GW-inactive

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Got going on the menace this evening , after the big brown happy truck dropped off my Lonestar order.

Wow this thing goes together quickly. Guess a trip the the LHS tomorrow for some covering. Gotta love CA and 30 minute epoxy.
The laser cut ribs made it a breeze (Thanks for the help on that Paul S.)

A few pics of an afternoon at work

GW-inactive

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one more then off to bed

PaulSwany

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Man... you're quick dude!!! But you're right, this is an easy plane to put together. What are you going to use for gear? Have you weighed it yet?

GW-inactive

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i guess i will bend some 5/32 for the gear. Any advise?
i have not weighed it yet, my digitals went bellyup.
It seems to be in the reange i need to be in. I am concerned about the 505 carbon tube from lonestar. seems a bit heavy, but i guess it will work out. it was their 32"x.505 tube.
I have the covering now, so off to work i go.

later
gw

PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

I think I used 1/8" for gear... Seems plenty strong.... I haven't bent it yet... I used the .505 tube from lonestar... My plane came out to 3lbs 6 oz. if I remember right.

DonH21

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GW3D, Nice job!

Paul, what size of servos and battery pack are you using?

Don

PaulSwany

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I'm using Standard radio gear... HS 425 BB servo's with a HS 81 for the throttle, R127 Futaba RX. I used a AA size battery pack, but it was high capacity.. weighs the same as the oem pack, but you get 1650 mAh of capacity!! It's the new Hydri-Max battery... Servo City has 'em.

bugsiegel

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just got off the phone with and ordered the menace ribs and subribs and engine mount and one or two other peices they made for Paul. less than 12.00 plus a few bucks for shipping.
I have extra boom here because I scratched the one I have now.
There are alot of events coming up this summer so I want to make sure i'm not out because of a crashed plane. Maybe I'll see how light I can get this one. i'm at 3lb 10oz now. what about you guys.
I'd love to get it to less than 3 1/2 lbs. I have to look at the radio gear for this one and use pull pull on the rudder also.

GW-inactive

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nice menace bugsiegel.

Paul,bugs,others: Where have you all found the CG to be the best. The plans show a wide range for the CG. Is it not that critical as long as its in the range?
Mine is looking to come out on the rearward range of the CG, and that has me concerned. Maybe 1/2" forward of the forward servo mount cross-member.
Is this going to be in the pucker zone of the CG Range?

This is with the batter pack forward of the spar, so i don't have alot more to work with, except a heavier engine than the LA 40 which i am installing. I know most don't like that engine, but i have been very happy with mine in my 3.3 lb WaspPlus with 30% Heli fuel which i run on everything else as well.

Looking for your thoughts on this !!

Later
GW

bugsiegel

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I found my first on to be tail heavy even with the battery in the leading edge of the wing, so I had to open the covering and move some servos around.
the second one I just installed 4 of the 5 servos forward one rail. this let me move the battery around to dial it in.
I see other people have been able to pull a good CG with the servos mounted as per plans. I have to check to tell you exactlly where my mark is.

m.gramling

My Feedback: (8)

I dropped my menace off at my friends house yesturday. He should have it completely build by sometime next week. He said it shouldn't take that long to build it.

I plane on using Transparent Monocote, Standard Radio Gear, 600MH Batt, OS 32Sx.

PaulSwany

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Bugs - I just weighted mine... 3 lbs 5 oz.!! I have standard radio gear and a AA size battery pack.. Its 1650 mAh because it NiMh... The throttle servo is a Hitec hs 81 micro mounted flush with the center rib. I used that Nelson's lite film... Great stuff.. I think I saved at least 4 oz with that stuff.

GW- I have mine balanced at the farthest back point on the acceptable cg range. I have the servo's, batter and rx mounted per the plans. Flys great!! pitch control is very stable. It doesn't seam to fly tail heavy at all.

GW-inactive

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Thanks Paul and bugsiegel.

Mine is going to hit right on the rearward CG. Just in front of the forward servo mount. I will go with that and see what happens.
Thunderstorms thru Sunday, so no hurry. Sure has been a blast to build. The wing is built tough. Those span-wise numerous spars with the carbon fiber makes a strong wing.
I am installing 605 bbs on elev and rudder. 425s on ailerons and throttle. 700 mah pack. SuperSlim receiver. Looking like a total weight of 3 lb 8 oz. Maybe 3lbs 9 oz when i get the control horns and pull pull finished. This is with the LA40, i may go with a TT Pro 36 which Paul has recommended.
I did get an email from justengines today, and they say they can have me a n ASP 36 in 5 days. Have not had an ASP in awhile, but the ones i have had in the past sure were powerful.

ill post some pics on progress at lunch today.
Sure has been a fun project.

Anyone thinking of building one of these, but hesitant about building skills required, Don't sweat it. Piece of Cake.

LAter
GW

Dave McDonald

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Hey Paul, GW3D, and Bugs,
Where have you been buying your carbon fiber for the spar reinforcement on planes such as the Menace?

After seeing more and more photos of the Menace, I think I'm going to have to build one of these!

Thanks!

m.gramling

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On my kit I just bought from mark, he said to leave the carbon off of the main spar. I don't know what the older kits have, but I just abought this one about a month ago, it has a main spar of 1/4" balsa. w/ no carbon on the main spar.

airjeffro

m.gramling

Does your kit have shear webs? I've had three of the menace kits and they all had carbon fiber on the spar, but no shear webs. They also had 1/4 square balsa spars.

With the violent maneuvers that the menace is capable of doing, I can't imagine that the spar would be strong enough without carbon fiber or shear webs.

GW-inactive

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i got mine from lonestar balsa
.007x2x48 around $7 if think it was. also got the 505 tube from them.

gw

PaulSwany

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I used .007 uni-directional carbon fiber from Loan Star Balsa. You can order it in 2" x 48" pieces... many other sizes.... I used the CF on the spars and the trailing edge... I really liked the strength and rigidity it offered and used the same technique on the .25 size taco I am building.

No shear webs on this think... doesn't need 'em.

m.gramling

My Feedback: (8)

No it doesn't have shear webs. Mark sent me a sheet that says "you don't have to use carbon on the main spar anymore". He states it is structurely sound without it. He also states "new designed plans coming soon, no other changes or necessary".
I don't know if he has changed the wing design or not. The plans shows no carbon on the main spar, but it does have it on the trailing edge over the top of the trailing edge sheeting.

I decided to clip my ailreons tips.

Do you think w/o the carbon on the main spar this is going to be a problem. If so let me know, so I can call my friend who is building it to make the change.

m.gramling

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Also, the wing ribs I got in the kit have no lightening holes. I ususally cut lightening wholes in the ribs. Will this be OK on the menace as well.

PaulSwany

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If the kit has the carbon... I'd use it... otherwise it'll probably be okay without it.... weight gain is insignificant.

PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

I'd stay away from lightening the ribs on the menace... It's only got 4 3x32 ribs and 2 3/16 ribs... that's not alot of ribs... Leave 'em as is and you'll still come out to 3 1/2 lbs!!

bugsiegel

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I agree with Paul about the lightning holes on the ribs. not enough wood to make a real difference.
But I would put the carbon on the ribs. Not sure why mark isn't kitting with the CF any more, but with the CF you have a real strong wing. not only in the air but also on rough landings.
I wouldn't build this wing with out CF.
on my next one I will also use CF on the subspars from the outside edge to the first subrib. The subspars seem to break on me all the time. I'm a little rough on the plane and I fly off of black top.

PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

I think mark is trying to get away from the CF for ease of building and I think he just plain ran out of CF and can't find a good supplier anymore

airjeffro

I got my last menace 2 yrs ago, If the designer says don't use the carbon then who am I to say. Maybe we were over doing the strength. I know that when my first menace finally got too worn out, I stressed the spars to the breaking point by putting my knee on the middle of the wing and pulling on the tips, those spars are shockingly strong.