ChuckW

I picked up this airplane today: http://www.twinsky.com/powerlinehobb...put.php?id=318

It's a pretty impressive setup but the instruction video that is included doesn't make the initial CG very clear. Has anyone had experience with this plane? Where was the CG for your first flight?

ChuckW

Well, with a 1250mAh lipo in the battery compartment, it balances right on the main spar of the top wing, roughly 1/3 of the chord. this should be a decent starting place I think.

KitBuilder

I just received a Proctor VK kit of the Nieuport17 and I can check the plans on that if you like though not sure it would be apples to apples. No written instructions for CG placement?

ChuckW

Nope, no written instructions, just a video of the assembly on CD with no sound. The video was actually kind of cool but it's still nice to have written documentation.

I took it out this morning and flew it with the CG on the top wing, main spar. It may be slightly tail heavy but not much. There's a storm headed this way and the wind really kicked up right after I took off though so it's hard to tell. This little thing is so light that it was getting knocked around pretty good. I managed to get it on the ground safely at about 1/3 throttle. Next weekend is supposed to be clear and dry so I'll try it again.

For the money (I paid $179), this is a neat little biplane. It's not super scale but it's still convincing in the air. The motor, ESC, servos, rigging wires, etc. were all pre-installed. It took very little assembly.

windsurfer

My Feedback: (37)

I intend to buy the same airplane. Did you find the correct CG location? How does it fly? I did not see ailerons on the plane. Are there any? Many thanks.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Chuck, try from the front of the leading edge, 25% of the MAC. This is the start point on any constant cord bipes like yours, cute little plane too. I have the plans for one that I have never built. I got into a Fokker D-VII thing so I got a bit side tracked.

ChuckW

I left the CG right where I had it on the test flight which is roughly what Graybeard described.

It does have ailerons on the top wing. The airplane flys as good as you'd expect for a WW-1 era bipe.

I ended up selling the plane at a club swap meet to raise funds for another project though.

SnSHampton

My Feedback: (1)

Hey chuck,could you post a picture of your nieuport looking from the tail forward looking down.i was thinking about getting one but i wanted to make sure the wings were scale like the real nieuport 17.

windsurfer

My Feedback: (37)

Well, I went ahead and bought the plane. The ad for this plane said ws=37" and length=53"; it looked fishy, and I called to indicate their type. The lady answering the phone didn't know so she went to ask the guy inside. She came back and said the ws and length figures were transposed; ws was 53" and length was 37". I thought $120 was a good deal for a reatively large ww1 aircraft, so I bought it.
What came out of the box was a 37" ws toy aircraft that Tower sells under the name Electrify (like Fokker d7 or Camel) for $89. So, I called them. Instead of admitting their guilt, they said I had to pay shipping charges both ways and 15% restocking fee (the fee was dropped later on when they realized their mistake; I still had to pay shipping charges). Unbelievelable!!!! If the same happens with Tower or Horizon, they send you a shipping label and take care of you with a sincere apology. Not these people! They are a small operation and a third party for Chinese imports. If you have any trouble with the aircraft, good luck! Because the chances are that you are not going to get anywhere with them once the box is shipped out. I would not recommend them! The kit is something middle of the road: neither good nor bad. As you know from CMP, you take your chances once the maiden flight takes place. Here though, you take your chances with the aircraft as well as the people selling it.