joeflyer

My Feedback: (48)

Erazz,

If you search back in this thread you'll find several canopy attachment methods. The way I did it works well and is shown on page 26, post #644. Also 4 or 5 pages earlier is shown another similar set-up.

Some have used screws or bolts, but it's worth the extra effort while building to have the convenience of a hatch latch.

Joe

patzane

can't efford the turbine I have to go with the pusher.

Kevin Greene

My Feedback: (85)

Well---I got home to install the nose retract unit and in the stock position the retract unit has to be mounted where a good portion of it sticks out of the plane...[:@]...I could have modified the formers earlier to fully enclose the retract unit when I had them all out but I have permanently epoxied all of the nose gear formers in place...I could have installed the nose retract with the entire unit hidden if I had waited to re-install the nose gear formers---Live and learn....

Kevin

erazz

Thanks Joe!
That's exactly what I needed. Much simpler than hinging.

Do the plywood rails go into slots or do they just rest on the fiberglass?

joeflyer

My Feedback: (48)

Erazz,

The plywood rails just rest on the fiberglass. I stuck some carbon paper in there so that it would mark the rails where it was touching (a trick I learned from my dentist when he was adjusting my bite). I then sanded the rails a little at a time where it was touching. It took a number of iterations before it fit right.

Joe

meps

My Feedback: (10)

I thought the rule read that the model must be able to come to a controlled stop. A cheap brake to use in my opinion would be one of the dubro nose wheel brakes.
Steve

TURBINATOR

Has anyone made a fiberglass canopy? Mine is cracked and it appears that it wouldn't last very long anyway due to the thinness of the material. I checked Nitro models website and they don't have replacements yet for it. Any tips would be appreciated.

Jeff

Jetpilot24

My Feedback: (21)

Nitro does have repacement canopys. I justed ordered 2 from thier Web site.
Here is the link.


http://yhst-17210252890263.ecommerce...=Falcon+Canopy

This will take you right to the parts page for the canopy. It takes about a week depending on where you are to get it in.

When you get a new one, Build a solid frame formed to the top of the fuse. used 1/64th inch play top and bottom and sandwiched 1/8th inch balsa between it. Make a paper template first. Its a little tricky but it will make the canopy alot more ridgid.

Gary Szetlak

My Feedback: (13)

Has anyone matched up the orange covering on the Orange and White with blue trim version of the Falcon 120? I bought some Orange Ultracote at the LHS which doesn't match either my black and orange version or my white and orange version. Thanks in advance!

Gary Szetlak

Jetpilot24

My Feedback: (21)

Gary
WHat did you do?
why do you NEED covering
Joe L.

Gary Szetlak

My Feedback: (13)

I need some for the retract area. I have moved the mains inboard and want to match the covering on the bottom of the wing. I also installed the elevator servos in the horizontal stab and would like to recover there as well.
You guys are having too much fun at Nighthawks field, I've got to get out there again soon. This past Saturday would have been perfect, however I have to plan that trip in advance so I went to my local field and just flew foamies instead. It was just good to get out and push the sticks around!
Gary

TURBINATOR

Thanks for the link to the canopy. I must have missed it somehow. Also good idea to beef up the canopy with lite ply.

Jetpilot24

My Feedback: (21)

Gary
Got 5 flights on mine. I did have to replace the first canopy. Air got under the front lip and tore it off. Got a new one and did some mods to it. I also plane on putting a piece of tape over the front seam to stop the air from getting under it.

joeflyer

My Feedback: (48)

Which canopy did you order? The Falcon 120 comes in two color schemes White/Orange and Black/Orange, and both use the same orange canopy. On their parts page they show two canopies for the Falcon 120; Blue/White and Red/Black. Typical Chinese ARF confusion.

Joe

patzane

Are the servos in the falcon standard size or mini. I have the bobct and it use mini for the elev and rudder.

joeflyer

My Feedback: (48)

The servo pockets in the wings for ailerons and flaps are sized for standard servos. The servo pockets in the booms for rudders and elevator are sized for mini-servos. However, on mine I enlarged the openings in the booms and installed standard size servos.

Joe

Jetpilot24

My Feedback: (21)

I ordered the Black and red. I have the orange and black Falcon. The canopies that I recieved were Orange with a smoke tint to them. It looks fine as far as I am concerned.

My original canopy was orange with a red tint to it. Blah, kinda glad it flew off

Joe L>

Kevin Greene

My Feedback: (85)

Update---I was able to saw away the two vertical pieces between the two forward nose gear formers to allow the nose gear retract to fit up inside of the fuselage---I'm now a happy camper as the way it was before I would have had to settle for the nose retract sticking out from the bottom of the fuselage...UGLY!!!

About the incidence....How much positive incidence are you guys using??? I got out my Robart incidence meter and as of now have about two degrees of positive incidence. Even with the two degrees of positive AOA incidence the models wings appear to be level...On this plane with its flat bottom airfoil the trailing edge of the wing will be lower than the center of the leading edge as the leading edge center is higher...Although the incidence meter states that I have two degrees of positive AOA the wing is actually pretty level with my table...How much positive AOA should I use with this flat bottom airfoil??? As I have it now, using the bottom of the fuselage as a guide/reference, I have about 3/16th's of an inch rise as measured from the back of the wing to the front of the wing...The last thing that I want is the plane leaping from the ground on takeoff due to not enough positive incidence..

Kevin

Graeme Marion

Solar Trim (made by the manufacturers of Solar Film) is a close match for the orange (if you stand well back).
Don't ask me how I know.

3DnSD

My Feedback: (1)

Well I should have some engine mounts in hand this coming Monday Jan 23, 08. They will be similar to Joeflyers and will be for the 12-14 lb rangne engines. Small or larger ones can be made. All Mounts will be made to order. If you would like one send me a PM, call or email. Cost $45.00 shipped. I will have some picture up on here shortly. Thanks.

Post edited to remove phone # and e-mail address per user request ……..ghost rider……

NightSwan

Hi Kevin,

incidence is defined as the angle between the centerline of the fuse (or any other null-reference) and the line between the leading edge and trailing edge. So your incidence meter is 'telling the truth'

Though, with the bobcat design I'd not worry too much about the incidence. The most important angle is the angle between the wing and horizontal stab, as that's fixed by design that will be set correctly (or not, depends on the design ofcourse)

The thrustline of the engine will make the plane nose up or down when applying throttle, and if set incorrectly will make the plane need trim changes with different throttle/speed settings.

I wouldn't worry too much about it leaping off the ground, as the relation between wings and stab will be fine.

On mine, I made the wings follow the contours of the fuse, and set the engine almost level with the mounts (little downthrust)

I think I'll fly mine monday, if it balloons and crashes I'll let you know

Hans

BillS

I am finishing up a smaller version Bob CAT. A 1/64" shim at the front boom mount changes the stab incidence over 6 degrees. Very small manufacturing inaccuracies change the incidence large amounts.

The stock wheel location is 5 3/4" behind the CG which seems very wrong. It seems wrong headed for the ground incidence (wheel height) to control the speed of lift off.

On the first few flights I like to lift off late. When headed for the high grass I might want to lift off a bit early.

Bill

tim777jet

Hi bill, yes, i agree with you on the main gear position. They are a bit too far back. With half a tank of fuel try lifting the nose, pivoting the model on the mains. It is quite heavy. The poor old tailplane has to produce this force to rotate the model, now try with a full tank. Unfortunatly too much hastle to relocate the gear, after all the model was designed for a piston engine without the amount of fuel we carry. Last time i flew, the runway was water logged and the model could only just get off due to the extra drag. The model just could not accelerate any faster to allow the tail to produce enough force. On dry grass it is ok, i can get the speed required much easier. With the mains slightly further fwd, it would rotate a little easier, at a lower ground speed. Obviously if you have trailing link undercarriage, as i have, this will make things worse.
I have extended my nose leg another 6mm, that is as far as i can go, and get the nose wheel to retract in the bay, without any further mods, to offer the wing a slightly higher angle of attack to aid the take off, at hopefully slightly slower ground speed.
I think the CG of the model, as stated, is pretty much smack on, but obviously when we refuel, we are more nose heavy. I have had 4 flame outs in flight, each time the model glided beauifully and that was with 1/4 a tank of fuel used, half a tank and 3/4 used, so pretty forgiving on the CG, but i dont want to lighten the nose, in case i run dry of fuel and come on the nose light side.
Ref the tailplane angle, again, as mentioned on this thread, we seem to be flying with the elevator level with the top profile of the tailplane, not the bottom, this is slightly up.
To correct this, a small packer under the rear of the booms would help, but the plane flys well, so will leave alone at the moment.

Just on a seperate note, i made a light ply, tail mount to mount one of those Fly Cam One2, cameras, on top of the left fin. The view looks really great. Due to bad weather, i could not fly the model and am away from home for a few weeks, so will try then. In the mean time i fitted it t my Dragonus electric heli, and i have been amazed at how good the video is, brilliant piece of kit, and weighs aout the weight of a standard servo, has 50mins of recording capability with a 1 gig SD card in. Anyone else tried one of these Awsome cams.
Just for info, the version 2, has a swiveling lens(90 degrees), for easier mounting and apparently a better lens, this is the one i have. The two models are called Fly Cam One and Fly Cam One2.


Cheers Tim

i3dm

My Feedback: (51)

on the note of balooning up, my buddy has his falcon with a JJ1400 mounted at exactly 5 degrees down thrust, and the model climbs slightly on full throttle.
We fized it by mixing 3% down elevator to the top half of the throttle stick. its not a lot but it makes the plane fly straight as an arrow.

If i were to do it again i would use 6 degrees.

NightSwan

I've got a jj1400 on at as well.

Is that 5 (6) degrees relative to the wing, or relative to the flat end of the fuse?