BrianB

My Feedback: (2)

Anybody get a good CG measurment yet? Fishgod it sounds like you got instructions with yours, what do they say about CG? Mine seems very tail heavy when trying to balance it on the leading edge of tube?

fishgod

My Feedback: (13)

BrianB
Directions say that the CG is 1/2 to 3/4 behind the wing tube.

BrianB

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks Fishgod, have you flown yours at that CG yet? if so how did it feel. there was another post in this thread where someone said it was way tail heavy at this setting??

Rhilluk

Do they do a 3D version of this plane, can't see one on the site but the Rev pro came in that version?

fishgod

My Feedback: (13)

BrianB,
Nope I haven't flown mine yet. Still finishing it up. The reports that I have heard and looking at the plane when the engine/wing are at 0 degrees the tail is kind of sits squated a bit. I should have mine flying next week. Here are a couple more building notes I forgot to add.

The engine compartment:
The engine area is marked for suggested cut out. I cut the area out as marked and found that with my motor/mount combo the left side of the firewall came into the opening. I am running a Mintor 170 with a Hyde ARIAS mount. My suggestion is that you leave a bit more material in the left corner and trim it out after the firewall is glued in.

Header:
I also found that I need 60mm rise header for my Mintor 170. So keep that in mind when you are ordering your parts.

byoung466

My Feedback: (16)

Fish..so when you say the tail sits squatted with the incidence as described you mean in flight right?

fishgod

My Feedback: (13)

Yes. I should have a flight on mine next week, so I should be able to give you more info after the first flights.

rgreen24

My Feedback: (6)

I am thinking of using a MK bell-crank set up. Fishgod what do you think about this? And also would it be easy to move the ruuder pull-pull wires above the satb instead of below? Also would it be possible to use MK control horns or do you have to use some type of composite set up? Thanks in advance. ohh by the way since you are the Fishgod may'be this should be your tag line "Women love me fish fear me"

TorkRollN

My Feedback: (22)

Hey guys,

I am thinking of getting an Impact.
Will the Impact do good 3D ?
I am looking for a pattern plane with 3D surfaces.
Also, I want to use elctric power.

Barry Finck
Enola, PA

Adamg-RCU

Barry, I'll take this opportunity to point you towards http://www.nbengineering.net/
NBE has built both a 3D version of their Mantis F3A pattern plane, and an electric-powered Mantis that weighed in safely under 11lbs.

Adam Glatt
Team NBE
Member of Canada's 2005 F3A Team

hotrod34a

My Feedback: (36)

Michael,
Have you finished your Impact and flown it yet? If so, how did it fly and what did it turn out weighing? Did you use the suggested CG? I appreciate all of your hints on the building, I ran into the same exact things that you did. I finished mine late last night, all but painting the canopy, so I am going to try and put a test flight on it this afternoon weather permitting. I have it set up as called for on incidence and CG, will be interesting to see how it compares to how yours flew with your settings.

Larry....

fishgod

My Feedback: (13)

Hotrod34a,
Haven't finished mine yet. I'm getting close, seems like every time I go to work on it something comes up that is more important. As soon As I get it in the air I will post my results. I am going to try and get some pictures this week of my setup and post them

MikeEast

My Feedback: (3)

I fly with hotrod and I saw his plane maiden yesterday. A beautiful plane that flies as good as it looks.

I must say that you guys claiming under 10# with a YS 1.40 sport are full of it( tongue in cheek),,,, unless you are compromising minimum structural integrity.

His build is flawless and as light as I can imagine without compromising structual integrity and its not quite <10#. The area under the canopy is barren. Everything is either CF or Titanium and there is NOW WAY you could trim off 8-12 oz to get to 9.5# NO WAY!. You might could get rid of the wheel pants and fuel tubing that keeps the tank from rubbing on the super efficient tank mount he built, and go to Lipoly batteries but that is only 3-5 oz at the most. Where are you guys cutting the corners to get to 9.5#??

Mike

Corey Palmer

hey i was looking at jasons plane on the other forums and i saw that it looked like the servo covers were tape so what did yall do to get the servos in the elevater and how did you cover them and how did your kits come good or bad painted or not painted and how hard was it to build

thanks Corey

swlarcham

My Feedback: (1)

I was priveledged to get to see Todd Blose fly Larry Mercer's IMPACT!!!!! after the Nederland Contest was over.

How about doing the FAI routine and then a knife edge loop just for kicks.

The plane is just beautiful.

Eddie

Impact 2005

Just wondering what you guys think.

I am looking at a new pattern plane (ARTF) for next year. For once there are plenty of options on the Market. Here what I have narrowed it down to.


1. Focus Piedmont

2. Eclipse CaModels

3. Impact Composite ARTF



I would like to hear your comments, experiences of any of these models that you may of had. I would especially like to hear negative points of the models listed above.

Thanking you in advance for your help, I am going mad trying to decide what to do.

Also maybe you can suggest another ARTF thats not on my list.

Adamg-RCU

One of them hasn't won the US Nationals ;>

Neo02

Hi Impact,
not to pick on your post, but there is a thread open on what's the best ARF for F3A, you might want to post your message there.
As for you question, it very much depends on your personal preferences. But given your screen name here on RCU I'd go for the Impact - at least you won't have to change it!! Just joking, of course, but the Impact seems a very capable plane in the hands of capable pilots. Otherwise they're all about the same.

Regards,
-Fabrizio

EDIT: here's the thread I mentioned: [link=http://F3A Artf]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/f3a_artf/m_2109532/tm.htm[/link]. Enjoy!

patternboy

My Feedback: (-1)

How long did it take you guys to put this model together?

Any one got any more pictures of this model or even building pictures or building tips.

I would like to see a picture of this model next to a pl lasulite.

Cheers

byoung466

My Feedback: (16)

There is a link to a german site further up this thread that describes the build.

Also, you can see it at comp-arf.com

fishgod

My Feedback: (13)

Well, I am just a good weather day away from maiden flight of the impact. Looks like Friday is supposed to be good weather. If so I am taking it out after work.
As far as weight goes I weighed it this morning ready to fly minus wheel pants and its coming in at 9.70. I usually don't put wheel pants on because I am always flying on a grass field. So even with the wheel pants I would be sub 10. I could have easily reached 9.5 by going with a different mount. I am running the Hyde ARIAS mount that weighs about 6.5 oz. If I would have went with the AR mount and nose ring I could have lost about 2.5 oz plus the weight of the beefed up fire wall for the ARIAS. I could have also saved 2 oz by using JR 9411 in the wings and JR Mini digitals in the tail and a micro digital on the throttle. As I stated earlier in this thread, I am by no means an expert and this is only my third pattern plane, and first composite. The first 2 were bought from other flyers almost ready to fly. All in all it was a pretty easy build. I am glad that I had the expertise of a very kind and generous FAI flyer. He helped me set the wing and stab incidences and was there to answer all my stupid questions. Below is the equipment that I have used.

Composite-ARF Impact (Impact Paint Scheme)
Mintor 170 w/ 60 degree rise Header/ Mintor New Aluminum pipe
2@ DB Pipe mounts
Composite-ARF 3.5in Carbon Spinner w/ APC 17x13
Dubro 20 oz fuel tank
3@ Hitec 5975 HB Corless digital/Composite gears (Ailerons,Ruddder)
3@ Hitec 5245 Mini Digitals (Elevators, Throttle
2200 ma Li-ion battery with Jacco regulator/switch
JR Ball links w/ titanium pushrods on all control surfaces. (I made new control horns out of .074 Uni Carbon to handle the load of the ball links)
MK tail wheel assembly
DB Light wheels.

(I just put the plane on a different scale and came up at 9.8 lb)

patternboy

My Feedback: (-1)

Michael


What is the size of the impact in comparison to ur focus? Is it much bigger?. Can chance of taking a picture of the two of them besides each other.

thanx

fishgod

My Feedback: (13)

Patternboy,
It is much bigger. My friend has an outline drawing of a Smaragd and we layed the fuse against it and it is basically the same outline. I wll get some pics today and post them.

robhoneycutt

..So my white/red impact has been sitting here a month and no time to even get it out of the box.. anyone interested in it?

fishgod

My Feedback: (13)

Well, the Impact has been flown. I got about a dozen flights on it this weekend. All that can be said is wow. Dry weight is 9.8 lbs, with a Mintor 170. Things I have found with my setup.

Incidences: Tail/Motor at 0 degrees Wing at .25 degrees positive. Recommended (Tail at .2 to .3 degrees negative – Wing/motor at 0) I opted to do the incidence change on the wing so that if it needed to be changed it would be easily accessible. If you do it the manufacturer’s way it makes it pretty much impossible to change without a butcher job.

CG: Set at the front on the recommended CG range (1/2 to ¾ behind wing tube) right at ½ behind the tube. The plane flew tail heavy and I needed no down when inverted. So I shifted some things around and got the CG just behind the wing tube. The plane flies much more solid there and requires a small push when inverted.

Mixes: Right now I have no mixes and I’m not sure if I will program any. There is a very slight tuck to the gear in knife edge. And I mean very slight. Up lines and down lines are very straight.

There was a pretty good crosswind yesterday and the plane seemed to handle it very well. I just applied the proper corrective rudder for a straight line and the plane just grooved.

My throws are as follows.

Aileron: High Rate 1in up 1.25 down – Low is 65%
Rudder: High 2.75 in - Low is 50% (Rudder is very/very effective)
Elevator High Rate 5/8 Up ¾ down – Low is 60%

As I find out more I will let you know. Patternboy I will be getting some pictures for you very shortly. I will put it side by side next to the Focus ver 1. I have had some problems with the media card in my camera.