vfrank59

Well, I thought the same thing. I was expecting to only need 5 lbs. I see Gary only needed 4.5. I am going to double check it again before I add the lead permanently. I measured it 6.5 inches from the leading edge at the root of the wing closest to the fuselage. That is what I read from a previous post. Please POP UP is I am wrong on the location. I was use my eyeball to check level.

Vern

vfrank59

The video was great to watch. I sure would like to see your HD version when you get the disc from you buddy.

Vern

vfrank59

Well it is ALIVE !! The Moki 250 started way easier than I had thought. I had way mor trouble starting DA-100 engine than the Moki. She sounds great.

[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPthS0mIsMg]Youtube Moki startup[/link]

for some reason the HD video would upload abut i could not get sound. So I posted a great sounding crappy video.

I did check the CG again. I ran a small rope between the wing and fuse. I got the same results and need to add the 10 lbs of lead. My CG spots are 1/2 inch in front of the spar. I also measure about 6 5/8 inches from the leading edge back.

It is what it is I guess.

Vern

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

No problem Wayne. So far, so good on that first set, but a spar set will be nice.

Thanks pal.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Thanks Vern. Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing it myself. Hopefully, I can still post it on You Tube so it is easy for all to see. That second landing was SOOOO much better.

I hope that watching my mistake will help you with your maiden. As you can see, simply adding power and aborting the landing would have been the better thing to do.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

We have ours balanced per the manual. 1/2" in front of the main spar, when plumbed down from the top (the spar is tilted forward slightly). That seemed to be a good CG in the air. With the gear down, and maybe 30oz or more of fuel still on board, she is comfortably nose heavy for landing. The Moki is way more fuel efficient than I expected. It is a 4-stroke though. Guess I should have expected that.

BTW, we have a 50oz tank on board. Way more than we need for a 12-15 min flight.

1st flight we landed with 3/4 of a tank still on board.
2nd flight we still had over 1/2 tank.

Also, all the stand-offs for the engine are different lengths to achieve the thrust angles called for in the manual. These also seem to be very good.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Cool video Vern. It is amazing how easy these engines start. You using the pump?

wxman2

My Feedback: (52)

What diameter of the 3-blade prop are you using with the Moki 250?

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

We have a 32" Solo, set at 17" pitch.

I was going to cut the pitch back a bit to get more RPMs because we are only around 3400 on the ground, then I spoke with Götz Vogelsang, and he explained that the engine should tack at no more than 3600 on the ground with this Solo Prop, because of how it unloads in the air. So I left it at 17". I believe the engine can safely be leaned a bit now, so I'm sure we will have the 3600 next time out.

wxman2

My Feedback: (52)

Thanks Gary,

I was trying to figure out what Solo prop to use with a Scale Wings LA7 with a Moki 250 and this is great information. I will go with 32"...

John

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Glad to help John. I suppose the smart thing would be to go with a 2-blade prop for the first flights, but the darn thing looks and sounds so cool with the Solo prop that we already had, so we just went for it. I would have been pretty bummed out if I had broken it on that first landing, but I didn't. I'm past that now and feel confident about the landings now.

BTW, I have 2 sets of CARF carbon fiber 32" Solo blades if any one is interested. The guys I talked to recommended the wood ones to save the crank in the case of a prop strike. I really think that is a remote possibility at best now, but I'll stick with the wood ones anyway.

If anyone wants the CF ones, just PM me. They are new and without any graphics.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

BTW guys, here is where Brian is getting all our 'Festo' fittings you will need for the wing (the plugs in different sizes come in exceptionally handy for bleeding the system), air cylinders, and more. Very cool stuff and a great selection.

They ship FAST!!! Great customer service as well.

www.shulmanaviation.com/index.php

Check out the little air gauges. Very accurate and they fit in a giant scale instrument panel. We have one on our accumulator.

vfrank59

Yes, i am using the pump. I have the pump ignition connected to a smart-fly optic kill switch. Both go on and off at the same time. I could not believe you can lflip the prop with just 2 fingers. It is great.

vfrank59

I believe I set my solo prop at 18 pitch. I have not tach'ed mine yet, cause I cant find it in all the stuff around here. I feathered it all the way , one direction and the counted the turn to get Max pitch. I then turn it half way back to Center. It lined up on the Zero mark. I then added more pitch. 13 ticks on the dial. Does this seem to be the correct procedure. the instruction were not clear to me.
thanks,
vern

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Wayne Fussel (owner of Solo Props) is a friend of mine. He explained that the zeroing tic on the dial is not correct. You need to get them flat, then just count the notches as you rotate the dial. They are correct for each inch of pitch.

vfrank59

Roger that. I will find my Tach and double check everything on the prop.
thx

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Maximum safe RPM is 6,000 on the prop and also the engine. The 3600 on the ground gives you a safe margin in the air, even after the straight pitch prop unloads.

I was told that you can tach higher on the ground with a conventional prop due to the fact that it unloads less in the air because of the varied pitch on the blades.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Here is a picture of that air gauge on the accumulator.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Here are the two pump systems we have. Both new. The first is the 08 vintage that did not work. The second came with the kit we purchased this year. They did some work on it.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

This is how much fuel was left in the 50cc tank, after the second flight.

vfrank59

Well, the pump I have looks like the older one. That may explain why mine seemed a little slower than yours. Mine is working fine and wings are taking about 10 to 12 sec. for up and down.

I found my tach. and got the prop adjusted. I am now getting 3600 rpm. I only ran it there for about 5 secs. that was close enough till it breaks in. I am getting 800 rpm for idle. Sounds great. The electric fuel pump works fine. fine tuning the idle and max requires fine adjustment. plus or minus 1/8 in turn is either to rich or too lean. it transitions great.

Well ,last item is adding the lead. I figure 5 lbs glued in and the other 5 1/2 lbs in little removable bags just in case it is too nose heavy during the maiden.
vern

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Sounds good Vern.

On the pump, the accumulator looks the same. They made a nice aluminum bracket to hold them, and the motor looks different on the new one. Maybe a bit faster.

One more thing to check. We noticed just tonight that one of the pins on the front of the wing was loose. It was beginning to get pushed in. Not good. Loose this and the wing falls off. We glued it in good. This is the ARF version. Might want to check yours if it is the ARF. The left one seemed OK.

vfrank59

Ok, I will keep an eye on it. One thing about these awesome projects is preventive maintenance. 90% of it is prep work in the shop and then the other 10% is easy. Good lesson for all of us to be meticulous of our pre-flight so everyone can enjoy watching and flying.

Time to break out the top flight mustang and give her heck prior to flying the corsair.

Thanks for all the great help.

Vern

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

So true Vern. Noticed that the doors were not totally shut on the tail when we went to put her in the trailer Saturday, so we investigated it right there and found that the stop screw had backed out and actually fell out as we lowered the tail gear. Something else we had not installed, and had no lock tight on it.

Fixed.

vfrank59

Yep, We gotta check every screw and nut. I was running the main gear up and down and the right main wheel and axle fell off. I pulled both set screws. drilled a hole in the axle and then inserted the set screws with purple loctite. That would have been embarrassing on landing. I will check all the other screw on the mains and other things that was assembled by others.