robson63pilot

Well Reaction bought with a view to rest in a quiet and slow flying,I will not beat speed records.To this end, I have other models
Is the "heart" of my model :

bobparks2

My Feedback: (1)

That is a newer Wren than I have in mine. I have a kit built Wren 54 Mk 3, about 14.5 lbs thrust.

Bob

robson63pilot

This is exactly Wren 54 Mk3

bobparks2

My Feedback: (1)

Ok. You have a newer front housing/FOD screen than I do, so it looks just like the newer Wren 75 or 100.

I have a 2004 manual start version that I made from one of their kits. (a really good way to get past the "gee, I wonder whats inside this engine?" problem!!).

I just tried one of the ceramic 6v glow plugs, and its an amazing improvement in my engine. (since its manual start, I have to provide external glow power, so no problem with giving it 6V). It was always a bit fussy getting it to ignite before, but now its INSTANT.

Bob

gio

My Feedback: (26)

Hanapi goes again,Reaction 54 in action.

http://youtu.be/IqmmpXY16Fs

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

great landing!

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

Bruce,
This one was for you. Notice the wind turbines were moving today. It was blowing between 8-10 knots. I did a nice and slow landing and then did a downwind wind take off . No flaps just ran the turbine up and let her lift at the beginning of the run way.
Just to show what this Bird will do.
I am having lots of fun with it and now have around 8 flights on it in two days.
I have a gut feeling that I will always have one in my garage.
Regards,
JR
Thanks to Gio for filming with his GoPro..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqmmp...ature=youtu.be

robson63pilot

I started adding nose weight and found it took 600g (21oz) to get balance at front of the suggested range...

What have you guys experienced?

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

I have two A123 batteries for the RX and one small 2 cell Lipo for the smoke pump all the way in the very front.
I did however have to add just a very small weight up front.

rcguy!

My Feedback: (69)

I added 17oz.

Dave Rigotti

DrYankum

My Feedback: (11)

Is a K-80 too much for the Reaction 54? I've seen it in a PST Reaction Arf, buts thats a bigger and heavier airframe

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

Nope, that is what I'm using..
It is awesome...go for it..
I ate away a little of the fish tail to move the KingTec-8 forward just about an inch.
Go for it..rerally you will love the performance.

JustFlyIt

A possible problem before I am ready to launch.

I have about everything done and was checking over my setup. Found that because of my Prolink setup my nose sits 3/4 inch lower that what the plans show that it should. My Prolink mains were longer than I thought and I didn't compensate with the wing mounts.

So, how big an issue is this. Some of the guys here think that I could have some major rotation problems on taking off.

Sure would appreciate your opinions on this.

Thanks
Don S.

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

well, you will be have the wings at negative incidence.
Your elevator will have to lift the noose untill you get to the normal position.
What might happen is that you will need a little more elevator to lift off but once you get past that point you will have to decrease elevator so as not to go into a vertical climb.
I think if you keep this in mind you should be ok..
Anyway you can lengthen the noose wheel strut?

flyinfool1

My Feedback: (2)

Or go to smaller wheels on the mains and a bigger nose wheel.

Possibly softer springs on the mains so that they sit lower. Stiffer spring on nose to keep it up.

Shim the nose gear mounting to lower the nose gear.

Possibly a combination of all of the above.

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

excellent advise!

racer8297

My Feedback: (13)

JustFlyIt,

I had the Prolinks on my R54. Mains and nose. The airplane sat nose low. It was not much of a problem except that it tended to "pop" off the runway a little so you need to be ready to get off the elevator when it does. It was not a heart attack by any means. As I got more flights in and the springs on the mains softened up a bit, making it even less of an issue.

Good luck!
Jim

JustFlyIt

Hmmm....I think that I want to avoid the negative incidence and the required compensation on takeoff.

Probably going to start with shimming the nose gear. I also have a little room for shortening the main struts. Those two things together I may be able to elimate 1/2 inch of the problem.

Thanks for the feedback. I am really ready to be done working on it so that I can get to the maiden flight.

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

You will love it,,
I have the KingTec K-80 on it and do downwind take offs without flaps...one amazing bird.
I forgot to mention in 8-10 knots of wind...

JustFlyIt

Jim, Thanks for the info...it is reassuring.

Hanapi, I have been watching your videos...really makes me want to get mine going. You do like those slow landings don't you?

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

JustFlyit,
Those landings are pretty normal now.
I also fly profiles and am in the habbit to slow everything down to a helicopter like landing.
I did one with the Reaction but don't dare do it a second time...
Literally stopped it within 15 feet.
One thing that is for sure, it is a very , very "well behaved" plane.......fly high and try to stall it...you will be amazed how nicely it reacts.
Just go and get yours in the air...

bobparks2

My Feedback: (1)

Unless you are flying from grass, dont worry about the short nose gear strut. Once you have it trimmed, it should just rotate on its own and lift off. It will take a bit more runway length than with the longer nose gear, but thats normally not an issue for an R54.

The other thing is use a bit of flap (20 deg) for takeoff.

The advantage of the short nose gear is that you are less likely to hit nose gear first on landing, and hitting nose first can cause some bad bounces.

It can be an issue with short nose gear if the main gear is too far aft of the CG, but the stock R54 has the gear in the right spot. (If you have trailing links on the main gear and did not adjust the gear mounts to put the gear back where it should be, then the more aft main wheel location means more elevator to get it to rotate)

For planes where the main gear is too far aft, the way to get a clean rotation is to hold some up elevator from the beginning of the takeoff run. That way, as the plane accelerates, it will gradually rotate, and then you can start backing off on the elevator. MUCH smoother than pulling elevator once its at speed.

The old BVM glow ducted fan F-16 had the gear way aft of the CG. It was the scale gear location, but, since full size F-16's are unstable, to make the model work, the CG had to go way forward. So, to get it off the ground, the suggested method was 1) have a high rate elevator for takeoff that was DOUBLE normal throw needed in flight, and 2) hold FULL up from the start of the takeoff run and 3) shift to low rate as soon as you got back close to neutral elevator once it was in the air. Sounds scary, but, in practice, it worked just fine!

Bob

robson63pilot

Reaction 54 first flight
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsxtvFheAa0[/youtube]

BruceTharpe

My Feedback: (1)

Wow, that was a first flight? Excellent pilot! Looked like you were comfortable right away with flying around fairly low. Congrats my friend, and welcome to the R54 family. I like the simple color scheme. Planning to add any trim or graphics?

robson63pilot

Hi Bruce
Thank you for your kind words. Yes is the first flight ,model is very easy to fly ( fly jet models in 12 years) Reaction this fun fly jet, flying no stress Soon I will add graphics to model.