Hi all. I'm new to the thread and haven't read through everything here yet, but figured I'd share my experiences with this plane at 18 flights in hopes that my comments may help someone here.
The setup is..
Evo 77cc radial
McDaniel onboard glow powered by 2x 5000mah nimh batts w/ Booma RC balancing switch
32oz RotoFlow tank
Robart electric retracts w/ recommended Robart controller, wheels, etc.
JR 12 channel power safe receiver
2x 3200mah Life batts
JR 8711 on all surfaces
Spektrum mini digital servos on main gear doors
eFlite lighting and bomb release mechs
Led machine guns, etc.
I won't go into a lot of detail here since I'm sure most issues have been found in this thread by now, but will share my experiences.
The build...
Overall good quality parts. Paint match was good, but center section had been bagged before paint had cured and has left permanent dull spots where plastic bag touched paint. Would not buff out. Center section to fuse and panel fitting is great. The clear plastic lenses for the nav lights did not fit in any way, shape, or form. Rudder was twisted and counter balance didn't match with rudder straight. Twisted with heat to solve. Continuing build showed that most parts fit well. Stab fit was good. Cowl mounting seemed ingenious until flight 18, mentioned later. Hardware was decent, but hinges were sloppy and weak and should not be used. The covering is terrible. Seams are in awkward spots and the covering over the fiberglass parts has wrinkles that cannot be removed. I realize the color is tough to work with for iron on film, but this was among the worst I've seen, esp considering the price tag, you'd expect top quality ARF.
Majority of the build was straight forward. Flaps required much work to move smoothly. Would defiantly recommend using one servo per side. Center-section houses as much radio gear as the fuse. I have 9 plugs to connect when installing to fuse. The recommended eFlite lighting system was installed during build. Looks good at night but you can't even see them during the day. This system seems like it should be on a park flyer of foamy and is almost insulting to put it in a plane this size. Same with the eFlite release mechs. These mechs worked well on the bench but on the second drop attempt, one hung up and wouldn't release (even with spring release) until the plane was back in the shop on the bench where it released fine and no issue can be found. Um, what???? Both the lighting system and bomb releases can't use more than 5.5 volts so will need regulated if using a high voltage system. The cockpit kit and dual canopy option were great. We installed the sliding canopy which worked well. The cockpit floor is a bit flimsy and tight to install so will need reinforcing if a full body pilot is to be used.
Robart electric retracts were installed. The mains initially installed fine and adjusted well using the provided shims. One thing to note is the gear doors. Instructions show 4 pics and little else. You cut apart the flimsy plastic gear doors and each has it's own servo. The servos take some patience to install and get operating correctly and take up any free space in the wheel wells. Servos then must be wired together and sequenced with the mains. Fit of the doors was bad and adjustments were made with a heat gun. If I had it to do over again, I'd make new doors from plywood and form them to the wing. Still they work and haven't needed adjustment yet. The main retracts worked well until flight 15, when the left developed a 'hitch' at mid transition, finally failing to retract fully during flight number 18. The tailwheel mech is sloppy and the actuator failed prior to the maiden flight, shearing away the plastic case its in. Replacement with a new that failed in three flights and my own fix lasted 4 more flights before failing and continuously running the actuator motor. Rear gear doors were also a nightmare to hinge and are wired to the tailwheel with a flimsy spring. I've seen a fix on this with real linkages and plan to use this in the future if a solution for the tailwheel actuator is ever found. Rear gear doors will need constant attention and repair if flown from a grass field.
All batteries were mounted up front as well as the throttle and choke servo. Despite this, one pound of lead shot was added to the cowl ring making the final weight at a portly 32.5 lbs.
Testing and flying
The Evo 77 was initially broken in for 2.5 hours at 15 minute intervals and varied RPM on the Biela 22x10 3 blade. Have ground tested many props and flown with Biela 22x10 3 blade and Menz 23x10 wood 2 blade. Both ended up not being enough pull. Currently fly it on a JC Superprops 23x12 wood. Have a Biela 23x12 carbon but haven't flown it with this yet. I suspect it will be the best prop for our engine/plane combo. The engine has a ton of torque once broken in, but was VERY marginal for power with the incorrect prop at first. Be sure that if you fly this plane with this engine combo you MUST follow break in procedures for the needed power to fly the weight of this plane with any authority. We gained nearly 1000 rpm during break in.
The maiden was performed with gear down since the tailwheel actuator failed after the plane was assembled. A very long takeoff run was needed and nearly aborted and climb out was very slow. Nothing outside of the norm was required for trim but the plane is very doggy and flies tail low with gear out. Flaps help this some, but there is a sinking feeling with the realization that if a flame out ever occurs, there will be no possible return to the field. Three flights were flown gear down that day leaving us very frustrated, but determined to work hings out.
Next trip to the field with two major changes, retracts working, for now, and switched to more bite on the prop with a 23x12 two blade. Now, the planes takes off in about 400 ft flaps up and with gear tucked, the engine unwinds and the plane gets up on step an grooves as it should. After playing with flaps on takeoff and landing, it shows that takeoff roll can be reduced greatly using mid to full flap and with gear down, flaps should be used to replace the lift lost when dirty. Landings are easier with a little speed and should be wheel landed in ground effect rather than attempting a full stall or harrier type landing, which I feel some pilots with lesser experience may try and will be the demise of many of these birds. Subsequent flights show a consistent low speed threshold with a mild tendency to drop the left wing if flare until full stall while in ground effect. While this engine paired with this plane is very scale and can be fast with the gear tucked, it struggles on the up line and must have a great deal of speed entering any looping or vertical maneuver. I stick with energy management type flying when doing any aerobatics.
Conclusion
This plane was intended to be used in Fun Scale events and has proven to be too much of a maintenance hog to be practical. At a local event this weekend, the third tailwheel actuator failed, the left main retract stuck in mid position, and to top it off, the cowl worked its way loose, which then rested on the rockers keeping valves from working correctly, stifling power and resulting in barely getting it back on the ground and putting an early end to the event.
It's a shame because once things do work, it flies like a dream. It now has 18 flights with twice that many take offs, landings, and touch and goes. It truly is a beauty in the air and paired with the Evo, the realism that reminds you of the bigger brother Comp ARF's with the Moki's. Problem is now, I'm back to waiting on gear repairs and missing events with a $4K hangar queen that's not even that pretty anymore. Now I'll probably have to finish the season off flying something else and pondering the sale of the Corsair. The project had so much potential...what a shame.
Herc
