pdtroil

My Feedback: (1)

Flew mine on Sep 8, I'd agree landing is a trick penty of power came up on step quickly. Flew great only a couple clicks of down. During taxi the water rudder is pretty much useless.

jeffterrie2

still waiting for mine 3mos. now

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I find that it lands best with just enough throttle to make the props spin. I really like how quickly it gets on step, and once it's on step, it glides across the wayer beautifully!

splinter

My Feedback: (64)

Minnflyer & Others

I agree with you about the landing I found if you set the motors up with the brake OFF the props spin with power down and it lands just beautifully.

I have had a few ground (water) loops on takeoffs and found if I put in more expo in the air/rudder controls take off's are easier.

Any controls other than elevator can give you a "water loop"

I also found that because of the torque of the motors I automatically mix right rudder in for better right turns.

Happy Flying

Mr. Splinter

Dai Phan

My Feedback: (2)

Hi,

Forgive me for being naieve but the nose of the PBY has a second observer deck below the cockpit right? If that is the case, why would GP make such an enormous error? DP

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Some do, but most don't

bigben2k

I don't think it was meant to be a scale reproduction with a lot of details: the propeller has 2 blades, instead of three.

Notice in the video how it makes a landing with a wide sideways motion: looks like it'd be very forgiving, to land on water.

Not my cup of tea though: I'd rather fly a larger and heavier Cat, nitro powered.

romigreen

I've just finished my Catalina. I have'nt tried it yet ...I need to make some changes, based on what I learned here. Just a few questions:
1) Has anyone tried a 3 bladed prop? I'm using the Ace Ripper motors (1430 RPM/V). The stock prop on the left wing (facing the front of the plane) actually touches the canopy hatch. I saw that someone else had the same problem. I chose to install more powerful motors to help with the weight. Master Airscrew has a 3 blade 7x4 prop. Any ideas how this would work ...performance? The shorter prop will definately allow more room for the hatch cover and look a bit more scale.
2) I'm running (2) 11.1v 2100 mah 20C lipo's. Each is connected to a seperate ESC/motor. This is the first dual motor plane that I've built ...does the install sound correct?
Any ideas/suggestions are greatly appreciated.
TG

splinter

My Feedback: (64)

Romigreen

Your batterys sound just fine I am using 1/ 11.1 volt 4200 mah with a special deans connector to run both speed controlers. Your CG should be just right now with two batterys ( I get about twenty minutes)

I had the same problem of one of the motors hitting the hatch. What I did is cut them both down so they would clear the hatches and rebalanced them.

Be sure the hatch is attached to the plane so if it falls off and it will you don't lose it . I used a piece of fishing wire and put a piece of stroyfoam on the back so it will float.

Use Corrisonex spray to seal out any moisture ( GREAT PLANES just replaced my speed controls)

The plane has plenty of power and it is NOT made for aerobatics anyway. My favorite is a LOW LOW SLOW pass after all it is a scale plane.

If I can help with anymore advice please let me know

By the way watch for "water loop" on takeoff if you use any inputs other than elevator you will water loop.

Also try mixing right rudder in for your turns because both motors turn in the same direction.

Splinter

flyingdan

My Feedback: (5)

Hi Everyone

Here is what I did to make the PBY a ***** cat. I used 1 7X5 reversed prop to achieve counter rotational props, that way the motor torque will not cause wing tip float will not dig in. I made they props turn so they force the water down and away from the fuse, to help stop any water intrusion.

I had no problem at all with water getting into the fuse, I did add a small sponge on the CG to provide a water absorbing location just in case of water intrusion. That way the water will not slosh around and change your center of gravity if it does get inside.

I added a clear hinged water rudder to the tip of the stock one, that drops the water rudder down almost another 1 1/2 inch and into the water, the real plane did not have a WR and the kit one is worthless as it is not long enough. I cut it in the shape of a boomerang. I drilled the lower part of the WR and let it just hang loose that way as your speed increases this additional water rudder will kick up and not cause you to over control it at higher water speeds leading to a water loop.

Lastly I added clear plastic feathers, they are about 1/2 inch wide and 4 inches long, they are glued at a 45 degree angel trailing rearward on the tip floats inside the tip float step. What they do is immediately pick up the floats evenly so as speed increases it will not allow them to dig in and cause a water loop.

I always fly it onto the water with some speed and then let it skim and then settle into the water. Use full up to get the plane on its step and then let the elevator center, let it pick up speed and away you go.

Neat plane but it needs a little tweaking. None of my changes or additions can be seen in flight.

Dan

siddus74

GP PBY owners - Im a real fan of water plane flying and am just tip toeing it the twin scene but im not a fan of electric @ all . . . I love the look of this catalina but would feel the need to install a couple of OS.10 instead of the recommeded brushless setup.

Has this been done or thought about?

What im really after is weather any of you that currently own and fly this model could tell me whether it lends it'self to a glow conversion? I have no problem building a new wing etc.

Any comments / pictures invited.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I could see a glow conversion, but two .10's would be insanely overpowered

two .049's would be more like it

BeavenX5

Hi all
Dan, I would love to see pictures of your modifications even if I don't have a PBY yet.
I am new to flying and would love to get one if or when my fying skills permits. I live on a lake so a waterplane would be ideal.

My first plane will be a HZ Super Cub in a week or two. Next, I would like to get a PBY before the spring. Do you think the jump will be to big? I just read here that it flies like a trainer

As for winter flying, do you think you can land a PBY on ice / thin snow / packed snow? I would think so specially with Dan modification on the tip flots and by removing the water rudder.

Thanks.

flyingdan

My Feedback: (5)

Hi Beaven

Here are some quick shots that I took, I hope that you can see the modifications as they are a bit out of focus. Too close to the lens.

You can see that I also placed a wedge under the rear of the tip floats too. I covered a wedge shape balsa with grey monocote and glued them on. It prevents the front of the float from digging in so much, that could also lead to a water loop. On the bottom of the tip floats you can just make out the clear plastic feather that I glued to the under side of the step. With any speed at all the floats just lift out of the water and center the wing on both sides, couple that with the water rudder extension and the counter rotating props and you have a sweet flying boat. You can see that I did the same thing to the Seawind too.

Dan

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Just for the record, did you have a problem with the floats digging in?

I have flown the PBY off the water several times and I found it to be one of the easiest seaplanes to take off with. And the Seawind EP is probably the second easiest.

No mods to either of them.

flyingdan

My Feedback: (5)

The floats would dig in mainly because of torque due to the same prop direction rotation. Glad to hear that you had no problems. I no longer have any problems either.

Dan
AMA #9650

rnkeng

I see Great Planes on the Real Flight 4 FS has a ElectriFly PBY. As I haven't built my PBY yet, was wondering if anyone has flown the FS PBY, and wondering how it compares to the ElectriFly PBY.

BeavenX5

Thanks Dan for the pictures. It is a great concept. I will do the modification for sure when I get that plane.
I got the Super Cub Friday and did my first flights during the week-end. It was fun I went through 6 batteries (over 1 hour of flying) with no crash and over 15 successful landings. The owner of my LHS is telling me to wait a little for the Catalina and go with someting easier as a second plane[&o]. According to him the catalina is a heavy plane for its size a requires some level of experience to flight correctly. Maybe as a third plane early summer if I practice a lot.

rnkeng: I flew the Electrifly PBY Catalina on the G4 sim and my LHS is right, it is a heavy plane for its size (in the simulator at least). Can't compare with the real thing yet...

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Beaven, I would suggest flying it before making any mods. As I said, mine not only didn't need any mods, but it has the best water characteristics of any seaplane I have ever flown.

BeavenX5

I beleive the first mod I might try is to install counter rotating props while building the plane. It will in fact reduce greatly the digging problem. I am not sure if I can use the e-flite props and spinners from the P-38 (10X8E trimmed down) insted of the recommended 8X6 props... but I still have lots of time to figure that out.
I will then wait and see how it performs on the water and go from there. Thinking about the mods on the floats makes me think that it will remove the ability for the plane to land on grass and therefore not allow me to fly it other than during week-ends at my cottage. Unless I remove the floats completely for grass landing ????

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I broke one off on a grass landing. I would just remove them, but they are really not designed to be removable - Now THERE is a mod you could consider!

flyingdan

My Feedback: (5)

Hi Beaven

I used the APC 7X5 props because you can get one in the pusher mode, that way you will have the counter rotating feature that I spoke of. The best thing about the plastic feathers under the tip floats is that you will practically never water loop. In a cross wind the stock floats will bury them selves under water completely, with a bit of speed those feathers will lift the float nicely and keep it from sinking under water. I know for a fact that the stock floats are more prone to being torn off with out the wedge built up that I installed. Maybe others needs to learn the hard way after all If you don't like them you can always just peel them off, try it without and then with and at that time YOU can make up YOUR mind on what to do.

A friend of mine also installed chines on the sides to keep the spray down, I instead installed the props so they force the water down and away from the fuse.
I also took a 1" spinner package and made spray guards for the exposed servos. Just cut out the back and glue them over the servos, the linkage comes right out the back and is never touched. Those cheap servos need water seals doing this keeps them dryer.

Do as you wish, the mods that made to the plane will give you a bit more of the luck card because "Remember you create your own luck".

By the way that Super Cub can be mounted on GWS floats, they are 14 bucks. That plane is a real hoot on the water.

Dan

BeavenX5

Thanks Dan for the infos. I will analyse all this in detail when I get the plane in about 6 months. We just got our first snow fall this morning and I ordered skis for the Cub ($10). I will probably get the floats for the Cub even with a PBY, just for the flexibility of being able to fly it everywhere.
The best for the PBY is probably to do the feathers mod on the floats for lake use AND do a mod to be able to remove the entire floats easily for grass landings. Counter rotating props is also probably a great improvement for the plane.
I will keep you updated with my mod in about six months.

rnkeng

BeavenX5, thanks for your reply & you are right, on FS4 the PBY flies like it is heavy. Was just wondering if the Electri-Fly version flies the same way. Guess I'll have to get mine built to find out.

Thomas B

My Feedback: (4)

The Electrifly PBY does not fly heavy at all...it is in between a parkflyer and a normal model, but closer to a parkflyer. Very nimble and responsive.

I used to fly a buddy's Bob Holman 10ft PBY with twin .60 glow..it did fly a little heavy.....that would make sense for the FS4 sim programming.

I found that the little electric PBY had faultless water handling as delivered. I never noticed any torque effects on takeoff, but the one change I did make was to go to 1450 KV motors and 8/3.8 APC SF props...that might tend to show less torque effects than the stock 950Kv motors with the stock 8/6 props.

I did have one motor mount break in flight that dinged up the hatch a little bit when the prop was able to lean over and hit it.....the motor mounts are a little bit fragile. That is the only criticism I have on the model....although a version with the forward gun turrent would have been appreciated...

I like the model, but hated the boring silver over white color scheme...I jazzed mine up a little with some yellow paint on the silver film and some black trim, as you can see below.

This is a REAL winner from Great Planes/Electrifly.