Pilotx1

I just picked up an unassembled Hobbico extra 300s AWARF. Ive stripped off the self adhseive covering an will be adding counter balances to the elevators and rudder as well as adding about 1/2 an inch to the width of the ailerons for added control authority. the manual says to mount a high quality .60 size engine but i want basically inlimited vertical and definately the ability to hover this plane if I ever get good enough to do so. I was thinkin of mounting an OS .91 FX ringed which with all other gear included will still leave me under the low side of the mfg weight range before any balance weight is added if i have to. Do you guys think the 91FX will be too much for this plane to handle? Do you think id be better off with the OS .61fx? or a four stroke in this range somewhere?

AeroDave

the 91 would be fine, but this plane doesn't like to go slow. its a nice aerobat, but if you want 3D, i think you'll be dissappointed. Most scale aerobatic ships in this size range are the same way. Its a wing loading thing.

parrthd

i tend to agree as i have this plane now. it likes scale maneuvers, big aerobatics, and medium to fast speed, just like the full scale.

next off i'd like to ask if this is the plane you have.....
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_guide/kitprofile.cfm?kit_id=1613]Hobbico 300S review[/link]

if this is the same plane, where did you get it? i thought it had been discontinued long ago. i'l love to have another to put up so if, or when, something happens to mine.

Pilotx1

Im moving form a towerhobbies uproar 40 as my aerobatic plane to the extra 300s so as long as its an improvement over that I think ill be happy


Parrthd,

The plane in the review is the one Ive got, I snagged it on ebay last week for 100 . As for them being discontinued for a long while now, that is correct unfortunately. I called about 15 hobby shops within about 100 miles of my house looking for this or the GP extra 300s 40 arf hoping someone had one in stock somewhere. As a last resort I check ebay and there it was. as for wing loading the specs say 590sq/in with a flying weight of 6.5 lbs giving a loading of 24.5oz/sqft.
Whats a good wing loading to shoot for inorder to get into the 3D range. As I said im gonna be doing some pretty extensive surgery to the airframe and losing some weight should definately be added to my list of things to do to this bird.

Id like to get a bigger plane especially for the 3D aspect of flying but theres no way id fint anything anywhere near a 25% extra, edge or cap in my car, ive got a honda prelude so thats what im dealing with.

If there youve got any suggestions for a plane with the looks of an edge, extra or cap in the 40- 60 size that is more capable of 3D let me know, I think Id be willing to let this extra go. Part of why I bought the extra is how it looks, regardless of covering scheme, same with the edges and cap 232s.

parrthd

if you're looking to get inot 3d and wild aerobatics, have you considered the funtana .40 or .60 the H9 twist is also a .40 size. speaking of funtana, they now have the new funtanaX .50 size

also, if you like the way the 30 looks, i might suggest an edge 540. i've seen one guy fly this plane, hover, torque rolls, etc. he said it was great for learning 3d but he wished it had a bit more aileron (had to hold full aileron to keep it from torque rolling.)

Pilotx1

As part of my modifications im adding in about 1/2" to the ailerons and mounting the servos at approximately mid wing. The aileron panels will be cross stripped with CF tape to add stiffness and control authority.

Is there any set formula for counterbalancing control surfaces?

Who makes the 40 size edge, youve definately got my interest.

parrthd

here's a couple..........
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_guide/kitprofile.cfm?kit_id=4468]Aero Technologies[/link]
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_guide/kitprofile.cfm?kit_id=3886]Powerline[/link]this would probably be my pic for 3D just by looking at the different pics
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_guide/kitprofile.cfm?kit_id=2790]Aeroworks[/link]
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_guide/kitprofile.cfm?kit_id=3862]Aeroworks[/link]this is actually a .46 size (according to the specs)
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_guide/kitprofile.cfm?kit_id=2700]Pacific Aeromodel[/link]

jrf

My Feedback: (551)

I have a NIB Pacific Aeromodel 60 Edge I'm about to list on eBay. It's going to be a bit more than $100 though.

Jim

Pilotx1

The wing mods are finally completed, because the lack of a spar worried me, i pushed 2 36" CF tubes about 1/4"OD into the wings from the tips through the center crossing to the other side by 9" on top of that I added .007 thick 1/2" wide CF strips to the outside sheeting of the wing, these intersect at the centerline top and bottom and corss to the other panel by about 12". Ill be covering the plane starting this weekenf in the Redbull extra 300s scheme. Fiberglass tape will be laminated after I cover the wing and trim it back. for the rudder im going with a pull-pull system as they show on the box rather than the single steel rod as the ddirections say. The aileron servos have been relocated 14" from the centerline with the wires running through tubes to the center cavity where the servos were originally located, Ill post pics when I get home and take pics. to lose some weight on the plane Ill be cutting in a bunch of lightening holes throughout the fuse. If you guys can think of anything ive forgotten, overlooked, orr might be a bad idea lat me know. hopefully Ill be ordering the 91fx in the next week or so. anyone know if this plane has a tendency to be nose or tail heavy when built according to the directions?

parrthd

factory, mine has a os .91 4stroker on it and it needed around 1 3/4 oz weight on the nose.

Pilotx1

The wing is finally covered, servos are going into it tonight along with the rudder counterbalance being finished tonight. Ill mock up the rudder and do the setup on the Pull-Pull setup after that.

Parrthd how does your plane fly on the 4s .91, plenty of power?

parrthd

PLENTY......it flys with a 15X4W prop and has unlimited vertical. I'm sure it would hover and climb straight out...but, that's a bit beyond my present skill level.........

Pilotx1

excellent, the 91fx will give me everything I want then

Baz

My Feedback: (1)

I found one of these at an estate sale a while back (minus canopy) and just finished putting it together. I used a pull-pull for the rudder, twin 4-40 rods for the elevator halfs, and two aileron servos. Looking back I should have taken the time to strip the sticky covering and do my own scheme but that's water under the bridge so to speak ... anyway ... I was planning to put a ThuderTiger Pro .61 on her but after reading this thread I'm having second thoughts. First, because it will need a HUGE amount of nose weight to balance and second, because all of you are going/have gone with .91s (2 or 4 strokers). The only other engine I have lying around looking for a carcas to haul around is a Saito 1.20 ... I'd hate to waste all that power if I don't need it but I also can't stand putting nose weight on a plane. My general rule is that if a plane needs nose weight go with a bigger engine.

Thoughts??

Pilotx1

Baz,

The 1.20 might be a little much power for it. Ive only done static engine runs so far and was really impressed at the amount of thrust the plane had. Ive only flown planes with .40 size motors on them so far though. Did you find a replacement canopy, I kinda messed mine up and need a replacement before I can fly. ive got the remains of my canopy adn was thinking of using them to make a vacuum form mold good enough to make a few copies but would rather not go thru all the hassle and work if a replacement can be bought. Hobbico has long since discontinued the plane and parts are no longer available for it. let me know what you did for a canopy replacement. Hopefully I wont need to remake a canopy.



I just found this in my email...
the guy has made a wing apparatus for himself with 4 large jet-cat turbines for power
http://www.jet-man.com/actuel_eng.html

Baz

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks for the reply Pilotx1. Don't get too hung up on engine size ... throttle & prop management are a great counter.

Regarding the canopy ... I visited my LHS and the owner gave me a cracked canopy from a larger plane. I cut it down appropriately and made a nice replacement. I can post a picture if you'd like. Let me know.

Thanks for the "batman" link. After viewing the movie my son said, "I want to do that"!

Pilotx1

Im not too hung up on gross engine size, just speaking from experience that the larger engine isnt always better, but I do hate having to add dead weight at the nose just to hit the balance point. I prefer to move radio gear around as much as possible to shift the cg where it needs to go. I will probably be putting the RX pack into the engine box just aft of the motor mount to movve the cg forward. Ill get pick of my color scheme up in the near future. Pics of yours would be great, do you happen to know which plane your replacement canopy is from?

Baz

My Feedback: (1)

Unfortunately, I do not know what plane it was from but by the looks of it I think it was for at least a 1/4 scale size bird. Here are a couple of pictures. Good luck ... it's a delicate job ... trim a little at a time.

Baz

My Feedback: (1)

By the way ... who can tell me the balance point on this plane?? The directions give a number that seems WAY too far forward.