gjesion

Thanks d!
I will probably go with the Hitecs. It looks like the plane is going to be ~8.5# AUW even with the heavier servos in the back.

Regards,
Jerry

nonstoprc

My Feedback: (90)

Sorry to high jack the thread.

I have three futaba 9202 servos for sale (pulled from my Venus II that I am selling). Each weighs 1.8 oz, has dual bearings and a coreless motor. Smooth movement and excellent centering capability. I used them for rudders and elevators.

I used an YS110 for power and did not need any tail/nose weight.

Please check my RCU ad. Ask $105 for three.

medicap

My Feedback: (11)

I am putting together my 2nd Venus 2 and am ready to put onthe belly pan and line up the bolts for the wing. The last time I did this, the bolts getting lined up was a royal pain.I would have rather had a root canal! Also, I must have been off just a bit as it was a struggle to get the wing on at the flying field.Any ideas on how to accomplish this?

Also, I am putting a 120 AX on it with a 17x6 prop. This propis a bit large for the spinner. Are there any vendors that have spinners that can accomodate an APC prop of this size without having to cut on the spinner?

Thanks,

Steve

medicap

My Feedback: (11)

One other thing, I had to add a bit of weight to the tail of my other Venus with an OS 91 FX with the engine sitting at 6 1/4 inches forwardas per the instructions. Is there any problem with moving the 120AX back toward the firewall an inch or so to help with c.g.? I realize that the cowlhas to fit so can't go hog wild.

Steve

maynardrupp

I have an OS120AX in mine, mounted in the normal,(forward), location. I mounted the battery as far back in the radio area as I could. This 6 volt 2500mah battery is just above the wing bolt plate. It balanced pefectly with no lead. I have since moved the tank back to the CG and added a pump that mounts on the engine mount between the engine and the firewall. I guess th weight of the pump exactly countered the weight shift of the tank as this plane still balances at the recommended spot with no lead.

kochj

You could make the belly pan removable by using strong rare earth magnets on both the pan and wing....

Or place in 2-tubes so the bolt goes through the tubes and can't fall out of allignment???

Not sure what the wing comes with, but haveing nylon 1/4 bolts have always worked well for me...

kochj

I keep wondering about picking up this plane and stick my os 1.20 ax with pipe...
Power was litrally amazing.... the pipe added 900rps to the 17x6 apc prop...
It was unreal on a 69" yak... But the low end was lacking for 3d....

My thoughts..... If you want a great engine for this plane.... OS 1.20 ax will knock you socks off....
If you want more power...add a pipe....and you could do any routine....no problem..

I will wait till summer, as I had some issues with tunning with the pipe...
this may be fuel tank clunk related....
May add a pump and have not issues....at all with a muffled pipe...

Some say that the carb on the os 1.20 ax is too big and can make the settings sensitive...
If you use the stock muffler...it will work perfect....set and forget....
It is pipes that may be more of a issue...

Will report in spring...

maynardrupp

I just used a dremmel tool and enlarged the openinggs in the spinner for the APC 17 x 6 prop. Works great. I solved the plastic screw problem by using ones with a phillips head to keep the screwdriver in the head and then pointing the threaded end like a pencil. Now they search out the blind nuts in the fusalage just fine.

maynardrupp

Where are you guys finding new, in the box, Venus IIs??

medicap

My Feedback: (11)

I can't find anymore as I have searched for large R/C hobby shops online. Doesn't mean somebody does not ahve one sitting on the shelf somewhere.

Good luck

Steve

tele1974

I was hoping Great Planes would replace this plane...

viva_peru

Hi,

I checked www.hobbybarn.com and they seem to have in stock (it is not shown as being out of stock). Giving them a call might be worthwhile.

Good luck,

Teo

rcpattern

My Feedback: (45)

I dont know for sure, but I'd be surprised if there isn't something coming.

Arch

energyman

My Feedback: (2)

There was one that expired earlier today on the auction site.

Good luck
Energyman

kochj

Crap....

So they discontinued it????

Are they going to give a 2m pattern plane ago!!!??????

IF they did, it would be a VERY VERY smart move....
2m Sequence F3A perhaps???

What have you heard??

d_bodary

My Feedback: (85)

rumor has it slightly smaller than 2M
not sure what it is based off of. I am waiting, First heard the rumor in September. So who knows if and when?

tele1974

I called Great Planes after hearing the rumor. I was told that they are not going to replace the Venus. But, I guess that doesn't mean that they are not going to release an entirely different airframe. If it is almost a 2 meters, our 125 set up isn't going to cut it. I believe 3d hobby shop is also coming out with a larger Orisis. I'll learn to fly this one...first. I am still considering recovering mine. I have my trim scheme all ready. Just haven't got the nerve to rip all the covering off yet.

kochj

This hobby NEEDS a quality ARF pattern plane.....
Geeze....even the weight limit was increased....

to bad they don't have 2-new sizes...

1.20 and full 2m......

Don't want to spend 400$ plus shipping from Worldmodels, for there spoton...
Good aircraft, but spendy.

rcpattern

My Feedback: (45)

The biggest issue is numbers that you would actually sell. 1.20 scale/IMAC birds have a much greater following than pattern. The initial investment is quite large to produce and ARF and most likely you wont sell a huge number, therefore the costs are going to be higher. The Venus II was a great airplane, and hopefully Great Planes will be coming out with a replacement.

Arch

tele1974

400 plus another 1500 to get it in the air... I have to consider myself fortunate that I have a Venus...I picked it up for 400 RTF. And it looks like it is going to be a long time before I am able to upgrade into 2m plane. It has been said many times that you have to pay to play with the big dogs in pattern. Arch, what do you think the average cost of a bird that is able to compete in the upper pattern classes? It must be close to 4 grand. 2 just for the airframe. For now I will just have to fly the covering off my Venus.

tele1974

Go to the Great Planes product suggestion form and request a replacement for the Venus II.

http://www.greatplanes.com/suggestion.html

rcpattern

My Feedback: (45)

I think 3-4K is a reasonable number. Most kits and ARF's, excluding Oxai or a finished CA model are between 1000-2000. Even if you get a kit, such as a Black Magic, or others, you will be somewhere in that number even before you start building if you include all the sheeting and any hardware you need. Whether flying glow or electric you can easily spend between 400-900 for a power system and as with anything else, you do get what you pay for. Throw in 300-400 for servos and RX and you are approaching 3K easily. Fortunately you can pick up a lot of used stuff if you just keep your eyes open. I know F3A unlimited does everything they can to track down good quality ARF's at a reasonable cost.

I think the 400.00 competitive 2m ARF is a dream that just wont be realized. The most cost effective ARF of the last 10 years that was truly competitive was the Focus series and they were still 750.00 and that was 10 years ago. Something very similar to produce today would easily be over 1000-1100. Have you seen the cost of balsa recently? Throw in the fact that airplanes are getting larger constantly for the new patterns and the cost goes up. On top of that, many people seem to think getting an ARF going is an easy task. A lot of the major companies have someone in China full time to essentially babysit production and watch for quality control issues. Piedmont models was the last ones to successfully get a good ARF in the country, but even Dave Guerin and others will openly admit, you are looking at a significant investment upfront of 25K or more, and unfortunately with the internet today, it only takes 1 or 2 bad models in a batch in the wrong hands and your sales just go through the floor.

Mike Hester tried to do it with kits. He had great kits, but there were guys who wouldn't follow his suggestions, even though he would go out of his way to help people and tell them how to sheet the plane and what cloth to use. Then the plane would come out heavy and not fly well, and they blamed him for it. Mike literally killed himself for 3 years trying to make everyone happy and is paying the price with major health issues now.

I would say most of the models out there today are very good, but out of 100 customers, Probably 75 to 80 are perfectly happy with what they have or have the resources to fix small issues, another 15-20 will quietly go to the manufacturer for help if they have a problem and the remaining 5-10 will be the ones that go online and publicly bash everything about the plane without every contacting the distributor or manufacturer and unfortunately these are the posts that most read and it can quickly destroy the reputation of a perfectly good product or manufacturer who in most cases will do whatever they can to make things right. Can you imagine being a guy who just dropped 30K into a business and had all these great planes ordered, then you get a few guys who buy the absolute cheapest, heaviest equipment out there, over build in the assembly , then complain what the plane weighs when the designer probably recommends equipment that the person didn't use. Then you have the same guy who if he has a plane that will make weight with his equipment complains that the plane isn't built robust enough when he tears the gear out of the plane. These are the people who are making it very hard for us to get good planes in the country.

I've seen people in some threads, such as the Wind S Pro thread complain about the quality. The planes finish and such isn't perfect, but for the painted ARF version at 1999, it is a great deal, especially when you figure it flies as well as the CA and Oxai planes. Granted, the finish might not be as perfect, but I don't see how you can complain about a plane whose finish is 80-90% as nice as the others, but flies the same and will make weight at 60% the cost or lower. Doesn't make sense to me.

Arch

kochj

Good points....
I think that most look at a 50cc plane and think...hmm...600-700$ for best .....okay...
a pattern plane is 30cc plane...It should cost 400$ like the 26-30cc extras and sbachs that are everywhere now...
I don't think a pattern plane has any more balsa than anyother plane in the same size? ???
Are there Lighter balsas?? I had thought that there isn't a measure of good or bad balsa, but placing proper rating material in the
proper area... ( A.B.C ) These are equally good, but have diff. places in a aircraft build..Ex. some bend easier, or are stiff ect...

I have a EF 78 " extra gas version that I have to build, and could use in pattern....But I would like to have a pattern specific tool
rather than dual purpose...
I thought the VenusII was a popular plane....??? Perhaps too exspensive to build, and not enough money charged for the increase in cost to build???

It seems that is the current trend of the big Two... Get rid of the older aircraft...redesign and charge more for altered model...of same size...
Funtana 100x to 125 comes to mind... 100$ increase in price, small changes in model....

rcpattern

My Feedback: (45)

Yes, there are a lot of different grades of balsa. The 50cc stuff and such don't have a weight limit they have to conform to. To build a 2m pattern plane out of wood, you have to use VERY good contest grade balsa, which is 2-3 times higher than regular balsa. It is significantly lighter. Mike Hester's black magic series and several others out there that are wood base require that good quality contest grade wood be used to make weight.

You are also assuming that over multiple production runs that the cost doesn't change. The cost of balsa and other products are constantly going up. Also, you will never be able to produce pattern models in the quantity that you will the 30cc and 50cc planes, so your cost will be higher for that as well.

Arch

nonstoprc

My Feedback: (90)

Personally, I prefer fiber glass fused pattern ships. They are lighter and more durable than the wood version.