JAYNC

My Feedback: (7)

Looking real good. I hope to start mine this month.

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

Have not come up with a way at this point.Notice that the wheels are not very deep in the wells,that's the problem. I may have to go with the kit wheels,but I hope not.

JAYNC

My Feedback: (7)

I doubt I will even bother with the doors on mine, my main goal was to have good landing gear so thats why I bought the Sierras. If I can find a simple way to mount the doors I might do it. If you find a way to do it, let us know.

pittsdriver

My Feedback: (7)

Here is a picture of the Planes of Fame Zero gear. You can see the bracket that attaches the top of the gear door. The hubcap has a hole in the center and the axle sticks through it with a and the lower part of the gear door bolts on the end of the axle. Don

colesifer3d314

My Feedback: (9)

Go to your local machinist and have them make you some gear door mounts ;-)

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

It's not just the bracket,it's getting a good flush fit when the gear is closed. The full scale pic above is very interesting. Thanks for the post. The Sierra strut is very scale.The strut also has several 4-40 threaded attaching points for attaching doors

kmtranmd

My Feedback: (71)

Not sure I agree with idea of retracting flaps on landing.
Fully deployed flaps will cause drag, reducing airspeed, not adding lift. If you're getting lift with flaps, your deflection is not far down enough.
After the mains touch the ground, you want drag from the flaps to reduce airspeed so your tail will drop toward the ground.
Reducing flaps at this point is doing the opposite of the result you're looking for. You want more drag as soon as you touch the ground.
If you notice jets on landing, they have full flaps deployed and as soon as they touch down and keep them deployed until complete stop. They even deploy airbrakes on the wings to maximize drag. I've never seen any full scale plane reduce flaps on touch down.

JAYNC

My Feedback: (7)

Not sure where you got your info from but heres a link explaining what flaps do. Yes they do increase drag and they also increase lift. All I know is on a taildragger top flite warbird when landing with flaps as soon as you retract them the tail drops and plants to the ground because most of the lift goes away.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flap_(aeronautics)

rcguy59

My Feedback: (8)

I also retract the flaps as soon as I touch down. On my TF GS P-51, the tail drops like a stone as soon as the flaps go up. Same with my TF GS P-47. Losing the extra lift provided by the flaps "plants" the plane on the runway sooner, reducing bouncing and improving directional control. The thing to remember about flaps is that the first half of the flaps' travel creates MORE than half of the additional lift that they provide. The second half of the flaps' travel creates MORE than half of the additional drag that they produce. The TF GS birds that I have flown slow down just fine with about 20-25 degrees of flap. You can use more if you want, but pull the power back a touch too far and they will fall out of the sky rather quickly. I fly from a 300' asphalt runway and these birds easily take off and land without ever touching the grass on either end, using half or less flap.

RCHS1

My Feedback: (1)

Here are some pics of a Top Flite Zero Arf I am building - I lightly sanded covering and added rustoleum enamel spray on the bittom of fuse - Panel lines using great planes "metalic alumnum " 1/16 stripe tape . Pilot I found on Ebay . The included cokpit is better than most after market kits for other scale birds I have used - There will be a mile high electric starter in the dle 55ra mounted on this bird with hitec 645mg servos , robart air rrtacts, and Hobbico Life batteries with a spectrum 9110 dual input reciever.

The plane fgoes together very quickly with perfect parts fit. In pics you will see I added Fiberglass around cowl ring for added strength . but othet thatn that going by the book is a ok . Only 1 thing on my wishlist would have been a hatch or somewhere to hide switches like TF focke wulf .

Last pic is of color scheme I am copying - I believe the orange was a trainer designation,

I would recomend this kit to anyone want a giant warbird

Dont bother trying to get the weights out the fuselage , with the electric starter up front I was wanting to remove wight oninside of firewall and drilled holes to be able to get a hex driver on the screw and it just rotated and would not come out - I tappears to be glue and the srewa are more pegs tha a tight gripped screw - so I determined that it is basically imposble to remove the weights without serious surgery

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

The Sierra strut is very much like the full scale pictured above on post 204

JAYNC

My Feedback: (7)

Yeah the Sierra landing gear is a work of art. I fly off of grass so I doubt I will even try to put the doors on so I can show off my struts lol. I hope to start building mine sometime soon. Got a couple projects ahead of it.

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

I will do the same until I can come up with a way to mount em.We have a grass and a paved strip,but I always use the grass strip.Wheels last much longer on grass and it tracks better.

pettit

My Feedback: (23)

Flew our Zero with DLE-55 and Vess 22C providing more than enough power. Low rates published in manual should be high rates with low setting being less than published low. Flaps work like an anchor.

This plane will be the NASA Raffle Prize given away at AMA Nationals this summer





Tanl drop a little out of focus but you get the idea

curtusua-RCU

My Feedback: (91)

Hello Dan...

Would you please post a few photos of your battery installation?

I have the same electric setup and would be interested to see your gear installed and any modifications you had to make. Also, are you running a separate Lipo to power the electric retracts?

Thanks very much!

Curt

SWORDSN

My Feedback: (13)

Did you add any weight to balance with the 55?

pettit

My Feedback: (23)

Not one single ounce. No problems noted either.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Mr. Pettit,

Have you published a review on your build?

JAYNC

My Feedback: (7)

Ok all these pictures and talk about this plane is making me want to get started very soon on mine. Should be an excellent flying airplane.

pettit

My Feedback: (23)

Lifer: I do not work for any magazines anymore, so the review will not be published, unless someone makes me an offer.

JAYNC

My Feedback: (7)

anyone have this issue with the landing gear covers. They are pre drilled and theres no wood under them to drill into.

sparky4lawndart

My Feedback: (10)

yours is more offset than mine was but that's the wood you're drilling into! maybe a little angle in your screw??

JAYNC

My Feedback: (7)

I'll probably have to redrill the holes, they are too close to the edge of the wood. Was just wondering if anyone else had the same issue.

JAYNC

My Feedback: (7)

I think these sierra struts are designed and shaped around the more rounded robart 5" rubber tires. These dubro tires just aren't going to work correctly the way they are shaped. I would have to grind on the struts to get the wheel closer to the struts so I can get the tires all the way into the wheel wells and have the struts straight while extended. Right now the tires are hanging out a little and the struts are toed in slightly. Trying to get ahold of Darrell to see if I can swap the tires out.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Mr. Pettit,

That's sad to hear. I have really enjoyed your articles over the years. Thank you for all that you have taught me. I appreciate it a lot.