finally flew a Roo! :)
05-07-2010, 11:01 AM
#1
finally flew a Roo! :)
I know I am not really a regular here, but I thought I would share my latest success story in the world of jets.
I have been at this, since 2002 starting with the original Wren MW54 kit engine and Super Reaper in my avatar. Since then I have had a few AV8R's, a few of my own design home built jets, and I currently am flying a REaction R54, an AV8R, an AD Phoenix and now an original kit built Kangaroo.
My friend and only other fellow jet flyer in our MAAC zone (Northern Ontario, Canada) Gaston Boissoneault, started flying turbine jets in the 90's with this model. I think orignally with a JPX, and then later with a RAM 750 air start (one of the first ones).
He gave me the bare airframe two seasons ago - and I had intentions of getting it flying, but hadnt the time until this past late winter/spring. I ended up buying the same Ram 750 from Gaston, and converting it to autostart with a GB Hobbies ECU, hall effect speed sensor (with a new spinner nut I made up) and also a starter I made from a speed 480 and Wren bendix clutch. The starter works very well, and its powerful.
I installed MAP (Canadian made) retracts, Behotec wheels, brakes and struts, and a 2 litre Canada Dry gingerale fuel tank
Intairco air trap, and the usual other stuff. Hitec digital servos throughout, and a Century gyro for steering. I am still flying on 72 mHz with my 12X transmitter.
The maiden flight was just a few days ago. I am happy to say it went very well, and I was a little worried about getting it down on our relatively small field. But the large airbrake I installed helped a lot.
I have to thank a lot of "old Canadian Roo flyers" for their knowledge in setting this up and making my maiden very easy - guys I know from RC Canada. I looked up a lot of info here as well, thanks RCU!
This by the way is one of the first Composite ARF Kangaroos - with the sheeted foam wings, tip tanks and very sturdy FG fuselages. I wonder how many more years it will keep flying now?
AJC
I have been at this, since 2002 starting with the original Wren MW54 kit engine and Super Reaper in my avatar. Since then I have had a few AV8R's, a few of my own design home built jets, and I currently am flying a REaction R54, an AV8R, an AD Phoenix and now an original kit built Kangaroo.
My friend and only other fellow jet flyer in our MAAC zone (Northern Ontario, Canada) Gaston Boissoneault, started flying turbine jets in the 90's with this model. I think orignally with a JPX, and then later with a RAM 750 air start (one of the first ones).
He gave me the bare airframe two seasons ago - and I had intentions of getting it flying, but hadnt the time until this past late winter/spring. I ended up buying the same Ram 750 from Gaston, and converting it to autostart with a GB Hobbies ECU, hall effect speed sensor (with a new spinner nut I made up) and also a starter I made from a speed 480 and Wren bendix clutch. The starter works very well, and its powerful.
I installed MAP (Canadian made) retracts, Behotec wheels, brakes and struts, and a 2 litre Canada Dry gingerale fuel tank
Intairco air trap, and the usual other stuff. Hitec digital servos throughout, and a Century gyro for steering. I am still flying on 72 mHz with my 12X transmitter.The maiden flight was just a few days ago. I am happy to say it went very well, and I was a little worried about getting it down on our relatively small field. But the large airbrake I installed helped a lot.
I have to thank a lot of "old Canadian Roo flyers" for their knowledge in setting this up and making my maiden very easy - guys I know from RC Canada. I looked up a lot of info here as well, thanks RCU!
This by the way is one of the first Composite ARF Kangaroos - with the sheeted foam wings, tip tanks and very sturdy FG fuselages. I wonder how many more years it will keep flying now?
AJC
05-07-2010, 11:59 AM
#6
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RE: finally flew a Roo! :)
Good for you...I have over 300 flights on my Roo....Loving everyone of them......Horizon to horizon knife edges are fantastic. Kangaroo flips are fun and it rolls faster than you can count them......but as stated before remember power down to recover........right now my Roo is undergoing rehab and a fresh coat of paint. Enjoy her she is a great Jet
best
Brian
best
Brian
05-07-2010, 01:55 PM
#7
RE: finally flew a Roo! :)
ORIGINAL: G4guy
Got to love the ROO!
Got to love the ROO!
Hey Ron, it looks like you have another Roo Buddy
Andrew...man you are waaayyyyy up North....A straight line from me
keep up the good work!
If you ever go south of Lake Erie you'll have to come fly with Ron and I at the Titusville PA Airport.
05-07-2010, 02:16 PM
#8
RE: finally flew a Roo! :)
Thanks for the invite... never been flying models in the USA yet, but would like to hit some events in the future. Its just SO far to travel, even the model jet rallies in Southern Onatrio are an 8 to 10 hour drive from me - I actually live in Timmins now which is an additional 100 miles / 1.5 hour drive North West of Kirkland Lake where I was living.
I dont plan to "flip" or "flop" my Roo... just fly it around and do basic aerobatics I like the Reaction 54 for more low and close in stuff... its a little more maneuverable IMO. The Roo does roll quick - and its fast, and no lack of power with the 750. But I have heard so many "stories" over the past 10 years about it I will just take it easy for the first number of fights anyway
Thanks for the comments guys, its fun to resurrect an older model!
AJC
I dont plan to "flip" or "flop" my Roo... just fly it around and do basic aerobatics
I like the Reaction 54 for more low and close in stuff... its a little more maneuverable IMO. The Roo does roll quick - and its fast, and no lack of power with the 750. But I have heard so many "stories" over the past 10 years about it I will just take it easy for the first number of fights anyway Thanks for the comments guys, its fun to resurrect an older model!
AJC
ORIGINAL: RCISFUN
Hey Ron, it looks like you have another Roo Buddy
Andrew...man you are waaayyyyy up North....A straight line from me
keep up the good work!
If you ever go south of Lake Erie you'll have to come fly with Ron and I at the Titusville PA Airport.
ORIGINAL: G4guy
Got to love the ROO!
Got to love the ROO!
Hey Ron, it looks like you have another Roo Buddy
Andrew...man you are waaayyyyy up North....A straight line from me
keep up the good work!
If you ever go south of Lake Erie you'll have to come fly with Ron and I at the Titusville PA Airport.
05-08-2010, 06:31 AM
#11
RE: finally flew a Roo! :)
He has told me many stories about going to jet events in the USA... he is doing well. Gaston is very active in the hobby - owns one of the best flying sites in the Northern Ontario zone and is the pres of the club. He is a great leader member in the hobby and gets a lot of people interested.
We are heading down (for the 2nd year) to the WIngham Jets event next month. I have a 4 hour drive from Timmins to Hanmer (Sudbury) and pick him up - then about a 6 hour drive to Wingham which is a few hours north west of Toronto.
It is the event replacing the now defunct Belleville jet rally. We have gone together there as well. I will tell him you said hi!
AJC
We are heading down (for the 2nd year) to the WIngham Jets event next month. I have a 4 hour drive from Timmins to Hanmer (Sudbury) and pick him up - then about a 6 hour drive to Wingham which is a few hours north west of Toronto.
It is the event replacing the now defunct Belleville jet rally. We have gone together there as well. I will tell him you said hi!
AJC
05-08-2010, 09:26 AM
#12
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RE: finally flew a Roo! :)
Seeing that Roo again brings back memories for me. Gaston was at one of the first Michigan Jets with it and he did such a beautiful job with the interior layout that I took some pictures and use that as a model for my Roo.
I also remember at Superman one year seeing that Roo scrape down the runway inverted and upside down on the verticals after a rather nasty Kangaroo hop on landing. I only seen it out of the corner of my eye since i was flying at the time but it was a very unusual yet typical landing roll out for a Roo
Nice to see it in the air again, makes me want to give away my roo carcass in the hopes that someone would be willing to put all the work into it to get it airworthy again.
-Randy
I also remember at Superman one year seeing that Roo scrape down the runway inverted and upside down on the verticals after a rather nasty Kangaroo hop on landing. I only seen it out of the corner of my eye since i was flying at the time but it was a very unusual yet typical landing roll out for a Roo
Nice to see it in the air again, makes me want to give away my roo carcass in the hopes that someone would be willing to put all the work into it to get it airworthy again.
-Randy
05-08-2010, 09:31 AM
#14
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RE: finally flew a Roo! :)
I remember that inverted Roo-slide of Gaston's!!! But Randy, I clearly remember that it was on take off, not landing. I remember cause Gaston was not concentrating properly on keeping the Roo straight for the take off run and he jammed the power on too fast. It got squirrly (as Roos sometimes did) on the take off roll and ended up flippng over. No significant damage was done (only scraped up the tops of the verticals and the canopy) and he was soon flying it again.
05-08-2010, 09:51 AM
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RE: finally flew a Roo! :)
haha, you are probably right Mark. I was in the air with my Butch special (anyone remember that guy from MI?) BVM viper at the time and my hatch blow off just as Gaston's Roo slid by me. I almost crashed watching him and trying to figure out what Gaston could have done to get himself into that predicament....
Good times
Good times
05-08-2010, 01:13 PM
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RE: finally flew a Roo! :)
Hey Ron, we are some guys flying jets around Montreal (QC), it's a way nearest then RCIsFun... lol...
But congrats for the fly and the plane !
But congrats for the fly and the plane !
05-10-2010, 07:35 PM
#18
RE: finally flew a Roo! :)
ORIGINAL: AFTERBURNER1
Get the speed brake to come down all the way. It will slow down even more.
Get the speed brake to come down all the way. It will slow down even more.
Its down about 75 degrees. Should I really bring it down to a full 90 degrees? I do have it coming down slowly, taking 2 1/2 seconds to deploy, and there was no trim change. I was told if it comes down too fast it will make the plane zoom up.
AJC
05-10-2010, 08:50 PM
#20
My Feedback: (13)
RE: finally flew a Roo! :)
ORIGINAL: ajcoholic
Its down about 75 degrees. Should I really bring it down to a full 90 degrees? I do have it coming down slowly, taking 2 1/2 seconds to deploy, and there was no trim change. I was told if it comes down too fast it will make the plane zoom up.
AJC
ORIGINAL: AFTERBURNER1
Get the speed brake to come down all the way. It will slow down even more.
Get the speed brake to come down all the way. It will slow down even more.
Its down about 75 degrees. Should I really bring it down to a full 90 degrees? I do have it coming down slowly, taking 2 1/2 seconds to deploy, and there was no trim change. I was told if it comes down too fast it will make the plane zoom up.
AJC
Ron
