RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Got six more flights in on Sunday. Full throttle low passes appear to be about 165 mph. Had a flame out and discovered this plane dead sticks pretty good. Hope to get a video next weekend. Don't let me down Glenn!

Weighed the plane tonight with and without fuel:
10.6 lbs dry
12.4 lbs fueled (34 oz)

Getting 6 minute flight times with about 10 oz of fuel remaining.

Terry

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Terry, nice job on this! I had many deadsticks with my glow powered version and was amazed how well it glides.
Your weights look great. At those speeds I bet it turns into a 'dot' pretty quickly.
Jim

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Here is the video link:

http://youtu.be/vT9A_m09oWM

Shot this video with my Phone. It should be live shortly

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Well done, I wish I had your eye sight and your flying field, I do have a Thorpe F20 kit though! Ron.

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Thanks Bob for taking and posting the video. Glenn had his radar gun and said that the plane at full power flyby was doing 151 mph. It looks quicker but I think it is because the plane is not very big. It does get small quick! In case anyone is interested, I had about 12-15 ounces of fuel left in the tanks after the filmed flight.

Terry

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFZwfCYOx6s

Another video of the Thorpe F-20 in action.

Terry

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Nice video!

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Great video and nice flying. I had no idea this plane could fly that well.
Jim

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Xairflyer- I saw your post about starter adjustment needed. I have tried twice to adjust it without success. How do you adjust it so it runs smoothly?

Terry

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

It can be a few things, it sounds too far away, try moving it closer a little at a time.
It Could also be out of line, (can happen when lifting the turbine by the starter) Armature in motor just has to much play on backplate (especially if a nylon backplate) or O ring needs replacing.

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

I have now modified the Thorpe F-20 to have a servo close to the rudder and each aileron. The steel cables have been removed with the exception of the elevator which did not seem to be causing any problems anyway. Hopefully this will remove the Dutch Roll tendency I was having with the airplane. We have snow here currently so it might be a while before I can fly it and see how it does. If anyone is interested in how I did the mod, I took lots of pictures. Just ask.

While I had it apart I adjusted the starter motor so that it was very close to the shaft. It now sounds much better when it spools up. I think I had it adjusted too far away from the shaft. I had it set about 1 mm away. Now it is about half that or less.

Terry

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Terry

Great mods! We were going to do the same to my friends F 20 but after flying it a couple of times he was no longer able to fly it ...RIP..(not the plane!)

Peter has sold on his kits to Russ Delaney in the UK who is currently re-doing the Hawk and F20 but in epoxy FG so the weights will come down especially the Hawk! My Hawk has a 44 Gold and dry weight is 16.5lbs but flies great but is a bit** to land as it is VERY easy to get hopping like a rabbit! Wheels are very close to the CofG! So landing requires you to touch down right on stall but also due to the weight I will not fly it unless there is some wind to land into!

Link to Russ's post: http://www.rcmf.co.uk/4um/index.php/topic,94424.0.html

Alan

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Alan,

Thank you for the info. I went to the post and registered. I'd like to follow along. I can't imagine the F-20 getting that much lighter with a fiberglass fuse. I would expect it to weigh about the same. The biggest hurdle I see with a kit will be the price point and how much building is involved. Most don't build anymore as there are plenty of ARFs to choose from.

Do you have any videos of the Hawk?

Terry

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Terry

Here are two movies of the Hawk..

Ali kindly flew flight #1 and #2

Complete with bunny hop at the end on one of my flights, when I fly the Hawk I will only fly if I have a 10-15mph wind that I can land into due to the weight. This landing was done in zero wind!

Hawk was finished with 2k paint.

Check out low pass on second vid @3.30min

If you do a search on youtube: 'alangcooke' you can view my other movies including a flight in a Royal Navy Lynx Heli...

Alan

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYUp8rAGlzI[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vKemh0RKwc[/youtube]

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Great videos! Very good looking airplane. Looks like it flys on rails with plenty of authority. Wicked bounce on that first landing.

Terry

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

2nd flight of my AMD hawk done the same thing, touch down was perfect but it got airborne again due to the speed and made about three hops and crunched the nose! wouldnt have happened on grass, tarmac is tricky for hawks if landed too fast.

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Yep they sure do but my CARF Hawk lands fine! Ok my first CARF landing bounced but that WAS my fault just didn't flair enough but all landings since have been greasers!

Also with the small Hawk I had scale single sided arms on the rear wheels which put the wheels even more far back than Peter had on the original so with the original set up the balance point (wheels) must be even more critical....also must remember once all 3 wheels are down immediately put some down elevator in!!!

Alan

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Nice mod work terry. i thought you were using 378's though

RE: Thorpe F-20 build
 

Thanks Bob. Hal gave me a good deal on four of the Hitech wing servos. I was going to add flaps but decided to work on the Starfire instead.

Terry