However, what I need to know is can the peice that is snapped be removed from the boom and replaced with a new peice? Where can I get one from, as the parts list doesn't include this part and the web has revealed nothing? I'm hoping I dont have to buy a whole new fuselage just due to a small piece of missing plastic!

In case you're not sure on which part I'm referring too, I have found a link to a site which has a full review of the bird, so I've pinched the picture. I hope that's ok....

I'm also very annoyed today as I crashed my Firebird Phantom and the boom snapped.... (Forgot to turn ACT off and it came tumbling to the ground! I always turn ACT off as I think this makes the handling worse!) so I need to fix that tonight!! [:@]


Anyway guys, thanks for any help you can give.


Jay

crazychris46dividedby2

wel in this situation i would simply mod it to work using whatever i could find handy. popsicle sticks come to mind. but for sake of repair and not cob jobing it id suggest looking for a tail boom for it. i got a firebird xl about a year ago and the tail boom was broken in half and i found a similar one to it. the boom i picked up didnt have the nessicary "V" slot but just a pair of holes drilled vertically through the end of the boom. so i went to the LHS and got a new rear wing, (not stock but close in size) and used the v slot mounting bracket that came with it on the bottom side of the rear wing, which when screwed in place it wedged it up into a v angle on the tail. i havent had a problem with it yet. you could try something similar to that on it. im pretty sure the abx is ismilar to the firebird xl. good luck, chris

wilsontrey94

I just had this problem on mine a couple weeks ago. That piece will indeed slide off. Sometimes it might not. On one fuse it came right off and the other i had to break it off but it will come off. But if it wont come off, im sure u cud rigg up something that will work fine. The black bracket that goes on top of the tail should be stuck on the wing and that will help it stabilize.

lowdrag

I would say buy a new fuse and body for $19. This is just the plastics - you can take the electronics out of your plane and put it in.

http://secure.hobbyzone.com/cgi-bin/...HZ&ADD=HBZ6548

If that is not a choice, the top plastic V piece that goes on the top of the tail will do a good job holding it in place. Use some hot glue or epoxy and glue the top of the tail to the plastic piece. Then screw it all together. That should work.

lowdrag

richg99

If patching or repairing doesn't work for you..you might go to a thrift store ( church-/-Salvation Army etc. . ) and look at graphite shafted golf clubs. They are usually a buck or two. I imagine cutting a shaft off at the right segment will replace your fuse for little cost. Rich

RedGN

Jay, get a flight sim and scrap these useless planes.

At minimun get yourself the aerobird swift. When i started to fly, i sent tons of money on cheap beginner planes. Downloaded FMS and practiced on that for about 2 weeks.

Hardly crash anymore and bought nice aieplanes with custom electronics for less than i spent on those cheap beginners.

Well, you live and learn.

Hope this helps.

wilsontrey94

Does anyone know what the COG is on this bird? I started using lipos and im pretty sure mine is wayy off.

johnpcunningham

Not sure of CG but I weighed (using a digital scale) the original battery and then weighed two 7.2v 1450mha lipos (I run them in parallel). The difference was about 6 of those stick on weights that you get at the LHS. I think they are 0.5 OZ each - so 3 oz of lead in the nose. I used hot glue and affixed them to the styrofoam core that goes in the nose. I used two strips of 3 of the lead weights. Worked like a charm.

JC

wilsontrey94

Has anyone ever put ailerons on this plane? Where i live, the wind blows alot and every time i take her up, it seems like i don't have that much control. I even cut out the control surfaces on the tail and make em bigger but i just dont have much control. Has anybody ever done this? IF so, can u give some advice and how it flies with this mod?

crazychris46dividedby2

i havent seen it done to that plane but there is one almost exacyly like it with ailerons. so it shoudl be posible.

lowdrag

This guy did it with an Aerobird III. Nice pics to give you some ideas:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_63...tm.htm#6376580

lowdrag

wilsontrey94

I decided to buy another plane because i'm tired of putting money into a plane that doesn't even fly very well from the beginning. I might as well buy a plane that flies decently and is worth upgrading

crazychris46dividedby2

yeah i can see doing that. id keep the other bird around and work on it here and there till you get it fixed right. then you have 2 birds you can take out flying. i have 3 hobbygrade birds i fly, the parkzone trojan, a hobbyzone firebird xl, and a slo-v, plus a few different air hogs planes i take with me to play around with while the others are charging. its a blast going to the field nd making a day out of flying. chris

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

Irecently read that the CG for the Xtreme should be 2" to 2.5" back from the leading edge. Hope that helps.